What percentage of actors actually make it in this business?
06-09-09 | 07:46 PM
#1
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
What percentage of actors actually make it in this business?
Ever wonder about the amount of struggling movie actors there are vs. the amount of actors that are actually making a consistent living?
Seeing the stats of people in law school vs. practicing lawyers got me wondering what the stats of struggling actors vs. actors who actually make it are....
Of course the A-listers would always get work, like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, etc.
Or a good character actor like Robert Loggia, M. Emmett Walsh, Chris Cooper, etc. would get consistent work....
It's a tough business!
Seeing the stats of people in law school vs. practicing lawyers got me wondering what the stats of struggling actors vs. actors who actually make it are....
Of course the A-listers would always get work, like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, etc.
Or a good character actor like Robert Loggia, M. Emmett Walsh, Chris Cooper, etc. would get consistent work....
It's a tough business!
Last edited by jeffkjoe; 06-09-09 at 07:52 PM.
06-09-09 | 07:50 PM
#2
Re: What percentage of actors actually make it in this business?
I did hear on NPR the other day that 9 out of 10 extras (who get non speaking roles in movies/TV shows hoping for more) hang it up after the first year. Not sure of statistics beyond that, but that eliminates a huge chunk of people hoping to break in right off the top.
06-09-09 | 07:56 PM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What percentage of actors actually make it in this business?
I once heard that 90% of the SAG is out of work at any given time. Don't know the veracity of those numbers though. 
06-09-09 | 09:14 PM
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From: Sitting on a beach, earning 20%
Re: What percentage of actors actually make it in this business?
Keep in mind that most of "employed" members of SAG often keep employed due to commercials and voice over work. Very few make an actual living from it, and even then it's hardly a comfortable one.
Or go back to school. Education is fundamental, kids.
Or go back to school. Education is fundamental, kids.
06-09-09 | 11:50 PM
#7
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: What percentage of actors actually make it in this business?
I was watching an old episode of $100,000 Pyramid where the late actor David Graf (Tackleberry from "Police Academy") said he tried getting on game shows as a struggling actor to help make ends meet.
