Or, imagine this: You are networking at an event (like the Tribeca Film Festival) and you have met so many people that you have handed out your last copy of your reel. You run into an agent who has seen you on stage, but comments that he would like to see your film work. He asks if you have a reel to give him. Sadly, you don’t, and it will be at least a week until you can get more duplicates made. What now?

If you are a business-minded actor, you would have a website and neither case would have been a problem! You could simply tell the casting director, “Drop by my website, where you can download a copy of my headshot and resume, both formatted for printing.” And for the agent, you would be able to say, “Here’s my website. Not only do I have my reel posted, but I also have clips from a few of the other projects I have done, including some singing and a few commercials.”

Having a website is one of the most important promotional tools an actor can have, second only to a good headshot. A website allows you to provide interested parties with a more full look at your body of work, your personality, and the way you run your business. And it allows them to do it in their own time, at their pace and leisure, which is vitally important in the larger, more competitive markets. The easier you can make it for a CD/agent to get to know you, the better chance you have of making an impact with them.

Now, some actors have “actor pages” created on industry websites, such as Actors Access, Now Casting or IMDB. While these are sufficient for communicating basic information, it is very difficult to allow your personality to come through with these sites. Your website, much like your headshot, is a calling card. After all, their templates are the same for every actor! A website is a reflection of your identity, and the more personalized you can make it, the better off you will be. If you do opt for this, at the very least you should purchase a domain name (www. yourname .com) and  link/forward it to your free page. That way, when someone types in your web address, they will automatically be forwarded to whatever website you choose. Some companies charge a nominal fee for forwarding, while others include it with the domain purchase.

A website is a reflection of your identity, and the more personalized you can make it, the better off you will be

That all being said, having a website can be relatively inexpensive if you do your research. One word of advice- before you sign up for ANY services, be sure to get all of the costs laid out UP FRONT. Websites contains a lot of components that add up to a well-created and maintained business tool. Make sure you have a strong understanding of all of the costs associated, including ongoing text changes, additions or updates to media (like photo, video and audio clips), and the creation of new pages. Often, the initial price tag seems small but the fee for design becomes much larger when considering the price of upkeep. It is very important to weigh all of the costs and decide what type of fee structure is best for your business, and then get all of this in writing before you choose your designer.

Here is a breakdown of what kinds of costs you might incur, and some pitfalls to avoid:

1) You domain name will be around $10 per year.

2) Ongoing storage (called “hosting”) usually costs between $5 – $9 per month. GoDaddy is one of the largest and cheapest and charges around $58 for a full year (great price!)

3) Design services can range from a flat fee of $300 – $900 (and up) depending on how fancy you want your site to be. Be wary of companies that charge less- there may be some hidden fees or restrictions (like limited photos, videos or pages.) Often, the price seems small at first but added costs can push the prices well over $1000.

4) Be careful when signing up for websites you can change/update yourself. These designs tend to either have a very high up front fee, or a moderate monthly fee you pay for the life of your website. For example, some companies charge $195 to design your website, and then charge $25-$50 per month ongoing for hosting & maintenance. That may seem like a great deal, but consider that every year you’d be paying $250-500. How long do you imagine you’ll be keeping your website? That $250-$500 will add up very quickly. This is the same thing that printer companies are doing- they nearly give away the printer and then charge you $40 (or more) per ink cartridge. Be sure that this is a monthly expense you can afford to keep for the rest of your life (or, as long as the website is active.)

5) Changes/updates that are done by your designer are usually less expensive, depending on who you select to do the work. Most charge by the hour for changes. But be careful- many designers have a 1 hour minimum, even if you simply want to add a resume credit. Look for someone who either does not have a 1 hour minimum, or someone who is willing to work on retainer. When I design websites for actors, I do changes on a retainer program and it is a win-win for both the actor and me as the designer. I collect a 1 hour retainer in advance, and then each time the actor has changes I deduct the time from their 1 hour retainer. If the changes take 5 minutes, the actor has 55 minutes of changes left. That way, I still am guaranteed payment for an hour of work, but the actor only pays for work that is actually done. Very few designers use this method because it means less $ for them, but you have every right to expect that you’ll only be paying for work you need.

