Well now that The Wizard of Oz is over I am back to looking for another job. Such is the life of an actor. It is what we do. What most of you don't know is that prior to being an actor or I should say, in addition to being an actor, most of us hold day jobs. Now that is not always an easy feat. One must find a job that has some flexibility because if an important audition comes up, well we have to go and do the audition. Many actors work in restaurants. Many work in temp jobs. I was working as a banker. A mortgage banker.
I actually started working in finance years ago when I lived and worked in Ohio. A job transfer had me working in the Finance Department. At first I was very nervous. But then I found I was good with dollars and cents. I enjoyed reconciling figures. I enjoyed doing reports that showed the bottom line. And then I started applying those same financial principles to my own life. Bookkeeping became not a chore, but a well needed review of where we were financially and it became a time to think and plan for the future.
When women are around each other I noticed the conversations would turn to family, children, recipes, upcoming family events, etc. When I was around men the conversations turned to money, financial investments, the best place to take your autos, etc. In other words, how we could make more money and how can we save money? Needless to say, I enjoyed being around the men because I learned something from them. At first I was dismissed with a raised eyebrow. But when I started to talk about investing, saving, 401-K and portfolios then I was embraced into the fold.
Actors and good financial common sense many times do not go hand in hand. Many creative folk have talent to spare but when it comes to dollars, well their financial decisions don't make much sense. To be an actor today, you must invest in your livelihood. And that means you must pay for a good photographer, you must always have good head shots that look like you look right now. It means being able to pay for acting classes. You must pay for sites where you can submit yourself for acting jobs.
I am constantly amazed when I meet people who tell me that they want to do what I do. It is not an easy job, being an actor. You must have a thick hide! Nine times out of ten you will not get the job that you just auditioned for. And that is if you are lucky enough to even get called in for an audition in the first place. There are many actor friends that tell me that they will submit themselves for acting jobs once they contact a photographer because they have no head shots. Or they just don't have the money to join any acting sites where they can submit themselves. Or they took one acting class five years ago and now they don't feel the need to take any additional classes. I just smile and nod my head because they just don't get it. And that is one less person to take seriously as an actor. Because if they don't take their acting career seriously, no one else will either. So they should not be surprised when they don't get called in to audition.
And so people, and I am serious here. Don't think pennies. Think dollars. If you get hired as a professional actor -- and by professional I mean, they are paying you to act. Then you must reinvest some of those monies towards future acting jobs. Put aside some of your earnings towards future jobs. Many times those paying gigs are too few and too far in between. It is tempting to take all your other starving acting friends out to dinner or lunch. We have all been there. However, that is the time to think about the future.
Believe me, I had many friends asking me for comp tickets to see me in the Wizard of Oz. I would have loved to be able to give all of them comp tickets. However, financially this makes no sense.
Being an actor or any kind of artist is difficult, believe me. So if you have a friend who is an artist, we do suffer for our art. Take them out to lunch or dinner. Treat them to a film you both want to see. Listen patiently when we cry over a role we didn't get or an audition that didn't go well. And do cheer us on when we do get a role! It means so much to have supportive friends in your corner. And do come and see us when we perform. It means the world to us knowing we have friends and family in the audience. And that is something that is a pay check of the heart.
I truly hope that this post answers some financial questions for my actor friends out there. Save, save and save for a rainy day. We all have them and by being prepared for that rainy day will mean all the difference between a stressful life and a life that is comfortable. You have the power in your hands to choose what kind of life you will have. Be well, my friends!
