Being Specific With Your Actor Type - Especially if You Move to a Big Market

  Laura Galt in Gun Gals

   https://vimeo.com/126764586

Last week, I wrote about finding your actor type. http://atxrandom.blogspot.com/2016/01/knowing-your-actor-type.html   This week, I want to encourage you to have the courage to be specific - especially if you plan to move from a regional to a major market (like Los Angeles or New York). 

As you may guess, competition is fierce.  So if you are in a local market or a major market, consider your niche and learn how to promote it. Pigeonholing yourself can be frightening, but finding your proper roosting house can be used to your advantage.  

You might recognize: 

Brian Husky from the Sonic commercials. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QiKcSe0rIA   Did you know he has also been on TV's Veep, The Kroll Show, & Neighbors.  Specifically, he often depicts well-meaning business types who are shocked by the ridiculousness of the people they’re surrounded by. 

Elizabeth Marvel from House of Cards, Person of Interest, and Hyde Park on the Hudson.  She is best known for playing skillful, intelligent women capable of commanding respect and being very presentable. 

Joshua Speed from Vampire Hunter, Abraham Lincoln, White House Down, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  He is best known for portraying hackers, oddballs, prodigies, wise asses and more generally, dudes who keep weird hours. 

                  

Lin Shaye known for roles in Something About Mary, Insiduous, Detroit Rock City, and several Farrelly Brother movies. Throughout her career, she has represented really creepy, sometimes     sexually forward women. She’s also not above   altering her appearance in order to make these characters even weirder or really hideous. 

All these characters play specific types. 

Because casting directors' time is limited, they want you to make their job easier.  So be ready to fill in the blanks for them; be ready to show your type when you walk in the room.  Determine what type you are - the borderline criminal type, strange neighbor, eccentric weirdo, villain, person from another time, funny/frazzled/slightly kooky woman etc.  By knowing your type or pigeonholing yourself, you may achieve quite the "nest egg" of credits and deposits in your bank account.  Haven't you heard the phrase, "You can't be all things to all people?"  Not only is this true in everyday life, this is also true in the film/theatre world.