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Overview of BLS Wage Data by Area and Occupation : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Overview of BLS Wage Data by Area and Occupation

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I can make ____ as an agent with clients in high demand, or I can make _____ as an actor once I get a big break. Of course, sometimes it takes a long time to get roles that pay enough to live on, so I will have to develop skills that make me employable for jobs in the area I choose to live (NYC or LA most likely). These jobs include bartending, serving at restaurants, and perhaps working in retail. Although I will have to be available to attend auditions.

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Who rakes in a whopping $75 million? Who are the highest-paid TV stars? And how much can you make working in an agency mailroom? In its Money Issue, THR reveals how much people are earning now, from stars including Robert Downey Jr., Sandra Bullock, Katherine Heigl and the 'Duck Dynasty' clan to top agents including Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell
This story first appeared in the Oct. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
FILM STAR
How bad is the decline in actor salaries over the past decade? Despite the huge sums still being raked in by such superstars asRobert Downey Jr. (his $75 million comes from his 7 percent, first-dollar slice of Iron Man 3, as well as his $12 million HTC endorsement deal) and Sandra Bullock (a 15 percent, first-dollar deal on Gravity and about $10 million more for her summer hit The Heat), most actors are feeling a definite squeeze, especially those in the middle.

"If you're [a big star], you're getting well paid," says one top agent, "but the middle level has been cut out." Sometimes with a hacksaw. Leonardo DiCaprio made $25 million (including bonuses) for The Wolf of Wall Street, while co-star Jonah Hill got paid $60,000. Granted, that's an extreme example - Hill offered to do the part for scale (and got an Oscar nomination for his trouble).

See more Highly Paid Film Stars

But studio cost-cutting has meant that mid-level stars are being nickel-and-dimed in ways that would have been unheard of in the gilded '90s (i.e., Marvel Studios' reportedly offering Mickey Rourke a mere $250,000 to star opposite Downey in Iron Man 2). Before breaking out the violins, though, remember that even mid-level stars are far better off than most other actors. According to the most recent SAG statistics, the average member earns $52,000 a year, while the vast majority take home less than $1,000 a year from acting jobs.

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See more 10 Highest Grossing Movie Sequels
AGENT $200K-$10M
Like everyone in Hollywood, the talent agencies have been tightening their belts. "Your biggest concern used to be, 'Would I get a $100,000 bonus or a $200,000 bonus?' " recalls one veteran agent wistfully. "Ha! Things have changed." Those bonuses still happen, they just require a hot client (or five). CAA generally pays more than WME, UTA, Gersh, ICM and Paradigm, yet salaries increasingly are tied to what an agent brings in. And an agency will overpay to lure a top agent (and his clients). Generally speaking, though, starting agents can expect to earn $50,000 to $65,000; more senior agents make around $200,000; partners make $400,000 to $700,000; and board members - like CAA's Bryan Lourd and WME's Patrick Whitesell and Ari Emanuel - can earn as much as $10 million. In rare circumstances, bonuses based on client earnings can turn mid-level agents into $1 million-a-year employees. In short, top talent breeds top salaries. Tracey Jacobs at UTA is said to be earning upward of $9 million - and she reps Johnny Depp.
AGENT'S ASSISTANT $10-$13 AN HOUR
Read more Studio Perks of the Hollywood Exec: Home Screening Rooms, Private Jets, Huge Expense Accounts
ANIMAL ACTOR $5K-$108K
At most agencies, you start in the mailroom, hope an assistant's desk opens up, then dream of ascending the assistant ladder so you can be on the receiving end of middle-of-the-night email rants from top agents. At CAA, though - where Richard Lovett has five assistants and Kevin Huvane has four - you start as an assistant and move up to the mailroom agent-training program.

