Working Actor
Breaking in, Making a Living, and Making a Life in the Fabulous Trenches of Show Business
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $15.75
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
David Dean Bottrell
About this listen
Veteran character actor David Dean Bottrell draws on his 35-plus tumultuous years of work in the entertainment industry to offer a guide to breaking in, making a living, and making a life in the fabulous trenches of show business.
Covers every facet of the business, including:
- Capturing the perfect headshot
- Starting (and maintaining) your network
- Picking an agent
- Audition do’s and don’ts
- Joining the union(s): SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association (AEA)
- On stage vs. on screen
- Paying the bills
- Self-promotion
- Late bloomers
When to get out David Dean Bottrell has worn many different hats during his decades in showbiz: television actor with appearances on Boston Legal, Modern Family, The Blacklist, Mad Men, True Blood, NCIS, and Days of Our Lives; screenwriter for Paramount and Disney; respected acting teacher at UCLA and AADA; and regular expert columnist for esteemed acting site Backstage. In Working Actor, Bottrell offers a how-to manual jammed with practical information and insider advice, essential reading for any artist (aspiring or established) in need of insight or inspiration.
Mixing prescriptive advice ("Getting Started", "Learning Your Craft", "Finding an Agent") with wisdom drawn from Bottrell's own professional highs and lows and those of his acting compatriots, this book's humorous, tell-it-like-it-is tone is a must-have guide for anyone hoping to successfully navigate show business.
©2019 David Dean Bottrell (P)2019 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Breaking and Entering: A Manual for the Working Actor
- From Auditions to Agents to a Career
- By: Philip Carlson
- Narrated by: Philip Carlson
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Philip Carlson was the first agent to sign Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, Claire Danes, Idris Elba, Kyra Sedgwick, Adrien Grenier, and Paul Giamatti. He has represented Viola Davis, Kathy Bates, Brian Dennehy, and W.H. Macy among many and gifted others. He shares his practical trade secrets in this extraordinarily comprehensive guide on how to get into show business.
-
-
Great read even for a non-beginner
- By John Kyle Sutton on 11-02-17
By: Philip Carlson
-
The Actor's Life
- A Survival Guide
- By: Jenna Fischer
- Narrated by: Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. She was determined, confident, and 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, rejection, and doubt. If only she’d had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way. Jenna wants to be that person for you.
-
-
OMG THE INTRO! lol
- By Katelyn on 12-22-17
By: Jenna Fischer
-
Audition
- Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part
- By: Michael Shurtleff
- Narrated by: John Malone
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The casting director for Chicago, Pippin, Becket, Gypsy, The Graduate, The Sound of Music, and Jesus Christ Superstar tells you how you can find your dream role! Absolutely everything an actor needs to know to get the part is here: What to do that moment before; how to use humour; how to create mystery; how to develop a distinct style; and how to evaluate the place, the relationships, and the competition. In fact, Audition is a necessary guide to dealing with all the "auditions" we face in life. This is the bible on the subject.
-
-
Best acting book to this day
- By Dylan on 03-01-20
-
The Audition Bible
- Secrets Every Actor Needs to Know
- By: Holly Powell
- Narrated by: Holly Powell
- Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a casting director for 23 years, Holly Powell witnessed the casting world from three different points of view: as an independent casting director, as head of casting for a studio, and as a network casting executive. From this unique perspective she formed Holly Powell Studios, with her mission being to demystify the audition process for actors.
-
-
Golden Nugget Ater Golden Nugget.
- By Aswan on 06-19-17
By: Holly Powell
-
Secrets of Screen Acting
- By: Patrick Tucker
- Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Instead of starting with what is real and trying to wrestle that onto the screen, Patrick Tucker explains how to work with the realities of a shoot and work from there toward the real. His step by step guide to the elements of effective screen acting is an extension and explanation of a lifetime of work in the field, containing over 50 acting exercises and the tried-and-tested screen acting checklist.
-
-
Just great!
- By colette on 10-22-15
By: Patrick Tucker
-
The Actor's Art and Craft
- William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique
- By: William Esper, Damon Dimarco, David Mamet
- Narrated by: Michael Esper, Damon Dimarco
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esper worked closely with Meisner for 17 years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is a rigorous system of exercises that builds a solid foundation of acting skills from the ground up, and that is flexible enough to be applied to any challenge an actor faces, from soap operas to Shakespeare.
