How to Earn Money as an Actor Even If You're Not Famous Yet
Most working actors are not household names — they're building a resume one booking at a time. In this AllCasting webinar, acting coach, talent manager, and casting professional Dillon Mann (owner of UpNext Talent LLC and Talent INC The Studio in Concord, NC) explains how new and developing talent can start earning real money long before "famous" ever enters the picture.
Dillon has worked across projects tied to HBO, Cinemax, 20th Century Fox, Disney, and NASCAR, and coaches actors of all ages on auditions, self-tapes, and the business side of the industry. Here's what he told the AllCasting community.
Industrials and commercials pay more than people expect
Corporate training videos and industrial projects — the kind of content brands like Amazon or Lowe's use to onboard employees — are often overlooked by new actors chasing TV and film. Dillon says these gigs typically pay $800 to $2,500 a day depending on the industry, and they're regularly posted right on AllCasting.
Commercials can pay off even bigger. Dillon shared the example of an 11-year-old client who booked a national Coca-Cola Super Bowl commercial and earned roughly $80,000–$90,000 for a one-day shoot — a booking that also built his resume and opened doors to bigger roles.
Your headshot is your first audition
Without a resume or demo reel, casting directors judge new talent almost entirely on their headshot. Dillon recommends budgeting $300–$500 for a professional session, and pairing it with a quick 10–20 second slate video that shows your name, stats, location, and personality. A good phone photo with proper lighting, a blue backdrop, and portrait mode can work too — just avoid busy outdoor selfies.
Self-submit daily and check your inbox
New posts go up on AllCasting every day, and Dillon tells his own clients — agented or not — to self-submit daily rather than waiting for someone else to find them. Just as important: check your inbox and messages daily. Missed replies are one of the most common reasons talent loses out on paid work.
Say yes to student films and unpaid demo reel opportunities
If a student film or local project offers footage instead of a day rate, Dillon says take it "a thousand percent." A professional demo reel can be worth more than a paycheck for a new actor, since quality demo reels normally cost thousands of dollars to produce.
You don't need a big following — or an agent
A large social media following isn't required to book commercials, industrials, or film work — casting directors care about the audition, not follower count. Dillon does recommend having some professional online presence, ideally a separate account for your acting work. And while agents can help, plenty of working actors are fully self-represented and book consistently through self-submissions on platforms like AllCasting.