Crystal the monkey earned $108,000 in 2012 for appearing in nine episodes of NBC's Animal Practice. That's more than most of the below-the-line talent featured in this story and twice as much as the average actor, who earns $52,000, according to SAG-AFRTA. But most animals work for peanuts: The day rate for a dog or cat in Hollywood is $400, with most earning $5,000 to $10,000 a year.
CINEMATOGRAPHER $5K-$30K A WEEK

Crystal the monkey

Top directors of photography, of which there are probably about 10 to 15 in the industry, can command $25,000 to $30,000 a week on movies that shoot up to 12 weeks - maybe even a little more, according to insiders. That select circle of top cinematographers would include 11-time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins, Gravity Academy Award winner Emmanuel Lubezki and Martin Scorsese's frequent collaborator Robert Richardson. On a big-budget studio movie - say, $80 million or more - an experienced cinematographer can expect to earn $10,000 to $20,000 a week. On a low-budget indie fare, DPs often take home $2,000 to $5,000 a week. On TV productions, the range is $5,000 to $8,000 a week.

FILM DIRECTOR $250K-$20M A PICTURE
"The middle range doesn't exist anymore," one studio executive says of the current financial landscape for feature film directors. "Either you're paying for a modern master, or you're paying a lot less. The days of paying $3 million or $4 million, knowing they're just doing the job, that doesn't exist."

The going rate for modern masters? Between $7 million and $10 million for auteurs like Paul Greengrass and Ridley Scott, more if the film is considered a tentpole. Christopher Nolan is said to have made $20 million against 20 percent of gross for Interstellar. Backend is otherwise rare these days for the non-A-list.

On the other end of the scale, emerging directors can expect $250,000 to $500,000 for their first big studio feature, but there are exceptions (one European auteur was said to have recently have been paid $1 million for his first Hollywood blockbuster).

TV DIRECTOR $25K-$42K AN EPISODE
TV directors, of course, are an entirely different species, and get paid in a different way. The base DGA rate is $25,145 for a half-hour episode and $42,701 for an hour. But unlike writers, directors sometimes helm all 22 episodes of a season - it's just too much work. But some big-name pilot directors ( David Nutter, Jason Winer and Pam Fryman) get an executive producer credit and a stake in the show, which is how Bryan Singer is said to have made tens of millions for directing the pilot of House M.D.
Read more The Hollywood Reporter Reveals Hollywood's 100 Favorite Films
ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER $2M-$6M
Maybe more, if you're Skip Brittenham, who is rumored to take home $10 million a year. After a practice builds up, a lawyer can receive 30 percent of what the firm earns from his or her clients. With a big enough list, that easily can add up to millions. But even first-year attorneys can do OK, earning $135,000 to $165,000 (enough to pay off law school).

EXTRA $148 A DAY
But there's a "bump" of $50 a day for wearing a hairpiece, or if you're working in challenging conditions (rain, smoke). There's also overtime - a full day of pay for every hour after 16 hours - which has been known to happen on movie sets.

GAME SHOW HOST $1M-$10M
Quiz masters make between $25,000 a week (for a syndicated show) to upward of $75,000 a week (for a primetime program). Unless, of course, you're Alex Trebek, Jeopardy!'s 30-year host - in which case you take home the $10 million-a-year jackpot.

LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST $3M-$30M
Late night's recent round of musical chairs hasn't changed the pay all that much - unless you're Stephen Colbert, said to be in line to earn a bit more as David Letterman's replacement on CBS than the $15 million a year he gets from Comedy Central. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart remains the top earner at $25 million to $30 million a year. Jimmy Fallon is said to be making a little less annually than Jay Leno's$15 million for hosting The Tonight Show (and a lot less than the $25 million Leno made before he took a pay cut). And Seth Meyers barely can afford an applause sign at $3 million.
PORN STAR $120K
MANAGER $250K-$300K
Bonuses are the name of the game in the management business. They're tied to commissions - one big client can be worth millions. Starting managers make $50,000 to $60,000 and are expected to bring in two to three times their pay in commissions. Top partners can pull in seven figures. And unlike agents, managers can produce projects, bringing in additional fees.

