Actor & YouTube Pioneer Greg Benson Greg Benson: Building a Long-Term Acting Career & Creating Your Own Opportunities

Greg Benson has been a working LA actor, comedian, and director since 1991 — with credits on Beef, Matlock, NCIS, and Bel-Air, plus 150+ national commercials. He's also an early online-comedy pioneer, growing his YouTube channel MediocreFilms to over a million subscribers. Greg gets into moving from Texas to LA, walking headshots door to door, and booking his first audition (Ghost Ship) after months of silence. He breaks down the mindset shift that came from treating acting like a full-time job, how that led him into sketch comedy and content creation, and how his and his wife's show Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show landed a Sony/Crackle deal. He also opens up about taking a decade off auditioning, coming back post-COVID, and finding new reps through cold outreach — all while learning to actually enjoy the ride. 00:00 Meet Greg Benson 01:52 Texas Roots and Theater Camp 03:13 Breaking Into LA Pre Internet 04:50 Chutzpah and Agent Calls 07:02 First LA Booking and New Energy 09:19 Treating Acting Like a Job 11:44 From Acting to Digital Creator 12:47 Public Access and Early Filmmaking 16:21 MySpace to YouTube Breakthrough 18:09 Deals and Casting Lessons 22:08 Audition Mistakes to Avoid 24:54 Asking for Help and Referrals 26:05 Content Creation Takes Over 27:02 Choosing YouTube Focus 27:44 Self Tape Skills Boost 28:52 Try Hard Audition Story 30:03 Redefining Career Success 32:37 Life Over Acting 34:36 Returning After Hiatus 37:22 COVID Pause and Priorities 38:32 ADHD and Variety Channel 42:17 Memorization Systems 46:12 New Reps and Outreach 48:50 Rapunzl Email Strategy 51:08 Dry Spells and Joy 52:56 Closing Thanks EPISODE LINKS: · Greg’s Website · Greg’s IMDb · Greg on Actors Access · Subscribe to Greg’s YouTube Channel MediocreFilms · Follow Greg on IG @gregbenson Host: Colleen Foy Producer: ⁠Kristyn Daniel⁠ Music by: Lindsay Boreing and Will Boreing ________________ Want to learn more about Stan Kirsch Studios? ⁠Visit Our Website Here.⁠ ⁠Catch up on the podcast here.⁠ Follow SKS on IG ⁠@stankirschstudios ⁠