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The Actor's Life
- A Survival Guide
- Narrated by: Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
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The Actor's Life
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Publisher's Summary
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.
This title is narrated by a full cast. Narrators include: Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Natalie Zea, Sean Gunn, Derek Waters, Reed Birney, and Mark Proksch.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about The Actor's Life
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jersey Girl
- 21-02-2021
loved this book
I've just started acting, after changing careers, and found this both really entertaining and very helpful. It's my favorite acting book that I've read so far, as it is enjoyable to read (and listen to) (some books others have recommended are just really boring). I loved listening to Jenna tell her story too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 28-01-2020
Worth while!
Jenna Fischer’s insight, breakdown and honest advice is exceptional and a very real opinion on the in and outs of the entertainment industry!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sam
- 29-03-2018
Actor's coach and Survival Guide
Would you listen to The Actor's Life again? Why?
Yes, absolutely. Anyone even looking to embark on an career on the boards or in front of the camera should listen to this book. Practical advice framed in positive tone is so valuable.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I actually found the admissions of Jenna's missteps to be really endearing
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jim Hainey
- 12-09-2021
Every speaker must read this.
I am Speaker Agent. This book is the equivalent of Jerry McGuire only better. Jenna has written a book which is full of her and Pam. I have now heard it 5 times snd get more out of it on every listening. Thanks Jenna
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Karla
- 10-07-2018
A must read for Actors
Such practical, specific and applicable advice from someone who’s been there. It really is a survival guide. Do yourself a favour, and read the whole thing, then read it again! Thanks Jenna Fischer!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-07-2018
Lovely, warm but realistic.
love it. as a budding actor myself I loved the way this was presented comical but real in terms of what to expect.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dan
- 03-11-2019
Great insights into acting
Jenna is a magnificent voice actor. The stories she tells in this book are exciting. Her writing style makes it relatable to the reader. Great book, that is me saying this without having ever tapped into acting myself.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 11-04-2020
This is a must-have for any aspiring actor
I selected this book because I am a fan of The Office (US) and I have heard Jenna talking on a podcast about writing this book. I chose the audible version so I can listen in the car or out walking and as this is my first audible book, I made the right choice. This book is amazing and should be a bible for all aspiring actors. I am not an aspiring actor in anyway but I am the type of person who will buy a movie on blu-ray and watch the behind-the-scene production documentaries (sometimes before the movie). So hearing how an actor starts from nothing and struggles to get somewhere, and ends up on our screens is an amazing story, and Jenna's own accounts of the highs and lows of how she made it makes this book authentic and funny too. Don't get this book thinking it's going to be about her time on The Office. Sure, there are stories from that series but there is so much more, and Jenna gives some valuable advice throughout the whole book to explain in great detail the steps, and expectations when becoming an actor. I also think that listening to Jenna read her book gives it that personal touch, because these are her stories, her explanations, and her advice. Oh, and even the forward as read by Rainn Wilson had me laughing! I loved this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hayley
- 24-07-2020
One for aspiring actors
I am a massive Office fan and downloaded this book in the hope it was more memoir then guide but it really is an actors guide. A few cool tid bits about the show here and there. Even though I have no interest in becoming an actor, I actually really enjoyed the book.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Adam Webb
- 13-09-2018
Average - gets lost in itself
It started off well and was on a downward sliding scale from there. Some of the day to day details of being an actor are interesting and the book pulls the curtain a little bit on the life experiences of an actor. It doesn’t go into enough detail of the actors life unfortunately.
There’s no doubt a struggling working actor would be a tough life. Fisher covers this well. The day in day out grind of rejection would be tough and the need for persistence is well discussed. I found some of the technical aspects of an actors daily routine on set interesting too.
There’s a series of oddly placed interviews in the last few chapters. I didn’t enjoy these at all. The narration is good at times but the ‘doe eyed’ girl voice grows a bit tiresome after a while.
I wouldn’t recommend the book.
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2 people found this helpful