NETWORK TV PRESIDENT $2M-$3M
The usual base salary for running the entertainment division of a major broadcast network is $2 million, but a $3 million base is not unheard of. And bonuses can double that salary. Still, says one former network president: "It's not like these are jobs people lust after - they're too hard. The really fun jobs are running cable networks, a job like head of programming at AMC, because you have more opportunity to be creative."

That's what an "average" porn star makes in a year, according to Joanne Cachapero of the Free Speech Coalition, the closest thing adult film has to a guild. Big-name female performers - what Cachapero calls "top flight" - can earn $200,000 or more (men, for once, earn less, though they tend to have longer careers). But there's a limit to even the most successful porn star's earning power. "Unlike mainstream performers," says Cachapero, "adult performers have less opportunity to diversify revenue by adding streams like merchandising and endorsements."
PRODUCER $250K-$2M
STUDIO CHIEF $5M-$15M
Your average studio chief - thinkAlan Horn, Brad Grey and Amy Pascal - earns a base salary of about $5 million. But bonuses and other sweeteners (structured on box office and production output, among other factors) usually amount to two to three times that payday. Plus, the job comes with the best perks in Hollywood, from private jet rides to 24-hour assistants.

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The number of producers whose fees top $2 million - such aces as Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Rudin, Brian Grazer and Neal H. Moritz - can be counted on two hands (plus maybe a foot). Moritz now tops the list, surpassing Bruckheimer with his rich Fast & Furious 7 deal. Rudin is said to have a quote of $2.5 million against 7.5 percent of first-dollar gross. But one dealmaker says no one is earning true first-dollar gross as in the old days. Instead, "everybody reduces before a film is greenlit and agrees to be part of a cash-break pool." The PGA does not share average producer salaries, but a newbie typically earns $250,000, while a hot actor making a foray into producing earns $500,000 to $750,000 with some backend. Established actors with successful producing track records can take home considerably more - like Adam Sandler, who earned $5 million to produce Grown Ups 2 (not nearly as much as the $20 million he received to star in the film).

Read more TV Premiere Dates 2014-15: The Complete Guide

PUBLICIST $27K-$400K
Unlike agents, managers and lawyers, PR reps typically are paid a monthly fee, not a percentage of income. That makes a big difference. A partner at a large firm makes $200,000 to $300,000, though some of the bigger flaks are rumored to pull in nearly $400,000. Publicists with A-list clients earn $100,000 to $150,000 (though fees vary depending on how many clients are "on," or paying monthly fees), while midlevel reps (five to seven years of experience) take home $50,000 to $80,000. The entry-level flack at the red carpet and premiere parties who can't find your name on her clipboard makes $27,000 to $35,000.

STUNT PERSON $50K-$1M
How much would you charge to jump a motorcycle over a wall and into a swimming pool? How about driving a semi tractor-trailer 65 miles an hour off a ramp and 30 feet into the air? Tom McComas, 44, who has done all that and much more as a stuntman in The Dark Knight and Mission: Impossible movies, earns about a half-million dollars a year, and some make even more. Yuen Woo-Ping, who worked on the Matrix films and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, was said to have earned $1 million annually at his peak. But those are exceptions - most risk their necks for far less.

The AFTRA rate for stunt work is $889 a day. That's about $50,000 a film, assuming one works every day during a three-month shoot. And work, by the way, is getting harder to come by in L.A. thanks to productions moving to Louisiana, Georgia and other low-cost states, where local stunt workers grab most of the jobs. "I was in the top 1 percent, making $250,000 a year," says a Hollywood stuntwoman who has doubled for Linda Hamilton and Jamie Lee Curtis. "But in the last two years, that has gone down by $100,000." She estimates the average working stunt person makes only $50,000 to $100,000 a year.

