You guys, welcome back to actors you are in love with, Ophelia
Habelt from Johnson Talent Agency and MOA, your celebrity
coach. Today is an exciting day.
We're going to talk about pet peeves.
This will be easy for us to talk about.
It's it's basically our like our, our therapy session of
venting. That's about our biggest pet
peeves. Yeah, we're just gonna lay it
out there. We're both wearing our IMNF
shirts. You have the IMNF strong, right?
And I have the IMNF script. You guys, if you use the coupon
code, send it, you'd get free shipping on anything that you
get from imnfcollection.com. So without further ado, let's
let's just shoot the shoe can. I show them.
Can I show them the peace sign? On my yeah the peace sign is so
cute. Look at how fun.
That is. The peace sign, it's.
Like just this fun swag. And I love this color too.
I got. An yeah, that's an army.
That's Army cover color, it says.
Hers says I am enough exactly as I am right underneath it.
Like OK. Isn't that fun?
Mine's AV neck. I like V necks.
I've gotten, I've gotten compliments on it.
Oh well, you can OfferUp the code to your friends.
Yes, thank you. Thank you.
Yes. Of course, you're part of the I
Am Enough family. All right, let's start our our
talk on pet peeves and things that probably annoy people.
Let's just start venting right now.
This is actually we we're we're venting yes, but also you guys
should know this. If you're an actor and you're
watching this, you really should know this because you don't want
to get in your own way. We do this all the time actors
I've I've noticed in particular, but we all do it.
We get in our own way and so we are going to like have a dual
like purpose in this. We're gonna like vent, but we're
also gonna tell you guys things that you might be doing.
We're not venting, we're educating.
We're educating. Come on, let's.
That's not a vent, it's an education.
OK, I want to talk about the table read because I know
somebody that was fired from a table read.
Tell us, because I think I have a similar story, but let's go.
Oh, really? Oh yeah, you.
Guys, couldn't hear this because you haven't, you've not shared
this with me yet, so this. No, I haven't.
I haven't. So when this girl got the job,
she looked the part right? But when she went to the table
read, she looked like she rolled out of bed.
And so every all the producers were like, does anybody know who
that girl is? They couldn't recognize her.
Oh dear. Yes, they fired her at the table
read. Oh my.
God, anything like the character that they hired?
Oh my goodness. You guys, you can get fired at
the table read. Make sure that you are like in
great shape when you go to that table read.
So she got fired because she didn't look anything like what
she sent in. But you can.
If you're not prepared at the table read, you have to look at
it like it's another audition. You're you're just never secure.
I also when I was managing, I had a client that got a that got
a series regular and he was fired also because he got all
cocky and he wasn't a team player.
Oh, and I had another client. This is my story, that's
exactly. That's your story.
OK, I'm not going to let me finish my other client.
You can tell your story. Oh, yeah, Yeah.
And I had another client that didn't participate in what they
called B Roll. She was a series regular on a
major TV show on TNT and they fired her after her second
season because she stayed in a trailer and she didn't
participate in the B roll which is the behind the scenes.
Yeah. Oh, what's your story?
No, but I will tell you, but that is I mean those are all
these are that is that not person B roll.
I have seen this happen where talent will, you know, be great
to work with and they'll suddenly get, you know, either a
breakout role or something that's like pre breakout role.
And they all of a sudden it goes to their head and all of a
sudden they think they're a movie star and they they get
they get really diva ish men and women.
And then it's like, you know what?
This is not I don't know how you think this is going to work on
set, but you're not Tom Cruise, so you don't get to like, you
know, decide I'm going to do this.
I'm not going to do that. Obviously we're not, you know,
someone's asking you to do something that's like a poses
like a moral opposition, but that's not what we're talking
about. We're talking about having this
attitude of like you're think you're a movie star, but you're
not. So that will.
Get you totally, totally agree with that.
Yeah. And then, you know, you got to
be careful because, you know, if you think that the stars don't
compete at a higher level, you're wrong.
I mean, they're even. The competition never ends.
So don't think you've arrived and act like you've arrived.
That's a problem. It's a big problem.
I've taken that a lot. Yeah, even a listers, they're
not secure. They there there's only one role
for, you know, there's only so many movies and they.
Also end up trying, they also end up leaving the the people
that got them there. And that was the reason #5332
why I'm no longer a manager anymore.
Because of that reason. You help them get to that
position. They think they're bigger than
you. Then they go to a big agency and
then they try to come crawling back.