6) Also, be sure to determine who actually owns the website design – once it is designed, is it yours to do with as you please (even if you choose to host/update it with someone else?) Or do they hold the copyright and keep the design (and contents) if you opt to go elsewhere? These are important things to go over before you pay any fees.

Remember the adage: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Regardless of how you choose to set up your site, all fees can be written off on your taxes as a business expense, and goes a long way in investing in your future as a professional performer. The internet is here to stay, and it is time for you to take advantage of this incredible promotional tool!

Have questions about web design? Shoot me an email or leave a comment, and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

Erin Cronican’s career as a professional actor and career coach has spanned the last 25 years in New York City, Los Angeles and regionally. She is the founder of The Actors’ Enterprise (TAE), a fun and inspiring one-on-one coaching service that provides incredibly affordable business training to actors who want to feel more fulfilled and in control of their careers. With an approach that is hands-on and customized for each person, TAE helps actors set goals, organize their business, and create a plan of action with easy tools that can take them to the next level, no matter where they are starting from. She also creates compelling and affordable designs for websites, business cards and postcards. TAE’s focus includes coaching on marketing/career development, business skills, and audition techniques that help actors work SMARTER, not HARDER.

Actors who are interested in coaching can receive a free 30 minute career consultation (by phone or in person.) Learn more at www.theactorsenterprise.org or www.erincronican.com.

So, to combat the many unscrupulous characters baiting actors with empty promises, below you’ll find are 11 of my favorite reputable websites where casting notices can be found.

Actors Access
Backstage
Actors Equity Casting Call
Playbill
SAG Indie
Now Casting
Casting Networks/LACasting.com
Casting Networks/NYCasting.com
NYCastings.com
Mandy.com
Craigslist

Any of the others not listed here typically have the same notices that are on the above sites. If you are in LA or NY, I would caution you if paying to use any website other than these listed- it probably wouldn’t be worth the money. Of course, there are exceptions and I am sure a new website will come along and blow away the competition. But as of now, the above sites are the most reputable for those in the major markets.

Please note: not every website has a vetting process, so it is up to the actor to research the casting notice to make sure the project is legitimate. Even for a casting website like Actors Access, which is probably the most professional and popular service, unsavory notices can get listed (especially on public forums like Craigslist.) It is up to the actor to keep themselves safe, so use caution when submitting your materials.

A side note: Any website that claims to have notices for principal roles on TV and studio film projects is probably not being truthful. I notice these sites all the time, saying things like, “Find auditions for Grey’s Anatomy here!” or “Breakdowns for CSI just posted!” … only to find out that they are simply posting the general address for the casting directors (who accept submissions via mail EVERY DAY.)

Occasionally, Actors Access and Backstage will show roles for feature films/TV but these are usually roles that are very hard to cast, like 70 year old Filipino twins. Principal roles for TV and studio features almost exclusively go through Breakdown Services, which are not accessible to actors OR these other casting sites.

As promised: Here are a few casting sites for other parts of the country:

San Diego
Actors Alliance of San Diego

Chicago
THECastingWorkshops.com
PerformInk.com
League of Chicago Theatres

DailyActor Readers- if you know of casting websites from other cities that are reputable, post the links as a comment so that other actors can benefit from your experience.

Feel free to post any comments/questions you might have – and happy auditioning!

Erin Cronican’s career as a professional actor and career coach has spanned the last 25 years in New York City, Los Angeles and regionally. She is the founder of The Actors’ Enterprise (TAE), a fun and inspiring one-on-one coaching service that provides incredibly affordable business training to actors who want to feel more fulfilled and in control of their careers. With an approach that is hands-on and customized for each person, TAE helps actors set goals, organize their business, and create a plan of action with easy tools that can take them to the next level, no matter where they are starting from. TAE’s focus includes coaching on marketing/career development, business skills, and audition techniques that help actors work SMARTER, not HARDER.

