That’s right, Who do you think you are?
Sometimes who you think you are is different than how people see you.
As an actor, it’s super important for YOU to be clear about who you are and how you are perceived!
Once you are clear about your image,  everyone is clear.

It can be confusing for you to figure all this out.  Let me help you.

Check out my one-night class HOW TO DEFINE YOUR IMAGE at The Actor’s Key Burbank on Wed, March 13 and  The Actor’s Key WEST  on Thursday, March 21.

I am casting a feature film right now, Where We Belong, and am seeing all the confusion that happens in the audition room and I want to help you SHINE.

Here’s what we do:

• Gain clarity on your TYPE so you and your representation understand how to submit you
• Figure out what shows your type works on (are you a procedural lawyer, or a quirky single camera best friend?)
• How to use your wardrobe to create your image
• Feedback on your materials (headshot/resume/demo) and advice on how to take a headshot that really represents you
• How to use Facebook/Twitter & your own webpage to market yourself and your image.

Let’s find out who you really are!!

Role in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ validating for former Andover resident. ‘I’ve worked so hard for so many years, and trained and built relationships. I think it was validating more than anything.’

 By Randy Fisher
Andover American

Nov. 9, 2012 11:07 a.m.

Arriane Alexander at the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards where she was a presenter.

 Some kids dream of being an actor and searching for the spotlight. Not so for Andover native Arriane Alexander.

“Little girls in Kansas don’t grow up dreaming of being actors in LA,” Alexander said in a telephone interview. “It’s not in our world; it’s not in our reality.”

Despite that, Alexander is right where many people would love to be – an actor working in Los Angeles.

“I always say the entertainment business found me; I did not go looking for this,” she said. “I kept saying ‘yes’ and the doors kept opening, and I kept saying ‘yes’ and OK, here I am.”

Her claim to fame thus far is a small role in the season-opening episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” that aired Sept. 27.

“It was just really exciting, because it’s such an honor to be on a national series television show,” she said. “For me it’s a huge honor to watch it with my friends. It was such a great feeling.”

Born Arriane Gump, she spent the first 10 years of her life in Andover. Thirty years later, Arriane’s voice warms when she talks fondly of those early days, as if they were just yesterday.

“When I look back now, it was amazing growing up in Andover. With a neighborhood full of kids, we played outside together all the time,” she said. “We kind of did anything we wanted to. I don’t feel like kids really get to experience that level of freedom now, so I was super grateful I got to experience that in Andover growing up.”

A graduate of Wichita Southeast High School and Kansas State University, Alexander (now her legal last name) went to work for Brighton Collectibles, a fashion accessory company. Her career took her to Chicago, where she dabbled in modeling, and 11 years ago to Los Angeles.

Life changes

Arriane recounts her life’s journey with a youthful exuberance that belies her 41 years.

In Los Angeles, she took the first of many steps down a new path: earning a master’s degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica that changed her life.

“So much of their program is about really finding out what calls to my heart,” Alexander said. “Like what fulfills me from within, instead of what somebody tells me I should be doing and what I should feel.”

She also realized that working at something she did not enjoy was not for her.

 ”In 2007, I left my career and I literally did not know what I was going to do next,” she said. “I just knew I needed some time off to figure out what was next.”

Her time off included a trip to Cancun, where she unwound by singing karaoke. That gave her the inspiration for the next step: a one-woman show. By the end of the year, Alexander was starring in “Big, Blonde and Beautiful,” which she describes as the “journeys of my life told through song and comedy.”

“That’s literally how I landed in the entertainment business,” she said with a laugh.

From there, Alexander’s career expanded, but her big break was still a few years down the road.

Numbers game

For any given episode, a television show generally will have 10-15 roles to fill, with possibly 2,000 submissions for each role. A casting office will narrow this down to about 15-20 actors for an initial audition for each role, with a handful called back for a second audition.

“From just a sheer numbers standpoint, it’s a miracle anyone ever gets a job in this town,” Arriane said.

