Q: I have friends who have been cast in TV shows and movies, and I always want to ask them to recommend me to their casting directors. Is this okay to do?

A: It can be tough to see people around you get acting jobs while you are having a hard time getting auditions. You often see stereotypical struggling actors in movies pestering their friends and acquaintances to get them roles, like Johnny Drama in Entourage. In reality, it isn't uncommon for actors to recommend each other for roles when they join the cast of a TV show or movie. It all depends on how much authority the actor has within the production, and the nature of the show in question.

Casting decisions ultimately lie with the casting directors and producers but if they get a recommendation for a part that you happen to fit there's no reason they wouldn't consider you. There's a reason Joan Cusack happens to pop up in so many of John Cusack's movies, and why Will Farrell has cameos in just about every movie his friends star in. Justin Long, who recently starred alongside Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard, became good friends with Vince Vaughn on the set of Dodgeball, and now his career is flourishing. Rob Schneider wouldn't have a movie career without Adam Sandler. Like any other business, movie making is dependent on networking and cross-promotion.

If you're just starting out and have landed your first big TV or movie role, it's probably not a good idea to approach a casting director to get your friends work, but if the opportunity for input comes up there's no harm in polite suggestions. Your friends who have roles probably went through the same struggle to get work that you did, and most actors love to help out friends when they can. The key is to be polite, network well, and not to appear desperate or presumptuous.

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