That's barely enough to cover a daredevil's insurance premiums, let alone pay the bills when he or she takes the inevitable spill. "I was doubling Jim Carrey in Yes Man, on the back of a scooter on Sunset Boulevard with the girl doubling Zooey Deschanel," recalls McComas. "A car that was supposed to slide by us hit us at 50 miles per hour. She shattered her pelvis; I jumped, flipped in the air and herniated a couple of disks." He was out of work for eight months. "When you're hurt, you show up the next day and you're fired. Basically we're blue-collar workers who punch the clock. I went from $10,000 a week to $900 a week on disability. The bottom line for a stuntman is: Don't get hurt."

COMMERCIAL VOICE ACTOR $3K-$1M AN AD
You can do it on bad hair days, and it pays great. More and more top stars are lending their voice to TV and radio commercials. Robert Downey Jr. for Nissan, Morgan Freeman for Visa, Jon Hamm for Mercedes, Tim Allen for Michigan Tourism, Kevin Spacey for Honda, Lisa Kudrow for Yoplait, Queen Latifah for Pizza Hut ... the list goes on and on. "The trend in terms of celebrities doing voiceover has been distinctly upward," says Jeff Danis, president of DPN Talent, an agency that specializes in commercial voiceover work. Big names like Freeman and Allen can command more than $1 million for an ad, which usually requires only a day's work.
TV STARS $150K-$1M AN EPISODE PRIVATE CHEF $75K-$200K
But major stars account for only about 20 percent of the voices you hear in commercials. The other 80 percent - non-celebrity voice actors - don't make nearly that kind of dough. Typically, they'll earn scale, which works out to about $3,000 to $5,000 an ad.

Jon Hamm is the voice of Mercedes.

It used to be when movie stars did a TV show, it was seen as slumming. Now it's considered moving on up. Just this summer, Oscar winner Halle Berry debuted on CBS' Extant, and this fall Katherine Heigl stars on NBC's State of Affairs, while Tea Leoni plays a better-dressed version of Hillary Clinton on CBS' Madam Secretary. Each of these actresses is being paid $150,000 an episode, the going rate for luring big-screen names to TV (for a 22-episode season, it adds up to $3.3 million). That's a far cry from the $15,000 to $25,000 per episode an unknown actor is offered for a series regular role. But established TV actors with virtually no big-screen experience can do very well. Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting now will make $1 million an episode on The Big Bang Theory (up from $350,000). Then there's Mark Harmon, who makes north of $500,000 per episode of NCIS, and Ashton Kutcher, who earns $750,000 per episode of Two and a Half Men - or about $34,000 a minute. With paychecks like that, who needs a film career?
See more Titans of Comic-Con: Stars Re-Create Classic Characters
Michelin-starred private chefs obviously can make more - but there are other ingredients in the salary recipe, like whether the client requires odd-hour meals or has a special diet. According to Christian Paier, owner of L.A.-based Private Chefs Inc., pairing a chef with a star or industry client can be as challenging as matchmaking: "Some of these clients spend more time with their chef than with their spouse - they travel with their chef wherever they go. It's a very intimate thing."

SHOWRUNNER $30K-$100K AN EPISODE
At 22 episodes a season, that adds up to $660,000 to $2.2 million a year. A select few creator-runners make considerably more, like Matthew Weiner (who got $30 million for the last three years of Mad Men).
BELOW THE LINE: The A to Z of Industry Pay
REALITY STAR: PRACTICALLY NOTHING-$200K AN EPISODE
Sure, if you're a member of the Duck Dynasty clan - or a Kardashian - you can make millions (like Kourtney and Kim's reported $40 million, three-year deal with E!, or the Robertson family's more than $200,000 an episode deal with A&E for Dynasty). Even D-list celebs who go on Wife Swap can make decent money: $10,000 to $20,000 an episode. But for the vast majority of reality show performers - unfamous Bachelor contestants and other run-of-the mill reality hopefuls - jury duty pays better. You're given a minimal stipend to compensate for missed wages, and that's pretty much it. The real money in reality comes from parlaying your TV profile into something larger, the way Housewives star Bethenny Frankel managed to land that $100 million Skinnygirl deal in 2011. Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino spun six seasons on MTV's Jersey Shore into $9 million from endorsements of products including vitamins, clothing, jewelry and sunglasses. Those deals are rare these days, but on a more modest scale, hot-ish reality stars can pick up an easy $5,000 to $10,000 just for showing up for paid "appearances" at bars and nightclubs.

