“I think you have to have almost a religious faith that it’s going to work out. And once that faith is broken, you’re done. You’re cooked.” –Amir Talai on professional acting
We like to think of the actor’s life as a glamorous one, but in reality, acting is a lot like many of the other high-risk, low-security, freelance-driven occupations that now seem to dominate our economic landscape — and just like you taking your work home from the office, an actor’s job begins long before that first fateful step on a film set (if it ever even happens at all).
But it is possible to make it in Hollywood, and not just by achieving superstar status. In fact, there are a lot of actors who lead an essentially blue-collar existence — they look for work, they hone their craft, they deliver what they’re paid for, and they start the process all over again. Take, for example, today’s guest: For more than a decade, Amir Talai has steadily increased his profile while building an impressive list of credits that includes appearances in television series (Castle, 2 Broke Girls, Family Guy), films (The Pursuit of Happyness, What to Expect When You’re Expecting), web series (Rob Riggle and JB Smoove’s Coogan Auto), and countless commercials.
http://youtu.be/oK6BbebwhWM
It took a lot of dedication to get to this point, and I’ve long admired the methodical persistence of Amir’s approach to the “business” side of the acting business, so I knew he’d be natural fit for A Fine Mess — and as you’ll hear during this episode, he didn’t disappoint, offering insight and candid commentary during our discussion of how he got started and where he is today. Tune in below, and thanks for listening:
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