My friend wrote a book called “One Less Bitter Actor.” I love title and the book is fantastic. I expected the book to be a text book about acting, but it is so much more and is a candidate for anyone to read.
It is a journey into the world of acting, show business and Hollywood, skillfully constructed by Markus Flanagan’s first hand account of his 20 plus years as a working (and sometimes non working) actor.
Markus has been in over 60 television shows and feature films and his credits include “Seinfeld,” ‘Friends” and the lead actor in “Nurses.” With my kids, he’s Emma Robert’s dad in “Unfabulous” on Nick. When I saw him as the third lead to Mathew Broderick in the film “Biloxi Blues” I thought this guy was “goin’ places.”
Why is he not a household name? One would think that to begin a career in a studio picture acting opposite Christopher Walken would spell sure success. And how many folks would give anything to have been cast in even one of the roles he was fortunate to play? Or be paid to do something as fun as play another character?
As he shares his journey, we see paths lined with obstacles and and self actualization we can all identify with.
Anyone could gain from his insights. No matter what someone’s occupation or career choice, we can all learn by someone sharing stories of success, failure and rejection.
Frankly, acting is probably the most challenging occupation if one has a fear of rejection. Auditioning for a part is basically applying for a job over and over again. One time, Markus was dismissed because he had the wrong baseball allegiance! Being a fellow Phillie fan, I was particularly bothered by that story.
Imagine going through each day preparing for job interviews where you have no idea what exactly the potential employer was looking for. It’s as if you were proficient at computer programming and they didn’t tell you but a portion of what your job would entail, and didn’t inform you until the night before. (“We’ll tell you this, you will use your keyboard and letters will be involved.”)
Then, if you are lucky to get past the first interview with the boss’s underling, you have to come back numerous times to secure the job, all the while guessing what it is that will separate you from the other applicants. Then, you are lucky if the job lasts more than a week. Sometimes, you might even be replaced in the middle of the week because the boss’s wife didn’t like your eye color. Then, on to the next…
Markus takes us through the process, offering us a delicious taste of what it’s like to live and survive in the entertainment world. Just like the scripts an actor reads, the book is brimming with hope and despair, success and failures, all the while showing us how to cope, endure and persevere.
I am in the business for 20 years and (still) learned a lot, so I can only believe many others will mine so much more from this incredible book. And if you know someone who is an actor or aspires to be one, then it’s a must have!
I usually blog about anecdotal frustrations or write cathartic expressions of resentments, but today I choose to let you know about a book I feel you will enjoy. What we read or watch is a reflection of who we are anyway, so we’ll leave it at that….
You can click here for more details or to buy the book. If you buy it, mention my name and that you like all the Philadelphia sports teams and I’ll bet he gives you a discount.
As with auditioning, do your homework. FYI…Mike Schmidt was the greatest third baseman of all time and the Phils last won in 1980 against the Royals. Mention the starting lineup of the ’83 Sixers and he just might give you the book for free! Break a leg…
