GETTING STARTED

How Do I Know If Acting Is Right for Our Family?

BY JENN BOYCE

FORMER HOLLYWOOD TALENT AGENT & FOUNDER OF THE HOLLYWOOD PREP

Here’s something I think parents need permission to hear:

This is a lot to juggle, and it’s not going to be right for every family. And that’s okay.

You may have a child who absolutely LOVES acting, but you also have a job, other kids, school, sports, family commitments and, you know…a life. 😂

Supporting your child’s dream shouldn’t mean your entire family has to turn their lives upside down.

Does My Child Have to Pursue Acting Professionally?

Absolutely not.

Especially if you don’t live in one of the larger acting markets, maybe having a great local Agent is the perfect fit for your family.

Maybe it’s local commercials.

Maybe it’s community or local theater.

Maybe your child takes a great acting class and does school productions.

That may give them exactly what they need to scratch that acting itch without making acting the center of your family’s life.

And I think that’s great.

What If My Child Wants More Later?

Then you can reevaluate later.

Maybe your circumstances change.

Maybe your child’s interest grows.

Maybe they reach an age where they’re able to take on more responsibility for their career.

Or maybe nothing changes and your child continues doing local theater, working with a local Agent or simply taking acting classes because they love it.

Maybe that’s just their path.

Not every child who loves acting needs to become a professional Hollywood actor.

Sometimes acting can simply be something that brings your child joy.

And that’s enough.

A Real Acting Family: The Caddells

One family that immediately comes to mind is the Caddell family.

I found them at an acting school in Colorado. They had three girls—Cam, Maddy and Reece—and Reece was only about six months old when I first met the family.

For years, they didn’t move to Los Angeles.

They kept their home and their life in Colorado and came back and forth to LA when they needed to.

And they did that for about seven years before finally deciding that moving to Los Angeles made sense for their family and where the girls’ careers were going.

And those girls worked.

Reece went on to become a series regular on Nickelodeon’s All That and built a great list of TV credits. Maddy has worked consistently as well.

But the part I want parents to pay attention to isn’t their resumes.

It’s how their family did it.

They didn’t meet me and immediately say, “That’s it! Pack the house—we’re moving to Hollywood!” 😂

They figured out a way to pursue acting that worked for their family at that time.

They traveled.

They made sacrifices.

They juggled three kids.

And when their circumstances and the girls’ careers reached a point where moving made sense, then they moved.

That’s what I mean when I tell you there isn’t one right way to be an acting family.

Sometimes you make it work from where you are.