Nicole Ari Parker Quotes

People used to ask me questions on my blog about how to break into the acting industry. You often have to start out in parts where you have very few words, but you still have to try to make an impact.

New York is a great place to be as an unrepresented actor because there are so many 'open auditions' that you can show up for without being submitted by an agent.

When you are an actor or trying to be a working actor in L.A., most people have commercial agents, and then they have legitimate agents, and you just end up going on a thousand auditions.

It was hard to make a living as an actor in New York if you did not do soap operas or commercials.

I never really considered acting as a career until I moved to New York.

There's something so wonderful about being an actor in New York.

I moved to New York and couldn't get a job as an actor. And waited tables for so long.

Acting was absolutely my first focus. I graduated high school in L.A., and two weeks afterwards, I moved to New York City, and I got a job in a mail room, and I got an agent, doing what actors do, with head shots and all the rest of it.

You know you're an actor in New York when you're on 'SVU.'

Even now, when people come up to me and say, 'My kid's an actor. They want to move to L.A. What should they do?' Even if you wanted to help them as much as possible, there's really nothing you can do.

I came to New York in 1974, when I graduated from college. And you had to use 'Backstage' because all of the auditions were listed there. Most people didn't come with agents, so you got to see a lot of what was auditioning and when and where. 'Backstage' made sure you knew the major places.

When you're an aspiring actor, you do so many self-tapes that it gets to a certain point where you have to develop a thick skin, otherwise you will never survive.

As an actor, you have times that are bustling, and then you have the quieter, slower times. I definitely had some of those.

I feel like a lot of times when you get signed to an agent they just send you everywhere, so I still audition for a lot for voiceover stuff. I actually don't book a lot of it, and I love doing it so I get disappointed because I want to do more voice stuff.

I was studying acting in New York, and wasn't being hired by anyone to do anything other than to work in an Oriental rug warehouse.

I thought actors were born in Hollywood. I didn't know how to go about it.

Being back on stage in New York, off-Broadway - I mean, that's an actor's dream.

I used to be a wonderful auditioner. When I was living in New York, I'd audition every day. And I like to audition. But then it got to a point where I didn't like it anymore.

I told my parents I wanted an agent, and they decided to let me have a go at it. Then I started working right away. I was 12.

For a New York actor, there are two things you look forward to - getting your SAG card and being on 'Law and Order.'

It was hard to go into the world and start auditioning as real actors. Having to pay bills was rather scary, too.

I left my career in Hollywood, moved back to New York, and went to Lee Strasberg and studied with him for the rest of his life.

I've done three Broadway musicals and tons of concerts and all kinds of things, but nobody knows that except the people in New York.

I started working in New York City as an actor and did many plays. I did regional theater, smaller theaters, children's theater.

I tested on a lot of TV shows and films after I finished drama school.