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The Actor's Life
The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide | Jenna Fischer
27 posts | 35 read | 44 to read
Jenna Fischers Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a theater degree in hand, she was certain everything would fall easily into place. Never mind that she didnt know a single person in the entertainment industry. She was determined, she was confident, she was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong? Uh, basically everything. It would be eight long years before she landed her Emmy-nominated role of Pam Beesley on The Office--nearly a decade of failure, struggle, rejection and doubt. The path to professional acting was more competitive than shed ever imagined. Headshots, agents, classes, auditions . . . there was a lot to learn. And with so many obstacles to navigate, it wasnt always easy to fight off discouragement. If only shed had a handbook for the struggling actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way--an established actor who could manage her expectations, educate her about the business, and reassure her in those moments of despair. Jenna Fischer wants to be that person for you. With candor and wit, Fischer lays out what it takes to establish yourself in the profession. Based on her own memorable and hilarious experiences, she provides invaluable advice on how to get the right head shot, what to look for in representation, and the importance of getting out there and just doing something. She also provides helpful hints on how to be gutsy and take risks, the tricks to good auditioning and callbacks, and how not to fall for certain scams. (Auditions in a guys apartment are probably not legit--or at least not for the kind of part youre looking for!) Fischers inspiring guidance will make you feel like you have a trusted friend whos made the journey and has now returned to walk beside you, pointing out the pitfalls as you blaze your own path toward the life of a professional actor.
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Mesica25
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Pickpick

I throughly enjoyed this, but worry about the diets of actors after this.

Kristin_Reads I loved this on audio! 4y
9 likes1 comment
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parasolofdoom
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Mehso-so

Picked up because I love The Office but was also curious about the realities of aspiring actors because that was my dream when I was pre teen/young teen. I'm not the target audience but it's interesting to see how things are in the field for people trying to start out. Was honestly a bit bored by the actor interviews at the end so this is between so so and pick

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Charityann
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Pickpick

If you like The Office, you‘ll probably enjoy this one even though it‘s geared to those who want to get into the acting business. And with this one, I passed my goal for three audiobooks for #jumpstart2020, and am now 10 books into my #goodreadschallenge 😁📚📖🎧

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LibLib
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Pickpick

The title of this book is pretty accurate and it's geared towards those seriously interested in pursuing acting as a career. I'm not looking for a career change but I thought this was a really interesting listen and I learned A LOT in what it takes to be a successful working actor. This book reenforced my love for JFischer and you better believe I immediately started rewatching The Office 😁 She's such a down to earth relatable person. #audiobook

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Bookish_B
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I love books set in or adjacent to Los Angeles/Hollywood, fiction and nonfiction. These are from my TBR pile. If you have any suggestions for me please, let me know! 👍🏼😊

Pruzy I recommend The Mirage Factory by Gary Krist, Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Pia Eatwell, and especially Dear Los Angeles edited by David Kipen 5y
Bookish_B @Pruzy awesome! Thank you 😊I have read The Mirage Factory and I have Dear Los Angeles on my list but I have now also added Black Dahlia, Red Rose. Thanks again! 5y
28 likes2 comments
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Reita325

I don't want to be an actor, but if I did, I would certainly use this as a guide for getting started. Jenna gives a plethora of information on everything a fledgling actor needs to know. Along the way, she tells stories and gives examples from her own career trajectory. It takes a lot of passion and persistence to live the life of an artist, Jenna sounds like one in a million of authentic, nice people that are in show business.

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Hestapleton
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Pickpick

Catching up on reviews! I love Jenna Fischer and I loved this book. While I don‘t want to be an actor, I enjoyed hearing her story and insider tips about the movie business. She narrates the audio with special guests, which was a great experience. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Audiobook 1/2 for #bookishfitnesschallenge.

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LibraryLovingMommy
Pickpick

Not at all interested in acting but loved The Office and wanted "a peek behind the curtain," so to speak. Neat glimpses into Hollywood processes in a very accessible voice. Liked hearing about Jenna's rise to fame. (Audio)

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Egleason
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I‘m not an actor, don‘t even aspire to be one but Jenna makes me wish I was one. I wish she would create an audiobook full of step by step instructions for my future career. Love her advice, every aspiring actor needs to read this! #TheOffice #JennaFischer #Acting

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AvidReader25
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Pickpick

A fun audiobook even if you have no interest in becoming an actor.

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Pam.Kokomo
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Pickpick

So fun! I think this was technically written for aspiring actors. I am very happy starring in my own role as stay-at-home mama to three beautiful girls and trying to keep the chaos at bay as much as possible, so I am not the target audience. But this book...I just didn‘t want it to end. Jenna does an amazing job on the audio. Lots of story of her career getting off the ground, behind the scenes of acting, and yes, kissing “Jim.”

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LLMadrid
Pickpick

I checked out this book because I like Jenna Fischer and I was wanting an easy read. As a non-actor, I wish the book was more memoir and less guide. I still enjoyed it and found Fischer to be refreshingly honest about how difficult trying to be an actor is and how much luck and insane perseverance is required. I would recommend this to any aspiring actors as well as other creatives as much of her advice can apply to artists, writers etc.

