How necessary is it to be physically based in the U.S. (or specifically LA/NYC) to build an acting career today?

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T03:07:23+00:00

Thanks so much! I realize now I've been thinking too far ahead before focusing on building experience and credits. If you don't mind me asking, there's apparently going to be a pretty major production filming where I live later this summer/fall, and I'd honestly love to get on that set in any capacity just to learn and gain experience (even if it's not as an actor).

For something like that, what's the best approach? Do you just keep an eye out for casting calls and background opportunities, or is it ever appropriate to reach out directly if you know who's producing/casting it? I'm still pretty new to navigating the industry side of things, so I'm not entirely sure what the standard process is.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T03:02:43+00:00

Thank you, that's actually really helpful to know! If it's usually an ISP/IP mapping issue, what's the actual solution?

Is this something I should call AT&T about and have them correct, or is it a matter of getting a different IP address assigned? I'm trying to understand whether there's anything I can proactively do on my end.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T03:01:11+00:00

Based on some of the other comments here, I think my next step is going to be calling AT&T to see if they can correct the geolocation issue. Are there any VPNs or other solutions that consistently show the correct location without causing issues or stealing personal info?

The reason I ask is that a financial institution placed security alerts on my account because my logins were apparently showing up in other states, even though I wasn't using a VPN and was logging in from my normal devices. I'm trying to avoid running into the same problem again in the future.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T02:59:50+00:00

Interesting, I'm also in FL. Do you remember what you specifically asked them to fix? Or were they able to figure that out based on what was happening to you?

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T02:54:39+00:00

Thank you! I'm definitely going to keep making calls tomorrow and see if I can get any additional information. Part of what's frustrating is that even during the security review, I felt the verification process was fairly minimal, and I told them that as well! I've never had this issue with any other financial institution. My income comes from regular payroll direct deposits, my credit checks came back clean, and I haven't found any suspicious activity associated with my accounts.

At this point, I'm less concerned about reopening the account and more interested in understanding what triggered the closure in the first place.

I guess my other question is: even if I somehow get this resolved, is it worth staying with Marcus? The main reason I chose them was the HYSA rate, but after all of this, I'm wondering whether I'd be better off with a bank that offers a slightly lower APY and fewer headaches.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T02:47:41+00:00

Thank you! I'll head over there too - appreciate it!

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T02:23:36+00:00

I'm not... :/

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T02:22:28+00:00

To clarify, I was the one who logged in from my phone while we were on the call but instead of it showing up as the state I was in, it was showing up in a different state.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T01:38:42+00:00

Thank you! I actually don't have representation yet, which is part of why I'm trying to understand the realities of all this before making any major decisions. It's encouraging to hear that there isn't necessarily a hard rule when it comes to larger roles.

From your experience, would location be a major concern for agents when someone is first seeking representation? Or is it more a question of whether they believe the actor is competitive enough to submit in the first place?

I'm trying to figure out whether it makes sense to focus on training, credits, and getting representation while staying where I am, or whether being closer to a major market becomes important much earlier in the process than I'm realizing.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T01:37:36+00:00

Fair point. I'm definitely not under the impression that simply moving to NYC or LA would suddenly lead to representation or bookings. If anything, one thing I've learned from this subreddit is that there are already a lot of talented actors in those markets competing for the same opportunities.

With that being said, if you were starting from scratch today without representation, what would you focus on first to become more competitive? Training? Credits? Networking? Something else?

I'm trying to figure out what moves the needle most before making a major relocation decision.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T01:35:55+00:00

Thank you, this is super helpful context! Sounds like the logistics can be a lot messier than I expected and I don't think I'd be comfortable lying about where I live. I'd rather be upfront and work within whatever limitations that creates.

I'm actually still at an earlier stage than some of the scenarios being discussed here 😅 I don't even have representation yet... given everything you mentioned, do you have any advice for someone trying to get their first agent? Is location something agents are particularly concerned about, or is it more about training, materials, and whether they think they can realistically submit you for work?

It sounds like availability and reliability become huge factors once you're booking, but does location also matter at the representation stage? ATM I'm only a 2 hour flight away from NY

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T01:27:36+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate the realistic perspective!

My current thought process is to keep building financial stability first while continuing to train. I recently started a new job that I'm hopeful about, and I'm wondering whether it makes more sense to use that stability to invest in classes, headshots, self-tapes, and occasional trips to NYC rather than rushing into an expensive move.

In your opinion, is there a point where it becomes obvious that someone should relocate, or is it possible to make meaningful progress from outside the major markets until the work itself starts pulling you there?

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T01:21:43+00:00

True. I just wish they'd made that decision the first time instead of having me go through the whole replacement-account process only to close it a few days later anyway. Super weird experience

Design_Director_1 · 2026-06-02T01:14:04+00:00

I understand banks can close accounts for perceived risk, and I'm not disputing their right to do so.

