1.Whatprocessdidyouhavetogothroughtofinallylandanactualrole?

Inschool,Iauditionedforindustrynightahighlycompetitiveshowcaseacceptingonly20ofthegraduating
class(Igraduatedearly,soIcompetedwiththeolderyear).Icompetedinthatperformancetogetanagent,
andafterfindinganagent,Iauditionedforayearbeforelandingmyfirstfilm/tvjob,betweenhavingdonea
fewplaysaroundNYC.MyfirstjobwasLawandOrderSVU,andittookmesixauditionstobook.The
castingdirectortoldmethesixthtimethatihadimpressedhimwithmyconsistencyofsolidworkthatatthat
point,hewasjustlookingforaroleformeoutofappreciationofthework.

2.Didyougotocollege?Ifso,whatdidyoustudy?
Yes.Istudiedtheatreartsandcollaborativeoriginalworkprocess.IholdaBFAinTheatrefromNYU.

3.Whendidyouknowthatyouwantedtobeanactorandwhy?
IneverwantedtobeitissimplywhatIam.Itisaverynobleandchallengingexistence,andthereisn't
anotherforme.

4.Whataresometipsthatyoucangivemetohelpwithauditionsorcharacterdevelopment?
Seekthepersonalintheperformancewhydoyouconnectwiththecharacter.Whatcanyoupersonally
bringtothisrolethatothersmaynotseeorexperience?Howisthisroleimportanttoyou?Howcanthisrole
beimportanttoothers?Whatareyourgoalsifyouwouldreceivetherole,andwilltheyrealisticallybe
realized?Canyouhandletherole?Researchtheteammakesureyouagreewiththeirworkasawhole
beforeyouembarkonthejourney.Whendevelopingacharacter,itsdifferenteverytimebutIoften
recommendacombinationtostartofidentifyingthecharacter'sdesires,aswellastheobstacles(both
internalandexternal)thatmaypreventthecharacterfromachievingtheirgoals.Behaviorblossomsoutof
thetensionsofreachingthroughtheresistance.

5.Whathaschangedsinceyoubeganthiscareer?
Ihavelearnedmoreaboutothersandmyself,attimesmorethanImayhavebeenhappytoknow,but
certainlywhatIdesiredtoknow.TheyoutubegenerationanddigitalmediahasboomedsinceIhavebeenin
thisfield,andIhavewatchedontheforefrontaschangeshavebeenunderway.Iwasinthefirstofficial
digitalyoutubetvshow,hostedbymakerandsponsoredbyNylon.Theshow,asawhole,wasnot
conclusiveastothefutureofthatmedia,thoughtheprocesscontinues.Weareinanagewhereeveryoneis
tryingtofigureouthowwewillcontinuemakingmoneyoffofallofthiswork,andIdobelieve,intruth,that
weareexitingtheerawhereactors,thetop%atleast,willnolongerbemakingsuchinsaneamountsof
money,butascheapermediaisavailabletopeoplewhoalreadyhavetightwallets,wewillbegintoseethe
rebirthofthedisparitybetweenstudiofilmsandindependentfilm.Likethedissolvingofthemiddleclass,
therearenolongertrulymiddlebudgetmovies.Themarketisusuallynotlucrativeandsafeenoughtodo
morethanmakeasmallfilmandhopeitbecomescult,orinvestinafranchise/comicseries/already
successfulbook.

6.Whatisyourfavoritethingaboutthisjobandwhy?
Igettotalktopeopleconstantly,Igettotravel.Iamnotallowedtobecomecomfortableandsafeand
secure.Thoughthisismaddening,itmeansIamguaranteedtheresponsibilityofchallengingmyselfand
developing,nomatterhowlazymyheartmaygrowinseasons.Iappreciatethepeelingbackofthelayersof
existenceworkinglikeasmithonthebodiesheartsandmindsofcompletestrangersinthecharactersI
createlearningthem,fascinatingthemexploringthem.And,intheend,Ihavebeguntoseemyownself
likeawoodendoll.There'ssomeoneinsidethatisauthentic,butdeeperthanIhaveyethopedtoreach.And
witheveryattemptresultinginfailuretomakeanauthenticcharacter,asmallchipofmyfracturedsoulfinds
itswayhomeinmyheartleavingmemoreusefultothehumanrace,andperhapshappier.


