If you don't have anything that you worked on - create it! Get your hands on a video camera at the local access cable station and record some prepared scenes - anything is better than nothing. Start saving your pennies now!

2. Get an 8"x10" "head shot" taken of you in black and white - I would recommend one lighter in tone, one serious - about 250 of each. Don't print your resume on the back. You can staple an 8x10" resume on the back - this will allow you to change it often without affecting the pictures.

The picture/s should be current and it should look exactly like you - the same as if you walked into that director/producer/casting director's office.

3. If you move to LA:

A. Be prepared to get a non-movie job and support yourself (in a job that has flexible hours) and have a 5 year plan - yes, five years.

You will rapidly find that Hollywood is not "waiting" for you to arrive, and that you will need to learn the ropes for a while.

Some of you will find a fast track out here, and others will have to pack it up and turn the truck back to Oklahoma - no big deal - it's not brain surgery.

B. Become as familiar with the city as fast as you can and pick an area where you'd be comfortable living. Don't live in a crappy neighborhood just because it's where you think the "action" is. You can't stop living while you wait for your ship to come in.

These are the basic necessities. Beyond that, the process you follow to "get in the door" can be almost anything.

OPTIONS

Bear in mind, most talent agents will not meet with you if you just "show up" at their door. However, in some cities, like New York and Hollywood, there are showcases where you can present prepared scenes to people in the industry (i.e. Casting directors and talent agents/managers).

You can also enroll in acting classes in LA/New York that will allow you to meet other actors and swap ideas/plans.

Other than that, you can dig up every actor trade magazine and get ready for those cattle calls. You can also find industry-related temp jobs by applying for production work (as a runner, for example - behind the scenes), or as an extra, or stand-in. Use your imagination - you'll need it!

Personally, I simply became one of the producers on the first film I was in ("Evil Dead") - and gave myself the part. Granted, this was a 4 year long commitment to seeing the first film through, but it may be something to consider - especially if you live in a city far away from LA or New York and don't fancy the relocation just yet.

Remember, you can always write your own material and try to find some money to get it made. It's America after all, use it to your advantage.

Most of all, be patient, diligent and hard working. Only lazy actors complain about not finding work.

A NOTE ABOUT "FAME" AND FORTUNE

Fame is a word I have come to loathe. It is relative at best and can be a dangerous and destructive pursuit. If you seek fame and fortune as an actor, turn that Honda Civic around and head back to Phoenix.

Let's not forget, there are plenty of "famous" people out there. Timothy McVeigh is famous. Adolph Hitler is famous. There are also a lot of rich folks too. That doesn't immediately give you a one way ticket to happiness. Just ask Donald Trump, J. Paul Getty, the Kennedys. Try not to get sucked into all that.

As far as money goes, yes you can make a good living as an actor. You can run the gamut of grossly overpaid to barely scraping by. Most actors wind up closer to the latter.

We are sometimes raised with the desire for better, bigger, faster - more! I suggest you re-think this brainwashing and concentrate on being a happy person first. If you get rich, good for you. If you become famous, hey as long as you haven't blown up a federal building, more power to you. But, if you think the "F" words will fill the void that you may find within yourselves, you are gravely mistaken.

If, on the other hand, you possess a sincere desire to express, then you can do that at the Boot Lick Wyoming community theater as easily as Hollywood. You can also do it in commercials, industrial films, student films, or in the confines of your own living room. In short, if you want to be an actor - act. Geography doesn't mean anything.

Heck, in this day and age, not nearly as much is filmed in Los Angeles anyway. In the past 3 years, I have done easily 70% of my work OUTSIDE of LA. I've recently worked in Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, New Zealand and France. Even within the US, I've worked in Portland, Austin, Detroit, Baltimore and Wilmington. It's a big world - movies are made everywhere.

Now that I have thoroughly depressed you, read further. If this is a dream that you simply MUST follow, then at least do it hard and long enough so that you can decide for yourself whether this entertainment thing is for you. Who knows? You might become bored, you might quickly realize that it's simply not for you. Or, quite possibly, you might just find that there is no question about it - show biz is your life!

However, if you "dabble" in it, you will never find out what it's all about. This business is not for the feint of heart or for the thin-skinned. Self-esteem is greatly needed in "H" land. Keep that always and have fun, for heaven's sake...