Marketing Tips For Actors - Whatever it Takes!
By Gwyn Gilliss

My very worse client...ever...became one of my biggest successes! Is he a movie star? Yes! Is he a household name? Almost! Is he Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise-close! No. But I respect his privacy as I do with all my clients so he shall remain anonymous...for now.

When an actor requests an interview for the opportunity to work with me as a Career Coaching client, I always require a headshot and resume first. Is this person serious about their career? I ask. Do they have marketing tools? training? talent? Do I want to spend months of my time helping them?

Jason didn't have any of the above. He had one quality, PERSISTENCE. Even without the requisite resume/headshot he called and pleaded about 20 times tricking my assistant to get through to me on the phone until I gave him an appointment. We met. It was scary. He carried enough weapons to set off alarms in any high rise building in NYC, except mine obviously. He seemed young and enthusiastic but totally ignorant of what an acting career entailed. But the scary part was-He lived almost on the street. He said he had just quit his "gang" but had scars and tattoos all over his face, neck, bald head, hands...well, it was fascinating! It was hard to understand what he was saying except when he said "my dream-acting career-movies". Those were almost the only words I could understand.

After we met and spoke, I gave him a list of things to do. I told him to take 6 months and complete everything on the list or not come back.

These were the things on Jason's list:

Get into an acting class or two,
Get speech training,
Get a headshot,
Get cast in a few off-off b'way plays to build a resume and credits,
Lose about 40 pounds-too much pizza and beer, I thought
Grow in his hair-he had a young boyish face and was only 18 but looked 28 with
the bald head and the weight
Get some kind of wardrobe other than army guerilla fatigues and a blood-
stained t-shirt...
Work on his incomprehensible accent.

He was almost impossible to understand and I don't mean mumbling like the charming Sylvester Stallone- I mean, impossible to understand more than one or two words in a sentence. And the guy wants to be an actor? A communicator?

"If you do all these things, you can come back and we'll talk," I told him.
He answered with confidence, "Whatever it takes!" That I understood.

I thought if I wrote out all these requests he'd re-consider acting as a career or just go away. But, no. He came back in 6 months.

His hair was grown in, no tattoos-ANYWHERE! He had them removed. That must have been difficult or painful!

He was wearing a Ralph Lauren blue oxford shirt and khakis, expensive designer shoes and an Armani jacket. He had a resume which stated he had studied with 4 of New York's most respected acting teachers. He must have been in class 7 days a week. And he must have spent thousands on voice and speech training. Must have. I could understand what he was saying. He sounded almost like an actor from the Royal Shakespeare Company. He looked like he was about to enter Harvard. I was stunned. This was a guy from the streets who'd been in knife fights and a gang when he last had shown up for an interview.

How did you do it, Jason? He just laughed gleefully. He knew I was impressed. "Whatever it takes! He said. I calculated that he must have spent at least $10-20,000 in the last 6 months. God knows where and how he got the funds. I didn't ask.

"Now, can I be your client?" He asked. He did his monologue for me. He did 5 monologues-one was with an Italian accent; one was Shakespeare...he was excellent. And he was funny-he could do comedy. I laughed and I actually cried. I was so touched that he did all that. And I was impressed. He really wants to fulfill his dream.

"You can be my client," I said."
How much? I'll pay you...whatever it takes!"
For FREE, I said...you deserve it. I'll go to work for you."

And we did. We wrote scripts for him and shot a demo reel-in 3 very different challenging roles. He was brilliant in each. He must have taken an on-camera class as well. I sent him to our photographer for current headshots. I introduced him to agents and managers at the LA Marathon, which he attended a month later. He got something like 12 offers for representation with major agents and we had to decide with whom he would sign. He got a film within 2 weeks -his screen test blew them away and then another film role and another. This was about 4 years ago. He appeared as a guest star in a few top TV primetime shows-always unbelievably good.

But just a few weeks ago I saw him at a preview screening of a film he's in.
"Jason...it's amazing ...what you've done!" Congratulations! I said.
"Thanks...only with your help!" he said.

What can I tell my other clients about you? What do you want me to say to them?
He laughed and mumbled,"smvlsmvmnvfmm!"

What? I couldn't understand him-it was the way he used to speak.
He was putting me on...and laughing.

"Whatever it takes!" He winked and walked on. The press scurried to follow as did fans seeking his autograph.

So, I tell my current clients...if Jason can do it...what excuse do you have?

Successful Marketing!

Gwyn