Reasons why actors dont get jobs

[smalls234]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:23pm

For my english class i have to write a research paper as to why people in my field dont get jobs. The ideas that i already proposed to my teacher he doesnt like..... i was wondering what ideas yall have because i am running out of ideas!

Thanks Guys

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:27pm

If you are going to write a paper for your English class, I would suggest you work on your sentence structure and punctuation.

I also suggest you post this to the Student Board.

Updated On: 9/17/13 at 01:27 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:29pm

In addition to what Addy said ... what ideas have you already proposed that he didn't like?

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:35pm

i most certainly wouldn't use the word 'y'all' in my research paper.

[billfelty3]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:45pm

jeez people. s/he is asking a simple question by posting to a message board - not writing his paper here. why do we always have to be so nasty on these boards?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:46pm

They don't get jobs because they don't want them bad enough. Oprah taught us all that.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:49pm

One man's 'nasty' is another person's 'helpful suggestion'...

It still belongs on the Student Board.

Updated On: 9/17/13 at 01:49 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:55pm

~ i graduated from the school of oprah.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 1:56pm

I didn't think anyone was being mean here.

Anyway, is this paper supposed to be factual or opinion based? Honestly, this is a really tough and subjective topic, so maybe that's why your teacher didn't like your ideas. I mean, we can all come up with ideas, but every actor's story is going to be different. It's a very broad topic, regardless of it being on one specific topic.

[billfelty3]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 2:04pm

sorry - i didn't mean to be mean by accusing people of being mean it's just that the original poster is an undergraduate student making her first post asking for advice and hoped we'd be a bit more welcoming (not offering grammatical suggestions about her post). i have a master's degree and my punctuation and sentence structure on these boards are atrocious - as you can tell). welcome to the OP! and to everyone else have a great day. again, sorry if *I* spoke out of turn.

[billfelty3]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 2:14pm

i guess i should provide my 2 cents on the OP's question: the actors on here may provide some different insights than me, but i do a lot of casting and i try to help actors realize that a good portion of the time, an actor not getting a job is out of their control. i always say at every audition that the "best" actor probably won't be cast. it's often that the director or producer has a vision and the actor is simply the wrong "type" (too old, too young, too tall, voice too high, or a hundred other reasons...) that said, there are certainly lots of things actors DO do that prevent them from getting jobs...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 2:14pm

The ideas that i already proposed to my teacher he doesnt like.....

Why, because he thinks they don't happen?

Also, it's good practice to at least attempt some grammar.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 2:22pm

Bill. what part of "for my english class" leads you to think this is an undergraduate?

[billfelty3]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 2:28pm

her profile states: I am a BFA- Musical Theatre student studying at East Carolina University

[tazber]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 2:29pm

Competition

Lack of talent

The wrong look

Bad luck

It's an odd topic because there are any number of variables, as with any job. Maybe the casting director had hemorrhoids the day of casting and was in a bad mood.

[smalls234]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 3:15pm

Sorry for posting on the wrong board, sorry for my grammatical errors, and sorry for bothering you all. My is about what are the real talks on broadway right now as to what is preventing people from getting jobs; its historical. Sorry. Im not writing my paper now! I just thought you all would be able to help, not act like a bunch of people with sticks up your ass with nothing better to do then simply make fun of my post.

[smalls234]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 3:17pm

I didn't post it on the student board originally because I thought I might get some decent responses from what I thought were professionals!

[Mikeacarroll]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 3:21pm

Quoting Mrs. Higgins, "Bravo, Eliza!"

Updated On: 9/17/13 at 03:21 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 3:27pm

Another reason actors don't get jobs: they have thin skins.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 3:48pm

Seriously, though, OP, reread everything you write before you post it. You have dropped words in addition to poor grammar, and it interferes with the discussion you wish to instigate. I don't really understand your initial question as it could be interpreted in multiple ways. At first I thought you were implying that the arts are not work.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 5:01pm

Your field is musical theater, yes? Sometimes it's about weight, height, attractiveness, hair, etc. More concrete reasons? You can't dance/sing/act as well as the guy next to you. Attitudes, how easy or difficult you are to work with, that x factor. A million things. Good luck on your paper!

Updated On: 9/17/13 at 05:01 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 6:01pm

Spitting.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 6:55pm

I never understand why people ask total strangers for help with these kind of things. What the hell do we know? Where did you ever get (the op) the idea that people on this thread were professionals? And while we're at it: professional WHAT?

Without knowing the actual assignment, or what's wrong with your previous ideas, there is little we could possibly to do help.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 7:05pm

If you're going to say we have "sticks up our asses," I'm going to call you a complete moron. How the hell did you ever get into college with third-grade writing skills?

Also, you never answered my question, which was legitimate, not meant to be an insult. I was actually attempting to open a dialogue on why actors don't get jobs. That was stupid on my part to try to do that with such an idiot who really just posted to the wrong message board hoping for help with her homework. That's nice.

My advice? You're writing a paper on a topic that is entirely subjective. There are no "scientific" or even common reasons why people aren't cast. It may or may not have something to do with your talent. It may or may not have something to do with how "good" you are, since that's an opinion only. It may or may not have something to do with who you know. It may or may not have something to do with your looks. It may or may not have something to do with your ability to get butts in the seats and sell tickets.

There, how's that for vague?

At least I tried, which is more than you did.

Good luck with college.

Updated On: 9/17/13 at 07:05 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 7:06pm

What Best 12 said, in general.

Dramamama, I'll never understand why you don't understand why people come here for theater-related questions regarding school projects - or why you think professionals don't utilize this board. I have seen you express your opinion that this board is not for professionals and I don't understand why you say that. Sure, most professionals stay away from here for many reasons - but there are quite a few here.

If I were doing some kind of thesis, I would use many different sources - and this would be one of them. Why wouldn't it be?

"Spitting"

Never stopped Cerveris.

Updated On: 9/17/13 at 07:06 PM