“i’d rather be in charge.”- Hannah Davis
In May 2006 I graduated college and moved to NYC chasing dreams of becoming a professional actress. For as long as I can remember, this was my dream. At 5 years old, in my kindergarten play, I was cast as the Baby Bear in Goldilocks, and I was hooked on acting!
In retrospect, I really wasn’t a great actress. I never won a lead role in our high school productions, I was only ever cast in ensemble roles in college, and although I did land my first paid, professional acting job in college for an outdoor theatre company, summer stock theatre was hardly prestigious. But, I was stubborn and tenacious with my dream and I had an incredible passion for the entire process of theatre. I truly believed it was what i was meant to do, so there was no stopping me.
My very first NYC headshots at 21 years old. I was ready to land a very serious role!
I hit the ground running when I arrived to New York. I found a great photographer and got headshots, I subscribed to Backstage, an actors guide to castings and classes, and went to every audition I could possibly go to. I took classes with casting directors and made connections. In 2007, one of the acting classes I signed up for was a Soap Intensive instructed by, Bob Lambert, a casting director for All My Children. My scene partner was Michael Galante and I remember being so distracted by his obvious on-screen (and real life) beauty that I really never could get my lines right.
Much to my surprise, a month or two after I completed the class, I got a call from the casting offices of All My Children. They wanted to cast me as a bar patron. This would be a reoccurring extra role that could possibly turn into an Under 5. Under 5 just meant you would be a no name character that had 5 lines or less. So, it would be possible that I would be given a line like, “Hey there, buddy,” or “Wanna dance?”. The job as an extra paid very well and it allowed me to join AFTRA, the union for television actors, which is a milestone for any actor. This was MAJOR in my world. It may as well have been my big break. On my first visit to the ABC studios building, the doors to the elevator open and Whoopie Goldberg is inside on her way up to film The View. She was super friendly and greeted me with a smile and cracked a joke. I was on the same elevator as WHOOPIE!!!
We did A LOT of sitting around in the extras greenroom just waiting to film. One shoot, a wrangler came into the greenroom and asked me if I would like to help Walt Willy read lines. Walt Willy played the lead character, Jackson. Incredibly nervous and confused as to why in the world I was being asked, I agreed.
The wrangler led me to Walt’s dressing room and introduced us. We spent the next hour just chatting and not going over any lines of script. I was so nervous and slightly uncomfortable with the entire situation, that I really don’t remember much of our conversation. When it was time for him to go film, we said a goodbye and I went on my merry way back to greenroom to sit with all the other minions…..where I belonged.
Another day, another shoot, the request came again. “Walt would like to know if you are able to read lines with him?” I imagined answering no was not really an option, so apprehensively, I walked back to his dressing room, this time by myself. After a few minutes, I began to feel like I was on a date that I didn’t want to be on. I nervously laughed off flirty comments and tried to stay as elusive as possible. I became increasingly uncomfortable and felt trapped, not sure how to get out of the situation without offending this ABC soap opera star. As a polite Southern gal, you’re meant to be courteous in all situations. When you turn down advances from a guy who is being slightly inappropriate and creepy, it should always include an “I’m sorry”, a giggle, and a smile.
Walt continued his advances and told me he wanted to spend time with me “outside of here”. I got a little brave and pointed to the picture of his wife and child and said that I didn’t think THEY would agree that it would be a very good idea. He tried to convince me of their open relationship but I still turned him down as graciously as I possibly could. I left his dressing room sure I would never be hired again for another episode of All My Children. I was right. And just like that, my “big” television career was over.
Disheartened by what I thought I would have to do to get ahead as an actress, I decided I didn’t want to be a minion in a million begging to be cast anymore. I wanted to be “in charge”, helping make the decisions on which minions would be cast. So, I went after an internship with Jim Carnahan Casting, one of the leading casting directors in NYC for theatre and I got it. What I wouldn’t learn until later, is that the view from that side of the industry was hardly any better……
