Film Courage: Robin, for any actor who wants to be a working actor in Hollywood, what are
some things that they need to know not just about the business but also themselves?
Robin Riker, actor/author: You have to have a good sense of yourself and a good thick
skin.
It’s very odd that an actor needs to be able to shed that skin immediately and be
able to be vulnerable and express feelings.
You must have thick skin because you are not going to get more jobs that you get.
Even the most famous actors the ones who you think work all the time don’t get every
job they want and as a working actor (we working actors) don’t get more jobs than we do.
So you have to know that, you just have to know that.
And then you have to act.
I encourage (alas equity is making this a little difficult for equity actors but you
have to perform.
So find a class to go to that keeps your instrument lubricated and working so you know you’re
not going in and trying to read for MacBeth after not doing anything for six months or
doing cereal commercials.
So find a workshop some place where you can work and do scenes and scene study and that
sort of thing.
You have to be very careful of becoming a professional student.
A lot of people come here and take classes and that satisfies them in a way.
Even doing really good work in a class is not the same as working and so you have to
do that work in order to be able to be good enough to land work.
This is not the same as working.
And so you have to do that work in order to be able to be good enough to land that work.
So you have to get on stage as often as you can.
There are lots of little theaters here that do plays.
If you’re not equity you can do that.
If you are equity you have to do some workarounds to get that happening now alas.
But get on stage as much as you can so you are warmed up.
You should always before you go out on an audition you should be as prepared as you
can possibly be but for yourself (this is not so much for the audition) but for the
person, go somewhere in public before you go to the audition.
Because you are a human who is trying to display emotions and if you make this audition the
most important thing of your day “I’m getting ready for this.
I can’t do anything before this.
This is it, the focus, the focus, the focus,” then you get in the room and you’re not
limber.
So I always try to go and have a cup of coffee or pick up my dry-cleaning or chat with somebody,
go get something from the market, do something so I’m limber and I’ve had a conversation
with someone before I’m having my first conversation with you the casting director
who hold my future in your hands.
So that’s one thing that I think is very important and on the flip side of that at
the end of the audition go somewhere fun, reward yourself, you know?
Have something to look forward to because a lot of times you go in…you can tell, you
can read the room whether they received you well or not…you can’t always tell because
there have been times when I’ve gone in thinking I’ve stunk up the room and got
a call a few hours later that I’ve got a job, so you can’t really judge by that.
But if you’ve made the audition or the interview the most important moment of your day then
you’re very likely to feel this huge letdown at the end of it or this artificial sort of
stiffness at the beginning because you haven’t been a person.
Film Courage: I like that…that’s excellent.
Robin: So those I think are the most important things because everybody has different levels
of talent so I can’t really speak to that.
But those things, you have to understand that you’re not going to get more jobs than you
do, you have to understand that nobody gets your job, you get your job.
And never talk about having lost a job when it was only an audition, you didn’t loose
anything.
You can’t loose anything you didn’t have.
And go out somewhere before the audition to limber up and have somewhere fun to go after
the audition to celebrate because you went to work.
Film Courage: I absolutely love that in terms of interacting with people and loosing that
sort of social phobia that we all have.
Because we’re all in a hurry and were like “I don’t have much time and there is lots
of traffic” and now LA is a little bit more crowded than it used to be so we are even
more dialed in on directly where we need to be but go somewhere fun, go to Trader Joe’s
and pick up something.
Robin: Exactly, chat with the guys or girls or something.
Make something happen…live!
Do something to get yourself person-ized again instead of focused on the job.
Film Courage: Right.
Let’s talk about when you get the job.
How should one conduct themselves on set even if they have a scene where they are only going
to cross in front of the camera or they have several lines of dialogue?
Robin: First of all, the crew is usually comprised of real people who are not full of themselves
and are willing to share information with you, you know?
Meet you AD who is going to tell you where the dressing rooms are and be nice to the
craft service person, be nice to everyone.
