It’s the dream of many to have a career as a working actor, and it’s easy to see why. The ability to support yourself through performing, creating characters and telling stories is incredibly exciting and rewarding. The good news is this is not beyond your reach. Even during COVID, more productions are coming together for more and more networks, studios and platforms, and with them, more opportunities for actors looking to break in. If you’re dedicated, talented, and have a working knowledge of how the entertainment industry works and how you can work within it, you can absolutely find opportunities and ultimately career as a working TV and film actor. First it’s important you learn everything you need to so you can find success.

It’s common for new actors to believe that the craft alone will lead them to work and a comfortable career, but there’s a lot more that goes along with this profession. Honing your skill as a performer is paramount, but it needs to be accompanied by strategy, initiative, and an understanding of the industry. So what do you actually need to do in order get a jump start on your acting career? What materials do you need to have ready, who do you need in your corner and how can you make sure you stand out from others? Let’s take a look at what it really takes to get into acting.

Taylor Nichols is an award winning filmmaker, theater director and actor with over one hundred credits to his name. He is currently on the Emmy-nominated Hulu show PEN15 and the HBO smash-hit PERRY MASON. Taylor has also appeared on shows such as Emmy and Golden Globe nominated THE WALKING DEAD and PRISON BREAK, the cultural hit DIRTY JOHN, Emmy-winning MODERN FAMILY, 24, Golden Globe nominated THE MENTALIST and many more. In addition to acting, Taylor is an award winning short filmmaker and an experienced producer with feature credits including THE NEXT STEP and CASE 219. Taylor brings to Stage 32 more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry and continues to mentor and champion new actors beginning their careers. He’s excited to share with the Stage 32 community the skills and lessons he’s developed throughout his career.

Taylor will lay out a realistic and soup-to-nuts approach to how you can start a career as a film and TV actor and pave the way for success. He’ll go into what it actually looks like to be a career actor and what the path to success realistically looks like.  He’ll delve into building the prerequisites any actor needs to start, including pictures, a resume, a demo reel and the right attitude. He will discuss where and how to get started and how to take advantage of the right acting classes and theater companies. Next Taylor will share with you the tools you will need for your acting toolkit and will then teach you about acting representation and how to get it for your own career. He’ll delve into the casting process for both TV and film and give you advice on how you can stand out by creating your own content and using social media to your advantage. Finally Taylor will teach you how to treat your career like a business to stay afloat, smart, and successful.

Through the lessons Taylor is laying out, you’ll have a comprehensive blueprint you can use to start your career in acting with your eyes open.

Praise for Taylor's Stage 32 Webinar:

"I think this was the most well informed and detailed getting started class I have ever taken"
-Cecelia S.

"Taylor Nichols gave so many nuggets of wisdom and helpful information about the business and about acting."
-Amor O.

"Taylor was straight forward and honest. I thought he was very clear on what you need to do to get out there for both experienced and inexperienced actors"

-Kelvin H.

• What Does It Mean to Be a Career Actor – A Peek Inside
  • What does a day in the life look like?
  • Setting goals and expectations:
  • What does a realistic path look like?
• Understanding the Business and How It Is Changing:
  • Where do actors fit in?
• How to Build the Prerequisites to Start Your Career
  • Passion, desire and commitment.
  • Pictures
  • Resumes
  • Demo reel
• Where and How to Get Started
  • Does one need to be in Los Angeles? Absolutely not!
  • Acting classes
    • Where to look
    • Where to avoid
  • Theater Companies
• The Tools All Actors Need In Their Toolkit
  • A monologue
  • A scene
  • Self-Taping equipment
  • Casting Sites
  • Industry information
• Getting Representation
  • Agents, managers, or agents AND managers?
  • Tips to find representation
• Understanding the casting process
  • Type casting
  • Type of roles,
    • Guest star, co-star, and more
  • Union membership
  • Pilot season and seasonal work
• Creating Your Own Content to Stand Out
• Using Social Media to your Advantage Without Getting Trapped.
• Treating Your Career Like a Business
  • Money- how it's spent, earned, and taxed
  • Tracking auditions and progress
  • Building your contacts
  • Finding the date
• Q&A with Taylor

All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn realistic and soup-to-nuts approach to how you can start a career as a film and TV actor and pave the way for success.

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn realistic and soup-to-nuts approach to how you can start a career as a film and TV actor and pave the way for success.

Producers looking to learn realistic and soup-to-nuts approach to how you can start a career as a film and TV actor and pave the way for success.

Actors looking to realistic and soup-to-nuts approach to how you can start a career as a film and TV actor and pave the way for success.