The Glamorous Life of (Waiting on) the Stars.

I received the following question today from an anonymous commentator:

"Do you think being an assistant at an agency can eventually get you a position as a personal assistant to an A or B list actor? Bc that's what I want to do, and u didn't mention that in ur list (agent, producer, executive, director, etc.)"

Well, Anonymous, I do not pretend to be an expert in these matters, but here is my opinion after over a year of toiling away in Hollywood: yes, working as an assistant at an agency can eventually land you a job as a personal assistant to an A- or B-List actor. The way this usually happens is an assistant working for a big agent forms a bond with his/her boss' clients, and they may either try to recruit him/her ("What are you doing working there? You should be with me!"), or the assistant might ask the agent to recommend him/her if a client is looking for a new assistant. A friend of mine did just that several months ago, after having given his agent boss a year of good work, and is now the assistant to the writers behind one of the biggest movies coming out this summer. (A third possible route is when the assistant stupidly decides to solicit clients without first asking the agent's permission, creating an unnecessary enemy of the jilted boss.)

Be warned, however: there isn't always much opportunity for growth in a personal assistant job. Such a position rarely develops into a producing or directing deal (although there are exceptions to the rule), and an actor boss will almost certainly feel threatened by an assistant who also wants to act. If I may be so bold, I would recommend that you pick up a copy of the book, It's All Your Fault : How To Make It As A Hollywood Assistant, which gives a detailed breakdown of how to get and what to expect from pretty much any assistant job in Hollywood. Another veritable fountain of useful information is Assistant/Atlas, the patron blogging saint of Hollywood assistants, who was able to escape his indentured servitude at an agency and find employment as a writer for television.

And now, that's quite enough of me playing the wizened Hollywood sage. Please stay tuned for more posts of the dabbling persuasion! Some Bat Time, Same Bat Blog.

Update:
I should add that when interviewing for an assistant position, it would be best not to mention the fact that you plan on using the job as a springboard to another. No prospective employer likes to hear that.