Oh, yes, that's literally, that is not like a made-up thought
that this is actual in real time like happening.
Like we the, the, our agency, we're a boutique agency.
And so we've seen this happen. We have had, you know, our
talent have breakout roles. And then, you know, a few months
later they're like, hey, you know, I just, I really want to
challenge myself. I see my contracts ending.
I think I'm going to go in another direction and we, we
always, because we are loyal to them, even whether if they're
not being loyal to us, we're like, OK, you can do that.
But let me tell you the reasons what that why we have seen this,
we have never seen this work and we'll tell you why.
And so we go on and tell them all the reasons that we should
do actually a separate podcast about that.
No, it's a massive that beep, so this is okay.
A massive and so we basically what we have seen forever.
We've been doing this for over 12 years now and every time
someone has done that, we have never seen them do any other
work. We have we we hear what we'll
sometimes we'll see like a few years later, they're like
working at McDonald's, not even in the industry or in and out,
you know, or not even in the industry anymore.
Or they come back, they come crawling back and we're like,
I'm sorry, we you brought we don't trust you like we you
know, like we'd we'd love to help you.
We did really well for you before, but we're not taking you
back, you know, so. I mean, you have to be loyal
guys. Julia Louise Dreyfus.
So she's still with the same either agent or manager for the
the eternity of her career. You know, I mean, the people
that got you there can still move you up.
I mean, it's absolutely everybody is at the same level
unless you're at CAA or or William Morris, whatever
endeavor, everybody's that's the same level.
They're all getting the same information unless you're like
packaged in house. But what happens is that that
these big agents, they go on set because that's what happened.
I'm not going to name who was to one of my talents.
They go on set and they, they, they basically tell them they're
going to get a better deal. Oh, they'll.
Tell them everything they want to.
Tell them all kinds of stuff. You know, those basketball
coaches that try to, you know, you buck these people, they're
poachers, Yeah. Absolutely, and they'll tell
them, I mean, they want to hear and they tell them things that
aren't completely accurate because what usually happens
with those bigger agencies and and I'm you know, obviously the,
the biggest a list is out there, the majority of them are with
the bigger agencies. So at some point in time, you
know, I can you can understand why people will think, well, at
some point in time I need it up there.
But number one, you, you actually really don't have to do
that. Like you said, there's you named
one of them, but there's multiple stars that have had
their same agent boutique agency throughout their whole career.
Ralph Montreal is one of them. There's several others.
So it's really not something that you actually have to do to
be successful. People just think that, yeah.
But yeah, but if somebody's helping you, yeah, they're
building you. Like, where's the loyalty?
You know, it's one thing if like if the, if the agent or the
manager all of a sudden you're working and then all of a sudden
you're not going out at all. Yeah, you're not that.
Happens a lot. I don't know why, but that
happens a lot. It's like, well, well, I just
was working. Why are you screwing up my
momentum? But if the agents right there
with you and the manager is right there with you and they're
building you and you're you're continuing to move up the
ladder, don't break the momentum.
Momentum and also recognize, like recognize where the
industry is, you know, if because I we, I've had people
that, you know, I'll interview and they, they want to, you
know, leave their agent or like, why do you want to leave your
agent? Well, I'm not getting out.
I'm like, do you know, there's been a strike?
There's a strike for the last two years, you know, that like,
you know, and if people are itchy like that, when when it's
like they're not taking into consideration the big picture of
like what might be happening in the industry, What kinds of
trends have changed that you're not that you've made a decision
not to keep up with and and adapt to and change your look to
go with like what's trending, you know, things like that.
But normally, normally, I mean, what we've seen happen every
time if someone ends up going to a bigger agency, if they are not
booking right away, making money for them, like immediately, they
just they, they like fall away, you know, they, they don't,
yeah. Yeah, they pretty much they
would forget about you. Yeah.
I mean, you're never gonna get anybody on the phone, that's for
sure. So.
So the first one, the first pet peeve is make sure that you're
prepared for your table read. And the second one is don't jump
ship those jump ship. So those that's the second one.
OK, what do you have a why don't you start with the third one?
OK, the third. One for me, this is about self
tapes. Self tapes.
You guys, when you have a deadline for a self tape, that
is not the time you're supposed to be getting the tape in.
The tape is due as soon as you can get it done.
And the reason is because casting normally starts watching
them as soon as they're coming in.
