Customer Reviews

An Actor's Guide--Your First Year in Hollywood

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I absolutely love this book. I have been buying a lot of books similar to this one and I can honestly say this is the best book. It has great information. It has great detailed facts and if you plan to move to L.A. this will be very helpful....

I liked this book it had some good tips and how-to advice.
I also loved Twelve Step Plan To Becomming An Actor in LA
It is a work book which guides you through your first year.
Itis written by a therapist,so it also teaches YOU how to take care of yourself emotionally, which is Key. Buy them both and have an edge over the competition

I love the author's ebullient enthusiasm and clear intent to motivate and inspire his readers. However, this third edition was updated in 2006 and even in 6 years this book has become outdated and is lacking INTEGRAL information. I am an actress who recently finished my degree at USC and my school has tried to prepare me for the realities of the show business industry in a way that many theater schools do not. I have been fortunate to meet many casting directors, agents, producers, writers, and young working actors through my school's many resources and I can say that based on my firsthand knowledge, I found the information in this book to be staggeringly limited.

This book does not cover self-submissions or casting websites (it only mentions a site called "[...]" which does not exist/is a website that has nothing to do with breakdowns), it does not cover personal branding and self-promotion, and doesn't go in depth enough regarding means of finding representation, the pros, cons, and differences about agents and managers, is not detailed enough about how to find "money jobs," or which areas/neighborhoods are good/bad to live in. It gives a basic overview about casting workshops and showcases, but as important as those are to actors just starting out, I think more coverage of those topics (which lead into finding representation, which is your #1 goal starting out and can make or break your experience) is necessary.

The BEST parts of this book are the last chapters--"Creating a Positive Experience" and the later interviews with people in the industry. That said, many of the industry interviews in this book are with people who have good advice but aren't YOUNG, or up-and-coming. I think that is a relevant perspective that is starkly absent from this book.

This book is a fine jumping off point if you're right off the turnip truck/know virtually NOTHING about the industry or LA. If you have even a basic understanding of the city and the business then this book is a little bit.... rudimentary.

A better book is "Hit the Ground Running" by Carolyne Barry: Hit The Ground Running The Smart Actor's Guide

While I disagree with plenty of her advice and opinions, I think this book is more relevant and up-to-date. I'm certainly not saying to follow this book as a Bible... but at least it's a more current guide.

Nicholas speaks of many things my drama teachers failed to. Perhaps my instructors went straight into teaching after college rather than actually trying their hands in the field. Only someone with firsthand experience could write this book. Thank you, Mr. Nicholas. This is a true, new actor's Hollywood survival guild!

Author of Grandmother is Home to Stay