Actors who are interested in coaching can receive a free 30 minute career consultation (by phone or in person.) Learn more at www.theactorsenterprise.org or www.erincronican.com.

Just Do It.

So, I thought I would help address some of the common excuses we actors tell ourselves so I can help break that cycle:

To give you some background on this topic, I am going to start by sharing an email I recently received from a “manager.” (Note: All grammar and spelling has been included, as originally written.)

I was looking on IMDB and noticed you do not have a Talent Manager.  As you may  know we are doing Talent Management..  A manager is different from an agent but in a way better as I have more fields to get you work.  I feel I could be a great assett to you to help you not only get your more acting roles but we are doing something no other Management firm does.  We are also going to provide free to our clients our Publicity Services.  We are a NON-EXCLUSIVE company so if at anytime you want to end services with us that is ok.  I really hope you will give me a chance to further your career and make you more money.  If you are interested please let me know and I’ll send you my information packate. – Mike

File this one away into the “If it seems too good to be true, it is” mailbox. Of course, there are warning signs all over the above email that tell the actor that they should stay far away. So, how does an actor gauge the validity of these types of emails, which become numerous as the actor gets more and more well known?

1) Does the manager know the difference between managers and agents? (Do you?)

Agents and managers are very different from one another, primarily because it is illegal for managers to procure work for their clients. Agents are required to be on file with their state as a “licensed employment agent” and managers are not given this clearance. Thus, a manager’s job takes on a different form. Directly from the Talent Manager’s Association website: “A manager, by nature, does not seek employment for a client, but rather council, market and network on their behalf making it easier for the agent to secure employment. A client, manager and agent should function as a team.”

You can see by the email above that the manager is not accurately conveying his role. This should be a very big “red flag” to you.

2) Why are they contacting YOU?

Yes, we are all fabulous, and we usually feel deserving of representation. Heck, we also deserve to have things come easily to us. But, as I said on a recent post on the Backstage message boards if you are ready to seek management, you want to seek out a management company that has a good track record and a solid client base. Typically, companies that fall in that category do not need to troll the internet to locate new clients, and they don’t typically seek to represent actors with small resumes. To get to know up-and-coming actors, managers spend time seeing plays, going to film festivals, and taking meetings via referrals. They may use IMDB or the actor’s website as a research tool, but rarely do solid companies “discover” talent on the web. So you have to ask yourself- if it is normally so difficult to find representation, why has THIS offer come so easily?

3) Does the email appear to be well written? If they give you a website to check out, does it inspire your confidence?

There are misspellings and bad grammar all over this email. Even if the manager was legitimate, would you want someone representing you when they cannot put together a coherent email? And do they represent themselves well, and accurately, on their website? In this case, the website also had misspellings, and almost the exact same text as that in the email sent to me. Does this website inspire YOUR confidence?

4) Does the contact information make sense and seem professional?

Often, when you try to verify their contact information, you’ll notice discrepancies in the data provided. In the above example, Mike gave me a web address for his company, but his email address came from a completely different company. Upon researching him, I discovered that his company was primarily a Publicity Company, where they pay actors to attend parties and events. Also, take note of where their office is located. I am based in NYC and this company is based in LA – it doesn’t really make sense for them to represent me from the opposite coast unless I plan to make a move out west.

Many actors ignore that voice of warning in their heads because it feels good to believe that they are being handed their big break. Believe me, I know- I’m an actor, just like you. I hustle, just like you. I taste the wins and the losses as sweetly and bitterly as you do. But I believe that if you do your homework and listen to your gut, you can protect yourself from those unsavory characters who prey on your dreams and desires. I am hoping that this article is one step in this direction.

PS: This article pertains, also, to those folks out there who randomly email actors about mailing autographed headshots. I regularly post these requests on my acting blog, and one in particular has resulted in a very strange, stalker-like situation. Check out this blog post for more information (and be sure to read the comments…)

Erin Cronican’s career as a professional actor and career coach has spanned the last 25 years in New York City, Los Angeles and San Diego. She has appeared in major feature films and on television, and has done national tours of plays and musicals. She has worked in the advertising & marketing departments of major corporations, film production companies, theater magazines, and non-profit acting organizations. She currently is the Coach and Founder of The Actors’ Enterprise, and pursues a professional acting career in New York City. To learn more, check out www.TheActorsEnterprise.org and www.ErinCronican.com.

The first bit he talks about his new show, Martin McDonagh’s play A Behanding in Spokane then it segues into him talking about his life, career and his acting. It’s after the jump!

From the NYTimes

Set in World War Two (1942), Christopher (Eric Brent Zutty) is sent to live with his aunt Lilly (Mare Winningham) in a remote lighthouse. Christopher soon begins to hear music that no one else can hear and to top it off, he begins to suspect his aunts Japanese worker, Yasuhiro (Arthur Acuna), of being a spy.

And that’s all I’m giving away.

The Ghosts played by indie rockers, Holly Brook and David Poe, come and go in the scenes, singing and pretty much doing whatever they want. They take off lampshades and turn the stand into make-shift microphones, fling off Christopher’s covers when he’s trying to sleep and make general mischief for the cast. They act as… narrators of the show? I’m hesitant to say narrators because at some points they deliberately sing their songs to screw things up. And that’s what makes this show so great. The Ghosts are having a fantastic time messing with everyone. And usually to a bad outcome.

The set is fantastic, the songs are great (I’m still singing The Tale of Solomon Snell, We’re here to tell you and Take a Bow to myself) and the cast is perfect – particularly Winningham (she reminded me of my aunt) where she has this detached love for Christopher. You know she cares for him but can’t bring herself to show him any sort of emotion.

If you liked (or loved, like me) Sheik’s Spring Awakening, you’ll love this show.

Click here to listen to the music.

Music & Lyrics by Duncan Sheik
Book & Lyrics by Kyle Jarrow
Directed by Peter Askin

Now playing at The Old Globe through February 21
Tickets: $55-$105
Contact: (619) 23-GLOBE or click here for tickets

I caught up with Armin at the tail-end of his run of The Seafarer where he was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk about theater, how he prepares for a role and much more!

For ticket information on The Seafarer at the San Diego Repertory Theater, click here!

You’re currently starring in The Seafarer. Even though it’s a short run, how do you keep your performance fresh night after night?
How do I do that?  How does any actor do that?  By being inspired every night by what the other people are doing and finding new things in the play as we go along.  Although it’s a rehearsed and performed piece, there’s always something new.  That’s the great thing about live theater, you can always find something new and fresh each performance.  The audience and the actors give you things.

How do you choose your theatre projects?  Do you have a master list of shows or characters that you want to do somewhere?
I tend to prefer classical theater.  That is what I’ve been trained in and what I’ve mostly done and what intrigues me the most.  However, I saw this particular play in New York when I was visiting a couple years ago, and it was an incredible production directed by the playwright on Broadway.  And when I saw it, after I saw it, I was just absolutely enthralled by it and there was a particular part in it that I really wanted to play.  That is not the part that I’m playing, but I was really enthralled by the play.  And I particularly wanted to play the Devil, but instead the theatre here, very wisely in my opinion, cast me as Richard Harkin which is the host of the party for want of a better term.  And I’m just tickled pink.  Without doubt it’ll always be one of my favorite character’s that I’ve ever played.

I’ve heard you’re fantastic in the show.
It’s turned out very well.  We’ve had a wonderful director.  Delisha [Turner Sonnenburg] did a great job directing it.  The theatre has done a terrific job of producing it.  And it’s an incredible ensemble of actors.

