HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY...or...BEST NOT TO EMBELLISH

In my many years in the business, I have met and mingled with many talented, professional actors and other actors who will do anything to convince people they are talented, professional actors. In this blog, I will address the latter.

About 40 years ago, I was in management in the Employee Relations department of a major company. In my position, I was instrumental in the hiring and firing of employees. Many resumés came across my desk from applicants listing their past employment and accomplishments and on occasion, I would come across an applicant listing a past job that was untrue. Most knew I could verify if the person was actually employed by that company, or if they were, I could verify if they were a Vice President, like they listed, instead of the Mailroom Clerk they really were. Most information was easily verifiable, and most applicants knew better than to lie. Therefore, I am amazed by some actors who blatantly lie about their credits and training and think they will get away with it, which is amazing in these times of instant access to information on the web.

I certainly am not a Hollywood A-lister by any means…not even close…however, I have seen some people embellish their resumés to a point that anyone with an average knowledge of our craft can easily spot as fake.

It is strongly suggested that an actor do not list background work on their resumé. However, I have seen actors list their background work as “co-star” which is easily verifiable. Listing a commercial background as “principal” is another faux pas. I have seen a couple of actors list credits as “series regular extras.” Of course, no such title exists and putting that on a resumé clearly screams Amateur.

The Special Skills section of a resumé is another area where being dishonest can backfire. If you list a foreign language, you had best speak that language…fluently. If you list accents, be sure you can speak in that accent. Do you only know how to play chopsticks on the piano? If so, do not list playing the piano as a skill. I played piano professionally about 60 years ago but gave it up very early in life. I can read music and know what keys to hit, but I couldn’t play now if my life depended on it. So, I do not list piano as a skill.

I have known a few actors who will pad their resumé with training they did not attend. This can sink their career if, for example, they list the Travis Technique Master Class, yet when asked by a Casting Director about the Interrogation Process, they have no clue. They might list Meisner training, yet when asked about the Repetition Exercises, they fall flat on their face.

One more thing (and I wrote a blog about it on this site), manipulating your IMDb Starmeter is a dead giveaway. Some actors still believe that boosting their Starmeter ranking will make them look more professional. In fact, if your credits don't match your ranking, it will be clear that you manipulated the number by any number of means, to include paying a website to change it. Of course, true professionals in the industry are aware that the Starmeter is irrelevant (See my blog about the Starmeter with links to professionals who also discuss it).

I will repeat what I have written on other pages...THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN THIS BUSINESS!

Casting Directors and other professionals have been “around the block” a few times and know how to spot a fake.

Please don’t be a fake.

OUR UNIQUE LIFE EXPERIENCES...A VALUABLE TOOL

There is an old joke…the origin of which remains unknown but has been ascribed to various musicians such as Jascha Heifitz, Artur Rubenstein, or Jack Benny. A young fellow is walking the streets of New York, stops the musician and asks, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The famous musician replies, “Practice, practice, practice.”

And so it goes with the craft of acting. I have been taught by some great acting coaches, but a better teacher has been practical experience in community theater and in front of a camera. Practicing the craft has been valuable for me and has given the experience I needed for larger projects. But there is something more.

A typical resumé includes the actor’s training and credits, however, leaves out something that I consider very important in an actor’s repertoire…something that talent agents should know when considering a person for representation or casting directors should know about the person auditioning in front of them. That something is life experience.

What I value most as an actor has been my experiences in life during the past 80 years I have been on earth. As an example, if I were to be cast in a film involving the military, my drama training, though valuable, would not the best teacher. My best teacher would be my experience training combat medics in the U.S. Army, my work in the media supporting the U.S. Marines, my work as a USO volunteer supporting deploying soldiers, or flying in a U.S. Air Force aerial tanker filming the refueling of several military aircraft for a television program, just to name a few.

In the late 1960s and through the 70s, I worked for a major airline as a crew member. This gave me the opportunity to travel all over the world and experience different cultures. I have had breakfast in the Eiffel Tower in Paris and have climbed the Great Wall of China. I have enjoyed the hospitality of people in Europe and indigenous peoples in remote areas of South America.

For several years I was News Director for a radio station and hosted a regional television program. For my work as a broadcaster and local volunteer, I was honored with a proclamation by the city council in my hometown.

There are many more experiences, such as performing at the Hollywood Bowl four years before The Beatles, or flying in a glider and experimental aircraft.

OK…I’ve bragged enough, but I think you get the idea. Should I ever be asked the question by a Casting Director, “Tell me about yourself”, you can bet I have enough to bend their ears for some time.

A word of advice…as an actor, you may be asked in an audition to tell a bit about yourself. Never mention you are an actor and list your credits…they already know this and, frankly, it will bore them. People want to know what makes you unique as a person. Think about all the experiences you have had and be prepared to share them. Perhaps you have a musical talent, have had interesting experiences while travelling, work with animals, or anything else that would make an interesting story. Unless we’ve been locked in a basement all our lives, we can come up with something that would give people an idea of who we are and what shapes our emotions.

Embrace your uniqueness and have fun!

A NEW CAREER AT MY AGE?

I see a number of posts from people in the business…actors, casting directors, drama coaches, et al, who preach that you’re never too old to begin an acting career. Their advice is right on; however, I chuckle because the people they are talking to are those who have worried about starting too late because they are already well into their 20s and 30s, and sometimes in their…horror of horrors…40s!

There was a great character actor who I had the pleasure of meeting on more than one occasion. In the early 1970s, I worked for a major airline at the Hollywood/Burbank Airport in Burbank, California. A passenger who came through a few times was a young fellow whose name was Burt Mustin. When I met Mr. Mustin, he was around 86 years old. You may not recall the name, but if you lived in that era, I guarantee you would remember his face. Mr. Mustin had several guest appearances on shows such as All In The Family, Petticoat Junction, My Three Sons, Bewitched, Gunsmoke, and many more. In all, Mr. Mustin appeared in approximately 150 film and television productions. One would think that at his age and with that many productions on his resumé, his acting career spanned many decades. Good guess, but you would be dead wrong. Burt Mustin’s professional acting career did not begin until age 67.

Burt Mustin’s background is an inspiration to me because there are several similarities in our lives. Both of us had been amateur actors, we worked in radio, and we were musicians, all of which laid the foundation for our later careers. The big difference between us was that I was significantly younger than him when I was first represented by a talent agency. I was a kid of 64.

I am amused when I hear young people bemoan starting a new career so late in life…even at the ripe old age of 35. As for me, I found that not only do I absolutely love the craft of acting, I find that it keeps me energized. While people look longingly at the prospect of finally retiring, I look longingly at keeping my acting career alive for as long as I can. I feel as long as I can handle the long hours on set and be able to memorize my lines, I will keep doing what I enjoy.

So, how old was Burt Mustin when he retired? His last gig was at age 92 in 1976. He passed away in January 1977 just before his 93rd birthday.

I guess at age 80 I still have enough time to add many more credits to my IMDb.