My Hollywood Star... Information For Entertainers
I arrived in Hollywood in 1956. I did not know anyone in the entertainment business anywhere near Hollywood. I did not know anyone in California. I had no great talent which would be of interest to movie makers or agents. I had no actor's resume. I was in Hollywood but not an actor. I worked in a warehouse to make ends meet. That was a wise choice. To make any kind of progress in show business it is important to be stable. You will need an address and a phone number and, in Los Angeles, which is where Hollywood is located, you will need a car that runs if you expect to get to auditions. You also will need to eat while you wait to be discovered in Hollywood or anywhere. The resume will wait. Your tummy needs to eat now.
I waited and I worked at my regular job. I moved from L.A. to New York City and then to Las Vegas. I learned to play a litlle bit of music on piano and guitar and I wrote some songs and started my own publishing company. I made records. They were the vinyl 45rpm records of that era. I became a radio announcer and a writer for other deejays while I was in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is only 300 miles from Hollywood.
I wrote for some of the Las Vegas lounge performers. All that was before I finally started working as a movie extra. Acting in a Hollywood movie still seemed like a faraway dream.
A Door To Hollywood Opened... In Las Vegas
I started as a movie extra in 1979, in Las Vegas, 23 years after I first arrived in Hollywood. It took some time for me to get into the movies.
As soon as I became a member of The Screen Extras Guild in Las Vegas I moved to Los Angeles. To be more specific I moved to Hollywood. I lived in Hollywood and I was working in the movie industry. I then became an actor very quickly and all of it was fun and worth the effort.
On this site I will share what knowledge and advice I have about the entertainment industry and what I know about Hollywood. I will keep updating pages as I learn more. Please enjoy yourself here and come back often. Thanks.
This Site Is Free
Please visit many of the pages here if you have a desire to become an entertainer. I have links below to many pages of the site. Each of those pages will take you to even more show business content. Every page is free. There is no membership. There are no pop up ads. My experiences as a professional entertainer in Hollywood will probably be helpful for you, whether you are just beginning your career or if you are already a veteran performer. Break a leg.
Any e-mails for the webmaster can be sent to this e-mail address.
Hollywood Screams (Under Construction)
Hollywoodland
Your Name Here
Hopefully your name will go on the Walk of Fame someday. Start here and start today and follow your dream.
On these pages you will find information about how to design your resume, get your pictures (headshots), learn how to play piano chords, decide whether to join a union right away and other important career information.
This site was written by Tom Willett. Tom belongs to AFTRA, SAG, The Musician's Union and at one time was a member of the no longer existing Screen Extras Guild. Tom has more than 50 years of show business experience. Tom has been an actor, extra, deejay, stand up comic, musician, producer, director, writer and currently a YouTuber. Everything on this site is free.