If you played the role you wanted to play originally, do you think you would appreciate the show as much?
I’m sure I would because I really liked the show when I saw it in New York and then I saw it again actually in Los Angeles as well.  The show itself is incredibly uplifting – enormously uplifting.  The show itself I would always appreciate.  I would see the show from a different set of eyes if I were playing the devil because really there’s a tug of war for the soul of my brother, the character of my brother.  Between the devil and myself.  So, I’m seeing the show through very, very, very positive eyes, whereas if I were playing the Devil, I’m sure I would be seeing it through a negative pair of eyes.

And of course my character wins the chess game and the Devil loses, and again, that too would probably tint my view of the proceedings.  But whatever character you play, anyone of the five characters, I think everyone would agree, it’s an audience favorite.  People jump to their feet.  There’s a moment towards the end of the play that almost invariably we get a gasp or a surprise or a huge applause because that’s the way the play works.

How do you go about approaching a role?  What are the first things you tend to do?
Well, the first thing I suppose that I do is read it and try to find out what the arc of the character is.  You know all actors look at theatre pieces through the eyes of their characters because that’s the character they’re going to play hopefully.

For me once I’ve been cast, it’s my first piece of homework is to see, “Okay, how does this character change from beginning to end?”  Then of course, that sort of instructs me on what the intentions are of the character, what is it they want at the different times of the play.  And then as you rehearse you fill in the gaps for that overall intention and what it is you need.  And then the relationships build between you and the other actors about your characters.  So it’s a building block process.

Actually, the better metaphor is a crossword puzzle.  It’s a hard crossword puzzle.  You get two or three or four answers right away if you’re lucky and then you struggle with the next couple of answers.  But when you get those filled in it gets a little bit easier and you gradually bit by bit fill in all the blanks and that’s sort of what I do as a performer.

You’ve done everything from theater to TV to films.  Do you prefer any one over the other?
Yes, I much prefer the theater.  I was schooled in the theater.  It has always been my hope that I would be a major regional theater actor.  I started actually here in San Diego at the Globe.  And because of certain events, certainly fortuitous events, I’m very happy it worked out the way it did, I was sort of seduced by TV. The dark side of the force. And luckily, for my life and for my comfort and for my ease that all worked out very well.  But my heart has always been in the theatre.  And I’m extremely happy to be back working on the courts.

I love how you didn’t even hesitate on that answer.
Well, there’s no hesitation whatsoever.  TV pays the bills.  And I’m very happy to do it, and I don’t denigrate it.  It’s not any worse or better than the theater.  But my heart lies in the theater.

You’ve been in two television shows that have incredible cult followings – Buffy [The Vampire Slayer] and Star Trek.  It’s gotta be great just walking down the street and be just instantly loved or I guess feared in the case of Principal Snyder.
Exactly.  And so there’s the dichotomy.  You’ve said it very well.  I can be loved or I can be despised for Snyder.  And when people say, “I loved your show,” I always have to ask which show.  And I have luckily also done a lot of other things as well.  Sometimes they’re referring to Seinfeld or Boston Legal or something.  So I can never really be sure, but certainly those two shows are the ones I’m best known for.  And it’s a great treat to me, dessert actually, to hear people despise me or love me.  Depends on which show they followed.

I have to ask a Star Trek question.  When creating a character like Quark, did you have a lot of room to do what you wanted or was there a strict character Bible on what the writers wanted with him?
A little of both.  The writers and the mythology that I stepped into as Quark.  Mythology that I helped create in Next Generation but mythology that had already been established about the race, about the Ferengi, that was pretty much set in stone.  What I could do primarily was to change subtle little things in the nature of the race within the confines of the scripts I had pretty wide leeway to choose what I wanted for the character.  So as far as the race is concerned, it was pretty set in stone. For the character himself of course I had to do exactly what they told me to say.  There’s no ad-libbing in Star Trek.  But how I played the character, which is the actor’s providence, that was left to me primarily.  And certainly as the years went by, I got more and more leeway to do whatever I wanted as far as character choices.

You’ve had such a long career where others don’t, what do you think has been the most important thing you’ve done for longevity?
Tried to change.  One of the great things that we just talked about.  Quark is one type of character, but I was more than happy to play.  I could have easily said to  Buffy - and sometimes I had to – sorry I’m not available -  I can’t play Snyder.  But I was eager to play Snyder,  not only because I liked the show, but also because it was really different than Quark.  And then it’s always for my own readings and talkings with other actors I’ve always seen that you have to reinvent yourself on a regular basis.  So that’s what I tried to do.  I tried to constantly reinvent myself, see where I am in my life at that moment and say, okay I’ve changed over the last 5, 6, 7 years, and my character should change, too.  And it’s pretty pathetic if you play the same character all your life.

You’re an amazing character actor.  I mean, I’ve never seen you do the same thing twice I don’t think.
Well, thank you.  Thank you.  It is, again, I attribute that to my theatre training, which when you’re in the theatre, you have to play different characters.   You can’t get by with playing just one character.

Do you have any advice you might want to give actors, either ones starting out or ones who I guess just can’t seem to manage their breakthrough?
No.  None whatsoever (laughter).  Each person’s path is different.  And I can only say that luck is a huge factor in every career.  When a door opens, you have to be ready and prepared to go through that door if it opens.  But when the door opens and when the opportunities shows itself, in my opinion, is strictly a matter of luck.

There are wonderful actors who have never succeeded.  There are horrible actors who have succeeded incredibly well.  It’s just a matter of luck.  And taking advantage.  And being prepared.  I guess if I’m going to give any advice, be prepared as an actor.  Work on your craft.  Do what you can to make yourself a better actor and more importantly a better human being.

No, as a struggling actor in New York, leaving the city was probably the smartest thing he ever did. Because when he came back, he landed on a Broadway stage.

Check out how he did that, the differences between Broadway and Las Vegas and what it’s like playing an icon.

I saw the show Tuesday at 6:30 and I thought it was fantastic.
Yeah, it’s a fun show.

Yeah, you guys are great.  I guess you can call that an early matinee?
Yeah, it’s weird here because everything’s in the evening.  Anything in the afternoon is pretty brutal.

You guys were just on fire and cracking.
Those 2 show days are… you know, everybody is pretty high energy throughout the full day.

How long have you been in the show?
I’ve been involved with Jersey Boys since February of 2007. I was in the Broadway company for about a year and a half, and then they moved me out here last September of 2008.

Did you want to come out here?
It was kind of 50/50.  I enjoyed being in New York and being on Broadway, but the role of Frankie Valli opened up out here and they offered it to me, so I kind of had to take it you know.

How do you keep it fresh?
That’s a good question, man (laughter).  That is a really good question, especially after almost 3 years.  You just really have to – well, a lot of it is what the audience is bringing to you that night.  You know, if it’s a great house and if it’s a great audience of course you always feel as a performer to give it just that little bit extra, instead of – you don’t always want to coast on auto pilot.  But sometimes you know you get tired.  But as far as keeping it fresh, you just, with this show, I find I really enjoy singing the music. And the music itself is fresh to me just about every night on its own.

Do you discover like different things each night?
Yeah, I do.  There’s always something to work on.  I always try to improve myself each day.  Maybe just a little bit at a time.  But there’s always things that I’m working on.

How did you come to audition for the show?
That’s a funny question.  I was living in Georgia at the time, and I saw the show had opened up on Broadway.  So, I made an audio demo of me singing some Frankie Valli tunes and sent it into the casting director in New York.  And they kept it on file.

That’s smart.
I figured what do I got to lose.  Worst they can do is throw it away or say no, but you never know.  And I’m glad I did because they kept it on file and when auditions rolled around and they needed a replacement they gave me a call and I flew to New York, auditioned for them and the rest is history.

How long from the time you sent in the demo until they called you?
I would say probably about 3 months, 3 or 4 months.

Wow.  I saw that you originally came to the show as Joe Pesci?
That’s what I was doing in New York.  I played Joe Pesci in New York.  Also understudied Frankie Valli; went on there quite a bit.  But ever since I’ve been out there, I’ve just been playing Frankie.

