While writers and directors find it difficult to break into the industry, for actors the path is truly tortuous. At least writers and directors are able to take the initiative and demonstrate their ability by writing scripts and making their own films. But actors can't show their talent until they first persuade someone to give them a role. "As an actor you're always waiting to be invited to the party," says Tony Bill. "You have to wait for the person casting a movie to put you in the perfect part." The barriers against beginning actors are formidable. Usually one must be a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to be considered for even the most minor parts. While low-budget productions will use non-union crews and non-Guild writers and directors, they rarely employ non-SAG actors.

To join SAG an actor must convince a production company that is a SAG signatory to hire him. But a producer's agreement with SAG generally requires the producer to give hiring preference to SAG members. One exception allows the producer to hire a non-SAG actor when no SAG member is available or qualified for a part. Thus, if the role calls for an Albanian midget who speaks French and can do motorcycle stunts, the producer will have little difficulty demonstrating his need to hire a non-SAG actor. But if the part calls for someone more ordinary, the producer hires outside the Guild at the risk of incurring a financial penalty. An actor could conceivably join SAG by establishing his own production company, have it become a guild signatory, and then hire himself. But this is an expensive scheme not within the means of most actors. An actor's admission into SAG is more typically gained by requesting a director to take advantage of a provision that allows directors to upgrade extras during production. If the director adds a line to the script during production and assigns it to a nonspeaking extra, even if that line is just a shout from a crowd, the extra becomes a "day Player" eligible to join SAG.

Beginning actors are always at a competitive disadvantage. Says casting director Mike Fenton, "There are too many people ... we are more aware of." For even secondary roles, casting directors look for actors whose names on a billboard might mean something to the public, perhaps piquing its interest. "What you try to do is put together a cast with people who have some visibility," explains Fenton. Because casting directors have so many actors to choose from, they usually will not even consider hiring one who does not have an agent. So many candidates have representation that there is little need to look further. Moreover, casting directors complain that negotiating with actors can be exasperating. They often do not understand the fine points of deal-making and they tend to become emotionally involved in their negotiations. It's far easier to deal with an agent who understands industry shorthand.

 A more businesslike approach to breaking into the business was used by Northern California resident Peter Coyote (E.T.). He had his San Francisco agent arrange a series of meetings for him with casting directors in Los Angeles. After each meeting he wrote the person's name and physical description and the topics they discussed on an index card. He then began corresponding with each one. "I sent them that book or article we talked about," he recalls, "and I dated it on my file card. And every month I would go through those cards, and if I had review out I would send them with a little note.... That impressed them. And they began to talk." A Hollywood agent heard about Coyote, flew up North to see him in a play, then signed him. "Everyone seemed to think that you couldn't do it and live out of town," says Coyote. But his domicile was an advantage because it allowed him to correspond with casting directors who probably wouldn't have returned his phone calls had he lived in Los Angeles. No matter how an actor obtains an agent, there remains the problem of securing work. Agents can only propose their clients for parts that may be appropriate for them. Ultimately, the actor must win the role himself, often in an audition.

Auditions are not ideal settings for demonstrating acting ability. It's especially difficult to perform cold readings, where actors are handed a script on the way into the audition without time to prepare. "I never really understood what anybody gets out of a cold reading," says Steve Railsback (The Stunt Man). "It's not acting, it's not doing the character. I know some actors who can read great, but can't act worth a damn. Other actors can't read at all, but they are great actors." "Cold readings are very difficult to do and I'm not sure they have anything to do with acting," says personal manager Michael Meyer, "but they determine if you get the job." Consequently, learning the art of auditioning is an integral part of becoming an actor. "The key to auditioning well," says Jane Fonda, "is learning how to both concentrate and relax at the same time. One must be able to ignore distractions and focus intently on one's performance while also being relaxed enough to let one's creative juices flow. A literal interpretation of the script is usually not impressive. What matters is ... whether the actor brings you surprises. It is not just reading naturalistically. It is ... do they bring you any presence ... are they aware of the subtleties.'" Sometimes an audition is in the form of a meeting to discuss the role. Peter Coyote says the key to success here is "understanding that ninety percent of the people that you meet know absolutely nothing about the art of acting. They'll ask to see film on you, which is a big mistake [to supply] because the only film they're going to be satisfied with is film of you playing the role they have in mind. They can't extrapolate. "So when I go in for a role I try to find those aspects of my personality that are already close to the role and emphasize those in the meeting. Or find some opportunity to tell a story in the meeting that will reveal those attributes. Because when you tell a good story you act it out. So a story is the perfect cover for acting, without saying, . Hey, I am acting for you.' And then they think they've discovered you. They think they saw something. Because most of them have no idea of the mobility and external plasticity that an actor can have. When they want a neurotic ship captain they hire a neurotic ship captain. "After I did E.T., I got twenty offer  for compassionate scientists in science fiction movies. After I did Cross Creek, I got twenty offers for laconic Southern gentlemen. After I did Timerider I got twenty offers for psychopathic idiot cowboys. So you have to understand they don't know anything about the art except for a few of the very best." Some actors believe it wise to stay in character in all their dealings with casting people so it appears they are the character. It can be difficult to detect the impersonations of a proficient actor. American actress Lisa Eichhorn spoke with such an authentic-sounding accent that she was able to trick veteran director John Schlesinger into hiring her for Yanks. Because Schlesinger was only willing to audition English actresses, Eichhorn's agent warned her that she must deceive him if she hoped to get the job. Eichhorn passed two screen tests and was awarded the part. But she felt guilty about lying and several days later confessed that she was an American. Schlesinger dismissed the revelation, saying: "Oh, I know that." Several years later he admitted that she had indeed fooled him. It's the audacious actor who often wins the part. Although Teri Garr failed to pass the first round of auditions for the play West Side Story, she marched right into the finals, figuring nobody would remember she had been cut. Sure enough, she got the part. The "chutzpah" approach helped Peter Coyote land a part in a prison picture. "I went to an open cattle call to read for a one-liner, as a leg breaker," he recalls, "and when I walked into the room it was full of guys who could have ripped my thighs off and beaten me to death. Next to these guys I was not going to convince anyone that I was a leg breaker. "There were sides [pages of script] spread all around the room. So I looked through about fifteen sides and found this one marvelous soliloquy written for a sixty-year-old con.... And I worked on that soliloquy for two hours as I sat there. And then I went in for this one-line audition and I said, .

Actors usually solicit work for many years before they become sought-after talent. Great performances and reviews have little impact unless an actor is in a high-visibility production. Actors are only considered as good as the films they are in, says Joyce Selznick. "Unless they're in a runaway hit, whereby their exposure to the public is so tremendous that they become known overnight, they can forget it. If they're in a film that doesn't make

Mark Litwak