Jake Ruderman ’26

Sports Editor

Being an actor is challenging work. Especially over the last few years, from global pandemic to industry-wide strike, it’s been a tough time for up-and-coming actors to find consistent work in an industry that is anything but. But what’s it really like, behind the scenes, to be a fresh actor on the rise in the biggest city in America? I talked to my friend Jorge Carrión Álvarez to find out the details of the indie film scene and the challenges of earning a living as an actor in today’s climate. 

To provide some background, Jorge graduated from Emerson College with a degree in theater and creative writing in 2020. After graduating, Jorge moved to New York City with high ambitions and quickly realized the difficulties that lie ahead on his career path. The best way to improve his chances of honing his skills and improving his odds at landing consistent work? Joining the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and training for three years as a professional actor. After graduating in 2023, having earned his Masters in Fine Arts, Jorge was better positioned to land legitimate roles because of both his degree and his enhanced understanding of the technicalities of acting. 

And, while both those components were essential to his young aspirations, neither would prove to be the quintessential component. Experience, the dreaded concept, was far and away the most important thing for a blossoming actor, like himself, looking to land on his feet. Jorge was fortunate enough to have been able to work on a variety of projects during his time in school, mostly short films and plays, which provided him with a taste of the field and the ability to network with other actors and professionals at various stages in their careers. 

In fact, it was this experience that landed Jorge his first leading role in a feature film – an actress Jorge had previously worked with reached out when her leading co-star in a new feature film dropped out, only a week before shooting was scheduled to begin. With his co-star’s seal of approval, Jorge was in good favor with the director, and, after a brief audition process, was given the part. 

As the lead in the film, Jorge was required to shoot every day for fifteen days straight. His call time, (the time he’s supposed to arrive on site) was 6am, with 12 hour filming days every day for weeks. But, the tricky thing about his schedule was that it was always changing. The 12 hours of shooting was non-negotiable, but the 6am start time varied due to delays and people arriving late. So, if the production didn’t get started until 10am, then the actors were required to work until 10pm, with the next day’s work starting 12 hours later. The weeks of shooting were a total grind, and to add on top of it all, Jorge was being filmed almost constantly for a documentary that was being made, in real time, about the film they were shooting (the majority of their funding was contingent on allowing this documentary crew full access to their shooting). While the documentary crew added stress on Jorge’s plate, it also heightened his sense of focus, and really helped him find his character, since he was constantly being recorded. Jorge described this experience as “one of the most challenging, but rewarding projects [he’s] ever worked on.” 

The entire ordeal served as a reminder to Jorge that flexibility and versatility, as both an actor and an everyday employee, were essential qualities to master if he wanted any chance of making it big. Ultimately, it proved to be a tremendous experience for him, as a sort of quasi-big break. The film, titled The Flesh People, is currently in post-production and is slated for a late 2024, or early 2025 release.

Other than out-of-the-blue connections that help land him roles, Jorge’s main job is the neverending audition cycle. Through a variety of means, including the assistance of an acting agency and the Actors Equity Union, Jorge’s able to land auditions fairly frequently, but they vary in terms of their requirements. A handful involve in person auditions, often with memorized material or scripts provided the day of; most others entail simply setting up a tripod and recording himself reading lines of dialogue, all from the comfort of his own apartment. Ultimately, the audition process is what comprises the vast majority of an actor’s time; for an unproven actor, landing big roles is a serious challenge, and throwing yourself at as many auditions as possible is the surest way to pay the bills. While nearly all auditions will lead nowhere, every now and then you’ll catch a director’s eye, whether it be for that particular role, or for a role in the future. 

In terms of actually paying the bills, Jorge works on the side as a kids’ acting coach. Because of the volatility of the industry, working on acting full time simply isn’t feasible. Just this past year, the entire American film industry shut down due to strikes from the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America. And, while the strikes provided fairer pay and better working conditions for thousands, they also put aspiring actors out of work for months on end. Big name movie stars, with millions to their name, were able to ride out the strikes without a second thought, but unproven actors, those constantly looking for work to pay the bills, were seriously harmed in the months where they weren’t permitted to work. So, for the time being, Jorge, along with a majority of aspiring actors, won’t be able to ‘quit his day job.’ But, he sure longs for the day when he’ll be able to, even though he loves helping kids fall in love with acting, just as he did.

With the semi-ongoing ‘streaming wars’, and the ever-increasing presence of AI technology, the indie film industry is as far from stable as it’s been in decades. But, for actors like Jorge, who live and breathe to embody characters for the stage and screen, it’s everything they ever dreamed it would be. And, for young, talented hopefuls, Jorge implores them to follow their passion as far as it takes them – you never quite know when you’ll get your big break.

Image Courtesy of the Screen Actors Guild Awards