We just had last week had two people get callbacks for
something that they turned in early that the deadline hadn't
even passed yet. They're already getting
callbacks. So if they find someone and they
love them, they may not watch the rest of the tapes.
They they most casting editors say we we watch them all.
But they may, you know. When they when they have their
eight to 10. That's that's the real story.
That's the real story. So they may not watch it.
Also, if you turn it in and you have, you know, 20 minutes left
like you, if you, if your agent's like you need to redo
this because either it's terrible or you missed something
on the big on the slate, you won't have time.
What about if your agent went to dinner?
Oh, 100%. I've had people give me stuff
like 2 minutes for us to do and I'm like, I'm not, I'm eating, I
am eating dinner or I'm in a Zoom meeting.
I am not jumping off the Zoom meeting because you happen to be
ready right now. Like that's not how, that's not
what's happening. And, and the other thing, the
other reason is because this happened last week as well.
Someone missed an audition because they got sick the day it
was due. They had four days to do this
audition, so they didn't get to turn it in.
They didn't even get a chance at it because they waited into and
they and they actually they're like, Oh my gosh, they realize
themselves. I don't why I should have just
done this sooner. So you guys, that is a that's
number three huge, huge pet peeve.
And the other thing it tells me, and I had to have a conversation
with someone about this actually this afternoon earlier, someone
who is repeatedly has a pattern. It's not just once in a while
the pattern of turning auditions in like right before they're
due. And I had to say, listen, I
think I want this more than you do because you're taking
yourself out of like the most competitive category by doing
that. And so if you're doing that,
like, I don't think you want this as much as I want it for
you. And I'm not, I'm not going to
keep someone on my roster who's doesn't want it, who I want it
more for them than they do for themselves.
So don't do that, don't do that #3.
So #3 is stop turning your tapes in late.
Yeah, early bird gets the worm, guys.
I mean, don't forget this is a competition and as a coach if
you're turning things in late then you weren't ready 3 days
ago and so you're not ready now. So either either you want it and
you understand how to get it in and book the damn thing, or take
yourself out for a while so you can get it in within within 24
hours. I always get mine in within 24
hours. Yes, exactly.
Exactly. Yeah.
Yeah, because I mean, I'm telling you, you know, we, we
live in a bubble though, you know, you don't realize like
like years ago when you used to go to the office, you'd be like,
where are all these people coming from?
Because there were so many people in the office.
Now it's just you and your, your little self tape setup and your
reader, right. And it's just two of you not
cognizant of how many people want to stop.
Oh, my God, You. You're, you.
That's So that's such a good point.
Going virtual has made you forget that you're competing
with hundreds of people. Yeah.
This is not just, oh, here's something to do on your own time
is a little extra fun thing to do during your life like this.
If this if you have an agent, that means that this is your
main thing. Yeah, it's intense.
You're gonna be intense about it.
But I mean, that's that's why it was different when we were in
person. You saw how many people and
that's what would make you almost more nervous when you
were in person, especially on a callback.
Sometimes it was an all back. Yeah, right.
Like, what the hell, Is there more people now?
Like, I think there's more on the all back than there was on
the original call, but whatever, whatever.
But but you saw and you felt the energy of all these people And.
And I used to just go in the hallway.
Yeah, just to get away from everybody.
But but now you're just by yourself and you don't realize
how many people are actually up for that job.
Exactly such a good point. OK #4 what's your #4 number?
Four, OK, mine is you guys stop sending long emails to your Rep.
You know, start sending long emails.
You know the reason why my emails get opened by reps when I
send my people out to these reps to be represented is because I'm
writing a paragraph. And I.
Get to the And the more you write, the more high maintenance
you become and the less likely they're going to want to even
send you out because they might have to have a conversation with
you. Yeah.
So it used to be years ago. OK.
And I keep saying years ago because I've been in the
industry since basically Jesus was a baby.
And it's seriously, it's been that long.
And and like back in the day, they used to say when you go to
agent meetings, ask questions. Now if you ask questions, you
see my maintenance. Yeah.
Right. So that's why I'm saying guys,
keep in mind times have changed. Yes, they definitely have one.
Question at a time or if you have something to say to your
agent or your manager. Keep it to the point and
concise. Yep, exactly.
Please, please take that. We even have times have changed
because we even have, you know, kind of before it's kind of like
a pre COVID, post COVID. It's kind of like those are the
big, you know, two different when we say times have changed,
those are kind of the main, you know, the main things that we're
talking about in our era generation.
But it used to be that when we pet, even when we pitch, it's
like we could call them, you know, we call, we send an
e-mail, we call like at the same time kind of thing.
But now and castingers used to welcome that.
And now it's really shifted and it's like, OK, don't there a lot
of them are virtual. I mean, you know, they're in
their virtual, they have virtual offices now.
Not everyone, but a lot of them do.
And they're like, OK, please, like please don't call, just
e-mail, just e-mail it to me. And so even with that, like
there's just shifts all around like on in every kind of level,
like in every like realm. Well.
You have to look at like numbers, OK.
So let's say you have 60 clients, OK, that was, that's
potentially 60 emails a day potentially.
Yeah, exactly right. Yeah.
And if your agent isn't getting back to you, like don't expect
your agent to answer you back now expect your manager to
answer you back because that's why you're on 17.
But your agent they're really more sales.
So yeah, unless you have like a quick exchange with your agent,
don't get all butt hurt be and and Zen full because they didn't
answer you back. I mean, that's.
Yeah, OK, so like this is leading me into like #5 and this
is this is this is like right along those lines.
Like have the right expectation about what kind of relationship
an agent Rep, you know, or, or the actor Rep relationship is
they are as much as we may, you know, think in the back of our
minds. Oh my gosh, I like, if I wasn't
repping them, I would just love to like hang out with them and
like be their BFF. We we like, we can't do that.
We can't do that one because we don't have time to do that.
That we're the relationship is not your BFF, you know, we're
not like if I, you know, I would love to some of you, I would
love to hang out with you, but I don't have the time to
individually. We organize like group, you
know, like every few months I'll have like a group like get
together. But I had someone ask me recent,
like not super recently, but you know, ask before I sent out the
invitation group. I can't make the group thing.
Can I just get together with you individually?
You don't understand what a Rep, what a Rep does then and and you
also like are not really, there's a sense of like asking
that you're not really honoring our time and you don't really
understand what we what we do and what we're doing.
The other problem with that is that you can easily crossover
like any therapist. Good therapist will tell you
this. You can't, it's, it's not
workable in a relationship to have dual relationships going
on. Sometimes you have to, like
sometimes you have a, a husband and wife that are working
together or you, you know, you have these, you know, different
things going on. Like I have my brother-in-law on
my roster just just for like commercials that they need a
surfer 'cause he's a surfer, he's not an actor, he's want to
act. But for like, if they just need
someone who's surfing, I have a lot.
So sometimes like you have to have a dual relationship but you
you really shouldn't. It's not always preferable.
It's better not like. Don't be upset about that.
Like, okay, years ago, well, I used to have the agent and the
manager and I brought them to lunch together, but we're in a
like even more micro Snapchat society.
Yes, people have. Less and less and less and less
time. There's a lot of incoming
information. There's a lot of hustling that
needs to happen. Actually more hustling because
there's less jobs, right? Exactly.
There's more hustling by your reps going on.
So, yeah, if, if you can do a weekly, what I tell my students
is to do a weekly wrap up, but don't expect an answer.
So you could say, you know, Amy's weekly wrap up.
So maybe you'll send it every Thursday.
Just wrap up. I met with this casting director
this week. They said I I did an excellent
job. I had no notes.
That's good. I'm getting ready to go to my
Film Festival where my movie's playing.
That's. That's the information we want.
That's it, That's it. And I asked my talent to send me
like a monthly update. And so monthly.
Update I do monthly and so it's easy because I can just put like
this is great things the automatic reply and I do see it.
I'm looking at it and I have it stashed away for like if
something comes up, a role comes up with this casting director,
I'm going to put in the notes. Oh, they left your shop at on
the state or you know, so those are all, that's all good stuff.
We don't want to ever communicate.
We want to know that you're still engaged.
We want to know who. Absolutely, absolutely.
But don't take away. Friend.
Time. Yeah, exactly.
So what are we on number six? OK, mine is OK.
This is a massive misnomer and I and I you're never too old to
start. That's good.
Never too old to start. And you know, and I hate like
people go on too old and like, oh, it's already passing me by.
Or the people that feel like they have to play catch up.
You guys, if you're an artist, you're an artist.
If you have a dream, then the dream needs to be forever and
you get to have that dream and you get to make it happen for
yourself. There is work for everybody,
every age and every ethnicity. There is work for everybody.
And if there isn't work for everybody, then then you can
create the work. It's not about how old you are.
It's about your desire and your dream and your and your ability
to work hard and smart. Exactly.
