{"id":6174,"date":"2020-01-17T19:13:19","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T19:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.castingnetworks.com\/?p=6174"},"modified":"2025-05-03T11:22:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T18:22:21","slug":"read-this-before-working-your-first-co-star-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.castingnetworks.com\/news\/read-this-before-working-your-first-co-star-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Read This Before Working Your First Co-Star Role"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may have a number of series credits under your belt, or perhaps you\u2019re new to working on professional TV sets. Jim Garrity<\/span><\/a>, known for his work on shows such as Euphoria<\/i> and L.A.\u2019s Finest<\/i>, falls into the former category. Garrity took some time in between a shoot and a number of auditions to sit down with Casting Networks and answer some questions that newer actors might have about working on set. The fear of the unknown may shadow your first time working in TV, and Garrity shared some of his own experiences, as well as things he learned along the way to help those just starting out.
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Jim Garrity. Photo Courtesy of IMDb.com.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

What was the biggest thing you learned from your first TV co-star role?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019d consider my first TV credit to be a movie of the week called Inspector Mom<\/i>, with Danica McKellar. I remember getting to set and really not knowing where to go, so the first thing I wish I had known is who I needed to ask for. I learned that you should start by asking where the AD [assistant director] trailer is, or just tell someone that you\u2019re looking to report in. Most of the time, people will steer you in the right direction. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask.
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How would you advise actors who are new to taking direction on a TV set?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

First off, some directors are hands-on, and some talk through the first AD. But basically, whoever\u2019s giving you direction is the person you should be listening to and responding to. Keep in mind that with a co-star role, there\u2019s really not a whole lot of interpretation. If it\u2019s a one-liner, you\u2019re basically pushing the story along, pointing the main character in the direction they\u2019re supposed to be going, or just giving background information. With co-star roles, I\u2019ve found that they often just want you to be able to say the lines and hit your mark. Have the mindset that it\u2019s not about you.
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How do you handle working opposite the lead?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

For this one, I\u2019ll pull from my first guest star role when I was on Castle <\/i>opposite Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic. They were great to work with, but everybody\u2019s there to do a job. On our way to set, Nathan and I ended up in the elevator together. We exchanged \u201chellos,\u201d and that was it. I think you need to respect the leads and give them their space. Let them initiate the conversation. Ask the AD if you want a picture with them. Or if you approach them about it, always ask at the end of the day after the work is done. It\u2019s usually not a problem, but never ask before or during the shoot. There\u2019s just that protocol.
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How do you maintain focus on set?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t let the set overwhelm you. There\u2019s a lot of moving parts with all the cameras and the lighting and the number of people that are on set. Remember that they want you to do well so that they can get their job done and go home. And learn from my experience on my first and only soap opera shoot. I was a day player and had my one line ready, but I was not prepared for the cameras to be moving around in the background. I\u2019d consider myself a pretty observant person – if something\u2019s in motion, it\u2019ll catch my eye. So as they were shooting and the cameras started moving, I found myself speaking right into the camera. They finished the scene and were like, \u201cGreat. Let\u2019s go again.\u201d Dang it if the same thing didn\u2019t happen a second time. \u201cMoving on,\u201d they called. [Laughs] So the takeaway is to be focused on the scene, on what you\u2019re talking about, and on your scene partner. You\u2019ve got to be able to block out everything else that\u2019s going on around you.
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Any tips for handling the downtime on set?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

I did not realize how much downtime there would be, and it caught me off guard. I was worried that I was missing something and that I was not doing something I was supposed to. And yet, you just sit there, eating a lot of crafty and maybe putting on a few pounds. You usually end up talking with your other co-stars that are there. Don\u2019t be afraid to talk to background actors – they\u2019re there all day and wondering how to pass the time, as well.
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How do you interact with crew members?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

You\u2019re essentially visiting somebody\u2019s home when you\u2019re on their set. Be polite, be yourself, and read the situation. Know when to back off if someone\u2019s not interested in chatting. You may be talking to one of the ADs, and they seem to be engaged as they nod and smile at you. But then they turn away and respond to something that they\u2019ve been listening to in their ear the whole time. It goes back to the fact that it\u2019s not about you. Be easygoing, and just be friendly. Treat everyone like you want to be treated, and don\u2019t force yourself on people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What about worries that actors may have about working their first TV co-star role?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

My mom always says, \u201cDon\u2019t borrow trouble.\u201d Don\u2019t worry if you\u2019re not getting special attention because you might be doing your job just right. At the same time, don\u2019t be concerned if you\u2019re the only one getting notes. Your part might need to be done a certain way because it\u2019s integral to the story. So don\u2019t read into your direction or lack thereof. You\u2019re there because they want you there. You can\u2019t focus on things that are outside of your control. At the end of the day, if you do something different than what they wanted, they\u2019ll just redirect you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thanks to Garrity\u2019s advice, you can walk onto your first professional TV set without apprehension that you\u2019ll do something wrong or misstep. Instead, you can feel the excitement of experiencing an important milestone in your career. And if you fall into the experienced actor category like Garrity, comment below any additional advice you have for new actors. Recalling one\u2019s first co-star role is a good reminder that we all start somewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This interview has been edited and condensed.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 
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You may have a number of series credits under your belt, or perhaps you\u2019re new to working on professional TV sets. Jim Garrity, known for his work on shows such as Euphoria and L.A.\u2019s Finest, falls into the former category. Garrity took some time in between a shoot and a number of auditions to sit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":97699,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cn_email_teaser":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[727,720],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-filmmakers-creators","category-your-career"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRead This Before Working Your First Co-Star Role<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.castingnetworks.com\/news\/read-this-before-working-your-first-co-star-role\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Read This Before Working Your First Co-Star Role\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You may have a number of series credits under your belt, or perhaps you\u2019re new to working on professional TV sets. 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