GETTING STARTED
Should We Move to Los Angeles for My Child’s Acting Career?
BY JENN BOYCE
FORMER HOLLYWOOD TALENT AGENT & FOUNDER OF THE HOLLYWOOD PREP
Big Dreams Anywhere
No! Absolutely not.
I never recommend uprooting your entire family and moving to Los Angeles based on the possible whim of a child.
Think about it.
You move across the country, leave your home, your jobs, your schools, your family and friends…and three years later your child says:
“Eh, I’m not really into acting anymore.”
And you’re standing there thinking, Oh great. I’m so glad we uprooted our entire family so we could live in a tiny place in LA. 😂
Kids change their minds.
They’re supposed to!
That’s why I would much rather see a family find a way for their child to explore acting without turning everyone’s life upside down.
One thing I do want to point out is that Los Angeles isn’t the only major market. New York is a major market too.
And there are some really great smaller markets like Atlanta, Chicago, Texas and New Orleans where your child can absolutely work.
So please don’t think, “My child wants to be an actor, I guess we have to move to LA.”
You don’t. 😂
Where you live, what kind of work your child wants to do and what makes sense for your family all matter.
We’re going to talk about the different markets next because I want you to understand where the opportunities are and how they work a little differently.
Can My Child Pursue Acting If We Don’t Live in Los Angeles?
Absolutely.
One really good thing that came out of COVID is that the audition process changed dramatically.
Today, almost every first audition is done by self-tape, which means your child can audition from pretty much anywhere.
Some callbacks are even done over Zoom, and sometimes kids are booked directly from their tape.
That has opened up opportunities for families who don’t live in Los Angeles in a way we didn’t have before.
But—and this is important—living outside LA does require some flexibility from the entire family.
From My Agent Days
Ciara Bravo is a great example of this.
When I first met Ciara, she was living with her family near Cincinnati.
I saw her at a talent event and there was just something about her.
She was smart, confident, adorable and completely herself. I loved her.
But her family didn’t immediately pack up their lives and move to Los Angeles.
They figured out how to make it work.
For years, Ciara traveled back and forth to LA for auditions, with her parents and grandparents helping to make it all happen.
And it wasn’t like she came to LA and immediately booked a huge show.
She auditioned and auditioned and auditioned until eventually she booked Big Time Rush.
I love this story because it’s such a good reminder that there isn’t only one way to do this.
You don’t have to figure out your child’s entire career—or move your entire family—on Day One.
You figure out what works for your family, take the next step, and then see where it goes.
Will We Ever Have to Travel to Los Angeles for an Audition?
Possibly.
There may be times when your child has a big callback, Producer session, mix-and-match or another part of the casting process that requires them to be there in person.
And you may not get much notice.
Sometimes you could have only a day or two to figure out:
Can we get on a plane?
Can we get to Los Angeles?
Can Mom or Dad get away from work?
Can we afford the flight and somewhere to stay?
Sometimes production may cover travel expenses. Other times, getting there and putting yourselves up may be completely on you.
That’s something I want families to think about before they start pursuing opportunities outside their local market.
You don’t necessarily need to live in Los Angeles.
But you do need to be honest with yourself about whether your family has the financial ability and flexibility to get there when an important opportunity comes along.
Do We Ever Need to Move to Los Angeles?
You might—but that’s going to depend on your child’s career and what’s happening at the time.
Maybe your child books a series and needs to be in Los Angeles for months at a time. Or maybe they’re working so consistently that eventually you look at each other and say, “Okay, it actually makes more sense for our family to be here.”
Sure! Then moving may be the right decision.
But I’ve also had clients who never moved to Los Angeles.
They kept their child’s life as normal as possible. They stayed in their hometown, went to their regular school, had their friends and their normal life—and when they booked a job, they came to Los Angeles (or wherever the project was shooting), worked for a few months and then went home.
And I really love that option too.
At the end of the day, it’s a very personal decision. What’s right for one family may make absolutely no sense for another.
The important thing I want you to remember is:
You don’t have to make that decision right now.
Let your child explore acting. See how much they’re working. See how your family handles the travel. See where their career takes them.
If you eventually reach a point where moving makes sense, you’ll know a whole lot more then than you do today.
So for now?
No moving truck required. 😂
Jenn's
Take
You don’t have to move to Los Angeles to give your child a chance in this industry.
Let them explore. Let their career grow. And if you eventually reach a point where moving actually makes sense for your family, you’ll know a whole lot more then than you do today.
WHERE CAN MY CHILD ACT?
Los Angeles isn’t the only place kids are working professionally.
Next, let’s talk about the major and regional acting markets—including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Texas and New Orleans—and what families need to know about pursuing work in each one.