And I, I don't like when people give me any kind of excuses at
all. There is no excuse.
If you have a dream, there are people like me and like a a ton
of other people that could help you make that dream happen.
It's are you willing to do that or do you want to just keep
making excuses? That's so good.
And honestly, I do think that
behind, I mean, we could, you know, analyze this from a
psychological perspective forever.
But I think one of the main things behind that faulty
thinking, that myth is that you're not enough, right?
Hello. So that I think that's really
important to get a handle on like noticing, like what might
be behind that. And if you if you know, you'll
probably kind of stumble upon like, I like this inner belief,
it's called a limiting belief that you just don't think that
you're enough somehow. And so you really have to change
that, that belief. Yeah.
And I. I think it's it's better to
overcome that than to be like 80 years old and go, why didn't I
exactly? You.
Never want to be a shoulda coulda, no shoulda coulda's.
Do it now. Do it now.
You can make it happen now. And don't come up with, oh, the
industry is this. The industry is that people will
always tell you no. Yes, there's always going to be
a reason. You will be able to find a
reason why you shouldn't do something or always always you.
Know and and people that don't understand it, you don't need to
explain it to them. That's so good and absolutely
not. You don't owe an explanation to
anyone. Yeah, just surround yourself
with your village of people that understand you in this aspect of
your life and then you have other friends and other aspects
of your life. You can't.
You can't assume that everybody is going to understand what you
are doing in your life. Right.
Or why you make the decisions that you make.
Yeah, exactly. No.
One's going to understand that. So you.
Get to have your dreams, so stop acting like you don't.
That's so good, so connected to this is #7 pet peeve ignoring
ignoring Rep advice. So.
That that one is like, I, I kind of want to ask like, why do you
why did, why did you ask me to represent you?
Like, what is this all about? You're wanting me to ask?
2O's on that one. What?
Does. All this mean.
Oh my gosh. So this is a.
Story. I will tell you a story.
I had someone who, who you know, they signed with me and the
first thing I asked you to send me your last, your last whole
gallery of headshots. And so they sent them to me and
they were all like lifestyle shoots.
They weren't like they weren't workable.
For. Like acting and half of them,
they weren't even looking at the camera.
Like they were like, you know, you know, and they were like, or
like, you know, full body. And I was like, oh, OK.
Yep, definitely not gonna work. Here's here's you know, a
recommended list of photographers that we see the
most results with. You don't have to choose them,
but they, you need to send me their website.
So I make sure they're comparable.
And then this is, this is a whole document.
And then like how you should prepare for it.
And so I start, get this one person starts and this happened
a couple times. They start giving me all this
kickback. Well, I know I'm friends with
this casting director and I showed them and they said these
were great. I'm like, who, who is this cat?
Who? Who is telling you?
Can I address other people telling you other things?
Yeah. You have to trust the person
that you're working with. Don't bring in like somebody
wrote me like, oh, some casting director told me this one thing
about action and scenes. Yeah.
But then why are you hiring me to help you book if you're if
you're like, why are you doing that?
Like why would you bring Ophelia on in the team and she tells you
what's going to get you money and her money and then bring in
some random what it called some rando person example like that's
insulting. It very, it's definitely 100%.
It is insulting because it's like, are you telling me that I
don't know what I'm doing? Like, what are you saying here?
Like this is I'm telling you these are not gonna work.
I'm not going to submit you with these.
So you either go. But that just started your
relationship with this person. I don't know even wanna work.
With them, absolutely. And that's what happened.
And I'm like, Oh my gosh, I think I made a mistake.
This is I I don't, this is. And also like, I don't have time
to argue with you. Like, what do you what is going
on here? I don't have time to explain why
these don't are not workable. Like you either want me to Rep
you and that means you're going to take my advice or you don't.
But there's no, there's no. Yeah, exactly.
Like don't sign with somebody that you don't respect their
advice. Exactly if you.
Sign you're always going to be at odds with each other like you
all. It's got to be synchronicity.
Everybody has to get along and you all have to be on the same
page, right direction together. Exactly.
Otherwise they're the wrong. People to sign with, you know.
And don't sign with if you don't have full trust And when you
jump in, That's why I like when I, you know, if when I end up
offering representation to someone, I often will say,
please think about this for like, don't sign right away.
I want you to think about this for like 24 hours sometimes.
