TENACIOUS A
By Martha Byrne

Over the course of thirty years in show business I?ve been asked a thousand questions.  A common question was, ?What do you wear during a love scene?? or surprisingly, ?How much money do you make??.  I?ve always answered as honestly as I possibly could, keeping some things to myself as needed.  My undergarments really shouldn?t be up for discussion.  We all have to have our trade secrets.  Having seen it all and been a part of so many incredible moments, I?ve gotten to the point in my life where I feel sharing my experiences could potentially help others.  So on to the question I was asked most often, ?How do I get into show business??.

For years, when people asked me how to get in the industry, I couldn?t give a definitive answer.  I wasn?t quite sure how it all happens. Those of you reading this, who are working actors, might know what I mean. Looking back over the course of three decades, I realize performing was just a part of who I was.  I just had to do it.  It wasn?t about plotting my career or reading books on how to become an actor or singer that drove me to follow my dream. It was just in my blood.  I became a child actor because of some luck, opportune timing and hopefully a little talent. I went to an open audition for Annie on Broadway in 1979 and got a job in the show. I was a kid who loved to sing and dance, that?s it. I had no training or stage mother to tell me who I would have to be in life. The purity and joy of performing got me through the first five years of my career. I had the good fortune to actually work in the film, television and theater during that time..

Things slowed down for me on the work front when I reached the ripe old age of fifteen and I became a bit soured on the business.  I decided to take a break and just be a ?normal? teenager.  As the World Turns called shortly after that and hired me from a previous screen test.  I had felt it was time to be ?normal? and I ended up on that show for twenty years. Looking back now, my ?normal? was being on a set, running lines and wearing make-up. That?s who I was and the world was pointing me back on track. I share these moments in order for you to understand how much of what happens to us in this life is not in our control. I now know that as a young performer I wanted success and I visualized my goals in my head on a daily basis. I think it?s extremely important to be focused on what you want in your life. The beauty of being a performer brings you joy and if you do it well, people will be drawn to you. If you give your audience every ounce of yourself without ego, they will feel it and that honesty in your performance is contagious.

Of course I can go on and on about the love of the craft, the beauty of the stage and the importance of setting goals for oneself but there is a business aspect that can?t be forgotten. The most difficult part of being an actor is the business side. As a young actor I never had to think about that part, I had my mother to filter all the madness. The profession of being an actor has no clear path to follow. If you have a degree or are proficient in any other career you can usually find work in the career of your choice and expertise. Not so for an actor. You could be the most talented actor on the planet and never work. This is why our business can be very frustrating. It?s a daily challenge for actors to address this fact and I?m not exempt. Since leaving the show in 2008, I have gone back into the business as an adult.  Some things had changed with the arrival of reality TV, but actors are still pounding the pavement, trying to do what they love. I?m right there with those players.

I?ve learned some valuable lessons I want to share. If you want to be an actor, act.  Work on anything and everything that requires you to perform on any level.  You never know who the next Spielberg will be.  He might just be the cameraman on the no-budget film a friend begged you to be in. There are many independent films and theater pieces being done in NY, LA and all parts of the country. With the expanding internet, there are hundreds of ways to discover what?s happening in the industry. I booked a job on General Hospital because of a Facebook chat with a friend who worked on their production staff. The head writer walked by and asked whom she was speaking to. That conversation led to four months of work. You must be self-motivating in this business. In an acting class I recently taught, I asked if anyone owned a camera. Someone raised a hand. I asked if there was a person who liked to write screenplays or music in the classroom. More people raise their hands. After a moment I said, ?There. Now you have a writer to pen the script, a camera man to shoot it, and a musician to create the score for a project?.  The looks on their faces were priceless. I knew I had planted a seed. So where would this project they create be seen? These days the web is an actor?s playground. Think outside the box of the ?normal? route to work as an actor when you start making a career for yourself.  Don?t expect people to come find you.  Believe me, agents, managers and others are overwhelmed. You need to work harder than ever to make your mark. When you do plays, web series, or showcases with your class or friends, let casting directors and agents know.  Send a postcard, an email or a link to something you?re doing. Casting directors and agents do go out and look for new talent and would love to discover the next big star. That?s their job. So don?t be shy about sharing what you?re working on, but don?t stalk them. They don?t like it. It?s a fine line that you don?t want to cross.

Success in this business is not an exact science. It?s trial and error, but mistakes are never made twice. By doing your homework on what?s happening in the world of show business you can prepare for the challenge to make a name for yourself.  Just remind yourself every day why you are pursuing this in the first place. The goal should be what I had the fortunate pleasure of experiencing in the Alvin Theater at age ten, the freedom to perform with nothing holding you back.  I wish that for everyone who wants to be an entertainer and make people happy. http://www.showbizbootcamp.com

 

MARTHA BYRNE Martha Byrne is a nine-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee and two-time Emmy winner. She is best known for her two decade run on the CBS Daytime Drama As the World Turns where she portrayed Lily Walsh Snyder and her twin sister Rose D'Angelo.  She is also the recipient of numerous magazine awards and three National Viewer's Voice Awards. She began her career at the age of ten on  Broadway in "Annie." Martha's resume also includes over 30 television and film projects. Since leaving the daytime drama, Martha has starred on General Hospital, went back to the stage in "Other People's Money" and worked as a scriptwriter on the soap opera Bold and Beautiful. She is proud of her role as Executive Producer for the Award-winning film, "Bye Bye Sally", starring Malin Ackerman, and creating the web series "Gotham" (www.gothamtheseries.com), in which she also stars and is the Executive Producer. Since Gotham's debut in December 2009, the show has reached over 3 million hits. In January 2011 GOTHAM was nominated for five INDIE SOAP AWARDS and later that year was nominated for a Daytime Emmy. Currently Martha owns and runs Full Circle Talent Group LLC, an academy for aspiring actors, singers and songwriters 20 minutes outside of Manhattan in Paramus, NJ. Her intensive "Showbiz Bootcamp" has been receiving rave reviews and is staffed by industry professionals. Full Circle Talent Group, LLC also manages talent and is actively seeking qualified performers. Martha also serves on the Professional Advisory Board of St.Jude Children's Research Hospital. The PAB raises over 600 million dollars annually to run the hospital, which never turns away a patient for their inability to pay or lack of insurance. Martha has been involved with the hospital since 1981, helping raise awareness and millions of dollars for the cause. http://www.showbizbootcamp.com