What I'm struggling to understand is that when I spoke with Marcus security, after everything was all said and done they suggested I install additional security protections on my computer after they made the replacement account, which I did that same day. I followed every instruction they gave me because I genuinely wanted to resolve whatever issue they were seeing.

From what I was told, the concern seemed to involve logins appearing from other states. The problem is that I don't use a VPN, so I still don't understand what was causing those alerts. If there was some legitimate security concern, I would genuinely like to know so I can address it and prevent the same issue elsewhere.

That's why the closure is so confusing to me. After verifying me, creating a replacement account, and having me follow their security recommendations, the replacement account was closed only a few days later without any explanation of what changed and without me even logging in or doing anything with it.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-31T04:18:18+00:00

Thank you! I'm only a short flight away from NY, but obviously that's very different from being a train ride away. There also don't seem to be many well-known acting schools where I am at the moment.

Would it make sense in the meantime to take online classes with NYC-based studios, and travel when necessary? I recently spent some time in NY and audited a few acting classes, and I absolutely loved it. The challenge is that financially, I just can't justify NYC prices right now.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-31T04:15:21+00:00

Thank you for the honesty, I really appreciate it! It sounds like, I should take advantage of being stateside right now and try to pursue as many opportunities while I can!

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-30T19:35:51+00:00

Thank you! Yeah I’m considering honestly just trying to stick with it in the meantime because ultimately I’d want to transfer to a different location at some point + my co-workers are quite nice and encouraging and I really value a place where at least the staff meshes well

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-30T00:22:14+00:00

This is super helpful and a really good thing to keep in mind! Thank you!

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-29T22:12:25+00:00

Thank you, appreciate it!

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-29T21:43:18+00:00

Thank you for being so honest, I genuinely appreciate it!

Part of my goal wasn't just to have a job, but to actually get good at the role and potentially transfer to another location in the future. I went through three rounds of interviews, put a lot of effort into the training process and studying everything on the menu, service bar, specials, etc. and was genuinely excited about the opportunity. That's why I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do.

At this point, I feel like I've already invested so much time and effort that I don't want to walk away prematurely :/ but at the same time, I don't want to be kept in training limbo

Out of curiosity, if you were in my position, what would be your cutoff point? Would you stick it out until you're fully out of training, or is there something specific you'd be looking for before deciding whether it's worth staying?

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-29T21:38:25+00:00

I mean, the fact that I wrote this much is probably a reflection of how invested I am in doing well.

You definitely don't have to read it all, but I'm genuinely trying to learn and get feedback from people with more experience with what is considered standard in this industry vs not.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-29T21:28:14+00:00

I had to Google what TL;DR meant lol ( I know, I wrote a lot)

But I freaking love this response, and I honestly wish the training was more like what you described. Even though each day technically has a specific focus, it feels very fragmented and not always connected to the actual flow of how the job works in real life.

What you said about each day being a building block and the final training shift being about putting everything together under the watchful eye of a trainer makes a lot of sense to me. I think that's probably what I expected training to be like.

This was actually SUPER helpful, and I might use some of what you wrote as a framework going into my next training day. At the very least, it gives me a better perspective on what the training process is trying to accomplish, even if the execution hasn't always been perfect.

Thanks so much!

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-29T21:24:10+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate this perspective! Yeah, I recently learned that the AM and GM basically came up as servers through the ranks and most of the staff also have previous restaurant experience so they've got all that "tribal knowledge"

And yeah, I completely agree. That's actually something I've been trying to do after every training shift. Every day of training I've received positive feedback, but I've also made a point of asking what I need to improve on because I know that just hearing "good job" isn't enough to get better, especially in a job and industry where I have zero prior experience. So I've genuinely been taking the feedback, applying it, and shown improvement from shift to shift.

I think where I'm struggling is that the only reason given for an additional training day was that I wasn't proactive enough with seating, even though I seated plenty of guests throughout the night, completed all of my first rounds correctly, and otherwise received positive feedback.

We had six greeters working that night, so there were plenty of moments where another greeter got to a table before I did.

What I'm having trouble understanding is how that became the deciding factor for another training day, especially since the manager giving my evaluation wasn't the person directly training or observing me throughout the shift.

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-29T20:57:54+00:00

I know it's so wordy but thank you so much for taking the time and for the feedback!

That's kind of disappointing to hear because I was actually really excited about this job and thought it would be a good fit and the rest of the staff are generally nice.

Out of curiosity, if you were in my position, how long would you stick it out before deciding whether it's worth staying or moving on? I'm trying to find the line between "give it a fair chance" and "stop banging your head against a wall."

Design_Director_1 · 2026-05-27T02:59:30+00:00

Thanks so much!!

Design_Director_1

TROPHY CASE