TALKING SHOP — PROFESSIONALS SHARE THEIR SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
As an emerging actor, Emily McKnight struggled to find her place in the industry. An encounter with consummate professional Sarah Snook provided the germ of an idea that culminated in her popular podcast, An Actor Survives, in which fellow performers and other creatives talk about how they keep it real on the rollercoaster that is our industry.
A few years ago, I went to a Q&A with Sarah Snook. Many of the questions revolved around her successes, or how to prepare roles or learn lines. She spoke a lot about how lucky she had been, getting job after job. I found myself feeling a little frustrated. Surely she’d also had times when it was hard, when she had worked the non-creative day job and worried about it all? Was it really just luck?
It was hard to phrase the question without seeming rude, but I was in a slump at the time — I’d had no professional acting work yet and was being rejected at every audition. So I asked. She was pleased with the question and agreed that while some of it felt like luck, she also worked hard, took risks and used opportunities as best she could.
After this encounter, I realised that I wanted more of these kinds of conversations, particularly with actors in the Australian industry.
I was finding there was a lot to deal with: the agony of the post-audition wait, the dread of rejection and then the strangling imposter syndrome when I did get work. Did other actors experience these feelings, too? How did they cope?
And what about those between-gigs times. Can we still call ourselves actors when we’re not performing? I have struggled with this, having a completely different profession as a flute teacher and primary school music program coordinator (which I love, but doesn’t feel like my ‘calling’ in the same way acting does).
I enjoy the anticipation of what the next acting job will be, but it can be scary too, just hoping something will come up, uncertain of what it will be or when it will happen. I started my list of questions, and also a list of actors I wanted to ask them of. Initially, I thought I could make these part of a book about my personal experiences within the industry (I still might!), but podcasts are an engaging format and more easily accessible. My lack of technical know-how didn’t hold me back − after explaining the concept to friends who do know their stuff, I had help getting it on its feet (thanks Naomi Belet, Phoebe Fuller, Adam Buncher and Robert Oetomo).
With so many people quitting acting, and such limited work available, the word ‘survive’ felt appropriate. Not to mention the pandemic and an unsupportive government causing constant havoc for the arts. As someone who has studiously worked my way through many acting books, I decided to borrow from Stanislavski, and my podcast, An Actor Survives, was born.
I wanted to know how others survive in this industry, for my own understanding but also to connect to my community. To make something other artists could relate to, be comforted and inspired by — knowing that they aren’t alone, that there’s a path for them, even if it isn’t clear and obvious. I wanted to chat to a variety of people with different life experiences and levels of ‘success’.
Season one is almost fully released and it has been an incredible inspiration chatting to theatre, film and TV actors, directors and voiceover artists. In the final section of each episode, guests give us their top five survival tips. Kate Mulvany reminds us not to compare ourselves to others and instead to share the love with them. Damien Ryan invites us to back ourselves when we fail and to not let it bring us down. Jay Laga’aia encourages us to invest in ourselves and constantly work at our craft. Both Annie Maynard and Mansoor Noor speak of the importance of living life — and not letting the job become a lifestyle. I have taken many notes listening to these fellow artists and have found each one interesting, inspirational and useful. I hope they are for you, too.
Emily McKnight is a Sydney-based actor, musician and children’s entertainer, who writes and presents children’s performances for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also a children’s singer — ‘Emily Who’ — and has recently released her third album. An Actor Survives is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts and wherever else you listen to your podcasts.
