A man promised to make me a star

Question:

How can we help you?: The other day i went with my mother to the gasoline and a man saw me his name is Micheal Donovan and said to me if i would like to be a famous movie star and he talked to my mother about a Disney movie that was coming up he gave my mom and told me this job was a lot of fun but serious he gave us his email address to contact him but the thing is that i don't have no experience what so ever i just worked as stage manager for a school play but that's it. please help those who had experience in this, what do you think will happen? Do you think hes fake?

My Answer:

Hello there,

first of all, thank you for visiting my site www.actingcareerstartup.com and for having faith that I can answer your questions.

If the man who approached you used the words "make you a star", then my advice would be to be very careful. If for some reason your curiosity gets the best of you and you just can't stay away, then if you have any contact with him, get your father involved.

The reason I say stay be careful is because there are so many creeps out there who make false promises just to get what they want, whether it be money or something else.
He might be legitimate, but just be careful.

I did some research and near you in LA there is a Michael Donovan Casting office with the following contacts:

Michael Donovan Casting
7805 Sunset Blvd. Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Tel: 323-876-9020
Fax: 323-876-9021

See if that is the contact information the man gave you. Also, whenever things like this happen, do some research on the internet to find out more about people like him who approach you.

The thing that makes me suspicious is, the approach at the gas station, but most of all the promise to make you a star. If you talk to anyone who has any amount of experience in the industry, using those words to make a promise is absolutely ridiculous and an insult to someone's intelligence. NO ONE can promise you that. NO ONE!

That particular casting office also offers classes. When you talk to the man, see if his approach is, that you first have to take and pay for his classes in order to be considered for any roles. If that is the case, then I would say it sounds like a gimmick.

If you really want to start acting, then have a look at my site. There is a lot of information on how to get started. That's why I built it.

Start with these pages:
Here are two pages for you to read together with your mother:
www.actingcareerstartup.com/acting-career-research.html

www.actingcareerstartup.com/child-actor.html

Let me know how things work out.
Thanks again for contacting me.

Tony
Actor, Author, Host,
Motivational Speaker,
www.actingcareerstartup.com

Did you pick up a copy of Tony's book: Acting Career Start-Up: Four Key Factors For Success
www.actingcareerstartup.com/acting_career_start.html

On Mon Dec 27 23:21:32 2010, the following results were submitted from the "Contact" on actingcareerstartup.com:

How old do I have to be to start acting?

Here is a recent question I answered for a visitor to ActingCareerStartUp.com.

The great thing about acting is, that there is a need for actors of all ages.
The younger you are when you start, the better of a chance you will have to
really develop your talent. However, that doesn't mean that if you start out
later, that you can't make it and be successful.

What is important is that if you choose to be an actor, that you go for it
with all your heart and that you do it for the right reasons.

Have a look at some of these links on ActingCareerStartUp.com that might
help you figure some things out that you need to do to get started.

For Teens
Disney Auditions
Nickelodeon Auditions
Auditions for upcoming movies
Interview with a Hollywood youth talent agent

And don't forget to get your parents involved!

Hope that helps!

Tony

How Do You Know If Acting Is Right For You?

This is part of an exclusive interview with Hollywood Acting Coach Bernard Hiller, who answers the question: How Do You Know If Acting Is Right For You?




To see the rest of this interview and more information about starting an acting career, or specifically for teens and Disney Channel or Nickolodeon Auditions come to ActingCareerStartUp.com!