FILM WRITER $100K-$1M A DRAFT
Feature film writers' incomes continue to slide. According to the WGA West, screenwriters in Hollywood earned a combined total of $331 million last year, down nearly 25 percent from 2009. But some of them are doing pretty well. A screenwriter who sells a draft to a major studio can earn about $100,000, and a hot writer can score $1 million or more. Super scribes such asAlex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Simon Kinberg pull in as much as $5 million annually in writers' fees (more when you add in residuals and producing earnings), while other top screenwriters earn closer to $2 million.

TV WRITER $3K-$6K A WEEK
In a gloomy Hollywood climate, the WGA says things are looking relatively bright for TV writers, who took in a combined total of $668.5 million last year, down just 6.2 percent from 2012. And TV residuals are booming: Last year, WGA members received $233.7 million in TV residuals, up 55 percent since 2012. Most staff writers work on 20-week contracts, at a rate of about $3,800 a week, though more senior writers earn about $6,000 a week. But the real money is in writing an entire episode on one's own. That pays $24,788 a script, and considerably more if you create your own series (see "Showrunner").

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ANIMATION DIRECTOR $200K

ART DIRECTOR $134K

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR $101K

AWARDS SHOW PRODUCER $300K

BEST BOY $92K

BODY DOUBLE $33K

BOOM MIC OPERATOR $87K

CHAUFFEUR $56K

CAMERA OPERATOR $96K

CARPENTER $61K

COSTUME DEPT. SUPERVISOR $91K

COSTUMER $79K

CRAFT SERVICES FOREPERSON $74K

DOG HANDLER $54K

DIALECT COACH $125K

EDITOR $95K

FIRE SAFETY ADVISER $73K

FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR $192K

FOLEY ARTIST $88K

GAFFER $59K

GARDENER (STUDIO) $50K

GRIP $102K

HAIRSTYLIST $77K

HAIRSTYLIST TRAINEE $66K

LIGHTING TECHNICIAN (ENTRY-LEVEL) $53K

LOCATION MANAGER $112K

MECHANIC $59K

MAKEUP ARTIST $100K

MODEL BUILDER $68K

MUSIC MIXER $111K

NOVELIZATION WRITER $12,500 per book

PAYROLL ACCOUNTANT $66K

PERSONAL ASSISTANT FOR A CELEBRITY $80K

PROJECTIONIST (STUDIO) $72K

PROP MASTER $59K

PUBLICIST (STUDIO) $93K

SCENIC ARTIST $81K

SCRIPT SUPERVISOR $62K

SCULPTOR $75K

SET DECORATOR $104K

SOUND EFFECTS EDITOR $88K

TEACHER (ON-SET) $88K

TRAILER EDITOR $81K

WIGMAKER, CLASS 1 $59K

WIGMAKER, CLASS 2 $69K

WILD ANIMAL TRAINER $75K

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Hollywood Salaries Revealed, From Movie Stars to Agents (and Even Their Assistants)

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Who rakes in a whopping $75 million? Who are the highest-paid TV stars? And how much can you make working in an agency mailroom?

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I will be a successful and constantly employed actor, starring in feature films and stage plays.

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Actor - Creative Job Roles - Creative Skillset

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Actors interpret others words in order to bring a script to life, and to put life into characters. Learn more about actors, on our site.

