Expert: Phil Nemy - 3/22/2010

Question
Mr. Nemy:

I want to start by thanking you for taking the time to answer my questions!

I'll start by giving you some background information.

I'm 22 years old, and I first fell in love with acting in high school.  I was determined to pursue a career in it after I graduated, but I chose a different path.  Recently, I have begun to have a passion for it again, so I'd like to get back in to it.  

I really have no desire to make it big in Hollywood.  However, I would like to do some smaller, independent films.  I would also be willing to do theater and voice-over work.

The closest city to me where I think I could get work as an actor is Denver.  My first question is do you think I could get my three vouchers there in order to join SAG?  And secondly, do you know if there are any opportunities to do smaller films there?  Obviously I know that most of the opportunities to do films are in L.A., but I would prefer to stay closer to home -- at least for right now.  Also, I think it's a better idea for me to try to develop my acting ability here and see if I can build some sort of a resume before I try to go to L.A.

Again, thanks for your advice and time!

Answer
Michael,

Thanks for writing. To answer your questions, no, I don't believe you'll find enough work in the Denver area for you to get your three SAG vouchers. Are there enough smaller films in Denver? I don't know what's shooting at the moment in the Denver area. Your best bet is to contact your local film commission and see if you can find out from them what might be shooting in the area.

At the end of the day, if you want to be a working actor, you need to be in LA. The longer you wait to make the move, the less roles are available to you. If you're 22 and you look young enough to play 18, you'll find much more work available. But as you get older, less and less roles become available.

Good luck!

Phil