Over on Facebook1, Christina asked:
Do you have a post on wannabe actors being PAs?
No. Because it’s a terrible idea. If you’re serious about acting, you’ll spend your days either attending classes or auditioning. You need a flexible schedule that allows time off when you get a part.
This is the exact opposite of a PA job. They need you there, right now. You can’t just have the afternoon to read for some other show on the other side of town.
There’s a reason for the stereotype that all aspiring actors are waiters and/or bartenders. You’re working outside business hours generally, and if your schedule conflicts with an audition, you can trade shifts with other waiter/actors.
This is my argument every damn time.
If you do decide to PA anyways2, don’t tell them you’re an actor. Actors have a reputation for being lazy, unreliable, and just plain dumb.3 A lot of coordinators simply won’t hire actors. If you don’t fit this image, that’s all the more reason to not let your potential boss dismiss you for unfounded reasons.
- We are Facebook friends, right?↩
- But why would you?↩
- A stereotype reinforced by this very blog.
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I was a Key PA on an indie feature and our teen lead actress was obsessed with PA’ing.
Half way through the production, I gave her a walkie and recruited her as an intern for my PA team (whenever her scene wasn’t coming up). She did a great job and had an awesome attitude. Producers just loved it when water was asked on set and our little lead actress came on with a handful of water bottles.
Of course she went back to her actress mode when lunch came. She hated “last man”.