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echalpan
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Pickpick

I saw this book by Jenna Fischer and decided I HAD to get it. Because I love her and The Office. This book really is a survival guide for actors starting out in the business (like the title says), but for some reason I was surprised. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ Still, so many of her personal stories were woven into the book, making it an enjoyable listen.

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lonelybluenights
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My dad gave me this. 💗 #readingatwork

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DebinHawaii
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Pickpick

I'm giving this a pick because I adore Jenna Fischer & I knew going in it was mainly a book about career advice for beginning actors. I loved her stories about her start, missteps, The Office, etc. & didn't mind the advice pieces for the most part. Since the audiobook was her narrating, it was as charming & funny as she is.🤗I'm going to need to find the pictures to see her bad headshots though--my library audiobook didn't have the download.

RaimeyGallant Thanks for the review. 7y
96 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Bookish_B
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My haul at L.A Times Festival of books today. Not as big as yesterday but still good 😊I'm exhausted but it was an excellent weekend! 🤓📚

Eyelit Nice! 7y
Swe_Eva Great mug!! 7y
Mommamanzi Woohoo! 7y
LeahBergen Awesome mug! 7y
44 likes4 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
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Pickpick

Jenna Fischer, best known for playing Pam in NBC‘s hit show The Office, offers encouraging advice—based on her experience and that of her friends—to aspiring actors who are trying to make it into show business. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jess7 Have you watched her new show splitting up together? 7y
trueisa4letterword @Jess7 Rotten Tomatoes has it at 40%. Did you like it? 7y
WanderingBookaneer @Jess7 : Yes! ❤️ 7y
WanderingBookaneer @trueisa4letterword : I did the audiobook, maybe that‘s what made the difference. 7y
Traci1 Ooh I love her. Adding that to my wishlist! 7y
120 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
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New phone means downloading and logging on to every app and, it the case of us bibliophiles, books and audiobooks. This is my first audiobook on my new phone.

rubyslippersreads This is what's keeping me from upgrading my old iPhone 6 Plus. 😄 7y
benchley1 My Samsung migrated everything to the new phone passwords and all! So amazing 7y
Blaire I loved this one!!! Be sure to check out the photos in book. I listened to it and then also downloaded from hoopla so I could see the pics. 7y
108 likes8 stack adds3 comments
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CKtheLibrarian
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyed listening to this one. If you are interested in learning more about how to began your acting career, this has a lot of good information. If you just want to hear Pam Beasley talk about some of The Office tidbits...this has some of that, too.

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Blaire
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Pickpick

Thank you @L_auren for the recommendation. This was a wonderful audiobook (but make sure to check out the ebook for the pictures), both on hoopla. I have zero interest in acting, but love learning the ins and outs of other people‘s jobs and found this totally fascinating. Loved hearing Fischer‘s advice and learning how she came to play the #belovedcharacter of Pam. She‘s a great narrator. #readingresolutions

L_auren Glad you liked it ☺️ I‘ll have to go back and look at the photos!! 7y
Blaire @L_auren do! The headshot ones are so much fun. 7y
56 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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AdeleReads
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An inspiring and entertaining read for anyone with big dreams and creative ambitions—and bonus points of joy for fans of The Office! Audiobook is stellar—but get a print or digital copy too, if you can, so you can see all of the fun photos of Jenna and friends.

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WanderingBookaneer
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#KindleDailyDeal I loved Jenna Fischer in the Office and follow her on Instagram. So excited to get this one!

Cailey_Mac Just purchased as well! 7y
78 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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dariazeoli
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I‘m not an actor, so this book wasn‘t written with me in mind. I am, however, a huge fan of The Office. Jim & Pam were MY jam! (See what I did there?)

I‘m about 60% through listening to this book and enjoying it. Jenna‘s advice for struggling actors is interesting to listen to, and I appreciate the sprinklings of stories from her own experiences.

I also really want to watch season 2 of The Office right now.

GripLitGrl Love the office too I had no idea she wrote a book. 7y
44 likes1 comment
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ReadingSusan
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Pickpick

I have never had an desire to be an actor but I love Jenna Fischer so I thought I would read this book anyway. I am so glad I did. I loved it! Even the parts with advice for actors. She‘s so funny and entertaining and I love the BTS info about Hollywood. Also, being an actor sounds like my worst nightmare.

JenReadsAlot I loved her as Pam! 7y
ReadingSusan @JenReadsAlot me too! The book made me want to start a rewatch of The Office. 7y
112 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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ReadingSusan
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Excited for this one! Love her!

dariazeoli I had no idea she had a book coming out! And Steve wrote the intro! ❤️ 7y
bookish.escape Absolutely love Jenna Fischer!!!!! Don‘t know if I‘m going to read the book though because it‘s suppose to be like a guide for people looking to become actors and actresses. I‘ll wait to see what the reviews say. If it was a biography I‘d buy it in a heartbeat. I miss The Office, thank goodness for DVDs, lol!!! 7y
ReadingSusan @bookish.escape yeah it‘s definitely a guide with some biography woven in. It‘s still funny but I do wish it was strictly a memoir. 7y
ReadingSusan @dariazeoli yeah it‘s hilarious too. Of course. 7y
109 likes8 stack adds4 comments