Tough Type, The Card Fairy
"I've been an actor for 20 years. I just moved to New York from Chicago, where no matter what I did—and I tried everything—I couldn't get into the union." More »

Representative Resistance
I met with an agent yesterday, and although she offered to sign me, I feel strangely unhappy. More »

Arrivederci, A******
"I recently interviewed with a new agent. While the office impressed me, there were some red flags." More »

Timing Tiff, Sexist Stiff
"I’m acting in a short film and I’m having a problem with the director. He is really dismissive of me and makes weird, sexist comments about me, right in front of my face." More »

Cash on the Dresser, Quitting Time
"It feels like it's really time for me to submit my two-week notice at my survival job. The No. 1 reason is that it leaves me out of energy when I'm done at 5:30." More »

Residual Reassurance, Group Dynamic
"If my son has a credited principal role in a major motion picture, will he still get residuals if he's nonunion?" More »

Papa Was a Working Actor
"I was wondering if you had any success stories about being a parent and an actor and somehow maintaining sanity." More »

Flash in the Pan, Unkindest Cut
"I have a question that is too tough to ask of people in a position to hire me, so I beg for your help!" More »

Desperate Acts, Moving Pictures
Does the Screen Actors Guild realistically expect struggling, out-of-work actors to turn down nonunion work? Times are hard, and SAG isn't making it any easier. More »

Reasonable Request, Accidental Advantage
Is it too much to ask for the script before committing to a project? Or are starving actors supposed to take anything without asking any questions? More »

Space Case, Thai Ties
Is it considered unethical for an actor to use a gimmick or shtick to leapfrog over other struggling actors and get ahead in the business? More »

Bathing Suits, Onscreen Looks
I've never, ever had this happen before. Have you ever been asked to bring a bathing suit to change into at a first audition, since the role calls for it? Is this a scam? More »

Extra Benefits
A certain casting office hired me for three days. They fitted me in a period costume and wanted my hair to be all one color. More »

Profile Purpose, Feedback Foul
I cast extras and principals with Extra Talent Agency, and I have to disagree with a statement in your recent column "Rotten Request, Dumping a CD" (June 18–24). More »

For Me! For Me?
I wanted to ask for your advice on researching and joining theater companies. I feel silly asking this question, because it feels like I should know the answer, being from New York. More »

Top 10 Questions Actors Want Answered
There's no simple route. Getting a good agent is not something you can spend a great deal of time working on directly. More »

Fees Please, Ad Mad
The subject of whether actors ought to attend paid casting-director workshops remains a heated and highly controversial one. Not surprisingly, The Working Actor received a variety of responses to my recent column titled "Fees to Meet You" (June 11), in which I agreed with J.M. that in many cases actors should "stay away from those things." More »

Parent Trap, Photo Flap
I'm an actor who happens to also be a mother—not a big deal. Like any professional, when I have a job, I balance my work with life with my husband and childcare. More »

Playing Doctor, Preying Agent
Most of my acting credits are in Equity-waiver theater from about seven years ago, and I'm not a member of the Screen Actors Guild. I took time off to go to nursing school, finished school, and am currently working as a registered nurse, but I want to get back into acting. More »

A Very Bad Audition
I was thrilled and pumped and felt great about all of them—until I got no callbacks and no work. After the fifth audition, I started to lose my confidence more and more each time. More »

Rotten Request, Dumping a CD
"Hello, I saw your profile on backstage and i will like to know if you are available for a Job from my company because after various screening your profile was chosen ." More »

Fees to Meet You
Casting directors, especially those who deal with musical theater, have taken the liberty to view themselves as teachers. More »

Referral Riddle, Contact Conundrum
The director and I got along really well. I could tell he was sincere when he said, "If you ever need a referral, let me know." How do I use this offer to my advantage? More »

Gig List, Direct Marketing
Could you give me examples of jobs for actors and singers in the theater business but not as a performer—a reader, teaching, voiceovers, extras, etc.—and the best ways of finding these jobs. More »

EMC Plea, Pay Survey
Being an Equity candidate, I'm used to waiting for an opening to audition. But as of late, I haven't seen any! It's almost as bad as being nonunion now! More »