AIP027 | How to Work as a Stand-In and Not Lose Sight of Your Acting Goals - with Alanna Blair

The Acting Income Podcast with Ben Hauck

Actor Alanna Blair talks with host Ben Hauck about pursuing her acting career while also taking work as the lead stand-in on two television series.

In this interview, Alanna describes what a stand-in does, and she goes into the benefits of standing in for the income and the tremendous filmmaking education it provides the actor. She also goes into the drawbacks of standing in, including long hours that may limit the ability to audition.

Alanna shares how she adjusted her expectations as an actor when committing to long-term stand-in work, how she manages auditions and bookings that conflict with her time on set, and how much she promotes to production that she is an actor versus a stand-in. Alanna has worked simultaneously as a photo double, and she explains the implications of dyeing her hair and maintaining the image of another actor on her image and marketing as an actor.

Standing in for the lead on a television series offers more security than background acting, Alanna says, and it has its share of insecurity, but it also offers the greater potential to earn money toward health insurance and pension eligibility. "Do I return to stand in the next season?" is a question Alanna has faced, and she divulges how she answered those questions and why she answered as she did.

As an actor who is also a musician and deejay, Alanna has a lot to balance, and she urges actors considering stand-in work to consider realistically the time commitment and the potential for principal acting work coming from a stand-in job. But aside from the potential for future acting work, according to Alanna, working as a stand-in and photo double can offer in-depth lessons on how to work on set effectively as an actor.