Acting Scams
Acting Scams to Avoid! If you see an ad like this, run for your
life… (By Darryl Green, Staff Member, Acting
Magazine/www.actingmagazine.com) “If it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is.” That phrase, in the acting industry, is
worth more than a $20 million-dollar, big-budget film contract.
If you haven’t experienced a scam yet, you soon will! There is
almost no place like the entertainment industry for con and scam
artists. That’s partly because people can scam you out of your
money legally by taking advantage of your dreams and
inexperience in the industry. The scams come in all forms, all
shapes and sizes, and from all directions. You can even go to a
reputed photographer or agent and find he or she trying to lure
you into an acting class, sell you something, or simply being
dishonest—all for the sake of making a buck. And for the
scammers, there is almost no police involvement, little legal
action one can take, and virtually no punishment. There are many
scams out there, but we’ve picked a few doozies to show you for
the next few weeks. Here’s one of our all-time favorites. Scam
#1 – “Suckers Wanted” You see an ad in the paper from what
sounds like a reputable agency. In the ad, they rattle off about
how they have launched the careers of so many famous people or
have booked an unbelievable amount of jobs for their talent.
Now, their ad claims, they are looking for new talent and new
faces. And, what gets you even more excited: they claim you
don’t need any experience. All you have to do is go to their
office for an interview and you will have a chance to be a big
star. Dead giveaways to look for: · First, reputable agencies
don’t have to put ads in the paper. They are so inundated with
headshots from promising actors; there really is no need. ·
Second, when an “agency” claims to have launched the careers of
famous people, it usually isn’t true, at least not the way they
are portraying it. They may only have had some brief affiliation
with that celebrity, brief affiliation with that celebrity’s
agency, or could just be making the whole thing up. Usually,
when an “agency” tells you things like this, it is to get you to
dream about stardom—just long enough for them to take your cash.
· Third, most actors need at least some acting experience before
going to an agency for representation. Although, there are some
exceptions, it is very rare that an agency will work with people
who have absolutely no experience, let alone invite
inexperienced actors in for consultation. Real agencies need
experienced actors who can perform well at auditions and get
booked for parts. Once the actor is booked, only then can a
legitimate agency get paid.