Like no, I know I want him. OK, but I would rather someone
and not only rather I need people to jump in with full
trust and I understand like they don't totally know me and what
worked with me. So they're going to they're, you
know, I will give them permission to say, hey, you
know, if it. And like if you want to ask me
for like like two or three times Max, because what often happens
is people will say, Hey, did you see this project?
I, I think I, I would really like to be submitted for this
and basically like we see, we see everything on actors access
in CASI networks like don't you don't need to be asking me this.
It takes. Well, yeah, I think, I think
that it also is believing that you guys are are walking the
same way. And this is my package, this is
what I'm submitting you for. So you're going to have to
trust. Exactly.
Trust that you will be submitted for everything regarding the
package we previously discussed. Exactly.
You guys did not discuss the package and the the package is
not based on everything that the agent wants and that you have
then no wonder you have a question mark about whether or
not they submitted you. Yeah, exactly, exactly.
There there's a there, there are some valid reasons to be asking
that. And so that's why if you don't
totally know me, like you can ask that a few times, You'll
you'll basically I give them permission so that they can see
like, yes, I did submit you for that.
You know, after that you just need to let me do my job.
It's either that or you spend more time, if you want more,
more lands, then you should have clips for every one of the
photos that you have. But that's a right.
Not talking about it today. So that's, that's, that's the
deal. I mean, and I have #9 that was
#8 right? I think that was that seven.
I thought that maybe was 7. Odd.
That's why I said and or possibly so.
I don't know. I think it must count.
Maybe, maybe 8. This is 8 or 9, who knows.
OK. Well, I have AI have a good
Segway do it that don't ask your agent and manager for feedback.
Guys, your call back is your feedback and your ultimate
feedback is the booking. And I will tell you this,
inevitably, the thing that you want feedback on is the one that
you know you sucked at. Because if you know you did a
great job, then you need to walk away and go.
I did a great job. I know I did a great job and I
if they don't pick me, then it's nothing I did.
Yeah. But inevitably, if it's if
you're asking for feedback, then you're not sure whether or not
you nailed it. That's so good.
Oh, I know, it should be good. Oh my gosh.
And and I think this might be what you're saying, but I'll
even have I've a couple times have a talent send me like 4
different takes of their audition before they upload it.
Which one do you think is better?
And I'm always like, I don't have time to watch four
different tapes, like I'm not a manager.
And also you should be asking your coach or who's your are
you? You are coaching, aren't you?
No, I'm not. Sure they weren't because they
have 4 takes. There's only one take, V take,
and if you didn't hit V take then that's why you're asking
about four. Yeah, you will know when V take
is. That's good.
No.
Stop acting. Like you don't know.
And if you actors, if you're watching this and you don't know
what she means that you should probably get in her class and
her doing with her because you if you know, you know.
And if you don't know, you means don't know.
Don't know. You have to always know what
you're doing and know what you're saying and know what
you're feeling and knowing the story and knowing the genre and
knowing the style. And if you don't?
And if you're not landing in and it's not clear to you, but why
would it be clear to anybody else?
So if you're sending 4 takes, it's not clear to you.
You're not even ready to audition yet.
Yeah, that's so good. That's so good.
Which is? Why?
You shouldn't be like, like doing like 20 takes on an
audition, right? So you're doing more than 3 or 4
takes, then everybody's got to go home and you need to do more
homework. Yeah, walking into the space,
nailing it, and then you're done.
Maybe a second take. Exactly.
Which means that you should be rehearsing before you get an
audition, Probably daily. Yeah, I mean.
I always, that's why people are in class, maybe working out, you
know? Exactly I usually.
Take my technique and then go get a scene, break it down and
then do a self tape. Just do self tapes every day.
More self tapes to do. It's like being at the free
throw line. You know, you guys expect that
you haven't been working out and then you're up against somebody
from my class. Yeah.
Sorry, you don't have a shot. Yeah, have a shot.
You got to be working out at a master level every single day.
100. Can you imagine if a like a
somebody that's an Olympic athlete?
Do they do you think they take a day off?
Like no. Right, right.
In what worlds? No worlds.
It's like Kobe, Kobe Bryant his the that book that he wrote the
Oh my God, but. Did he talk about everyday I'm.
Not a sports person. It was like cheetah, pumba,
mamba, something mamba. And basically he talks.
It's like his work ethic. He like he would be there, he
would be at practice before anyone else.
He would leave after everyone else.
I mean, he just had an unbelievable work ethic and that
was a huge part of what? It's discipline.
