So you want to be on television. but you'd rather not be singing karaoke, eating bugs on live television, or peddling your wares to B-list celebrity judges. In other words, you want to actually act on television.

We'd like to say it's easy to get cast on a television show, but that's not always true. Timing is key. To get cast in a lead role on a new show, you oftentimes have to star in the pilot which means being prepared at the beginning of the year, during "pilot season." From January to March, television producers contact casting directors with "breakdowns" of all the parts they need to cast. In turn, casting directors contact talent agencies in search of actors fitting their needs. If you don't have an agent, you should scour the trade papers and sites like InstantCast for open casting calls.

For an audition, make sure your headshot is fresh and professional, and you have a few scenes from the show memorized. If you get an audition, you'll sometimes be asked to perform a full scene, but you most likely will do a cold reading of a new script. When auditioning for a show you never know what role you will end up with. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson originally auditioned to be the voice of Lisa, but blew away the casting directors with her mischievous boy voice. Most of the recurring actresses and guest stars on Buffy the Vampire Slayer originally auditioned for the roles of Buffy and Cordelia? The casting process isn't always cut and dry.

So prepare. Dress and look the part. Be ready to jump right in and do what you can to show the casting directors of major television shows that you are distinct and worth casting. But also show them you have range and can take direction. Casting calls exist because producers can rarely predict exactly what they're looking for. As the old saying goes, "I know it when I see it." If you leave an audition empty handed, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be forgotten. When the next pilot comes around, a producer or casting director may call you in again, impressed by your professionalism and talent. They might even cast you in a guest starring role on the show in the future.

The sad fact remains, many pilots never make it to television. You might prefer a more stable television career, like a DA job on Law & Order or at least a wacky neighbor gig on Two and a Half Men. The process for casting an established show is similar to that of a pilot, but you have to adjust your calendar. It used to be that nearly all television shows premiered in the fall, meaning filming would begin in the late spring and continue through the summer. Mini-seasons and mid-season replacements stretch the calendar, but for the most part casting for major television episodes will occur during the middle of the year. While there are occasional open casting calls, casting directors typically go straight to agents when working with established shows.

A hit show has usually locked its stars, and unless someone has jumped ship or producers feel they need a new spark, it's rare that they'll add to their stable. Opportunities are usually relegated to smaller parts. If you can get them, take them. Most television actors start out with small roles and work from here. George Clooney spent years as a supporting actor on shows like Facts of Life and Roseanne before he made it big on ER Sometimes supporting parts are expanded into reoccurring characters, or even lead roles. For numerous seasons, Eric Szamda was stuck in the background, serving up the occasional one-liner on CSI as Greg Sanders. Recently, he's been receiving top billing with the rest of the cast, and has a lot more lines. Television is like any other business. They're not necessarily going to give you the front office (or trailer) right away. You have to work for it.

Even consider doing work as a background actor (or extra). There are casting agencies that specialize in background parts. Seek them out and do as many of these non-speaking roles as you can. You'll learn about the television process, become eligible for union memberships, and it's important to at least be a blip on the radar of producers, casting directors and agents. It's unlikely that because you're stumbling around the beach in an episode of Lost that you'll become the next Hurley, but you can still make a little extra cash, and you'll be a small step closer.

Finally, don't ever turn up your nose at commercials. Plenty of people make their living through acting in ads, and you should always look at commercials as avenues for honing your craft. Commercials also use specialized casting directors, and if you audition for one, remember that the ad agencies and marketers behind the scenes have a concrete vision of what they need. Stay on task. Follow direction. Play the part. It may not be as exciting as working on a network show, but commercials film year-round. If you're in the middle of dry patch in your career, this is acting that can keep the paychecks rolling in, and your face in the public eye. Who wouldn't want that?

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