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3 Major Differences between Stage & Screen Acting

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3 Major Differences between Stage & Screen Acting

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Since I am not sure which type of acting I want to do, I know I need to learn more about what it takes to work on a stage versus work on the screen. The article outlines three differences: location,

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I recently did a career consultation for a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor with 24 years of experience. He could easily act circles around me but although television production was exploding in his area and he desperately wanted to transition into that market, he was having very little success doing so. I helped him realize that there are several key differences between a stage- and camera-oriented career. He was so impressed with what I had to say that he offered to create an event where I could share this information with actors from all over Georgia. I was flattered, but all it took was a simple explanation of how performing and promoting stage and screen acting were different and the changes he needed to make because of these differences. This week we will examine the main differences between in performing on stage and performing on screen

1. Audience Location. The biggest difference between performing on stage and performing for the camera is the location of your audience. On stage, the audience can easily be 100 feet or more from the performers. Since the audience must see and hear a performance to enjoy it, stage performers must act for the back row. The result is a larger than life performance since the other actors are only a fraction of that distance from you.

Since the camera can always see you and the microphone can always hear you, you only have to move and speak so the person or people in the scene can see and hear you in television and film acting. If someone is three feet away, speak as though they are three feet away. If they are 50 yards away, speak to them in that manner. Reality is less enhanced when a camera and microphone become involved. In fact, due to camera-work, score, lighting, and other effects, it is sometimes better to do less than you would in real life because so many things are augmenting your performance. So the main responsibility of television and film actors is that they behave naturally. No exaggerated sound or movement is required.

2. Material. The second major difference between stage and camera acting is the familiarity of the material. Theater is by its very nature repetitive and therefore familiar. When a play takes hold and becomes popular, it is put on by company after company, night after night, all over the world. That repetition creates an iconoclastic image of the story. When people think they know the material, they want to hear it exactly the way it was written and they know when it is changed because it is so familiar to them. The words of the play become iconic and any errors of dialogue will sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. Imagine if Richard III chose instead to say, "A horse, a horse...or maybe a camel?"

Television and film is different because the audience has never seen the writing. It is fresh and largely written on the fly. Words are being changed right up until shoot times in many cases. Therefore, at a TV/film audition, an actor can make mistakes or small changes without consequence. An original and believable performance is king.

3. Characters. The third difference between stage and TV/Film is the iconic nature of the characters and celebrated performances of those characters. The audience and critics will compare you to past versions of the same show. Because many stage characters have been played over and over, there is only so much leeway an audience will accept before they start to complain. People often go to the theater to see something familiar so you better give them what they want or the rotten fruit will start flying.

In TV/film, you will almost certainly be the only person to ever play any given character so what the producers are looking for is some version you. They are looking for the person who fits the world they are creating. No one has played it before so there is no reference point. It is up to you to show them what your part of the story looks like, and if they agree with you, you will get the part. So there is generally far more leeway in developing (or not developing) a TV/Film character than there is in the performance of an iconic stage character.

These are the three main differences in performing on stage versus doing on-camera work. Next time we will look at the differences in promoting and preparing one's self for TV/film roles.
Inspired by this post? Check out our audition listings! David Patrick Green is a professional actor and the founder of Hackhollywood.com, a membership-based website dedicated to empowering and educating actors around the globe on how to become a professional actor. His simple, five-step approach inspires actors to be ruthlessly creative in their approach to the art and business of acting and life in general. Mr. Green has an MBA from the University of Southern California and was an international management consultant before realizing Platinum frequent-flyer status had few rewards other than boredom, bedbugs, and beer. David is also author of the "Become a Famous Actor" series of books available at Amazon.com. He has lived and worked as an actor in Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto and coaches/consults to actors and businesses who want to get on the short path to success while maintaining a sense of humor. He is happy to be reached at david@hackhollywood.com.
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auditions | casting calls | open casting calls | casting call | open casting call

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The 3 Major Differences Between Stage and Screen Acting

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I recently did a career consultation for a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor with 24 years of experience. He could easily act circles around me but although television production was exploding in his area and he desperately wanted to transition into that market, he was having very little success doing so.

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This information includes the things I must be willing to do:
Learn to Act, Move to NYC or LA, Master my Craft, and Commit Myself to the Process

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Have you ever dreamed of one day becoming a famous Hollywood actor? If so, the first thing you need to realize is that this dream can become a reality if you're willing to put in the time, training, dedication, passion and patience required to make it in Hollywood.