It's discipline and it's it's a constant and and you guys just
have to be realistic. So the other pet peeve is when
people are not in coaching and acting classes or if people just
decide, I mean, this is sort of the same one, but it's a very
specific, it's kind of more specific to like you got to get
in coaching. I mean, we don't have to totally
belabor it because we just talked about it, but if you are
not in a coach like about your agent, can you please get into a
class to? Address the coach in my opinion.
OK, this is just my opinion. If you are trained properly then
the coach should just be there tweaking you.
They shouldn't be there directing you.
So if you're if you're consistently being directed by a
coach, then A, you're with the wrong coach and B, you still
don't know what what you're doing.
Because the people that get to me, I find out like what they've
been doing, who they've been training with them.
Like what do you have all these people and you still don't know
what you're doing. You know, you have to always
know what you're doing. And if you're like the people
that coaches me usually are people that want to get to the
next level. Like you're like, you've been
doing posters and you got a guest star audition.
Yeah, you've got a serious regular audition or you're not
booking those posters and you've been called back a lot.
But in all honesty, if you're you are not in a place by the
time you get to a coach for them to just tweak you and then shoot
you, right? And then you don't know what
you're doing. Yeah, that's, that's a super
good point. Super, super good point.
And as an agent, I don't want to be like having to follow up with
you five times. Like, are you in class yet?
Are you in? Are you in coaching now?
Like what's like? Well.
Especially since you're sending them out.
Like I get all the people, like I thank God not as much anymore,
But when I was teaching at the theater, I would get those
people that oh, Oh my, my agent's about to drop me.
I've gone on like 15 auditions and I haven't booked 1.
And I'm like, I don't want you then.
I want you at the beginning. No, because now you're
desperate. Yeah.
Wow. Like, well, that's, that's it.
That's it. That's a bar right there.
That's good, yeah. Because I want, I want somebody
that's that loves it. You have to love every aspect of
this business and you, you took all the time to learn how to
act. Weren't you taking the time to
learn how to book? And, and then you have, you
finally get an agent, the agent that you've always wanted.
You finally get pictures, the pictures you've always wanted.
Your package looks great. And then you go out and now you
don't know what you're doing. Yeah.
OK, I could talk for hours about that, but it it, it bothers me.
I mean, am I right? Oh my gosh.
I mean, I don't. I think that is something that
people are not thinking about. I think that is something that
is a a super powerful insight that you just shared that you
know this is going to change someone's life right now hearing
this as an actor's life. Because I don't think people
think about that. They don't think they don't
think about it that way. The whole.
Booking. Booking is a completely separate
beast, OK? And if you don't understand what
booking is for network television, which is a formula,
and you don't understand the booking, what booking is for
let's say a soap opera or even the vertical shorts.
Now it's specific kind of style. And if you don't understand
that, it's not about just being a great actor anymore.
It's you find and not even a great auditioner, but somebody
that knows how to close. Yes, if this is a business, back
to what we've talked about before, this is a business.
Acting is a business. Yeah, You have to know how to
close. You have to know what that's
about for you. I remember I had a guy that was
in my class. It was like he was, that's when
I was teaching a lot in person. So he's like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The bridge has called me in 12 times.
I haven't booked. I'm like, you're bragging.
OK, That was #1 #2 I said, how many times have you watched the
bridge? Oh, a couple of times #3 I said
to him, you don't deserve to poke the bridge.
Ouch. Like bam, chicka chicka boom
boom. Dude, if I was even called back
twice for a show, I would be obsessed with that freaking
show. Watching that show, I would be,
I would be looking at the color palette that they put the
fucking people in. I would be going, what's their
hair like? What's their, what's their
makeup like? How are they standing?
I remember years ago I had auditioned for Jack.
I was called back twice. I'm like, fuck, why am I
landing? Oh, it's a military show.
I'm not walking in like I'm in the military.
I'm not sitting like I'm in the military and then boom, my book.
Oh my gosh, I love this story. That's so good.
Oh, that's so good. But that's what I'm saying,
people don't have information. So you're you're looking to a
coach to put a Band-Aid on it. And it's not about that.
It's about are you able to close?
Are you able to book? You spent all this time doing
all this stuff for yourself. And the last thing that you
you're thinking about is how to do a self tape and how to book
Like what? Yeah.
Oh my gosh. This is a complete like mental
shift as an actor that actors need to have if you want to
start booking. Yeah, there's a lot of things
that are not in our control a lot.
