Acting: Make It Your Business

Paul Russell’s career as a casting director, director, and former actor has spanned more than forty years. He has worked on projects for major film studios, television networks, Broadway, and regionally. He directs for leading regional theaters and teaches master classes to actors at universities and colleges.

• Introduction: Cows and Greasepaint—A Journey Begins 1. Working Actors Speak Out: Candor and the Business 2. Being an Actor: A Tough Love 3. Training for the Actor: Tend Your Dreams 4. The Picture and Résumé: An Actor’s Business Card 5. Cover Letters and E-mail: Covering Your Assets 6. Actor Marketing: Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd 7. Auditions Actors Encounter: Are Your Auditions Safe? 8. Audition Preparation: Be First, First 9. Audition Strategies: Leaving a Lasting Impression 10. Negotiating the Contract: Get It On Paper 11. Rejection: "Thanks for Coming in..." 12. Agents and Managers: An Introduction 13. Agents and Managers: Finding One 14. Agents and Managers: Keeping One 15. Exit Lines: Parting Advice Acknowledgments Appendix Index About the Author

Praise for the First Edition:"Humorous and witty…. Actors everywhere who are trying to succeed in the business, young or old, on stage or on camera, in New York or anywhere in the world, take note: This is your road map." – Bernard Telsey, casting director (This Is Us, The Greatest Showman, Tales of the City, Hamilton)"All the right questions asked and answered…and with a generous portion of good humor." – Suzanne Ryan, casting director (Law & Order, Unforgettable)"Paul’s book made me proud to be a part of the acting community in this business we call ‘show.’" – Karen Ziemba, actress, Tony and Drama Desk Award winner"A necessity for any actor. Read it again and again. Listen…and learn." – Richard Rose, producing artistic director (1993-2019), Barter Theatre"Paul Russell’s words are not only blunt and accurate, they zero in on all the questions every actor wants to know but is afraid to ask." – Ken Melamed, talent agency partner, Bret Adams, Ltd.