Chapter 4
The Molly Shannon Moment: Finding Inspiration in the Struggle
Early in my career, I desperately wanted to attend the Saturday Night Live party at the Television Critics Association event, but it started at 5 PM when I was never finished with my transcription work. I hatched an elaborate plan, pretending to be sick for two days, even applying makeup to look pale. My boss sent me home early, allowing me to transform in my car into party attire.
I convinced a limo driver to drop me at the red carpet, where I awkwardly inserted myself into Molly Shannon's press circle, making terrible jokes until I could speak with her alone. When I finally confessed I was an aspiring actress, Molly gave me life-changing advice: "Don't give up. It took me ten years to get on SNL... You just never know."
This moment sustained me through years of struggle. Unfortunately, my boss caught me at the party and immediately fired me-but it was worth it for Molly's inspiration. Ten years later, at my "Walk Hard" premiere, I reconnected with Molly and thanked her for that crucial encouragement.
The key to surviving as an actor is finding value in difficult situations, using experiences to feed your creativity. Mining for gold isn't easy, but persistence pays off. Every setback, every humiliation, every odd job becomes material for your craft if you maintain the right perspective.
Chapter 5
The Business Side: Headshots, Union Membership, and Building Your Resume
Starting in Los Angeles, I naively thought finding an agent would be simple. I sent countless headshots to theatrical agents requesting meetings, but faced constant rejection. The reality was harsh-I had minimal experience and wasn't in the Screen Actors Guild. Agents want clients who can make them money immediately, not just show potential.
Headshots are crucial yet dreaded by actors. Despite using a free college headshot initially, I quickly learned the importance of professional photos that accurately represent what you're selling. My journey through multiple headshots shows common mistakes: wearing the same overalls repeatedly, ignoring photographer advice, and choosing photos that portrayed me inaccurately.
After several failed attempts, I finally understood what I needed to communicate: sweet, trustworthy, open, cute, and vulnerable. This authentic headshot ultimately got me the audition for Pam on "The Office." Casting director Allison Jones still remembered it years later, proving a good headshot's lasting impact.
When choosing headshots, never select them yourself-rely on photographers, teachers, industry professionals or even strangers rather than friends and family who can't see you objectively. Current industry standards require color photos, with sessions costing $400-$650 in LA/Chicago and $500-$875 in New York, plus additional costs for makeup and printing.
Getting into SAG-AFTRA presents a classic catch-22: you need union membership for professional acting jobs, but need professional work to join the union. The two most common paths to membership are through commercials or extra work.
Commercial agents differ from theatrical agents by focusing exclusively on commercial work and typically maintaining larger client lists. While it's generally easier to get commercial representation than theatrical, finding a good, legitimate commercial agent is crucial. Commercial auditions often involve no scripted lines, focusing instead on improvisation and appearance. Success requires studying the storyboards, understanding the tone of the commercial, and remembering that the product-not the actor-is the real star.
Working as an extra is another path to union membership and requires no training, headshots, or agents. On union productions, non-union extras can be "bumped up" to union status, earning a voucher. Three vouchers make you eligible to join SAG-AFTRA. While extra work provides valuable set experience, it's far from glamorous-often involving uncomfortable waiting conditions, portable toilets, and mediocre food.
Once you've collected three vouchers, received a Taft-Hartley, or booked a union commercial, you become "SAG-AFTRA Eligible." Before rushing to join, consider the financial commitment: $3,000 initiation fee plus annual dues of $206 and 1.575% of your SAG earnings. Additionally, union members cannot work non-union jobs under threat of fines or expulsion.
Chapter 6
Finding Representation: Agents, Managers, and Building Relationships
I view my acting career as a corporation where I'm both the product and CEO. Like many startups, mine began with a big idea and grit, submitting headshots and resumes from my kitchen table. Eventually, though, I needed representation to access professional union jobs regularly.
The best way to advance your career is to be seen performing. Even small roles in seemingly insignificant projects can lead to life-changing connections. I reluctantly accepted a tiny seven-line part in a friend's HBO Workspace showcase, which initially seemed like a waste of time. After performing it three separate times over months, Jim's manager Naomi Odenkirk approached me, impressed by my simple but memorable performance. She's remained my manager for over fifteen years, helping shape my career in television comedy and setting up the general meeting with Allison Jones that led to my role on "The Office."
When meeting an agent, be yourself-no dancing shoes or Starbucks. The meeting allows them to get to know your personality and assess what roles might suit you. After small talk, when asked about your goals, be specific rather than general. Instead of saying "I'd do anything!" I learned to say "I love doing comedy. I'm mainly interested in booking roles in television comedy because, eventually, I'd love to be on an ensemble comedy with a lot of characters." Specificity helps agents help you.
Remember this is a mutual interview-don't be blinded by an agency's size or reputation. What matters is the individual agent. Will they take your calls? Are they passionate about getting you to the next level? Do you like them? Most importantly, do they believe in you?