Here is one thing that you must know for sure…if someone of the regular cast is nice to you
and reaches out to you, it will be a rarity.
I am amazed at the number of people who have every reason to be kind and open to the guest
stars or co-stars who come on the show who won’t even give them the time of day, just
don’t expect it, don’t expect that.
You be nice, take care of yourself, you be kind.
If someone is nice and sweet to you, be nice and sweet back but don’t try and suddenly
become their best friend because that’s just going to backfire on you in a major way.
Ask questions, feel free to ask questions but don’t expect that you are going to be
embraced to the company because it doesn’t happen very often, unless it’s my show because
I make sure I do that because I know how difficult it can be to be the day player on the set
or the one in for three days or something and I’ve always made it the point to welcome
(I think that’s probably the theater thing again, the pot of chili and the glass of wine
concept).
But that’s what they should do, but be on time, always be on time.
It’s a good idea to bring a magazine or book and a comfy pillow with you.
Have a little set bag because you spend a lot of time waiting and you want to be comfortable
when you do and most of the trailers and dressing rooms don’t have a comfy pillow or reading
material for you to pass the time with.
If you have any special dietary needs or prohibitions, make sure you take care of yourself in that
regard.
Bring a snack or two that fits those things and be prepared to wait and check.
If you feel you’ve been waiting a long time and you’re kind of losing the edge check
with your AD and is it likely “can you give me an E.T.A.
I’d 15 minutes before you need me, if at all possible?”
You may not be able to get that 15 but that’s why you say “If at all possible?”
And you can remember I’d love to pump up for when it’s time to go.
And know your lines and be prepared to enjoy yourself and do a good job.
Film Courage: I like what you said too about be friendly but not try to be someone’s
best friend and then on the flip side knowing that people “Oh!
I can’t wait to work with so-and-so!” and know that they may not see you and not
be hurt.
Robin: Perfectly said.
Film Courage: Because I think there is the armor you have to wear and I think you learn
it after a few years of being here but when you’re new especially you get really…it’s
easy to get hurt.
Or it’s easy to become someone’s best friend right away and then find out…you
never hear from them again and you’re shocked!
Robin: Right!
Right!
Film Courage: But can you talk about that armor?
And it’s not being a mean person, it’s just being protective.
Robin: Yeah…but I also…it’s not being a mean person.
You are more generous than I in that regard, I find that they are not being a conscious
person.
If you can say “Hello!
Welcome to the show, nice to have you.”
Now one of the reasons they may not do that is because when they have done that, the newbie
has decided “Oh now, she’s my best friend.
I’m going to talk to her, we are going to have lunch together, whatever.
And that person’s wants “Get off of me!”
Maybe they are protecting themselves because they have done this before and it kind of
backfired on them in a way that they didn’t want to have to deal with.
Film Courage: True.
Robin: However, it is easy to take a moment to welcome someone to your show, to be kind
to them, to have a nice word, because we are all doing it together.
Everyone is in the same boat.
You have a better seat perhaps than I do if you’re the regular on the show but we’re
in the same boat and we’re all actors and performers.
So I find that sort of treatment…I was doing an episode…and while the make-up lady was
doing her make-up her face was down like this in her cell phone the whole time.
She didn’t speak to anyone, she didn’t say…now she maybe a perfectly lovely girl.
I worked with her for a week, she seemed very nice on the set.
But I use that as an example as how you as a co-star or a guest star (or any star should
be) on the show is that the people that are there, the make-up, the hair, they are not
your servants, they are professionals that are doing their job.
Treat them with dignity and respect because they have control over how you look.
You are allowed to say “I prefer to have my hair blown forward rather than blown back
or I would like to have it up if possible blah, blah, blah, you can tell them what it
is you want you can do it as though you are speaking to a professional and say please
and thank you and be a conscious human being.
Don’t…you know they are not your staff.
Film Courage: Sure.