The Working Actor Show

As jobbing actors, what is a day like for Georgie and Pierce? What is the effect of a non-linear choice of career on day to day living? Georgie and Pierce share the working actor’s day including

frequency of work, job applications, staying in contact with their network, their work and social life, hobbies, and second jobs. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Applying for at least five jobs a day is a good benchmark for frequency of work. 
• Expect your work and social life to meld to some extent.
• Sharing non-acting friendships, jobs or hobbies can create some breathing space away from the sometimes pressure filled acting career.
• Try not to let other people make you feel bad for choosing your career over your social life.
• Do not compare milestones with those in other careers.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I would say at the moment I’m consistently playing two roles a month’-Georgie

‘Often when you’re working a more traditional job you’ve got your work life and personal life and they’re very separate. So many times with acting they just merge as one.’-Pierce

‘It struck me that people who aren’t in the acting industry don’t know these things. They don’t know that people need an agent to perhaps take it into the next step of their career.’-Georgie

‘Are we going to accept that our bloody car insurance is going to be higher if we put ‘actor’ or ‘entertainer’ down on our insurance policy?’-Georgie

‘Don’t let acting stump what you want to do.’-Georgie 

Georgie and Pierce speak of the traditional and rather old-fashioned idea that all actors must have attended Drama School. What advantages, if any, does Drama School offer and how is it regarded by the industry? Listen in and find out if that blank space at the top of your CV has any bearing on your ability to work in acting.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• While Drama School used to be the main route to an acting career, it is no longer essential but optional. 
• Most Casting Directors, especially in the screen world, only care about talent. 
• Drama School as a route to an agent is also a red herring. You should not approach agents until you have established some professional credits.
• Have an open mindset to learning. While working, you are always training.
• There is no need to feel less than those that have attended Drama School.

BEST MOMENTS

‘There’s this whole thing about; “If I don’t go to Drama School I’m not going to get cast because they don’t trust me, they don’t know that I can act.”’-Pierce

‘If you spent as much time working on your acting career as you would have spent in Drama School by the time that 3 year mark rolls around, guaranteed, you would have done some pretty incredible things.’-Pierce

‘You can make waves without crashing and shouting about. You can make things move without having to yell and scream about it.’-Georgie

‘Now more than ever we are seeing an acceptance and encouragement of individuality and bringing a unique spin to things.’-Pierce

‘When it comes down to the crux of it, but out of everybody, I may not have an agent, I may not have the best showreel in the game, I may not have trained at all but I’m still on the same film set and the Director is happy with what I’ve done.’-Georgie

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Occupying a role can be stressful and takes full concentration so it can be difficult to unwind when the cameras stop rolling and the job is complete. Georgie and Pierce share their tips on how to get out of a character as effectively as you get into one.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• If you have an intense scene to perform do not be surprised if it takes a while for your adrenaline to subside.
• Set time and activities into your schedule that help you unwind.
• Consider your day and what you found difficult during it.
• Occupy yourself with a task or hobby that requires concentration and distracts your mind.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Even if you’re not playing a mean character, sometimes just being in intense scenes or scenes, in general, can really take it out of you.’-Georgie

‘It’s so important that you give yourself that time to unwind and give your body the time to catch up as well because it is exhausting.’-Pierce

‘I think doing things that you consciously have to make an effort to do can really focus you in a way that nothing else can.’-Georgie

‘Energy, it flows, and if you are keeping bottled up within you, you will need an outlet.’-Pierce

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Georgie and Pierce lift the veil on their deepest and darkest fears in the acting profession. Often people don’t like to discuss their worries about the job for fear that it will make them less desirable to hire, but as in all professions, everyone has nerve-wracking areas that they find a challenge. Listen to Georgie and Pierce’s worries and their tips on how to battle a bugbear. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The more time you spend outside your comfort zone the better.
• Fear is inevitable, it’s how you deal with that fear that moves you forward.
• It is important to know the difference between something that is scaring you and something that is scaring you for the right reason.
• Fear of judgement can be a common fear in acting but for the most part, acting is fairly free of judgemental people.
• Some of the best scenes have been accomplished through mishaps and mistakes. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘Personally, I find if I’m a bit nervous about whether I can do something it’s a sign for me that I should be doing it.’-Georgie

‘If it’s too scary, if it’s too much it’s ok to walk away from, there’s no shame in that, but recognise all the things you’re going to miss out on if you do.’-Georgie

‘My fears, in an acting sense, mostly revolve around fear of failure I’d say and, to be fair, I think this is the case for quite a lot of things outside of acting as well.’-Pierce

‘Acting is about making mistakes and it’s about getting a little bit messy and I always like to think of it as like a toddler at nursery and you’re slapping your hands in bits of paint and chucking it on a canvas.’-Georgie 

VALUABLE RESOURCES