It has been about a week since we have been back after the long vacation. I would have thought everyone would be back, excited, and ready to work. Nope. So many actors have decided to “extend their trips” (wish I could do that), or have not given their schedules to their agents (something I have begged for in my last 33 blogs), or everything just gets blamed on the managers.

I would like to talk about managers a bit. It seems that when I have actor avail issues, more than half the time I am told, “the manager said…”

Do managers not care about their actors doing commercials? Maybe managers do not understand how it works in commercials. It is so important that talent agents know actors’ schedules. Why can’t commercial agents have direct contact with actors?

It is hard enough when we are dealing actor to agent but then you add a manager into the mix and the communication is completely broken down. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “the manager didn’t tell me.” Maybe managers are being blamed unfairly…I just don’t know.

Either way, actors need to be responsible to manager or agent and if it is a manager, then managers should be considerate enough to inform the agent.

I am open to opinions on how to make this process work better since I don’t think I’ll make it through another year with giving myself a heart attack.

Next and BIG issue of the week: I ran a casting session before the holiday and warned all actors when the callback would be. If actors were not going to be available for a callback, they should not have come in for an audition. Of course a few people decided to extend their vacations, but the worst situation was an actress that decided to get on a plane an hour before the callbacks were scheduled. She was my clients’ first choice. She stayed in New York waiting for a possible callback and then, without checking in with anyone, got on a plane. I’m not even going to tell you why, but it was not a necessary trip. Her agent and I were very upset. I was able to contact her during her lay over and she made the decision to turn around and come back New York. Nobody insisted. She knew how frustrated we all were but she not only learned a lesson, she chose to come back.

Great news…it was worth her time. She booked the job. Commitment is huge. Another acting job is legit but just not being able to sit still and be patient is crazy. That’s the life of an actor. First blog of the year and my first cry for help.