So what was it like the first time you played Frankie on stage?
The first time I did it in New York, that’s where I did it the first time was in New York, I really don’t remember it (laughs), you know what I mean?

Kind of in a haze?
I was too busy worried about saying all the right words and being in the right spots and all that stuff.  The only thing I remember of it is afterwards when the four guys run off stage after our curtain call being able to breathe again and then everything coming back to me.

What kind of research did you do for Frankie Valli?  You had his kind of crooked stance.
Yeah, he’s got a crooked stance, he kind of holds one of his hands, whatever hand the microphone’s not in, he kind of holds up close to his body.  He always kind of has that look on his face like he’s in pain.  So, I just… [loud music has just filled the theater in preparation of the show, so we stepped outside].  As far as research, I always listen to the recordings.  I’ve always been a big fan of Frankie Valli.  I remember the first time that I met him in New York, I shook his hand and told him that he was one of the reasons that I wanted to be a singer.  But I watched a lot of the stuff, they got all kinds of stuff on YouTube.

YouTube, an actor’s best friend.
Exactly.  So, I just watched all that stuff and all the interviews and just listened to the music as much as I could and tried to get his little nuances into my head.

Has Frankie Valli seen your performance?
I don’t know if he’s ever seen me do it.  He’s been so busy.  They’ve opened up – since I joined the show, they’ve opened up like six different companies.  So, he’s been running around doing all the different companies.  And not to mention touring with his own staff.  So he’s a busy guy.  I’m not sure he’s ever actually seen me do it.  We’ve met, we’ve hung out quite a bit.  He’s a good guy.

So what’s the difference between doing shows in Vegas and New York, Broadway?
That’s another good question.  Audiences are different.  In New York, particularly with this show, with it being Jersey right across the river from New York, there’s a lot of little inside jokes that people get there a little bit better than they get here.  Sometimes here the crowds are a little late.  You kind of have to pull some stuff out of them a little bit.  They’ve been drinking all day, they’ve been out in the sun and having fun and the last thing they want to do sometimes is come to the show, but by the end of the show, we’ve got them right where we want them every single time.

How do you keep your voice in shape in this in this dry climate?  It’s gotta be brutal.
It’s the worst thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life.  On top of the lack of humidity and the heat there’s also allergies that I have never experienced in my life until I got out here, so I just keep humidifiers running, I try to be quiet whenever I need to be.  I’m doing allergy shots and sleep and water, water, water, water, water.

I know myself I’m just like groggy all the time when I’m out here.
I know.  If you spend enough time talking, you’re like jeez, what’s going on.  It’s brutal sometimes, man.

How did you get started?  You said you were in Georgia, right?
Well , I grew up in Kansas.  Was a music theatre major.  I went to Kansas State University and did that there for those 4 years.  And I’ve kind of always wanted to be in show business.  My father was a singer, my mother’s a singer.  I started, when I was a kid, worked at some theme parks, moved on to cruise ships and did some regional theatre.  Finally put my own act together and started doing that on some ships.  And I’m actually getting ready to trying to book it at one of the casinos here in town as well.

So when you first got to New York City how was it?  Were just auditioning, pounding the pavement?
I was actually – l lived there two times.  The first time that I lived there, that’s exactly what I did.  I was doing what everybody does when they go to New York.  Just hitting every audition that I could and waiting tables at night and doing it all over the next day. And finally it wore on me, man.  It’s a life.  You gotta have a tough skin, you really do.  And I moved out of New York and started doing my own thing, my own show.  Like in clubs across the country and on some cruise ships.  And you know a couple years went by and that’s when I made that demo and sent it in to New York.  And so I left New York to get a job on Broadway.

Any roles out there that you’d love to play?
You know this one has been so on my mind since I saw that the show had opened.