-
-
5 Stars
- By Swiissjoker on 05-28-21
By: William Esper, and others
-
Breaking and Entering: A Manual for the Working Actor
- From Auditions to Agents to a Career
- By: Philip Carlson
- Narrated by: Philip Carlson
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Philip Carlson was the first agent to sign Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, Claire Danes, Idris Elba, Kyra Sedgwick, Adrien Grenier, and Paul Giamatti. He has represented Viola Davis, Kathy Bates, Brian Dennehy, and W.H. Macy among many and gifted others. He shares his practical trade secrets in this extraordinarily comprehensive guide on how to get into show business.
-
-
Great read even for a non-beginner
- By John Kyle Sutton on 11-02-17
By: Philip Carlson
-
The Actor's Life
- A Survival Guide
- By: Jenna Fischer
- Narrated by: Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. She was determined, confident, and 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, rejection, and doubt. If only she’d had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way. Jenna wants to be that person for you.
-
-
OMG THE INTRO! lol
- By Katelyn on 12-22-17
By: Jenna Fischer
-
Audition
- Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part
- By: Michael Shurtleff
- Narrated by: John Malone
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The casting director for Chicago, Pippin, Becket, Gypsy, The Graduate, The Sound of Music, and Jesus Christ Superstar tells you how you can find your dream role! Absolutely everything an actor needs to know to get the part is here: What to do that moment before; how to use humour; how to create mystery; how to develop a distinct style; and how to evaluate the place, the relationships, and the competition. In fact, Audition is a necessary guide to dealing with all the "auditions" we face in life. This is the bible on the subject.
-
-
Best acting book to this day
- By Dylan on 03-01-20
-
The Audition Bible
- Secrets Every Actor Needs to Know
- By: Holly Powell
- Narrated by: Holly Powell
- Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a casting director for 23 years, Holly Powell witnessed the casting world from three different points of view: as an independent casting director, as head of casting for a studio, and as a network casting executive. From this unique perspective she formed Holly Powell Studios, with her mission being to demystify the audition process for actors.
-
-
Golden Nugget Ater Golden Nugget.
- By Aswan on 06-19-17
By: Holly Powell
-
Secrets of Screen Acting
- By: Patrick Tucker
- Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Instead of starting with what is real and trying to wrestle that onto the screen, Patrick Tucker explains how to work with the realities of a shoot and work from there toward the real. His step by step guide to the elements of effective screen acting is an extension and explanation of a lifetime of work in the field, containing over 50 acting exercises and the tried-and-tested screen acting checklist.
-
-
Just great!
- By colette on 10-22-15
By: Patrick Tucker
-
The Actor's Art and Craft
- William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique
- By: William Esper, Damon Dimarco, David Mamet
- Narrated by: Michael Esper, Damon Dimarco
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esper worked closely with Meisner for 17 years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is a rigorous system of exercises that builds a solid foundation of acting skills from the ground up, and that is flexible enough to be applied to any challenge an actor faces, from soap operas to Shakespeare.
-
-
5 Stars
- By Swiissjoker on 05-28-21
By: William Esper, and others
-
Save the Cat!
- The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
- By: Blake Snyder
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here's what started the phenomenon: This book has been a best seller for over 15 years and has been used by screenwriters around the world! Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny, and candid look inside the movie business. Save the Cat is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying.
-
-
Don't waste your time
- By Amazon Customer on 02-05-20
By: Blake Snyder
-
A Life in Parts
- By: Bryan Cranston
- Narrated by: Bryan Cranston
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father, a struggling actor and director, cast him in a United Way commercial. Soon Bryan was haunting the local movie theater, memorizing and reenacting favorite scenes with his older brother. Acting was clearly the boy's destiny - until one day his father disappeared. Suddenly destiny took a backseat to survival. Seeking something more stable, perhaps subconsciously trying to distance himself from his absent father, Cranston decided on a career in law enforcement.
-
-
They're all good parts.
- By Shopsfromeverywhere on 10-23-16
By: Bryan Cranston
-
Sanford Meisner on Acting
- By: Sanford Meisner, Dennis Longwell, Sydney Pollack - introduction
- Narrated by: Jason Culp, Arthur Morey, Mark Bramhall
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sanford Meisner was one of the best known and beloved teachers of acting in the country. This audiobook follows one of his acting classes for 15 months, beginning with the most rudimentary exercises and ending with affecting and polished scenes from contemporary American plays. Written in collaboration with Dennis Longwell, it is essential listening for beginning and professional actors alike. Throughout this audiobooks, Meisner is a delight - always empathizing with his students and urging them onward, provoking emotion, laughter, and growing technical mastery from his charges.