If you've always wondered how to become a film or television actor, then here are ten steps that may not get you the role of a lifetime, but they will help you to treat your acting career as a career and not simply as something you choose to do for fun.

Keep in mind that if you're hoping to become a theater actor, some of these may not apply to you. However, all of these steps are good to keep in mind no matter what type of acting you decide to pursue.

Learn How to Act

Seems like a given, doesn't it? But I can't tell you the number of people that come out to Hollywood thinking that all they need to do is get a job as a waiter at some popular restaurant, meet an agent, get "discovered" and then it's nothing but champagne and caviar from there. Uh...no.

Acting is first and foremost a . The best of the Hollywood actors understand this and no matter how far they have come in their careers, they are constantly looking to improve upon their craft. They take classes, work with acting and dialogue coaches, they study life experiences, etc. They know full well that even after a lifetime of work and study, they may never reach absolute perfection.

So, for you, it's imperative that you take a wide variety of acting classes. Work in a wide variety of styles with as many different groups of people that you can find. Try it all. From Shakespeare to comedy, from improv to cinema verite -- the more you know, the more well rounded you'll be and ultimately, the better prepared you'll be for whatever roles come your way.

Location, Location, Location

I hate telling people this, but if you hope to work in film and/or television as an actor, you need to go where the work is. Now, that doesn't necessarily doom you to living in Los Angeles or New York. After all, there are plenty of acting jobs in Vancouver, Montreal, Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, etc.

But, New York and Los Angeles are where most of the casting directors work and live. So, many of the shows that are shot in Canada or other cities within the U.S. are still cast in LA or New York. So, even though you don't necessarily need to move here, keep in mind that it is where most of the action is.

Be Willing to do What it Takes

No, that doesn't mean what you think it means. Don't worry about the "casting couch." But you must be willing to do what it takes for the sake of your craft. You might ultimately have to sacrifice certain aspects of your life to ensure that you will have success as a working Hollywood actor.

You must take the time to master your craft. If that means sacrificing a relationship or a few friendships along the way, so be it. I know that sounds rather harsh, but acting is not a 9-5 job by any stretch.

If you're lucky enough to land a role in a major film or television production, realize that this is not the glamorous Hollywood job you might've thought it would be.

It's a lot of work, often 14-20 hours per day, in all kinds of conditions and at least initially, for not much money.

Even actors who make millions of dollars per picture still must "work" to earn their keep. They are on location for months at a time and every day they commit themselves both emotionally and physically to their roles. It can be extremely exhausting. You must prepare yourself both mentally and physically for this type of challenge.

It's one of the many reasons why Hollywood stars have trainers, psychologists, plastic surgeons, nutritionists and divorce attorneys at their beck and call. Their job is hardly an easy job.

Commit Yourself

I once had a friend of mine tell me that there are no bad actors, just actors who aren't willing to "fully commit" themselves to their craft.

Just as I mentioned above that you have to make certain sacrifices to make it as an actor in Hollywood, one of those is your ego.

If you're about looking cool, or trying to maintain a certain image, then acting might not be for you.

The best actors are those who are willing to let themselves be 100% consumed by the role they are playing. They physically become the person they portray.

If you're in the middle of delivering your lines and suddenly you let yourself drift back into your own life, you are not fully committed to the role and your performance will show it. You have to literally "forget yourself" to help ensure the quality of your performance.

Be Nice

Hollywood is all about helping those you know because they might one day be in a position to help you as well. So, you need to remember this steadfast rule -- be nice to everyone. From agents' assistants to fellow cast members to whomever you meet in Hollywood. Remember, that assistant you treated poorly two years ago might one day become a casting director, film producer, talent agent or whatever. And trust me, they'll remember those who stomped on their toes on their way up the ladder.

