“If it came down to two professional actors … we’d go with the one who could get the numbers,” veteran casting director Mike Fenton tells TheWrap
To make it in Hollywood, it used to be that actors needed five basic essentials: talent, looks, timing, a winning headshot and a good agent.
But these days, those looking to score big need to add another item to that list, one that could mean the difference between a lucrative acting gig and the unemployment line: a sizable social media following.
“There is no question that today if you have good numbers on social media, you have become a better choice to be cast,” veteran casting director Mike Fenton told TheWrap. “It would behoove actors to generate a social media presence.”
“If it came down to two professional actors, one of whom had great visibility in social media and one who was barely recognizable, we’d go with the one who could get the numbers,” Fenton said.
“The thing that the producer was looking for was as many hits on social media as he could possibly get,” Fenton said..
“Those who are good are those who value their connection with their fans,” said Oliver Luckett, a social media expert and CEO of Los Angeles-based media company, theAudience. “They’re not afraid of telling their story authentically, and genuinely enjoy that relationship.”
“You’re nurturing a fan base in a way that we’ve never been able to do before,” Peck said. “People are really invested in you and they want you to win.”
I only thought of Ashton Kutcher because of how much he pushed for followers at one point, but why doesn't he count as an actor? And he's a major face of twitter (or was at least in the early days.) If he's missing it's safe to imagine others are.
Edit: I can kind of imagine why looking at his tweets.