My first agent from a paid showcase never seemed passionate about me and got me few auditions. Charlie was different-he was enthusiastic about me as an artist, took time to understand my goals, and created a strategy for my career. He started me with small roles, then guest spots, then series regular auditions. He followed up with casting directors for feedback and spent time coaching me. The worst thing you can have is an agent who doesn't work for you.
Once you've signed with an agent, develop a genuine relationship with them. You want to be on their mind when they browse breakdowns. Get to know them as a person-their interests, family, hobbies. Professionally, consult them on headshots and reels, and inform them about industry relationships you're developing. Don't pester them about missed auditions, but don't stop hustling either. Remember: an agent only gets 10% because they only do 10% of the work-you must do the other 90%.
Chapter 7
The Audition Process: Preparation, Performance, and Perseverance
Every actor has audition horror stories, including me. Once I bombed an improvised audition with Larry David, freezing up completely and then awkwardly trying to hug him as I left. Another time, I broke down crying after flubbing a line for a lead role. Nervousness is normal for actors-I'd feel my teeth throbbing, while a friend of mine would involuntarily pass gas from anxiety.
The waiting room experience was particularly daunting, sitting among actresses who looked just like me, mentally comparing our respective agents and chances. Though I tried various calming techniques, only experience truly helped reduce my nerves. The more auditions I attended, the more comfortable I became, though the anxiety never completely disappeared.
Success isn't booking every role-it's creating consistent quality work across all your auditions. My journey to "The Office" illustrates this perfectly: I first auditioned for Allison Jones for a small role on "Freaks and Geeks," then for "Undeclared" (where I eventually got a one-liner), and continued auditioning for her for five years before landing Pam Beesly.
What mattered wasn't booking each role, but demonstrating I was a reliable actor capable of consistent work. Every audition plants seeds for future opportunities. Being a good actor and being a good auditioner require completely different skills. After four years of acting school and four more years of struggling, I discovered Robert D'Avanzo's six-week on-camera audition class-the Holy Grail of audition technique. Within four weeks of his class, I received twelve callbacks in a row and booked my first TV role.
One key lesson: "You Are Enough." Instead of trying to figure out what casting directors want, bring yourself authentically to the role. This approach helped me land Pam on "The Office" when Allison Jones advised me to "Dare to bore me." I showed up looking like a real receptionist-ill-fitting pants, wrinkled button-down, minimal makeup-and during the improv section, gave short, awkward answers with long pauses, embracing the documentary style.
After eight years of struggling, I was ready to quit acting. The rejection had worn me down completely. When I called my agent to quit, he insisted I was on the right track, noting most actors never make it to network tests. My manager challenged me directly: "Are you an actor or aren't you?" Even my acting teacher Robert yelled at me: "This is what it means to be an actor! Scrambling for auditions, tons of rejection, and little bits of work in between! You are already doing it!"
I put a Chuck Norris quote on my bathroom mirror: "A lot of people give up just before they're about to make it." I gave myself one more year-and that's when Allison called me to audition for "The Office." The casting notice specifically requested "Unknowns only, NO names"-finally my lack of success was a virtue!
Chapter 8
Life on Set: The Reality Behind the Glamour
Getting your first speaking role in film or television is a momentous occasion. My first came after five years of struggling in Los Angeles-a three-line part as "Waitress" on "Spin City" with Charlie Sheen. Despite the tiny role, I created an elaborate backstory and obsessed over line delivery, particularly "Is Pepsi okay?" The experience taught me several universal truths about working on set: most of your day is spent waiting around; the most prepared person is always the one with just three lines; as a day player, you should pretend not to hear the stars' conversations; and sets always have abundant food.
A typical shooting day lasts 12-14 hours, starting around 6 AM. Arrive showered with clean hair and no makeup. Allow extra time to get to set-directions are often wrong, your name might not be at the gate, and parking can be far from base camp. Your call time is when you should arrive at base camp, not when you park. Being late gets noted on the production report sent to the studio.
With a SAG speaking role, you'll get a trailer or private dressing room-typically a small room in a "honeywagon" for day players. You'll sign paperwork, meet with wardrobe, visit hair and makeup, then wait in your trailer-possibly for hours-until they're ready for your scene. This waiting is the hardest part of the job; as actors say, "They pay me to wait; I do the acting for free."
When finally called to set, you'll first rehearse the scene, holding sides and reading aloud. This initial rehearsal focuses on logistics, not performance-the director and DP need to determine blocking. After setting the blocking, the crew watches another rehearsal to plan camera, lighting and sound placement. You'll then be dismissed while the crew sets up, which takes 15-45 minutes for TV or several hours for film.
On average, you get four to five takes to nail your performance. Don't worry if a take doesn't work due to technical issues-consistency is key. You don't need to be perfect in every take; the editor can piece together a good performance from different takes. Never stop a scene unless there's a serious problem-only the director calls "cut." Even if you flub a line or hear distractions off-camera, keep going.
The best perk of booking an acting gig as a starving artist is the free food! There are two sources: Catering provides meals while Craft Services ("Crafty") offers snacks. You'll get two hot catered meals daily: breakfast upon arrival and "lunch" served six hours after Crew Call. The Craft Services snack table is usually near the set with coffee, drinks, and treats. On "The Office," our Crafty served hot snacks twice daily that were practically meals-tacos, pasta, Thai food, homemade soup.
Chapter 9
Creating Your Own Path: Taking Risks and Making Opportunities
Jenna's career transformation came when she finally took the risk of changing agents. Though loyal to Charlie, she recognized her career had stalled because his small agency couldn't get her bigger auditions. After making the difficult decision to leave Charlie, Jenna partnered with Tom, who immediately secured her more prestigious auditions. This led to guest roles on "That '70s Show," "Six Feet Under," and her first pilot. Within two years, she was earning enough from acting to quit her day job.
Creating your own work is the single most valuable thing an actor can do for both professional advancement and personal fulfillment. Rob McElhenney created "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" with friends Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton for under $200. Mark Proksch's "K-Strass Yo-Yo Guy" YouTube pranks landed him a role on "The Office" (and a wife-he married the writer who discovered him).
My own breakthrough came from creating a mockumentary about misguided charity workers. Though initially just a fun project with friends, the experience proved invaluable when auditioning for "The Office," as I'd spent a year practicing the exact mock-documentary style the show required.
The key insight is to embrace imperfection: "Whatever you decide to make, tell yourself it's going to suck... And then, do it anyway. Something awful is better than something incomplete." Finishing projects builds your creative "vault"-material you can draw upon later when opportunities arise.
In a candid and vulnerable moment, I reveal I was fired from a CBS pilot starring Matt LeBlanc. After taking time off to raise my second child, I'd landed what seemed like the perfect comeback role-a family-friendly sitcom fifteen minutes from home, directed by legendary James Burrows. Despite everyone's confidence the show would be picked up, I received devastating news: while the show was moving forward, I was being replaced because focus groups "didn't believe Pam would marry Joey"-our previous iconic roles created chemistry issues.
To cope with the rejection, I comfort ate, putting on a brave face publicly while feeling "heavy and hopeless" inside. I found solace in discovering other successful actors who were fired from James Burrows shows (Lisa Kudrow, Ray Romano, Bob Odenkirk), and followed my friend Sean Gunn's advice to celebrate getting fired with a trip to Palm Springs.
The experience reinforces my understanding that "no job really changes everything"-even after an Emmy nomination and ten years on "The Office," I still face rejection. Ironically, getting fired opened doors to better opportunities: starring in Steve Martin's play "Meteor Shower," working with Ben Stiller in "Brad's Status," and appearing on "Drunk History."
Chapter 10
Wisdom from the Trenches: Lessons from Veteran Actors
Reed Birney's story exemplifies extraordinary persistence through decades of struggle. After early success with "Gemini" moving to Broadway when he was just 22, Birney endured years of struggle. At 52, after a disappointing experience in a major theater production with just seven lines, he had an epiphany: "Stop taking parts because you think it's a career move. You just gotta play parts that are interesting to you." This led him to the challenging play "Blasted" which transformed everything-both his confidence and his career trajectory. After 35 difficult years and 8 good ones, Reed won a Tony Award for "The Humans" in 2016, proving that persistence and following artistic passion can eventually pay off, even after decades of struggle.
Natalie Zea shares how a strict professor at acting school taught her the importance of punctuality-a zero-tolerance policy for tardiness that instilled professional discipline she still maintains today. Despite an initially promising start, Natalie endured a two-year drought before booking a Snickers commercial. Her career slowly built with voiceovers and commercials until she could quit bartending. Her most devastating career setback came when her first series regular role on "Eyes" was canceled after five episodes, sending her into a breakdown that led to an impulsive six-week Paris trip. This experience ultimately built her resilience, and she soon booked "Dirty Sexy Money," leading to steadier work thereafter.
Sean Gunn began his acting journey at just six years old in a summer school acting class taught by my mother. After college at The Theatre School at DePaul University, Sean quickly found representation and booked his first two TV auditions. His big break came in 2000 on "Gilmore Girls," starting as a one-day role as a "DSL Installer" that evolved into the beloved character Kirk. Despite seven successful seasons, Sean faced a decade-long drought after the show ended, forcing him to humble himself and essentially start over.
Derek Waters, creator of Comedy Central's "Drunk History," shares his journey from struggling actor to successful creator. When acting opportunities dried up, Waters began creating short films with friends, leading to "Drunk History"-which started as a UCB sketch in 2007, won at Sundance in 2010, and eventually became a Comedy Central series. Waters emphasizes creating your own opportunities rather than waiting for roles.
The collective wisdom from these veteran actors is clear: persistence is everything, rejection is inevitable, and creating your own opportunities is essential. Success rarely comes overnight-most "overnight successes" are the result of years or even decades of persistent work, learning, and relationship-building. The actors who make it aren't necessarily the most talented, but rather those who refuse to give up, who keep showing up, and who find ways to create value even when the industry isn't recognizing them.
