BOOKS

to the prospective artist: lessons from an unknown actor

overview

There are countless books out there teaching the nuts and bolts of acting; the craft, the business and so on. However, as a young actor, just starting out on my path, I wanted something more. Life as an artist is unlike that of any other career path. There's no straight line to achieving your goals. And being an artist is not the type of job you can simply leave at the office come 5 o'clock. It's so much a part of who you are and seeps into every facet of life. Simply having your craft down will not guarantee success. Because of the unique nature of an artistic career path, a simple book discussing the ABCs of acting is not really enough. Therefore, I wrote the book I wish had been available when I first started out on my journey.

testimonials & reviews

"Artists in training spend a majority of their time crafting monologues and competing for resources. Nick Maccarone’s refreshing practical advice To the Prospective Artist empowers everyone to create dialogue in communal conversation by inspiring fellow artists to tell stories and share their collective experience." 

Jeremy Jones
Company Development Manager at the Guthrie Theater

"I see this book as a mandatory read for actors who are looking for a meaningful and satisfying day-to-day while pursuing the career they love. I would have loved to have read this while finishing up grad school a few years ago. It would have given me a lot more purpose and direction for the start of my professional acting career."

Ross Wellinger
(After Ever After, 20-Something, Then That Happened) 

"Nick has traveled the globe in search of something far deeper and meaningful to himself. What Nick has compiled is essentially his personal notebook on how to survive and to nourish the ability to find peace in a career filled with chaos. It is an invaluable resource for actors and artists alike, and also, for anyone who has ever been curious about delving deeper into the unknown."

Ruy Iskandar
(The Blacklist, Gotham, Benders)

"I always believed talent was everything. But when I started pursuing a career as a professional actor, I quickly found that the business and the day-to-day life of an actor was a different beast. This book guides you through those peaks and valleys and reminds you that your career isn't the end all be all. If I had this book when I first started, I would have saved myself a lot of wasted time, pain and hardship."

Reynaldo Piniella
(Louie, Broken City, Law & Order: SVU)

To the Prospective Actor: A Brief No Frills Guide To Starting An Acting Career

overview 

For several years I was an actor and writer in both New York City and Los Angeles. During that time I had my share of industry “victories” combined with setbacks, which often seemed to dwarf the former.

Still, it was during my determined pursuit of becoming a professional storyteller that I gained important insights and lessons, many of which I found myself asked to share among my younger actor friends starting out in the business.

I’ve put together a collection of tips and insights I’ve gained over the years that have proven helpful to many of my colleagues who are not Tom Hanks or Cate Blanchett, but every day folks trying to make a dream into a living.