Just complete laser focus?
Yeah, it’s weird.  You know when I was a kid when of course when Phantom and Les Mis and all that stuff was big you’re like oh yeah I’d love to be the Phantom some day.  But now you know, I really don’t know.  It’s such a tough time for theatre right now.  And this one’s doing me good, so I’m not gonna complain about it.

Any advice for people out there who want to pursue a career in theater?
Just like I said tough skin, and keep doing it even when people say no, just believe in yourself and keep going.  Keep going.

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Robert Knepper, a career actor who cut his teeth on the theatrical stage in his hometown of Fremont, Ohio before majoring in drama at Chicago’s Northwestern University, is often typecast as a villain, but he approaches each new role as if he were playing the sweetest person in the world.

Lessons from Prison Break:
“Prison Break taught me that the writers have to break the story. They ponder it, they wrestle with it and all of a sudden they figure it out. What I realized, week after week after week of doing Prison Break, is that you do the same thing as an actor. You break the story from that character’s point of view. You break that scene down and go, `Ah-a, I get it.’ It’s kind of like a slow- moving river that’s coming to a waterfall, and all of a sudden the water starts to flow. You can’t just memorize a scene without knowing what the scene’s about. If the writing’s not good, I can’t memorize it at all. I’m like, `Damn, why won’t these words stick in my head?’ Once I break the scene, like the writers do, then it flows.”

On Heroes:
“I have a good vibe for Heroes, because I’m pulling my hair out trying to discover that character. The difference between now and Prison Break is that Prison Break put me on the map. With Heroes – it’s weird, but I haven’t talked about this before – it’s almost as if I feel the audience will be watching me develop the character as I’m developing it. I haven’t got it all developed ahead of time. I’m still fiddling with it. We’ll get to see what happens with it from one week to the next. For the audience, it’s like the theatre. It’s like watching a live performance unfold that happens to be on film.”

“What I’m doing is not radically different from what I’ve done before. Maybe, after one year of being on the show, then I’ll have it figured out; I’ll know exactly what it is. But, right now, I love the challenge. I love the craziness of not knowing what’s coming next.”

On his Heroes character, Samuel:
“He’s going to draw you in. He’s going to draw all these heroes’ stories out of them. Samuel is also looking to reclaim a part of his soul. Samuel isn’t a villain, really. He’s a hero who’s misunderstood. Hopefully, you’ll get a gleam of light into his life as well.”

Starring role or ensemble?
“I’m an ensemble guy. My whole life, I’ve been an ensemble guy, because I grew up in the theatre. Anything I can do to help tell the story as a whole – that’s who I am. And I always will be.”

Charles S. Dutton

In it, he talks about why he quit the stage for the lure of Hollywood… and why he came back. Here’s a snippet below.

Check out the whole article here.

Playbill.com: What made you fall out of love with acting in the first place?
CD: It was purely the intoxication of Hollywood. I will freely admit it. It was not necessarily the money, but the freedom and the power. I was pretty much given free reign when I got out there, my own show and tons of things in development. It’s a different kind of headset. Instead of rehearsals, you’re in meetings. You’re hiring and firing. You’re overseeing something from point A to point Z. In film and television, you only act for a few minutes at a time, and then you’re in your trailer, waiting. So, it’s an easier life. It is. It’s a more lucrative life. It’s Los Angeles. It’s sunny California. It’s palm trees. You’ve got a pool in your backyard. Everybody gets consumed by it. Everybody who’s left the theatre and gone to Los Angeles will tell you the same thing, not publicly but privately. I lost a respect for the training. Not respect, but I forgot about the intensity of the training I got. I tried to leverage it a bit. We did a whole season of “Roc” live. But as the years went, you get fat and lazy, and you don’t feel like working that hard. Theatre is like digging your ditch for a living.

Playbill.com: But you’re working hard now, aren’t you?
CD: Oh, man. Like never before. And the irony of it all is that, when you’re a young actor, you say “I can’t wait to play Willy Loman and King Lear.” When you’re able to do it, you say, “Oh, man!” You get a sense of mortality.