The Actor's Life by Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a theater degree in hand, she was determined, she was confident, she was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong? Uh, basically everything. The path to being a professional actor was so much more vast and competitive than she'd imagined. It would be eight long years before she landed her iconic role on The Office, nearly a decade of frustration, struggle, rejection and doubt. If only she'd had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way -- an established actor who could educate her about the business, manage her expectations, and reassure her in those moments of despair. Jenna wants to be that person for you. With amusing candor and wit, Fischer spells out the nuts and bolts of getting established in the profession, based on her own memorable and hilarious experiences. She tells you how to get the right headshot, what to look for in representation, and the importance of joining forces with other like-minded artists and creating your own work -- invaluable advice personally acquired from her many years of struggle. She provides helpful hints on how to be gutsy and take risks, the tricks to good auditioning and callbacks, and how not to fall for certain scams (auditions in a guy's apartment are probably not legit -- or at least not for the kind of part you're looking for!). Her inspiring, helpful guidance feels like a trusted friend who's made the journey, and has now returned to walk beside you, pointing out the pitfalls as you blaze your own path towards the life of a professional actor.—Jon Hamm
"In The Actor's Life, Jenna Fischer lays out exactly what aspiring actors can expect from this crazy, unpredictable industry both practically and emotionally. Nothing is sugar-coated, nor is it cynical. It's just reality, plain and simple. At every level of success, we are all just artists trying to figure it out day by day. That's the truth."
—Christina Applegate
"If I had Jenna's book when I was a struggling actor it would have eased the pain and encouraged my journey. This is an insightful, funny, sweet story from one actor to another; we all need a leg up, a hand to hold, and the encouragement to keep going when we truly find our passion. Jenna manages to do that and more in this very helpful guide for an actor finding their way into the business."
—Julianna Margulies
"How lucky for those who dream that Jenna Fischer has written this book and candidly explained the hard work, persistence, and delusion required to become a working actor. This book is generous, practical, and in the right hands will be a talisman for the deserving few who refuse to give up."
—Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad Men
"Jenna Fischer's story is an excellent resource for anyone who is involved in the life of an actor. Much of this information was new to me; I have always respected the actor's journey, but now I am in awe of it. It's also entertaining from beginning to end."
—Allison Jones, Casting Director
Jenna Fischer is best known for her nine seasons as Pam Beesly on the hit TV sitcom The Office, for which she won an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress and two SAG Awards for Outstanding Ensemble Comedy Performance. After finishing The Office, Fischer went on to star in Neil LaBute's Off-Broadway production Reasons to Be Happy, which also starred Josh Hamilton, Leslie Bibb, and Fred Weller. Fischer most recently appeared in the NBC limited series You, Me, and the Apocalypse alongside Rob Lowe and Megan Mullally. She also had a recurring part on NBC's Mysteries of Laura and appeared on Fox's The Grinder and Comedy Central's Drunk History as a guest star. The Giant Mechanical Man (which she also produced), Hall Pass by the Farrelly Brothers, Solitary Man, opposite Michael Douglas, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, produced by Judd Apatow, The Promotion, Matt Weiner's Are You Here, and Blades of Glory opposite Will Ferrell are among Fischer's cinematic credits.
Fischer received the Emerging Actor Award from the Screen Actors Guild at the St. Louis Film Festival in 2004. Film Festival in St. Louis. Her family and she live in Los Angeles.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781944648220 |
| ISBN 10 | 1944648224 |
| Title | The Actor's Life |
| Author | Jenna Fischer |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | BenBella Books |
| Year published | 2017-11-14 |
| Number of pages | 252 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |