Dear Toni,

My name is Jesse Fortney and I’m writing to you about my current
situation. I started to study acting about 7 yrs ago.  I had an agent in the beginning and I tried out for work as much as possible, but, I had to stop 5 yrs ago to help out my family business.   I think the uniqueness in my situation is how my look has really changed from the beginning of my acting career when I was a teenager. I was very young then and I still am.  I went from a fresh teen look and even though I am a little older, I have still kept my young looks. The only thing I have added to how I look is tattoos. I didn’t have any tattoos when I started out acting but now I have what they call a full sleeve on my left arm. I don’t see to many others guys with a full sleeve trying out for the same rolls as I am.  The guys may have a few tattoos but that’s it. I wanted to ask you what you think about tattoos and if you think having these tattoos will affect my chances of getting work?
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and help out a
struggling actor.

Jesse Fortney

Dear Jesse,

I actually do not see how the tattoos can affect your working as an actor.  It seems a trend now for every young person to have a tattoo somewhere on his or her body.  Having a whole arm tattooed is a little different, but I guess it expresses the artistic spirit of the person wearing it.  I assume you have picked out all the symbols on your arm for various reasons.  You might call yourself a storyteller. You have just told your story, not in book form or by voice, but by the pictures inked forever on your arm.  My advice to you is if you are auditioning as a conservative young man, then cover up the tattoo.  If your audition is for a more artistic, “out there youth, or rebellious young man,” then wear your full sleeve for everyone to see.  Just make sure you do not upstage yourself with your arm. We have a saying in the business “don’t wear lots of jewelry and big earrings if you are a woman. Do not wear outrageous colors, stripped shirts, and jerseys with words, emblems or caps backwards over your face, if you are a man. Actors know this because these things draw the eye of the director and producer to the images you are wearing rather then your face, where you want them to look .

Thank you for taking the time to write.
Toni Attell

Toni Attell is a hypnotherapist and acting coach. For people interested in her acting classes please call (818) 787-8685. For hypnotherapy go to www.hypnosis4you.net.