This episode of Second Act Actors introduces Barry who’s taken a conscious and strategic approach to his move from the Marine Corps to acting. Barry tells me about his childhood passion for acting and how he lost it when he worked in the Marines Corps and then in business. Rediscovering his love of acting was part of his recovery process and he explains where he is now with his career and what his hopes are for the future.

Barry busts one of the biggest myths about acting, that of the ‘breakthrough role’, and details what he’s doing to build up his on-screen appearances sustainably, including working with an audition coach and a stylist. We dive into some of the roles he’s booked so far and he tells me about what it was like to film with A-list actor Renée Zellweger. Barry also shares his mindset on auditions and what he does to stay motivated in the face of the odds. Listen out for his ‘pace car’ analogy and his advice to new actors!

This episode of Second Act Actors is packed full of practical tips on starting out in the industry and building an acting career without burning out. If you liked it, please subscribe or follow the podcast.

Timestamps

[0:22] “It was my mom’s fault”: How Barry got into acting

[1:30] Barry’s education and his acting sabbatical

[2:40] Rediscovering acting

[6:32] The Marine Corps, grocery stacking, sales and management: Barry’s jobs before acting and how they prepared him to act

[11:15] Barry’s thoughts on the work of the Screen Actors Guild

[13:11] How do you balance out logic and creativity in acting?

[14:55] The most important role of Barry’s life

[16:05] How Barry built up his support team

[18:02] Barry’s preparation for his ‘sunset’ career

[20:22] The coaches that Barry works with and what they’ve done for his career

[24:58] The myth of the breakthrough role and other things that have surprised Barry about the industry

[26:57] Comparing acting to more ‘traditional’ careers

[29:12] How Barry stays motivated

[32:24] What advice would Barry give to new actors?

[37:38] Working with Renée Zellweger

[39:58] Some of Barry’s other on-set stories

[44:33] “Do your research”: The importance of knowing the people who you’re working with

[46:24] What Barry’s looking forward to this year

[50:20] What Barry’s family would say about his career

[51:40] Barry’s daughter’s experience of trying to make it as an actor in L.A.

[53:00] Barry’s final words of wisdom

Links

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Janet McMordie website

Janet McMordie on Instagram

Janet McMordie on LinkedIn

Janet McMordie on Twitter

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