Even Though We Ain’t Got Hats or Badges…

We have had so many exciting things happen recently. Having a second vehicle has been absolutely amazing. I don’t have to schedule my life around Ben’s need for the car anymore! I can take my kids to the library or to the park or on playdates again without worrying that someone needs a ride! It’s been such a blessing.

The day before we brought the motorcycle home, Ben also was able to join SAG-AFTRA. SAG-AFTRA is the combination of two former unions, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). By joining the union, Ben has officially become a professional working actor. Way to go Ben!

But that’s not all! …wait for it…

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Surprise! We are now both professional actors! (Bonus points to you if you figured that out from the title… I love Newsies!)

Why did I join the union you ask? Well, for several reasons. First, it’s cheaper than finishing a college degree. Currently the initiation fees for SAG-AFTRA are about $3,200. It’s not a small amount by any stretch of the imagination, and yet, when compared to a year of college tuition, it’s not bad.

I can’t tell you how many times people have said to me, “Finish your degree, you never know when you’ll need it.” And I’ve wanted to. But, life happens, and we felt led to make different choices. I guess to me, this is like finishing college (without the glory, homework, or tassels).

One of the lovely things about this job is that I can take a shift at any time. Acting doesn’t usually come with a salary, so if something happens where Ben can’t work, I can jump right in so that we don’t have an interruption to our income. For that reason, it’ll be a really convenient (and well-paying) “just in case” job.

Second, now that I am a union actor I can work at union pay rates. When working as background, our base day rate goes up to almost double that of a nonunion actor. Now that Ben is union, he would be making twice as much as me if I didn’t join. That would in turn make me feel guilty for working, so I’d stop. Not because Ben would care, but because I’d feel it was a waste of everyone’s time. But really… I don’t want to stop. I enjoy working as a background actress. Which is the third reason.

Working background has been a blast. I have the opportunity to get dolled up to go to work. I have eaten amazing food without paying exorbitant restaurant prices, been paid to sit and read, and had uninterrupted conversations with other adults.

I have worked several times in period shows (I would have totally rocked the 80’s), been a biker chick, worked a sitcom in front of a live audience, and been in a private, all-female militia. I’ve been requested for jobs (I wasn’t able to do) such as “fleeing pedestrian,” cop, wedding DJ, and migrant worker. All of which sounded so fun!

Fourth, it’s my “me” time. For those of you who know me, I’m a huge extrovert. Right now, I don’t have a very close support group that I can just hang out with. I used to attend a book club monthly, meet at the park weekly with other moms, and have quite a few friends that lived nearby. Since moving here… life has changed quite a bit. I don’t really have many chances to be social (with or without my children). Here and there, Ben and I get someone to watch the kids so we can go on a date, but even that is every other week, at best. So… going on set is a fun hobby and way to be social for me.

And the last reason is that, the days I work, Ben can have a break from 12 hour days of not seeing the kids. There have been several times where, because of early call times and late finishes, the girls didn’t see their Daddy for a week at a time. Now, because I take the occasional job, the girls get to see both of us on a regular basis, and we both get to do something we love.

Most of the time, Ben will be working, and I will try to get on set a couple times a month. Then, as Ben gets busier, I will step back as needed so he can fill up his schedule, because I want my focus to still be here with my children. All in all I think it’ll be an amazing blessing for the both of us. Wish us luck!