With the success of her one-woman show, Alexander didn’t worry much about acting until 2009. She says the industry is about building relationships such that casting people know you and trust you, and know that you can do a good job.

When she auditioned for “Grey’s Anatomy,” it was the culmination of more than two years’ work building a relationship with the casting office. She nailed her auditions and got the part.

Landing a role is a combination of who you know and what you know.

“I can know everyone in town but I still have to be a good actor,” Arriane said. “I still have to know how to audition really well, because auditioning is a whole technique into itself. And I still have to know how to show up on time, know my lines, know exactly what’s going on.”

Where she’s at now

Although she hasn’t landed any other roles, Alexander doesn’t think of herself as the stereotypical “starving” actress.

“My job is to work as an actor every day, no matter what that looks like … I’m working and the pay comes in from different sources. It doesn’t necessarily come in from the job right now, but it will,” she said. “Now I coach actors in the business of acting and I host a TV show called ‘What’s Happening L.A.,’ so I do lots of other things as well that are in alignment with acting.”

No regrets

A professed Type A personality, Alexander was well suited for the goal-oriented fashion business. Now she is in an industry with no goal and no end, just a journey. Taking that leap of faith was difficult.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever, ever done,” Alexander said. “And I would do it all again, 10 times over, because the rewards for my inner self of who I’ve had to become to be an actor in Los Angeles — and to be in the entertainment business and to be creatively fulfilled — is so amazing.”

Alexander exudes a tremendous passion for her work and the industry.

“I love what I do, I love my work, I love meeting people, I love building relationships, I love helping other actors – that is such a joy for me, to help other people succeed,” she said. “There are no regrets. There’s only, like, I am so excited for what’s next. That’s all there is.”

Oh my goodness, I am so very excited for this evening.

I have my first national network co-star role on Grey’s Anatomy ABC 9/8c.

It has been a long, dedicated journey to booking this role and I am so honored and grateful to be part of such a beloved show.

Watch for my scene with hunky Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd).

Will post more pics soon!

xoxo

Arriane

You ever have a day that literally changed your life in some way?

Yeah, I had one of those days recently when I booked Grey’s Anatomy!

It has been a long, disciplined journey as an actor to finally get the good news that I had been chosen over 1000′s of actors in the city to play a role on Grey’s Anatomy.  It has literally been a dream come true.  I didn’t grow up in Kansas dreaming about being an actor in LA, and now that this is my life, I am so grateful.

Being on set shooting the show was such a powerful experience in so many ways.  I was able to build my confidence by thinking “I deserve to be here.  I belong here.”  I was able to be a part of a powerful crew and team that has worked together for years, which prompted my own desire to be on a long-running show.  I walked away from the day feeling very proud of myself, knowing I did an amazing job on set.

There are millions of actions that got me to this point, and I think the most challenging part of the journey was the inner work it took to break through all of my limiting beliefs and challenging myself continually in my thoughts.   I feel like I have been in strength-training for the mind…visioning myself on a TV show, praying and meditating, and pulling myself up out of depression, dispair and anxiety.  Whew!

The season premiere of Grey’s is on Sept 27 on ABC.  I am in a scene at the airport with the hunky Kevin McKidd (Owen), so be sure to look for me!!

Yowza.

I had the most amazing experience being a presenter at the LA Area Emmy’s this year!

The LA Emmy’s are for all of the media teams in LA…all the anchors and reporters you see on LA Local News (which of course is one of the biggest markets in the country!)  I was there with all the biggies in the news business and was representing LA36, where I host the show “What’s Happening LA”.

I presented an award with Tina Malave, of ABC 7.  We had to do a little scripted skit onstage, then I got to open the envelope and say “And the Emmy goes to…” and hand the winners their pretty gold EMMY!  It was a dream come true and such a huge honor to be a part of the event.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would present someone with an Emmy Award.

It was a fantastic night, complete with a big party and dinner after the awards ceremony.

Enjoy the pics!!

With my friend Laura Adkin, one of the ensemble cast of the very funny feature film, “It’s A Disaster” at the Los Angeles Film Festival.