How to NOT be a Struggling Actor.

Joseph Fiero Playing Piano

First and foremost, before you read this article read my other article "How to become an actor and make a living from acting" then come back to this one. Look up guides as how to go about becoming an actor if you are not one. If you are one start off by reading everything you can about the entertainment industry from directing,writing,producing,distribution to the music side of things. Know what is happening today and who is that artist. Learn from experienced people who have made it. Take entertainment business/law classes as well.

Joseph Fiero's Friend GINA doing a fund raiser on TV as a host.

Submit yourself to casting calls from all over the internet or local newspaper including game shows. This would include commercials, print work and independent films. Don't wait for someone to call you, follow the casting calls. Google Keywords "Casting Calls" and try to find some in your home town or ones that do "virtual audition". Submit to everything even if it doesn't sound like you but you think they could "keep you on file". Ignore people saying that it will just annoy casting places. Casting sole purpose is to constantly "discover" people.

Joseph Fiero on the Mcdonalds Bags and Cups around the world.

While you are waiting for the auditions and for your face to be plastered all over the world, pick up a camera with a friends help, start making films about yourself and stories about your life and build a video demo reel and make it look like you have been in such and such type films. Horror, comedy, action and drama. Step 1 comes in handy when you have read about "filmmaking". Start showcasing you and your work all over the place.

Joseph Fiero and Camera Crew.

If someone wants to hire you for FREE, then be polite and tell them to at least pay you for the GAS and food and a little extra for the road. AFTER they really, really want you and your basically at the negotiation table. REFUSE to work for free. Sometimes when big corporations throw a campaign and they won't pay the people featured but the exposure can help your image market abilities and sometimes they offer gifts so give in to the big guys to work for free because most of the time they give you something. Examples: CAR MAKERS, PRODUCT MAKERS, FAST FOOD CHAINS, NETWORK CONTESTS.

Micheal Madsen and Joseph Fiero

Keep in contact with EVERYONE you ever meet that is in the entertainment industry and invite them to parties, events and to the local bar at times. If you feel that some of these people are using you or playing Hollywood games, kindly tell them you see threw them and walk away from the so called "friendship". Remember, most of the time when you meet people in the industry and they ask you "what do you do" they are really saying "what can you do for me". The point is FIND REAL FRIENDS that share a mutual interest in becoming rich and famous if thats your thing.

Joseph Fiero Signing Autographs

Discover what the meaning of "struggling" means to you. For most it means not being on TV, Magazines and made into toy action figures, others it means not being casted in your local city theater. Remember its all about business and you yourself are a business. So what is your business model? If you want to become a famous or somewhat famous actor, skip to step 8.

Joseph Fiero on E! news

After all this, don't sound desperate if you haven't seen anything happen because this only means your not doing one of the steps right. Instead focus on more publicity on yourself if you've already tried the above steps with no result. Most of the above steps really mean that you have no talent to do anything so you must focus on making yourself known and image liked by publicity either paid or free. Learn about publicity and how it works from this point.

Joseph Fiero, Co-Founder of GBTVOnline

Find another career that makes you a lot of money, possibly investments, real estate or the lottery. Then pay a somewhat famous or once was famous actor to star in a movie that you wrote and find a distributor to put it into Walmart or Blockbuster OR pitch a TV show with someone famous in it and negotiate for you to be a co-star or at least reoccurring role.

A poster of Joseph Fiero

Never settle for the scraps of a movie or one liners if you are with one of the top agencies if you have established yourself, talk to your agent and tell them to get you in on a bigger "package deal". Never feel that you don't deserve or can't do that role. If you don't know something but you said you did, go learn it before you shoot. So go get them tiger and see you around town! Read my other articles on acting too.