Want to know what it’s like to be on the set as an extra, a bit player saying three lines in one scene, a guest star or part of the main cast? It’s not glamorous, but once you’re performing, you’re reminded why you chose acting as a vocation. She also advises on finding and keeping an agent and manager.įischer also discusses in detail the arduous auditioning process, the heartbreak, the glory, and how to keep going on.

When it comes to the survival guide, Fischer offers sound advice on getting the right headshot, getting into the film and television’s actor union SAG (Screen Actors Guild), and building one’s resume as an actor. And in that nearly decade long road, Fischer dealt with the good, bad and ugly of being an aspiring actor, which she isn’t afraid to share in The Actor’s Life. It took her eight years to finally become a success on The Office and in movies like Blades of Glory and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. She thought it wouldn’t be long before she saw her name on the marquee of movie theaters or among the credits of a hit television show.īoy, was she wrong. But she also had a big dream to make it as an actress in both television and in film. All Fischer had was her college diploma, a beat up car and some saved up cash. Louis native packed her bags and headed out to Los Angeles. She took acting and dance classes and performed in both community and school productions, including acting as the Fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof, which must have been quite a challenge for a someone going to all-girls Catholic school.Īfter earning a degree in theater at Truman State University in Missouri, this St. Now Fischer has turned that MySpace post into something more with her book The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide that is at turns both a memoir of Jenna’s journey to acting success and a wise and practical primer for aspiring actors.įischer fell in love with acting and performing as a child. Fischer’s MySpace post resonated with a lot of people, even people with no acting ambitions. Already well-known as the sweet and vulnerable Pam Beesly on The Office, Ms.

Back in the day, I believe it was in the year 2006, when MySpace was still a thing and we were all friends of Tom, Jenna Fischer wrote a post on her MySpace page where she discussed the trials and tribulations she faced as an aspiring actor.

The Actor's Life by Jenna Fischer