Ok, so the Industry is back. But it won't be business as usual. It can't be. Too much has changed. And if you want to book work in this new reality, you're going to have to change too. So listen in and let us know what speaks to you! You can meet this moment, but it won't be easy. Risa and Steve discuss where the Industry is at right now and the important first steps that every actor must take now that the strike is over.

This is a new world for actors. And the Industry that emerges on the other side of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will be different than anything we've ever seen.

The ways in which Actors have thought about their careers for over a century are, in many ways, no longer relevant. 

So, what's an Actor to do?

Risa and Steve shed light on this strange new world, offer insight into what it might look like, and discuss the action that Actors can (and must) take right now if they want to have a career on the other side of all of this.

‍Listen to other related episodes: 

Episode 46: - “What to do when the Industry Stops” with Risa & Steve

Opt in:

The BGB Actors Summit Video: How To Redefine Your Career For This Moment w/ Risa & Steve

John Levey loves his job. He loves actors. He loves storytelling. He loves diving into the worlds each character inhabits. He’s been loving it for 40 years and is one of the masters of this passion profession, having won multiple Emmys and Artios awards, putting actors into groundbreaking roles on some of the most popular television shows of all time- E.R., The West Wing, China Beach, and Shameless, to name just a few. Listen in as Risa & Steve have an honest conversation with the legendary John Frank Levey.

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John Frank Levey’s IMDb‍

Listen to other related episodes: 

• What Casting Wants:3 Top Casting Directors Tell It Like It Is
• Episode 12: - Bernie Telsey: The King of Casting
• Episode 20: - Sarah Finn: Superhero of Casting
• Episode 23: - Mary Queen of Casting: A Candid Conversation w/ Mary Vernieu
• Episode 38: - Richard Hicks, CD: We’re All In This Together

Check out John’s book, RIGHT FOR THE ROLE: 

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While there are many books that catalog Hollywood—from the classic to the profane, gritty to salacious—few tell the tale of how entertainment’s biggest names became the biggest names.

Right for the Role shares the story straight from an insider who’s been central to that process for decades. Four-time Emmy-award-winning casting director John Frank Levey hasn’t just witnessed some of the world’s greatest acting talents make it in Hollywood; in many cases, he’s had a major hand in it.

As the casting director for numerous iconic TV series, including ER, The West Wing and Shameless, Levey saw firsthand that household names like George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Allison Janney had “it”—and then watched their “it” propel them into the stratosphere.

In Right for the Role, Levey manages to tell a story of life among the glitterati while never losing his exuberance for being a part of the process. Through his colorful tales of meeting incredible talent early in their careers—including Josh Gad, Lucy Liu and a just-out-of-Julliard Jessica Chastain—Levey documents his transformation from a novice casting director to one of the greats in the field.

Beyond teaching readers how to spot what it takes to make it in Hollywood, how casting has changed since the 1980s (when telephones had cords!) or how to live in a world of glamor and gusto, Levey’s stories also show how to play a central role in a show’s success without losing a sense of wonder.

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Creator Classes!SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Generative A.I. is not the future. It is here. Now. And as the technology gets better and better, and audiences become less able to discern whether or not the actor on their favorite TV show or movie is human or A.I., the Industry will choose A.I. generated actors over human actors. A.I. actors are cheaper, less demanding, don’t have a union, and don’t require inconveniences like air, water, food, physical space, etc. 

But as Generative A.I. comes for your jobs, it forces all of us to ponder important questions that, left unanswered, could lead to the end of the acting profession altogether. 

What does it mean to be human?  

What is the actual difference between a human actor and an A.I. actor? 

Risa and Steve explore this new technology and the kind of work human actors will need to do to keep their jobs. Listen in!

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

• • Episode 46: - “What to do when the Industry Stops” with Risa & Steve
  • Episode 43: - “How to be a Happy Actor” with Sydney Walsh & Cate Cohen, Risa & Steve
  • Episode 41: - “Fighting Isolation: Why You Need an Artistic Community” BGB 10 year anniversary episode with Risa & Steve
  • Episode 36: - “The Pursuit of Happiness” With Caroline Lindy, Dominic Burgess, Ellyn Jameson & Johnathan McClain, & Risa

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Creator Classes!SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

We whole-heartedly support the writers as they fight for what they rightly deserve. And also, a strike means that the industry is slowing/shutting down.  For actors, that can mean fewer auditions and less hope of booking jobs. It can bring up fear and disappointment, especially after three years of pandemic-related uncertainty.   Risa and Steve offer tools to navigate it all, and reveal some of the incredible opportunities that presents themselves when the Industry stops. 