-
-
Surprisingly outstanding as an audiobook
- By HMadera on 12-28-19
By: Sanford Meisner, and others
-
The Method
- How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act
- By: Isaac Butler
- Narrated by: Isaac Butler
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On stage and screen, we know a great performance when we see it. But how do actors draw from their bodies and minds to turn their selves into art? What is the craft of being an authentic fake? More than a century ago, amid tsarist Russia’s crushing repression, one of the most talented actors ever, Konstantin Stanislavski, asked these very questions, reached deep into himself and emerged with an answer.
-
-
Where is the Thesis?
- By Frances L. on 07-27-22
By: Isaac Butler
-
Be Your Future Self Now
- The Science of Intentional Transformation
- By: Dr. Benjamin Hardy
- Narrated by: Dr. Benjamin Hardy
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover how to become the best version of you and develop healthy habits, find inspiring new perspectives and live a motivated, joy-filled life! Who is your Future Self? That question is the answer to all your life's questions. When you know who you want to be then you know what you're going to do today. That answer directly impacts how motivated you are, and how you feel about yourself. It's the answer to whether you'll distract yourself on social media for hours, whether you'll eat junk food and what time you get up in the morning.
-
-
MORE ARTICLE THAN BOOK…
- By NYC on 07-03-22
-
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama
- A Memoir
- By: Bob Odenkirk
- Narrated by: Bob Odenkirk, Steve Rudnick, Leo Benvenuti
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bob Odenkirk’s career is inexplicable. And yet he will try like hell to explicate it for you. Charting a “Homeric” decades-long “odyssey” from his origins in the seedy comedy clubs of Chicago to a dramatic career full of award nominations - with a side trip into the action-man world that is baffling to all who know him - it’s almost like there are many Bob Odenkirks! But there is just one and one is plenty. Featuring humorous tangents, wild characters, and Bob’s trademark unflinching drive, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama is a classic tale told by a determined idiot.
-
-
Not great
- By D. Moore on 04-12-22
By: Bob Odenkirk
-
Directing Actors
- By: Judith Weston
- Narrated by: Judith Weston
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this essential guide to acting, internationally renowned directing coach Judith Weston demonstrates what constitutes a good performance, what actors want from a director, and what directors do wrong. She also goes over script analysis and preparation and how actors work, and she shares important and helpful insights into the director/actor relationship.
-
-
Directing Humans
- By Jacob Moore on 10-15-19
By: Judith Weston
-
Stop Acting, Start Living
- By: Bernard Hiller
- Narrated by: Bernard Hiller
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stop Acting, Start Living is the culmination of 35 years of performing and teaching experience. Acting teacher and success coach Bernard Hiller has worked with Jeff Goldblum, LL Cool J, Billy Crystal, Chace Crawford, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Emilio Rivera among many others.
-
-
Amazing
- By Hollie on 12-12-21
By: Bernard Hiller
-
One Less Bitter Actor
- The Actor's Survival Guide
- By: Markus Flanagan
- Narrated by: Markus Flanagan
- Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An invaluable reference for anyone who is a working actor, or wants to be. Learn how to make it in the day-to-day business of acting and stay sane and focused while attempting to merge art and commerce. This audiobook covers everything the author wishes someone had told him about how casting decisions are made, what rejection really means, how to behave on a set, the two factors the business is built on, and much more. Markus Flanagan offers encouraging, highly useful pointers on such vital matters as: How do you combat getting typed?
-
-
AMAZING
- By Ang on 12-16-16
By: Markus Flanagan
-
The Lyndon Technique
- The 15 Guideline Map to Booking
- By: Amy Lyndon
- Narrated by: Amy Lyndon
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beat your competition and book acting jobs worthy of your talent! Download now and listen to Amy’s words of wisdom over and over - anywhere, anytime! The Lyndon Technique is the secret weapon for 50+ network series regulars, an Emmy winner, an Imagen Award winner, and thousands of working actors around the globe and at universities for more than 20 years! Amy Lyndon has over 100 IMDB Credits, was a former personal manager, and has been published all over the world as an expert in her field.
-
-
A MUST LISTEN!
- By Andrew C. on 09-08-18
By: Amy Lyndon
-
Talking as Fast as I Can
- From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)
- By: Lauren Graham
- Narrated by: Lauren Graham
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her first work of nonfiction, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood recounts her experiences on Gilmore Girls - the first and second times - and shares stories about life, love, and working in Hollywood. This collection of essays is written in the intimate, hilarious, and down-to-earth voice that made her novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe, a New York Times best seller.
-
-
I AM CRYING!!
- By Rebecca on 11-29-16
By: Lauren Graham
-
Acting Naturally
- The Magic in Great Performances
- By: David Thomson
- Narrated by: David Thomson
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meryl Streep, Marlon Brando, Anthony Hopkins, Carey Mulligan. When we watch these remarkable actors in a performance, we see only Sophie, Stanley Kowalski, Hannibal Lecter, or Cassie from Promising Young Woman. How are they able to transform our world in this way? How and why do they do what they do? In Acting Naturally, David Thomson sheds light on the actors who have shaped the film industry. He shrewdly analyzes these stars, revealing how a sly smile, an extra-long pause, even a small gesture of the hand can draw in an audience.
By: David Thomson
Critic reviews
"Witty, candid and compact.... A kind of start to finish-line approach to handling everything from auditions, agents, classes, and networking to self-promotion, self-preservation and self-esteem.” (The Los Angeles Times)
“It’s like practical magic...a deeply personal, yet universal guided tour into the world of acting and the business of show. Loaded with lessons for the beginner and reminders for 'the vet'." (L. Scott Caldwell, series regular on ABC's Lost and Tony-Winner for August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone)
“A witty and honest peek inside the world of show business, through the eyes of actor/comedian/storyteller, David Dean Botrell, as he recounts his three decades in the business. It’s a must read for anyone pursuing this crazy profession.” (Margo Martindale, Tony nominee, three-time Emmy winner, Justified and The Americans)
Related to this topic
-
Failing Up
- How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning
- By: Leslie Odom Jr.
- Narrated by: Leslie Odom Jr.
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leslie Odom Jr. burst on the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since then he has performed for sold-out audiences, sung for the Obamas at the White House, and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. But before he landed the role of a lifetime in one of the biggest musicals of all time, Odom put in years of hard work as a singer and an actor.
-
-
When you take one step, the universe takes two
- By Amy Aguilar on 04-11-18
By: Leslie Odom Jr.
-
Seinfeldia
- How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their silly little sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. NBC executives didn't think anyone would watch either, but they bought it anyway, hiding it away in the TV dead zone of summer. But against all odds, viewers began to watch, first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly 40 million Americans were tuning in weekly.
-
-
This bad narration is making me thirsty...
- By Audio Gra Gra on 10-06-16
-
Top of the Rock
- Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV
- By: Warren Littlefield, T. R. Pearson
- Narrated by: Bob Balaban
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment who oversaw the Peacock Network’s rise from also-ran to a division that generated a billion dollars in profits. In this fast-paced and exceptionally entertaining oral history, Littlefield and NBC luminaries including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Noah Wylie, Debra Messing, Jack Welch, Jimmy Burrows, Helen Hunt, and Dick Wolf vividly recapture the incredible era of Must See TV.
-
-
Nostalgic Look at NBC in the 90's
- By Jill on 10-10-12
By: Warren Littlefield, and others
-
Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted
- And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made the Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic
- By: Jennifer Armstrong
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke's wife on the eponymous show; she was a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when screenwriters James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network executives replied: "Americans won't watch television about New York City, divorcées, men with mustaches, or Jews." But Moore and her team were committed, and when the show finally aired, in spite of tepid reviews, fans loved it.
-
-
An Interesting Story That Never Quite Gets Told
- By S. Blythe on 07-26-13
-
I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!
- By: Tom Bergeron
- Narrated by: Tom Bergeron
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!, Tom elaborates on the process by which he is able to sit calmly and patiently, without being distracted, at any time, no matter how hectic, as well as respond quickly (and hilariously) when Marie Osmond faints at his feet on live TV. Haven't seen it? Check it out on YouTube. The man is always in control.
-
-
A wonderful "read"
- By Chrys on 04-29-09
By: Tom Bergeron
-
We Don't Need Roads
- The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy
- By: Caseen Gaines
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled through time in a flying DeLorean, director Robert Zemeckis and his friend and writing partner Bob Gale worked tirelessly to break into the industry with a hit. For the first time ever, the story of how these two young filmmakers struck lightning is being told by those who witnessed it. We Don't Need Roads includes original interviews with Zemeckis, Gale, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Huey Lewis, and over 50 others who contributed to one of the most popular and profitable film trilogies of all time.