7.Whataretheexpectationsversustherealityofthisjob?
Thereisnothingtoexpectbesidesthatitisthehardestjob.Period.Thereisn'toneharderYoumayenter
anypsychological/physical/spiritualsituationknowntoman,andfurthermore,arecalledtodosoan
astronautofthehumanspirit.Intotheunknown.Youshouldnevertakethatlightlyassomeconfusebeing
anactorwithbeinganentertaineraworthyrole,andcertainlynottobelookeddownuponasinferiortoan
actorbutrecognizablydifferent.Therealityisthatyouwilloftenbelonely,oftenmisunderstoodyourlife
willbestandinginfrontofaninfinitefiringsquadofprojections,rejections,obsessions,slingsandarrows,
celebrations,angelsoflightandsometimes,truly,thehighestpeaksofhumanexperience.Yougetitall.
Thatisthereality,andyoumayexpectit.Youmayneverearnasinglecentforyourwork.Youmayberich,
thoughthatisunlikely.IhaveknownthemostbrilliantofallactorsIhavemettobequitepoor,andyetsee
manyhorriblepeoplewithnoconceptofhumanbehaviormakingmillionsbysmiling.Don'texpecttobe
recognized.Butexpecttoberequiredtoseektruthanyway.Don'tgiveup.Butknowthatifyouarenot
requiredtowalkthispath,thereisnoreasontofeelashamed.ItisthehardestIknow.

8.Whatisthebestwaytoprepareforthisjob?
Findyourself,yoursoul,yourcenter.Embarkonspiritualjourneys,andseekpeaceinyourheart.Seek
escapefromtheslaveryofdesiresthatasyouenterhungrytimes,youwillnotfeeldenied,andasyou
receiveboonsofencouragementandpraiseyoudonotlosethegroundbeneathyourfeet.Beahuman
beingfirstandforemostareyouwholewhenyouareyourself?Doyouhavefriendsandpeopleyoulove
whosupportyou?Mostsignificantlybepreparedtowait.Endlessly...Andbepreparedtofail.Evenwhen
youhavejobs,youwillfailatthemconstantlyandwonderwhyyouwerecast,ifyouwilleverfigureitout
whatonEarthisgoingon.Thatisnormal.Andadaywilllikelyoccurwhereyouaregettingolderandasking
yourselfwhetherornotyoumadetherightchoicemaybesoonerthanlater.Knowthatyoumakeahuge
sacrificeforthiswork.Ifyoutrulywanttobeanactor,andnothingelse,Irecommendnothavinganexit
strategy.Becauseifyouhaveone,youwilltakeit.Becauseittrulydoesgetthathard.Ihavehadfriendskill
themselves,overdoseondrugs,prostitutethemselves.Theactorsworldcanbeahorrorifyouloseyourself.
Thebestpreparation,honestly,istohonestlyanswerwhetheryoucanlivewithoutacting.Ifyoucan,thendo
somethingelseandauditionforlocaltheatre.Youwillhaveagreattime,makelotsoffriends,andfeel
goodaboutart.Youwillhaveastablelifeoutside,andprobablybehappiest.Don'tfeelguiltyforthatpathif
itisrightforyou.

9.Howhastechnologychangedinthisjob?
Camerashavegottenmorespecific,aswellaslighting.Workisnowharshlyjudgedonitsappearance
becauseoftheadditionsofinsaneamountsofpostprocessingandimagetransformation(allthisis
paralleledbysound).Theissuethiscancreateisthatwedon'treallyknowwhatrealitylookslikeanymore
ourdreamsaresortofdistortedbyitall.Andourabilitytoappreciateotherworkscansometimesfalter.I
highlyrecommendvisitinganimagelibrarythathasoldmovies(orprobablyaninternetsite)watchold
famousmovies.Watchmoviesthatwerecalledbrilliantintheirday.Technologyhastakenoverasa
forefrontoftheartisticprocess.InfilmandTV,Technologyisthefirstinartisticcontrolandsay,thenthe
producer,thenthedirector,thenthewriter,thenanynumberofotherpeople,andfinally,somewherehidden
atthebottom,theactor.Ican'treallybegintoanswerthisonewellbutmostsignificantly,ourworknow
reachespeopleeverywhere,allthetime,ontheirphones,intheirbedroomswehavegreateraccess,and
moreintimateaccess,toallthepeopleofthisworld.

10.Whataretheoffhours?
Therearenone.Everythingyoudomakesyouabetteractor.Everythingyoudon'tmakesyouworse.You
musttraindailytobetrulygreat.Youmustadventureandkeepyoursoulaliveandhungryfortheepic

journey.Whenyourest,youmustfillyourheartandsoulasitwillbedepletedIntermsoftime,youmaygo
longdroughtswithoutwork.Ioncewenttwoyearswithoutajob.Someofmypriorjobsheldover,andI
waitedtablesandworkedotheroddjobs.Learnedguitar.Youhavetooccupyyourselforyou'llgomadwith
feelingunaccomplished.Sodon'timagineyouaretakingtimeoff.Justimaginethatyouareworkingonyour
craftthatwillkeepyoualwaysfeelingaccomplishedandworthy.

Hopeallthesehelp!
Iimaginesomeoftheseanswersmayseemalittledark,butIdobelieveIwouldn'tbemuchofamentorifI
didn'thonestlyshareallofthis.Thisisatoughjob,anditisbetteryouknowthatthannot.

Brightly,
Alexander