The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide - Jenna Fischer

Written by Jenna Fischer
Read by Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Reed Birney, Sean Gunn, Derek Waters, Natalie Zea, Mark Proksch
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Novel Audio
Release date: December 15, 2017
Duration: 07:29:20

Steve Carell - Author of introduction, etc

Jenna Fischer’s Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a theater degree in hand, she was determined, she was confident, she was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong? Uh, basically everything.

The path to being a professional actor was so much more vast and competitive than she’d imagined. It would be eight long years before she landed her iconic role on The Office, nearly a decade of frustration, struggle, rejection and doubt. If only she’d had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way—an established actor who could educate her about the business, manage her expectations, and reassure her in those moments of despair. Jenna wants to be that person for you. With amusing candor and wit, Fischer spells out the nuts and bolts of getting established in the profession, based on her own memorable and hilarious experiences.

She tells you how to get the right headshot, what to look for in representation, and the importance of joining forces with other like-minded artists and creating your own work—invaluable advice personally acquired from her many years of struggle. She provides helpful hints on how to be gutsy and take risks, the tricks to good auditioning and callbacks, and how not to fall for certain scams (auditions in a guy’s apartment are probably not legit—or at least not for the kind of part you’re looking for!). Her inspiring, helpful guidance feels like a trusted friend who’s made the journey, and has now returned to walk beside you, pointing out the pitfalls as you blaze your own path towards the life of a professional actor.

Unlike recent books by her peers, Jenna Fischer’s book is not an autobiography. It’s an advice book about the life of the actor and the years of toiling away at the craft that it often takes to become a working actor. Fischer does relate many of her useful tips to experiences in her own life, so the guide is a thoroughly enjoyable listen for fans of her work who are not aspiring actors. Her bright, optimistic voice shines through, conveying trust just as she did in her iconic role as Pam Beesly on “The Office.” The audiobook has the added bonus of Rainn Wilson dryly narrating an affectionate introduction written by Steve Carell and three interviews with other actors about their routes to acting. A.L.C. � AudioFile 2018