In support of his popular books for actors, "The Business of Acting: Learning the Skills You Need to Build the Career You Want", "The New Business of Acting: How to Build a Career in a Changing Landscape,", "The New Business of Acting: The Next Edition" and "The New Business of Acting - The Next Edition: COVID Update," talent manager and educator Brad Lemack offers commentary, perspective and information -- and addresses questions and comments from readers and site visitors.
I was a big fan of the 1965 – 1971 comedy series Green Acres – and I’m old enough to have watched in when it ran for the first time. Yikes.
Of course it’s been around in reruns for years, but what hasn’t been available until today is my 1992 interview with series star Eddie Albert. He talks about his career, the series, his role and his unforgettable co-star, Eva Gabor. Check out the preview below and watch the complete segment just added and now playing on demand at RerunIt.com.
Good news from SAG and AFTRA yesterday that a tentative agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers has been reached. Given the climate under which the current contract was accepted – and the massive disruption that took place in the process – this is, indeed very good news.
The new business of acting is a changing landscape – and it was wise for the negotiators from both unions, working together in a collaborative effort, to take the strategic approach they did entering these talks. Some modest pay hikes and a significant increase in contributions to the unions’ health and pension programs is a big plus in this economy.
More importantly, the AFTRA-SAG teaming in this endeavor speaks volumes about how far both sides have come in mending the fractured relationship that resulted from the last contract go-around in 2008.
Next step is for the agreement to be presented to the joint board of both unions and then for a majority of members of both unions to give it the thumbs up.
Could a true merger be far off? As I discuss in chapter 7 of The New Business of Acting: How to Build a Career in a Changing Landscape, it’s about time. One entity to represent all actors/artists/performers and, yes, even soap stars and newscasters can work if structured with in matrix that includes different divisions that specialize in specific categories of talent. I see it as all very doable and very beneficial to all current union members and to those whose career journeys will eventually lead them to union affiliation.
Tonight I will have an opportunity to discuss this and other issues in the new business of acting at a gathering of AFTRA members in Los Angeles. Good timing.
BL
I was so sadden to learn of the death of Barbara Billingsley yesterday.
I had gotten to know Barbara over the years through my management of Isabel Sanford. In the 1990’s when “TV mothers” were all the rage, it seemed like every other week, Isabel and I would find ourselves on a plane or sharing a limo with Barbara, June Lockhart and Marion Ross in one combination or another. There were trips to New York together; there were television sitcom appearances together; there were talk show appearances together; and there were a ton of local charity event appearances together.
What a joyous time; what a wonderful person to get to know; what an entourage we all made.
I never saw Barbara be anything less than gracious and friendly to anyone who approached her for her autograph or to talk about “the Beaver” or just in the day-to-day routine of business and life.
There are many highlights of my association with her, none the least of which is when she agreed to sit down and chat over a cup of coffee on my coffee shop cable talk series “Lemack & Company Live” in 1991.
Soon the entire interview will be available to view on RerunIt.com. In the meantime, we have hastily pulled together four minutes of clips from that interview, including Barbara’s take on going against typecasting and speaking “jive” in the hilarious 1980 feature film “Airplane.”
With much appreciation … enjoy.
