A Step-by-step Guide To Becoming A Hollywood Actor

09/19/23 • 22 min

Hollywood Dream Maker: Acting class with Master Teacher Billy Gallo

Do you want to become an actor and have no idea where to start?

Today's episode is a step-by-step guide to getting into the film industry. If you dream of being part of massive Hollywood productions or sharing the set with your favorite actors, this guide is all you need to get yourself in the game. When I got to Hollywood with $200 bucks in my pocket and a one-way ticket in the 80s, creating footage with a cellphone or finding agents online wasn't possible. It took more work for unknown actors to get in front of casting directors. In the digital era, that changed; everyone walks around with a movie studio in their back pocket. Still, one thing hasn't changed: if you want to become an actor, you must be relentless, accumulate as many nos as you can, and take massive action.

Tune in to Episode 89 of Hollywood Dream Maker, follow this guide, and make your dream a reality. See you in Hollywood!

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Know yourself; know your castability. You're selling a product (1:50)
Demo reels vs. Self-tapes. What has changed and how to use it to your advantage (6:10)
How to create a piece of footage that showcases your castability (8:20)
Make sure your skills and what makes you unique stand out (10:30)
"Meet" Bill Brook and how he helped Billy make it to Hollywood (15:10)
Why you should be creating your own projects (18:20)

Resources:

Episode 5 - How to Prepare for the Audition
Episode 50 - The Art of Self Tapes

Let's Connect:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you want to become an actor and have no idea where to start?

Tune in to Episode 89 of Hollywood Dream Maker, follow this guide, and make your dream a reality. See you in Hollywood!

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Know yourself; know your castability. You're selling a product (1:50)
Demo reels vs. Self-tapes. What has changed and how to use it to your advantage (6:10)
How to create a piece of footage that showcases your castability (8:20)
Make sure your skills and what makes you unique stand out (10:30)
"Meet" Bill Brook and how he helped Billy make it to Hollywood (15:10)
Why you should be creating your own projects (18:20)

Resources:

Episode 5 - How to Prepare for the Audition
Episode 50 - The Art of Self Tapes

Let's Connect:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

How To Turn Fear Into Your Best Friend In Hollywood with Patrick Muldoon

More effort doesn't necessarily mean better. There's always a smarter way to work in the arts.

Patrick Muldoon grew up in San Pedro, 20 miles south of Hollywood. His father was a lawyer who dreamed of starting the Muldoon & Muldoon Law Firm, but after his first acting class, Patrick knew he would never be a lawyer; he wanted to be an actor. Patrick landed huge parts early in his career; he started in "Days of Our Lives" and "Melrose Place," and he famously got his brains sucked in the cult classic "Starship Troopers." He starred in over 50 productions for film and television, and in 2008, Patrick took his first steps as an Executive Producer. As a producer, he was involved in multiple projects for megastars like Gerrard Butler, Salma Hayek, Martin Sheen, Mena Suvari, and Jeniffer Garner. More recently, Patrick produced and starred in "The Comeback Trail" alongside Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman, Zack Braff, and Eddie Griffin.

In this episode, Patrick talks about the moment he realized he wanted to be an actor, his first acting job, and how he dealt with the fame that came early in his career. He also shares his approach to acting, how he gets ready before a scene or an audition, and how he dealt with rejection throughout his career.

We also talk about fear and how actors can use it as fuel for performing better, Patrick's transition to the production side of Hollywood, what it takes to become a producer in the filming industry, and much more.

Tune in to Episode 88 of Hollywood Dream Maker to hear Patrick's views on the difference between being hardworking and doing things the hard way.

In This Episode, You Will Hear:

About how Patrick discovered he wanted to be an actor (2:40)
Patrick talks about his first acting job (9:10)
How to deal with rejection in Hollywood (18:00)
There's no finish line in acting (24:10)
Patrick talks about how he handled fame early in his career (27:20)
If you don't fear before acting, you are in trouble (33:00)
Patrick and his transition to production (44:00)
Patrick's advice to his younger self (54:10)

Connect with Patrick:

Let's Connect:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Discover the Secrets of the Voiceover Industry with Alyson Steel

"Voiceover used to be such a niche profession. Now, because of technology, it's very inexpensive, and anybody can go out and make a demo. Still, in my opinion, cream rises to the top."

Alyson Steel is a professional Voiceover Actor known for her extraordinary vocal range. She graduated from the HS of Performing Arts in NYC, received her BA from Queens College while doing recurring work on the soap opera "Another World" and on-camera commercials, and earned an MFA in Dramaturgy from SUNY Stony Brook. Alyson worked on hundreds of TV and radio commercial campaigns for Volvo, Walmart, Pandora, and Spotify, and her voice can be heard on promos for E, FOX, ABC, Hallmark Channel, ID Discovery Network, and more.

In this episode, Alyson shares her experiences as a voiceover artist and actor, talks about her passion for mentoring and coaching future voiceover actors, and describes her relationship with on-camera work. We delve into the specificities of VO work, the equipment needed, the time it takes to start making money, and how students can discover their range and castability.

Alyson also shares her thoughts on how AI affects the industry, the union vs. non-union discussion, what it takes to become a VO actor, and more.

Tune in to Episode 90 of Hollywood Dream Maker and learn everything you need to know to become a voiceover actor.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

A bit about Alyson's background and her decision to become a voiceover actor (1:30)
How can voiceover actors discover and work on their range (9:00)
Alyson shares tips and advice for aspiring voiceover actors (16:10)
The use of AI for voiceover gigs (21:20)
Alyson shares some scary and fun experiences as a VO actor (24:10)

Resources:

Connect with Alyson:

Let's Connect:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.