And probably most. However, the things that are in
our control, they make, they they will make or break your
career. They really cool.
Like, absolutely. Crazy.
And I could go on for every about it.
As you can see, I'm very passionate about it.
But let's move on. Was that yours or mine?
Because it turned into mine. What?
What OK was it? I think it was OK.
We'll call it both. OK, so are we on #9 yet?
I think we're on number. I don't know.
I. Don't know.
OK, give me one, give me one. OK, this is the last one.
I have a last one too, so that's your last one.
OK, this has been my last one. So when people are I'm wrapping
them, they don't have a manager yet.
They decide they want a manager and they don't talk to me about
it. They just go and get one and
they announce to me that they have a manager.
That's not really OK. That is not really if we are a
team, that means I'm not your boss.
But if you, if we are, if you've signed and that means you've
agreed that we are a team, that means that every career move you
make, I need to we need to have a conversation before you make a
decision. There might be a manager that I
know something about that you don't know that I am not willing
to work with them. There may be a manager that that
I have had in the back of my mind for you that I know was
going to advance your career and I've been waiting for the right
time, but now you'll never get to be with them because you went
and chose some other manager. Oh, boom.
OK, well, you know what? I know?
I'll tell you the psychology, the actor psychology behind
that. OK.
Do you tell? Why they didn't tell the agents?
Because they didn't feel close enough to the agent and they
just wanted to go and do it for themselves.
So that's that's, that's really what it is.
So. That that I definitely see that.
Yeah, you have to build your relationship with your agent to
a sense that you wouldn't go and do that, but that's the reason
why that happened, because they just want to add more people to
the team and maybe somebody that they can communicate with.
However, this has happened. This has happened with people
that I have been in full, like I, I am giving them even extra
attention because they're working a lot.
Because if someone's working a lot because there's other things
in place And I'm, I'm trying to, you know, I need to, I need to
be meeting with them one-on-one because of there's a business
aspect of it and they just get it in there.
They're kind of have like an independent kind of rogue heir
to them for sure. There's no one.
You know, if you're, if you're working with an agent and let's
say they're you know, it is a small age like we engage, they
can give you more attention, but you are not, you know, giving
them your monthly updates and staying engaged the way they've
asked you to do or, or your your or your like have been a little
difficult to work with. And so the agent has some more
boundaries if you go and do this and that, maybe that is in your
mind, your reason. But what that's telling me is
that you just you kind of want to do things on your own.
So it'd be probably better just to work with your manager and
submit yourself to stuff because you don't really want a team,
You know, you should, you should be going ahead and making sure
that we're not in a needy way like we talked about, but in a
way that's, that's keeping your agent updated and letting him
know you're still in the game. You know, like there's, there's
very legitimate reasons that someone would feel like I can't.
I, I don't, I don't feel like I, my age never cuts back to me.
I don't feel like they know me. They.
Yeah. And that's, that's, that's, I
think what motivates it. But, but also we talked about
earlier in the podcast about people that get too big for
their britches after one big booking that other things come
into play and and you thought you were close to them and all
of a sudden you realize, oh, I guess I'm not.
Yeah, right. It's a blemish on your
relationship with them. And it actually stuns the growth
of your career with that agency, especially if you're working a
lot as an actor and then you add some random person.
So it's all about relationship. It's all about.
What is? Always learning about
relationship and about function of our relationship with people
and just getting tough. But try not to be angry guys
just don't be resentful. Just try to understand how
things work and and try to communicate better with your
Rep. Yeah, that's so that's so good.
That's a great. I think that's a great way to
wrap it up because that's, that's the you want to have the
whole goal of this, you guys is not to say like how annoying you
are, is to say, Hey, we want you to have better relationship with
your agent because that is how you're going to be successful.
We want you to have, you know, get rid of the resentment.
Do you know, stop doing the things that are annoying your
agent so they're not resentful towards you And like a really
positive, strong relationship. That's that's like agent is
trust and you can just really you can get build that momentum
together. Yeah, and that goes with
everything that we've been talking about earlier, even
about if they tell you that you really need to get new pictures
and, you know, and and they give you a list and I don't know,
it's just really important. It's it's always good to to
reflect back on that list to the agent because they said that
they approve these people. So why even pick anybody else?
Exactly right. Not if you've decided to work
together Actors you are enough are on all platforms.
It's on Spotify. So if you want to just listen or
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All right. And that's, that's it, all
right. Guys, go, go kill it.
Go do some great things in the world.