Acting Professionally: Raw Facts about Careers in Acting

Filled with essential advice and highlighting pitfalls to avoid, Acting Professionally gives a clear understanding of how acting careers are built and sustained.

Now in its 9th edition, this book has become the leading book in the field since the first edition published in 1972.

Critically, this new edition reflects the vital changes in the industry as a result of the Black Lives Matter, Time’s Up and MeToo movements, and the Covid-19 pandemic. This new edition acknowledges and seeks to address the challenges of the industry often faced by actors when it comes to race, ethnicity, gender, diversity, and sexuality. It includes an extensive new section on the industry to reflect the 21st century, including signposting new resources and insights for the young actor, and considers the shifting landscape and opportunities offered by TV streaming, films, voiceover, internet, audiobooks, and podcasts. This 9th edition speaks to the changed landscape of unions, representation, self-tape auditioning and other best and up to date practices in the industry, ensuring that it’s a book that’s useful, relevant and accessible to every actor starting out today.

James Calleri is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Co-Head of the Acting Concentration at Columbia University School of the Arts, USA.. He has taught at the NYU Tisch Graduate Acting Program and Syracuse University, as well as schools and colleges across the US and as far as the Shanghai Theater Institute. He is also the owner of Calleri Studio in New York City, and has served many years on the board of the Casting Society of America.

Robert Cohen is an acclaimed professional and academic stage director, and the founding Chair of Drama at the University of California, Irvine, USA. The author of 24 books on theatre, his major awards include a Claire Trevor Professorship, the UCI Medal, Romania’s Honoris Causa Medal, Poland’s Medal of Honor, the ATHE Award for Career Achievement and UCI’s 2015 Award for Distinguished Professor of Research.