Hayley Derryberry: Be An Actor They Want To Work With

US vs. THEM: Be an actor they want to work with

By Hayley Derryberry

When I talked to some of my actor friends about working on the project “Red, White, and Bluey,” I got questions like: Are they flying you to Australia? Are they putting you in a hotel? Are they paying you overtime or travel days? These kinds of questions get asked all the time, but for the first time it sounded strange to me because I didn’t think of the production I was working for as “Them”. The director was a good friend of mine, so it felt like I was working on one of my own projects, and I realized that as actors we tend to create a distinction between the production and ourselves that shouldn’t be there. As an actor, if the project does well so do you. So why is it that as soon as we’re hired to work on a movie, TV show, or web series, we think of all the things “They” need to do for us? You should work with the production toward a mutual success, and that will make you someone “They” want to work with in the future.

I am guilty of this myself. Early in my career I played a villainess on an awesome zombie Nazi movie, and I made a total ass of myself. This was only my first or second major role in a feature film, and I actually got paid. I was really happy to work on the project and I loved the character I was playing, but on the last day of shooting I got into a heated argument with the director/ producer. I acted like a petulant child, and the result is that I lost all contact with the filmmakers and while they left my part in the movie, they haven’t given me any credit for it. Now that I’ve been a producer myself, I don’t blame them for that outcome one bit. I totally deserved it, but thankfully I have learned from that mistake and I am not that kind of actor anymore.

I got my come-up-ants when my husband and I produced our first feature film “Rabid Love” (which just released on DVD and VOD March 4^th! http://www.rabidlovemovie.com). We thought that all of the actors we hired were passionate about the project and happy to be working on it. We explained at length that it would be shooting very guerilla style and they all said repeatedly how low maintenance they were and how they weren’t “those kinds of actors”. For most of them it was the truth and I will gladly work with those folks again anytime in the future, but for a select few it was not the case. Now I don’t think they lied to us, I just think that when they stepped on set some other mentality kicked in where suddenly we weren’t mutual collaborators anymore, we were their employers, and then it was “Us vs. Them.” Suddenly their “low maintenance” turned into “Why isn’t there a gluten free option for lunch today?” and “I’m not wearing those pants because they make my ass look big.” I remember one day when it was just myself and one other actor in a scene and we had to move everyone to a remote location. When we got there, we had to unload all of the equipment and get set up. For a good half hour I watched as myself and our small crew unloaded the vehicles and my fellow actor sat on a bench waiting to be called to set. Technically, that actor did nothing wrong, but that behavior is certainly not the kind that makes people want to work with you again. One of our actors was so awesome; he helped us build props and sets. Another froze her booty off drenched in blood without complaint. Those are the little things that make producers say, “Bring back that actor we worked with on the last project”.

Here are some things you can do to help make yourself an actor “They” want to work with:

Be Passionate:The filmmaker knows that no one is ever going to be invested in her movie as much as she is, but the one group of people who really should be is the actors. The actors have the most to gain from the success of a film because their names and faces are attached to it. So when you get hired to work on a project be passionate about it. Do things like make it a point to meet the people you’ll be working close with and offer to do things like bring your own clothes as wardrobe options. I just worked on a movie where the lead actress brought a ton of her own clothes and it really helped out the wardrobe department allowing them to stretch their budget further than they would have. Then, show up to work early every day with every line memorized and a continued passion to make this the best movie you’ve ever made. That kind of gung ho-ness will make you an absolute pleasure to work with.

Be Low Maintenance:I just went to a screening of the show “Lone Target” on Discovery Channel, and one thing the producers raved about was how great working with the host of the show Joel Lambert was. He is a former Navy Seal and the producers talked about how willing he was to work in insane conditions without complaint, and how that made him someone they wanted to work with even more.  Now you may or may not be a Navy Seal and therefore able to put up with rigorous physical abuse, I don’t know, but I think my guess is pretty solid that you’re also not a royal princess; so don’t get on set and act like everyone needs to bow to your every whim. It sounds ridiculous right, but you might be surprised at just how many actors show up for work and suddenly forget how to tie their own shoelaces. Don’t be “that kind of actor”. If you’re working on a low budget project and you have a special diet, bring your own snacks to set. And even though people are asking you all day what they can get for you, you don’t have to request things. If you have the time make your own trip to crafty to get coffee. You could even do one better and bring some coffee to one of the crew who is outrageously busy. The tone on set is almost always set by the lead actors, and you can tell a big difference when you walk onto the set of a show with cool, laid back actors and one with uptight, high maintenance ones. The former has a happy efficient crew, while the latter feels like stepping into a funeral home or worse a war zone. So be happy that you’re working and share that happiness with those around you.

Promote Yourself: The last one is something you do even when you’re not working on a project. I added this because when I asked an actress friend of mine how her “online presence” was, I was surprised to hear her say that it was nearly non-existent. As actors there are so many factors outside of our control that decide whether or not we get hired, so it is really important to take charge of the ones that we do control.  You’ve got your headshots, you’re taking your classes, all there is to do now is wait for the phone to ring saying you’ve got an audition, right? Wrong. Don’t wait for somebody else to build your career, do it yourself. Get online and connect with fans or potential fans, anyway. (I could write an entire blog dedicated to this and I may do that soon.) You need to have an online “you” that is your professional self and separate from your personal self. I think twitter is a really great platform for this. Natasha Younge has some amazing blogs on MsInTheBiz with great advice about using twitter as a promotional tool, so check those out. Promoting yourself online makes you someone “they” want to work with because it shows producers that if hired, they will get additional promotion of their project through you. Success of every movie, TV show, and webseries is contingent upon word of mouth, so if you are always getting the word out about what you’re working on and you have an audience who is listening and responding, then you are a value to any production.

Now slap these three qualities on top of being a talented actor and there’s no way you won’t find success in this town. Actors can be hilarious human beings, so if you have a funny on set story or advice for actors on how they can be easier to work with, please share it in the comments section. I look forward to hearing from everyone!

About Hayley Derryberry

Hayley grew up in Tennessee and began acting on stage at six years old. She moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2008 where she began a professional career in Film and Television. There, Hayley learned about acting on camera working with talented local teachers and filmmakers. She worked on local web series and independent films. She eventually earned her SAG card with a speaking role on the Starz series “Crash”. Hayley and her husband Paul moved to Los Angeles in 2011. With their production company Rogue Taurus, they produced their first full-length feature film “Rabid Love”. The film has been sold and will be released on March 4th 2014. Hayley’s acting career is currently flourishing. She went to Sundance 2014 with the critically acclaimed film “Frank”, and has been booking small roles on television. Hayley still stays close to her Indy roots though, playing diverse characters in everything from Comedy to Horror. In fact, in the February 14th issue of “Living Dead Magazine” Hayley was named one of the top 5 new Scream Queens and Rising Talent of 2014. With wholesome midwestern looks, fierce talent, and a funny name, Hayley Derryberry is making her mark in Hollywood.

Hayley Derryberry in 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck