Working Actor: Breaking in, Making a Living, and Making a Life in the Fabulous Trenches of ShowBusiness

by David Dean Bottrell Narrated by David Dean Bottrell

Overview

Veteran character actor David Dean Bottrell draws on his 35+ tumultuous years of work in the entertainment industry to offer a guide to breaking in, making a living, and making a life in the fabulous trenches of show business. Covers every facet of the business, including:

- Capturing the perfect headshot
- Starting (and maintaining) your network
- Picking an agent
- Audition do's and don'ts
- Joining the union(s): SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association (AEA)
- On stage vs on screen
- Paying the bills
- Self-promotion
- Late bloomers
- When to get out

David Dean Bottrell has worn many different hats during his decades in showbiz: television actor with appearances on Boston Legal, Modern Family, The Blacklist, Mad Men, True Blood, NCIS, and Days of Our Lives; screenwriter for Paramount and Disney; respected acting teacher at UCLA and AADA; and regular expert columnist for esteemed acting site Backstage. In Working Actor, Bottrell offers a how-to manual jammed with practical information and insider advice, essential reading for any artist (aspiring or established) in need of insight or inspiration. Mixing prescriptive advice ("Getting Started," "Learning Your Craft," "Finding an Agent") with wisdom drawn from Bottrell's own professional highs and lows and those of his acting compatriots, this book's humorous, tell-it-like-it-is tone is a must-have guide for anyone hoping to successfully navigate show business.

Editorial Reviews

OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile

First and foremost, this audiobook is a “how to” survival manual for would-be performance professionals. Becoming a working actor does not necessarily mean becoming a star. It does mean becoming someone who can earn a living in show business. David Dean Bottrell offers his often humorous, sometimes sad, always honest bits of wit and wisdom through personal anecdotes and reminiscences from friends in the business. His natural style highlights his candid advice, and after 35 years in the entertainment industry, the material he covers only adds to his credibility. Filled with practical suggestions on “capturing the perfect headshot,” “picking an agent,” “audition do’s and don’ts,” and much more, Bottrell’s tips and conversational delivery will make listeners feel they’re getting advice from a trusted friend who knows the ropes. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Witty, candid and compact…A kind of start to finish-line approach to handling everything from auditions, agents, classes and networking to self-promotion, self-preservation and self-esteem.”  —The Los Angeles Times 

"Witty and honest . . . a must-read for anyone pursuing this crazy profession.” —Margo Martindale, three-time Emmy Award[-]winning actor of Justified, The Americans, and Bojack Horseman
 
"If you're looking for guidance, here it is. David is not some guru teaching something he hasn’t directly experienced himself. If you’re serious about learning about the reality of working in this business . . . read this book."—Brian Fagan, director of professional programs at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
“It’s like practical magic…a deeply personal, yet universal guided tour into the world of acting and the business of show.  Loaded with lessons for the beginner and reminders for 'the vet'" 
—L. Scott Caldwell, Series Regular on ABC's Lost, and Tony-Winner for August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone. 

“A witty and honest peek inside the world of show business, through the eyes of actor/comedian/storyteller, David Dean Botrell, as he recounts his three decades in the business. It’s a must read for anyone pursuing this crazy profession.” —Margo Martindale, Tony Nominee, 3-Time Emmy-Winner, Justified and The Americans

“David has assembled a wonderfully personal and universally useful aide for the challenge of thriving as a performing artist. ‘Working Actor’ is both a practical handbook and a good read.  Survival requires a sense of humor and Mr. Bottrell is a sage storyteller.  I’ll return to it from time to time I know to be reminded of how much I enjoyed those unpredictable years when I loved the craft but was dumbfounded by the business.  I could have used these priceless insights then.” —Stephen McKinley Henderson, Tony nominee, Obie-Winner, film credits include Fences, Manchester by the Sea and Lady Bird

“’Working Actor’ is a thorough guide about the ups and downs of the entertainment industry and a walk down the path of David Dean Bottrell’s journey through it.”—Pauley Perrette, “Abby” on CBS’ NCIS

“Oh, how I wish this book existed 40 years ago when I first dared even to imagine being an actor.
DDB has provided all aspiring actors exactly what they need: wisdom from experience, all of it bracingly true and clear-eyed, and leavened with much humor and wit. Reading this book is like having an older, very funny and wise friend who has already blazed the trail. You still have to find your own way, but at least now you have a map.” —Christian Clemenson, Emmy-winning actor, Boston Legal

“David’s in-depth personal experiences and bite-sized nuggets from friends who are also “making it” in “the business” are invaluable. If you wanna play with the big dogs, READ THIS BOOK!” —Cady Huffman, Tony-Winner, Mel Brook’s The Producers, Sheila on CBS’ Blue Bloods

“David Dean Bottrell’s book ‘Working Actor’ should be an essential guide for anyone even remotely considering a career as an actor.  He delivers loads of practical advice in a completely entertaining way.” —Dan Jinks, Oscar-Winning Film and TV Producer, American Beauty and Milk

“I wish I had this gem when I was starting out. David Dean's book is personal, funny, honest and required reading for the serious actor.” —Diarra Kilpatrick, Actor and Show Creator, 2017 Emmy nominee for American Koko

OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile

First and foremost, this audiobook is a “how to” survival manual for would-be performance professionals. Becoming a working actor does not necessarily mean becoming a star. It does mean becoming someone who can earn a living in show business. David Dean Bottrell offers his often humorous, sometimes sad, always honest bits of wit and wisdom through personal anecdotes and reminiscences from friends in the business. His natural style highlights his candid advice, and after 35 years in the entertainment industry, the material he covers only adds to his credibility. Filled with practical suggestions on “capturing the perfect headshot,” “picking an agent,” “audition do’s and don’ts,” and much more, Bottrell’s tips and conversational delivery will make listeners feel they’re getting advice from a trusted friend who knows the ropes. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171792992
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	02/19/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

A few years ago, I put together a few of my funnier spoken word stories and created a comedic solo show about my tumultuous love life entitled David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show. Much to my surprise, it proved to be a big underground hit and played for eighteen months in L.A. A couple of months into the run, the Los Angeles Times showed up and gave the show a very kind review. Needless to say, I was thrilled, but there was one comment that really bugged me. In the paragraph that introduced me to their readers, who’d perhaps never heard of me, I was referred to as “an L.A. actor-comedian-writer on the fringe of success.”

“The fringe of success”? Were they freaking kidding?

I had (for the most part) supported myself as a working professional in the enter­tainment industry—the world’s toughest industry to make a living in—for over thirty years. Yet apparently I was only on the “fringe” of success? Okay, granted, I was living in Los Angeles, a city utterly convinced that the only definition of a successful performer is a famous performer, but this unasked-for career assess­ment weirdly stung me to my core.

It got me thinking about what “success” in show business looks like. I suppose that, like a lot of artists, I’d been existing in that perpetual state of waiting; doing job after job while holding onto the idea that one of these days a very special, very particular gig would show up that would be the game changer, the job that would firmly plant me on the magical list of people who could expect to keep working consistently until they died. Of course, I knew that no such list actually exists, but show business is an industry fueled by far-reaching and seductive dreams.
That’s when I asked myself the big question: Had my dream already come true? Was I already living it?

Since I began this journey (over three decades ago), I’ve been fortunate to land enough writing and acting gigs to pay my bills, contribute to my retirement account, and take a modest vacation each year. In short, I’ve clawed my way to the middle. By most people’s standards, I guess that makes me a success. Like many of my peers, I leaped into the entertainment industry early in life without the slightest idea of what I was getting into. Having been at this for a while now, I actually know a few very famous and successful people. Because I also teach and mentor, each year I meet and work with a talented crop of hopeful newcomers, all champing at the bit for their shot at the big time. I consider myself lucky. My career choice has, for the most part, worked out well—but not without a few hard-learned lessons along the way. I am now (in the grand pecking order of show business) considered a veteran. And like most vets, I have a few war stories to tell.

So, after a fair amount of nail-biting, I decided to write this book about what to expect if you are contemplating a career in show business. Here on these tear-stained, blood-spattered pages, I’ll try to share the bigger lessons I have learned, along with a few things to avoid if possible. This is a book about making a living (and making a life) while trying to pursue a very particular dream.

I happen to love show business. Even with all its ups and downs, it still strikes me as a swell way to spend one’s life. If you approach the industry with a clear vision—to make your living creatively—I happen to believe it’s an achievable goal. As you will see in the upcoming pages, I’m probably one of the least-qualified candidates imaginable, but somehow, I did it—and continue to do it. Assuming you have tal­ent and a lot of determination, and you genuinely enjoy challenges, you can too.

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