Blog Post #117: 2 Hacktors Book TV Jobs On Same Day

Hey,

I just wanted to send a quick note out to congratulate one of our Masters members, Garrett Hendricks who just booked a sizable roll on a major network television show shooting in New York City. I’m very happy for him but what is more important is that he trusted the principles of our program and it paid off big time almost instantly. He paid me a few extra dollars than most of our members and the beautiful thing is he is taking advantage of it and it is paying off tenfold for him. He is taking his power and using it.

Garrett is someone who I have been working closely with because he has been asking for assistance. Some of you pay me but you never ask for help other than questions about your headshots or your reels, which are the least effective things you can work on for acting career results. Ask me about what actions you should be taking and I will be more than happy to give you not only good advice but a lot of confidence about why you should take that advice.

I try not to tell people what to do but give you the tools to do what you already know is right.

In this particular instance, Garrett has been offered an audition for a fairly small part, one that he thought might actually be too small and would reduces his chances of being called into that office for guest star material. I suggested that getting in front of casting directors and doing your best work is far more important than waiting for the magic bullet. I said if you go in and do an amazing job, first of all you will book that job which will pay some bills and second of all you will put yourself in higher standing with those casting directors than if you stayed at home and did nothing. Also I pointed out that since his agent had submitted him, it would look unprofessional to be submitted for something and then turn down the audition when it was offered. If you don’t want to go out for certain roles, you have to have those conversations with your agent ahead of time. After you are offered the audition is not the time to refuse it.

Well Garrett took my advice because he knows what a genius I am lol and he went and did his audition and I got an email from him only a few hours later saying he was put on hold for the role and not only that they had added scenes to the role!

Now producers and writers don’t just add scenes randomly. They add or take away material based upon the performances of the people who are going to deliver that material so Garrett went in for a small part, did a great job and they added scenes. Mission accomplished times ten.

The message I am hoping you guys get from this is that you never know what’s going to happen if you don’t get out there and do things. You don’t know what the results will be. The only negative Garrett could come up with for attending the audition was that it was somehow going to lower his standing as an actor. He didn’t allow for the fact that he is only in control of his audition while the rest of the universe is busy doing things completely out of his control and in this case the universe delivered a booking plus bigger scenes so he looks doubly good in the eyes of the casting directors. He went to the auditions so they are happy he went and he did a great job and they added scenes so the casting directors are doubly happy because he really impressed the producers.

If you guys don’t get out the door and test the waters whether it’s in an audition or simply pouring coffee for producers or answering the phones for casting directors or simply saying hello to people you hear talking about making movies you never will know what could have happened. Sitting at home being scared to do things and complaining that not enough work is coming your way only makes matters worse.

All you have to do is get out there and work on your acting skills and try to help people out and eventually they will start helping you out and you will start having a life you only dreamed of before.

As an added bonus, I would like to add that I also booked a TV job today. I auditioned for the part back in December and had totally forgotten about it even though I thought I did a very good job and almost one month later they called me to confirm I had booked it. So good news for all of us.

I certainly hope there is no twinge of jealousy or envy on any of your parts because all of you guys have the power to make this stuff happen for yourself. You just have to seize that power and get out there and make things happen and the best way to make things happen is to simply be in the game. Talk to people and offer to help them anyway you can and they will eventually start helping you. I didn’t make this stuff up. I’m only the messenger. These are the laws of the universe so be happy you know them and be happy every time you get an opportunity that you have created by simply saying hello to someone and asking them how you can help them.

So congratulations to Garrett and congratulations to all of you who are slowly but surely shifting your views of how to have an acting career from one of passivity and payments to one of action and power.

The bonus message is that by asking for help when you need it like getting advice from someone like me you can quickly overcome blocks you have that are stopping you from getting what you want to go.

So many of you are conditioned to be scared to do anything active that you feel powerless so trust in what I’m telling you and follow the examples of people like Josh and Garrett who are booking network television roles and take their lead and don’t leave things up to chance. Take the bull by the horns and you can do anything you want. Yeehaw!

– David

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