Conversely, they'll remember those who were nice the whole way up and they'll be that much more inclined to help them achieve their own goals.

Focus on the Craft - Not the Agent

There are many actors I know who spent years worrying more about getting an agent than becoming a well-trained actor.

Agents are a necessary evil, but they do not make you or break you (as much as they like to think they do). As many actors will attest, simply because they have a powerful agent does not guarantee their success.

The happiest actors are the working actors. And just because you might not be getting paid for your acting, doesn't mean that you can't be a working actor. Every experience is experience. So, spend less time seeking out an agent and more time seeking out acting opportunities yourself. From small plays to student films -- you'll be happily surprised how many seemingly insignificant opportunities are the ones that make your entire career.

Besides, when the time is right, an agent will come and seek you out.

QUICK NOTE ON AGENTS: If any agent makes you pay for their services up front then don't walk, RUN away from these guys. Legitimate talent agents only get paid when they get jobs for their clients. After all, what incentive do they have to find you a job if you've already given them their share in advance? No matter what they try to tell you, or however they try to validate charging you up front (e.g., personalized service, guaranteed jobs, headshots, etc.), do not under any circumstances pay these individuals a cent.

Take Some Improv

Regardless of what you may think of improvisation theater, it is one skill that most actors that I've worked with count on in a time of need. Especially for you theater actors who might be stuck with someone who freezes midway through their lines.

Beyond a crisis situation, improv is one of the few styles of acting where you have absolute freedom to discover what things you're good at, and which things could use some work.

As one actor friend told me, "improv is a way to discover your range as an actor while at the same time, it forces you to explore new territory while having to commit wholeheartedly to the situation at hand."

So, where you can find an improv class, consider adding it to your repertoire.

Know Your Range, Then Break Through It

We've all seen those actors who seem to constantly be working in a particular range of roles. For years, Clint Eastwood epitomized the "tough guy" image, Meg Ryan, the "cutesy, girl next door" even Tom Hanks was once the "goofy, nice guy." These actors made their name playing certain roles because they found a range they made work for them and stuck with it.

But then, as many of the better actors will often do, they decided to challenge themselves and break through the mold that audiences, producers, and their agents had put them in.

Initially, it's somewhat important to find a range that works for you. It helps people (meaning, casting directors) know who you are and often when you're starting out, it's those memories that get you paid work.

But that doesn't mean you stop developing as an actor. Use the character traits you've discovered to get yourself working. But continue to learn new facets of your person. From voice characterization to exploring a wide variety of acting techniques. You will find that everything you learn in the acting realm will be put to use someday.

Be Persistent

In my article 8 Rules Every New Actor Should Know I discuss at length the need to develop persistence.

There is one general rule in Hollywood -- talent won't get you there, but persistence just might. If you are a dog with a bone, then Hollywood is the town for you. Those who are gritty and willing to give it their all day in and day out will have a much greater chance of success than the Julliard-trained actor who waits around in his apartment for opportunity to come knocking.

The trick is, you have to get out there. Meet people and let them know what you are doing. It's absolutely essential to your success.

Have Patience

Rare is the true "overnight success." Sure, there are those actors that seem completely unknown one day, only to dominate the limelight the next. But the reality is that there were years of hard work and preparation that led them to that "sudden discovery."

Hollywood is a strange town. There are actors who have literally been working for decades when all the sudden, they're in a role that gets a bit of attention and suddenly, they're famous.

Patience is not only a virtue in Hollywood, it's an absolute must to keep from going insane. So develop your patience and you will enjoy the process of rising to stardom that much more even if you never end up getting there.

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Step-By-Step Instructions for How to Become a Film and Television Actor

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Have you ever dreamed of one day becoming a famous Hollywood actor? If so, the first thing you need to realize is that this dream can become a reality if you're willing to put in the time, training, dedication, passion and patience required to make it in Hollywood.

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Agent - Creative Job Roles - Creative Skillset

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Agents represent members working across the disciplines of film, television, radio and theatre, and find to work for clients.

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