To wonder what actors do when they don't act?

[Nomilkinmycoffeeplease]

I had a chance to catch up on a number of series over Christmas, and discovered quite a few interesting actors I have never heard of (I usually live in scandi thrillers, so BBC productions have not been on my radar much).
Then looking up some of these people I kind of figured out why I never heard of most of them- they seem to be doing one production every year or two years if lucky, sometimes get a short stint in a theatre. And then nothing, or at least nothing I could find on them by googling :)
I presume some people may be doing odd jobs here and there, but then it seems quite disheartening once they hit their 40s and the big break )if they stick around this much)... I have some friends who are musicians and they manage to make a fair bit by giving private classes, in wedding bands etc, but it must be harder in the acting profession?

So yeah, really, just wondering how people make ends meet?

I’m really glad you started this thread OP as I’ve often wondered this.

There is a saying that 90 per cent of Actors are "resting" at any one time! For anyone that remembers "life On Mars" .Marshall Lancaster ,who played the part of Chris the young detective ,is now running his own plastering company! Many more have to have back up jobs .The chances of making it big and being in full time acting are slim!

I know one who runs a Cattery.

Another does voice over work for advertisements. For years she was the voice of a well known brand. It was funny hearing her so frequently advertising x brand.

@Littlewhiteballs You'd need to be quite well known to make money off that. I kind of get why people would want a message from someone recognisable and have some following, but the actors I am thinking about are not, so not sure they owuld rake up huge sums of money from stints like this.

I worked in a call centre with an actor in between his roles on two soaps.

I had a friend who was signing on between jobs, this was many years ago. Back then you had to go in and declare each week if you had any work that past week and how many hours you had worked.

He got a day doing a voice over. It was only a couple of hours but he earned £2k. He still got full dole because then it was based on hours not pay!

@dottiedodah Weird thinking how much TV (good TV as well) is being made at any fiven moment, seeing all the different platforms making their own stuff as well! Bu then you also have lots of people who are constantly employed, so maybe the pool of jobs is not that big.

The actors I know do voiceover and corporate work when they're not on stage or TV. Radio work too. Also gardening and handyman type stuff.

We had a temp TA at work who had been in a famous soap, and I once worked in a media office with a few actors who were temping to pay the rent. They all left to do panto at Christmas as they reckoned it was their most lucrative time of year. Every single one of my actor friends finds employment at Christmas.

Work for agencies so they temp and can go and audition at short notice

For people wondering whether resting actors can make a decent living from voiceover work - not all of it is very lucrative but some of it can be. An ad on national TV can comfortably pay thousands and, as a PP said, involve an hour or two in a studio. But there's fierce competition because nowadays so many people think they can make a lot of money doing voiceovers....

@Octothorpe

For people wondering whether resting actors can make a decent living from voiceover work - not all of it is very lucrative but some of it can be. An ad on national TV can comfortably pay thousands and, as a PP said, involve an hour or two in a studio. But there's fierce competition because nowadays so many people think they can make a lot of money doing voiceovers....

Yep, I was just thinking I'd be as happy as Larry if I could get voiceover and radio work whilst "resting"!

I'm related to a reasonably well known actor. They do Comic-Con meet and greats in between which they love. Meeting fans and making money. Win win they say

@blissfulllife

I'm related to a reasonably well known actor. They do Comic-Con meet and greats in between which they love. Meeting fans and making money. Win win they say

Please be related to Anthony Head.

I used to work with guy who was an actor.

Occasionally you’d see him as lawyer/judge/accountant on Eastenders/The Bill or in regional theatre. I occasionally hear his voice on a radio play or voiceover, he’s does a lot of Police! Action! 999! factual stuff. I think he’s much rather be working in the industry that for the local Council!

I’ve just remembered I used to know another resting actor. She coached people in voice techniques/presentation skills.

@HeronLanyon my husband used to have to do that when he worked for a medical company. The pictures are horrible lol

I knew loads of people who became actors as I was friends with the theatre crowd at uni.

The vast majority of them now teach or work in theatre admin/marketing/box office type roles. I can only think of one who has been successful enough to make a full time living from acting and she is independently wealthy which I'm sure must have helped (she is also very talented though).

I don't feel sorry for the ones who "only" achieve small parts in soaps/BBC dramas/regional theatre etc, I think they're actually amongst the most successful ones. So many don't even get that far.

@blueflowersinthesnow I do feel sorry for people who are actually incredibly talented and end up doing Car Mechanic 3 in a soap.
Also, I don't know, to go to drama school (where from what I have heard it is incredibly difficult to make your way into to begin with) and to do a three year degree only to do voice overs for a washing liquid ad... If the most you can expect is to play an extra on Coronation Street and that is called being successful, it's a harsh life.

Obviously maybe lots of people are very happy with that and happily settle for income from voiceovers etc while getting to do what they love every once in a while and my perspective is very skewed.

I am just surprised how many really, really talented people are there who don't get to show their talent. And probably many average too, like in any other job.

@blissfulllife That is cool- if your character is one that fits into the comic con 'criteria'! I know this has been the case of loads of actors doing voice overs for anime, and some still do it years after moving on from the industry as it's good fun and still brings money even if they moved on!

@MaggieCassidy totally, but looking at some of the people, they are in their 30s and have done very little work in between projects, like, 1 series every two years- that's a long holiday! Maybe it's by choice for some of them, maybe not! I actually didnt realise how many actors there are that are not really in employment most of the time.

@TooWicked

We have an acquaintance who is an "actor", I've never known him to have a signifcant role. He is often an extra on various sets (which only earns pocket money tbh), he does a bit of am-dram, a bit of paid (buttons) theatre, and he does the occasional voiceover.

He certainly doesn't earn a living, he has a wealthy successful wife who indulges him in his hobby.

I used to be in the industry and this is an extremely common setup.

At the time I was in the industry (early OOs) the statistic was that less than 15% of Equity members (Equity is the professional body for actors) would actually make a living from acting. That 15% would include the likes of Judi Dench and the cast of Eastenders.

One guy I know of (horrible man) does the rounds of chat shows when he can. He used to regularly be on that Matthew Wright show, so I’d turn it off.

We used to have an actor as our temp receptionist in work. We were able to give him very flexible hours to account for filming and auditions. He used to do corporate coaching also. Eventually he was cast in an ad for Asda (along with the theatre and tv bit parts he was doing) and that was well enough paid for him to quit.

I also know a few actresses who couldn't keep going and now teach full time.

My husband's best friend is an actor (also directs theatre productions). In between he does removals and office temp work (admin). His income is on average quite low but his mother bought him a flat outright and he has no dependants.

Another friend teaches/runs drama workshops in schools and prisons (!) When she's not doing tv/film/theatre/panto. She is also a burlesque artiste (teaches workshops in this genre too). She started as a hobby/bit of fun but it's been surprisingly lucrative and regular work.

Other actors I know less well have run market stalls and driven taxis.

At my old firm (law) we had out of work actors who used to fill in when our postroom/general office guy was on leave or off sick. One day you'd be giving them a photocopying job then the next you'd switch on the TV and see them in casualty or on a car advert!