-
-
Great for fans - good for others.
- By Pete Johns on 06-25-15
By: Caseen Gaines
-
Failing Up
- How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning
- By: Leslie Odom Jr.
- Narrated by: Leslie Odom Jr.
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leslie Odom Jr. burst on the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since then he has performed for sold-out audiences, sung for the Obamas at the White House, and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. But before he landed the role of a lifetime in one of the biggest musicals of all time, Odom put in years of hard work as a singer and an actor.
-
-
When you take one step, the universe takes two
- By Amy Aguilar on 04-11-18
By: Leslie Odom Jr.
-
Seinfeldia
- How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their silly little sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. NBC executives didn't think anyone would watch either, but they bought it anyway, hiding it away in the TV dead zone of summer. But against all odds, viewers began to watch, first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly 40 million Americans were tuning in weekly.
-
-
This bad narration is making me thirsty...
- By Audio Gra Gra on 10-06-16
-
Top of the Rock
- Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV
- By: Warren Littlefield, T. R. Pearson
- Narrated by: Bob Balaban
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment who oversaw the Peacock Network’s rise from also-ran to a division that generated a billion dollars in profits. In this fast-paced and exceptionally entertaining oral history, Littlefield and NBC luminaries including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Noah Wylie, Debra Messing, Jack Welch, Jimmy Burrows, Helen Hunt, and Dick Wolf vividly recapture the incredible era of Must See TV.
-
-
Nostalgic Look at NBC in the 90's
- By Jill on 10-10-12
By: Warren Littlefield, and others
-
Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted
- And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made the Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic
- By: Jennifer Armstrong
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke's wife on the eponymous show; she was a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when screenwriters James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network executives replied: "Americans won't watch television about New York City, divorcées, men with mustaches, or Jews." But Moore and her team were committed, and when the show finally aired, in spite of tepid reviews, fans loved it.
-
-
An Interesting Story That Never Quite Gets Told
- By S. Blythe on 07-26-13
-
I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!
- By: Tom Bergeron
- Narrated by: Tom Bergeron
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!, Tom elaborates on the process by which he is able to sit calmly and patiently, without being distracted, at any time, no matter how hectic, as well as respond quickly (and hilariously) when Marie Osmond faints at his feet on live TV. Haven't seen it? Check it out on YouTube. The man is always in control.
-
-
A wonderful "read"
- By Chrys on 04-29-09
By: Tom Bergeron
-
We Don't Need Roads
- The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy
- By: Caseen Gaines
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled through time in a flying DeLorean, director Robert Zemeckis and his friend and writing partner Bob Gale worked tirelessly to break into the industry with a hit. For the first time ever, the story of how these two young filmmakers struck lightning is being told by those who witnessed it. We Don't Need Roads includes original interviews with Zemeckis, Gale, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Huey Lewis, and over 50 others who contributed to one of the most popular and profitable film trilogies of all time.
-
-
Great for fans - good for others.
- By Pete Johns on 06-25-15
By: Caseen Gaines
-
It Takes Two
- Our Story
- By: Jonathan Scott, Drew Scott
- Narrated by: Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It Takes Two: Our Story shares never-before-revealed tales of the Scott brothers' childhood and rise to fame - from starting their first business at seven years old and their years modeling and acting to their first house purchase at the impressive young age of 18. They soon found their true passion in life, combining their natural gifts for entertaining with the skills they learned from buying, renovating, and selling homes.
-
-
Not Worth the Time or $2.95
- By Sharlotte on 03-06-18
By: Jonathan Scott, and others
-
Street Gang
- The Complete History of Sesame Street
- By: Michael Davis
- Narrated by: Caroll Spinney
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the first episode aired on Nov. 10, 1969, Sesame Street revolutionized the way education was presented to children on television. It has since become the longest-running children's show in history, and today reaches 8 million pre-schoolers on 350 PBS stations and airs in 120 countries. Street Gang is the compelling and often comical story of the creation and history of this media masterpiece and pop culture landmark.
-
-
An important subject, but hardly gripping
- By Scott T. Hards on 09-24-10
By: Michael Davis
-
The Collaborative Habit
- Life Lessons for Working Together
- By: Twyla Tharp
- Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
- Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a career that has spanned four decades, choreographer Twyla Tharp has collaborated with great musicians, designers, thousands of dancers, and almost a hundred companies. She's experienced the thrill of shared achievement and has seen what happens when group efforts fizzle. Her professional life has been - and continues to be - one collaboration after another. In this practical sequel to her national best seller The Creative Habit, Tharp explains why collaboration is important to her - and can be for you.
-
-
Awful narration
- By Anastasia Lattanand on 05-14-16
By: Twyla Tharp
-
Nevertheless
- A Memoir
- By: Alec Baldwin
- Narrated by: Alec Baldwin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most accomplished and outspoken actors today chronicles the highs and lows of his life in this beautifully written, candid memoir.
-
-
Embarrassingly petty
- By Stacey Robinson on 09-20-18
By: Alec Baldwin
-
The Simpsons
- An Uncensored, Unauthorized History
- By: John Ortved
- Narrated by: John Allen Nelson, Justine Eyre
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Ortved's oral history is the first-ever look behind the scenes at the creation and day-to-day running of the television phenomenon known as The Simpsons, as told by many of the people who produce it.
-
-
Great Content, Awful Reading
- By JH Easton on 03-13-11
By: John Ortved
-
Pictures at a Revolution
- Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood
- By: Mark Harris
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Doctor Dolittle, and Bonnie and Clyde - and through them, the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood and America forever.
-
-
Would It Be Too Much To Ask?
- By Casey Keller on 12-31-08
By: Mark Harris
-
Lose Well
- By: Chris Gethard
- Narrated by: Chris Gethard
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Let’s face it: we all want a seat at the cool table, a great job, and loads of money. But most of us won’t be able to achieve this widely accepted, black-or-white, definition of winning, which makes us feel like failures, that we’re destined to a life of loserdom. That’s the conventional wisdom. It’s also crap, according to comedian and cult hero Chris Gethard, who knows a thing of two about losing. Failing is an art form, he argues; in fact, it’s the only the way we’re ever going to discover who we are, what we really want, and how to live the kind of life we only dreamed about.
-
-
WHAT A LOSER
- By Amazon Customer on 01-26-19
By: Chris Gethard
-
Stories I Only Tell My Friends
- An Autobiography
- By: Rob Lowe
- Narrated by: Rob Lowe
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A teen idol at 15, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last 25 years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.
-
-
Great Book and Great Story
- By Natalie J. Belle MD on 04-30-11
By: Rob Lowe
-
You Might Remember Me
- The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
- By: Mike Thomas
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Both joyous tribute and serious biography, Mike Thomas' You Might Remember Me is a celebration of Phil Hartman's multi-faceted career and an exhaustively reported, warts-and-all examination of his often intriguing and sometimes complicated life - a powerful, humor-filled and disquieting portrait of a man who was loved by many, admired by millions and taken from them far too early.
-
-
I Will Remember You Phil Hartman
- By Roxanna on 12-19-14
By: Mike Thomas
-
Rebel
- My Life Outside the Lines
- By: Nick Nolte
- Narrated by: Nick Nolte, Christian Baskous
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a career spanning five decades, Nick Nolte has endured the rites of Hollywood celebrity. Rising from obscurity to leading roles and Oscar nominations, he has been both celebrated and vilified in the media; survived marriages, divorces, and a string of romances; was named the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine; and suffered public humiliation over his drug and alcohol issues, including a drug-fueled trip down a "long road of nothingness" that ended in arrest.
-
-
Great read! No fooling.
- By Action Joe on 05-31-18
By: Nick Nolte
-
Robert Altman
- The Oral Biography
- By: Mitchell Zuckoff
- Narrated by: Robert Altman, Warren Beatty, Cher, and others
- Length: 18 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Altman - visionary director, hard-partying hedonist, eccentric family man, Hollywood legend - comes roaring to life in this rollicking cinematic biography, told in a chorus of voices that can only be called Altmanesque.
-
-
Enthralling!
- By Wise & Careful Shopper on 10-17-10
By: Mitchell Zuckoff
-
Caddyshack
- The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story
- By: Chris Nashawaty
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Caddyshack is one of the most beloved comedies of all time, a classic snobs vs. slobs story of working-class kids and the white-collar buffoons that make them haul their golf bags in the hot summer sun. It has sex, drugs, and one very memorable candy bar, but the movie we all know and love didn't start out that way, and everyone who made it certainly didn't have the word classic in mind as the cameras were rolling.
-
-
Not Really About Caddyshack Until Hour 5
- By William M. on 07-01-18
By: Chris Nashawaty
What listeners say about Working Actor
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 01-07-23
Informative and Funny!!!
I think every actor should read this book. David gives a treasure trove of information on the reality of an actor’s journey. I wish I would have had this book years ago.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kenneth
- 03-02-19
Why EVERYONE Needs to Read “Working Actor:”
I am on a road trip from St. Louis to Pompano Beach. (Made it as far as Macon, GA, tonight.) I listened to the audio book version of "Working Actor" from southern Illinois to northern Georgia. That may seem strange since I am not a professional actor. Nevertheless, since this book displays a fondness for enumerated lists, here are my Five Reasons Why EVERYONE Needs to Read “Working Actor:”
1) If you have ever thought about becoming a professional actor, this book will provide an excellent guide to what to expect, not just on the nuts and bolts, financial, and training levels, but on the psychological, emotional, and yes, even spiritual levels as well.
2) This book affirmed for me that I made exactly the right choice for myself by NOT becoming a professional actor.
3) David Dean Bottrell as a writer and narrator is warm, smart, hilarious, generous, and quite moving.
4) His observations on what it means for each of us to find out who we are meant to be in this world apply equally to any profession.
5) Indeed, he makes the case more persuasively than I ever have read elsewhere that a life in the arts is a not just a career, it is a vocation.
6) If you’ve got 500 miles and 8 hours on the road, you could not ask for a better audio traveling companion than DDB and “Working Actor.”
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- tyson
- 06-29-19
Take a Decade Off Your Learning Curve
I'm so mad at David Dean Bottrell... for not writing this book when I was starting out as an actor. He's a great writer, full of extremely good information about the lay of the land, and shares a great outlook, too. I've been acting professionally in television for 20 years but I still got a lot out of it, as he shares some great thoughts for established actors as well. I really enjoyed listening to it, too. I don't know what the audio version of a "page turner" is, but that's what this is. I will be recommending this to all of the young actors I know who are starting out.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrea
- 03-10-19
Refreshing, grounded, solid advice
I downloaded this title after seeing a promotion from the publisher. It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to this kind of “career advice for actors” type book because so many of them are the same. This one though was like a breath of fresh air. I’m a full time actor myself and found myself nodding and saying “yes that’s so true!” as I listened. So much of the lore around how to “make it” as an actor has to do with the kind of magical thinking that doesn’t really help an actor take concrete actions toward specific goals. Bottrell’s message is as simple as it is stark: no two showbiz careers are alike, therefore nobody else can tell you what to do or whether you should even bother. The beauty of it (besides being true) is that it hands the reins back to the actor.
The author, in his engaging performance, tells aspiring actors how to pay attention to things that can make a difference, how to prepare, how to navigate the interpersonal landscape of fellow actors, agents, managers, casting directors etc. and most importantly how to know when it’s time to try something new, to recognize when things are shifting within a career and life, and how to embrace the unknown. The author has given his audience a practical, reassuring and honest guide to being a working actor. What a great listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marcus brown
- 01-13-23
Great book
Great book. I liked it I recommend it to anyone that wants to get into acting
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jesus Acosta
- 12-15-20
I highly recommend this to Actors
Working after is a very well written book by David Dean Botrell. The advice in the stories that are told in this book are very moving and gives you information on what actors come across while pursuing a career. He talks about the good the bad and the ugly of course. I love books like this that inform the reader that it's not all sunshine and rainbows. David is not trying to discourage actors from pursuing their dreams. In fact he does the exact opposite but wants actors to understand that is not easy pursuing your dreams and only the ones who truly work hard and never give up will ultimately reach their goals in the world of acting. At least that is my take on what I read. this book has reminded me to stay humble and nice to others especially to other actors who are just starting out because we were all there at one time. I want to be the guy who helps others as well so that other actors can possibly dodge less bullets along their journey as an Actor. Thank you for this amazing book, Dave. I really do appreciate it and I hope to hear more of your stories in the near future.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- heather lynn
- 03-03-21
Not great
I struggled to finish this one, I feel like it was misleading as well. it's more like a biography of his life when I thought it would be more instructional. The tone was boring; the ending was the best and it had good advice about performing monologues, but that's about all that stuck with me. Also, the first half of the book is about him being a stage actor, so that might be more relevant to you other actors out there.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!