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Ep. 36: The Pursuit of Happiness - with Caroline Lindy, Dominic Burgess, Ellyn Jameson & Johnathan McClain

Ep. 43: How To Be A Happy Actor

Ep. 27: Not Just An Actor: Making Your Own Box

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Creator Classes!SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

As an actor, your vulnerability and emotional sensitivity are not only tools of your art. They are your products.  But being a sensitive person in an often cold, emotionally violent industry can be a train wreck waiting to happen.  Risa and Steve explore the kind of consistent healing necessary to stay open enough to bring the fullness of your talent to your auditions, and not compromise your mental health while doing it.Your nervous system is your tool and your product.  It’s also a sacred element of your being, through which you receive and process the world around you.  Your past experiences and dormant emotions can fuel your work, but they can also make you miserable. You need to be sensitive to do great acting work and book acting jobs, but the industry in which you’re operating often offers emotional violence, disinterest and the inability to see to any of your needs.  While the industry needs to be kinder and softer (even in the interest of finance).  it won’t happen anytime soon.  So, you are going to have to do the labor of looking at your pain and taking steps towards healing.  Risa and Steve explore the way in which actors can heal and offer their own healing journeys.

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Ep. 41: Fighting Isolation: Why You Need an Artistic Community

Ep. 35: Is It Time To Give Up Acting?

Ep. 10: Saying Yes to the No: Managing Rejection‍

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Creator Classes!SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Actors can often see CDs as faceless, soulless gate-keepers with the potential to grant wishes or kill dreams. This perception is not only wrong, but it’s bad for an actor’s business.  Casting directors are human beings who, like you, often struggle to do good work in an emotionally violent industry. In fact, the humanity of casting directors- their ability to be emotionally affected, to be moved- is often the reason an actor gets a callback and gets cast. Actors must believe then and constantly remind themselves that casting directors have the capacity to be emotionally moved by their work.  This discussion with Michelle Allen and the story of how and why she walked away is a great reminder.  Email us at info@bramongarciabraun.com and comment on our IG posts! 

In a business this competitive, navigating the slings and arrows to find happiness is a revolutionary act. Pursuing an acting career is hard. Heck, just being an actor, an artist in a violent world, is hard. You can feel unseen, discouraged and lost. There are challenges at every turn. And yet, amidst all the challenges, there is a way to be an actor, to pursue an acting career, and be a happy, whole human being. It takes focus and discipline but it’s possible. Risa and Steve sit down with BGB Master Teachers, Sydney Walsh and Cate Cohen, to discuss the path to happiness as an actor. Listen in and let us know what resonates with you. Email us at info@bramongarciabraun.com and comment on our IG posts!

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Cate Cohen- BGB Master Teacher, actor, writerSydney Walsh - BGB Master Teacher, actor, writer‍

Listen to other related episodes: Episode 28: The Practice That Leads To SuccessEpisode 36: The Pursuit Of Happiness - w/ Caroline, Dominic, Ellyn, JohnathanOpt in:21 Ways To Make Casting Directors Happy

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Creator Classes!SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Beyond the BS- mastering the latest audition/self-tape “trends,” getting the hottest agent or hiring the best personal trainer- there exist the real, less-talked about elements of success. After many decades in the business and a decade of guiding some of the best and most successful actors on the planet at the BGB Studio, Risa and Steve reveal the bad-ass practices that not everyone has the capacity for, but that are required for success. This is how amateurs become professionals. This is that Next level shit. Listen in.

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Podcast Ep. 28: The Practice That Leads To SuccessPodcast Ep. 22: The Booking Mindset SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Do the work necessary to move your career and craft to the next level. Jump into one of our career-changing CLASSES!

An artistic community is an essential part of your success. In order to do amazing audition/self-tape work consistently, you'll have to combat the isolation and inhumanity of the Industry with the collaboration, connection, and care that you only find from community. The right artistic community lifts you up, challenges you to be better, keeps you accountable, reinforces your values, reminds you that you are an actor, and that art matters. On the 10 year anniversary of BGB, Risa and Steve explore the power of this artistic community, and how you can leverage artistic community for your own success.

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Podcast Ep: 33 - Why Acting Teachers SuckPodcast Ep: 1- How to Make it in Hollywood SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Creator Classes!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio