Yeah, sorry but you don't approach this as a "hobby." I'm not trying to be mean, really.
Professional actors take acting classes (yours truly has a Theatre degree), send out resumes and headshots to prospective agencies, and join Backstage.com. As others have said, you need to be your own salesman. Actors are entrepreneurs by default. Unless you were a child actor, you will be facing constant rejection by casting directors, be forced to apply for roles that don't pay sh*t, be willing to approach film students and beg them for a role, do very (and I mean very) low-budget films, and volunteer in the community. Anything that adds to that resume. Because that's the only thing that will ever catapult you to higher-paying roles where you're doing more than just breaking even.
Did you think about how you'd arrange to fly or drive out to the set? Casting decisions are made pretty quickly and you need to be able to get out there at a moment's notice for filming. Ask yourself: Can you take off work at the drop of a hat? Can you cough up the transportation costs to get your butt on a plane or drive umpteen miles to the film set? Are you able to commit to a grueling schedule, mental and physical exhaustion, and a work environment laden with stress? Would you be comfortable with snippy people directing your every move?
This is just not something you go into on a whim.
I know how tough the market for creative work is. I may not have much acting experience beyond a play in high school, but I’ve been trying to sell my home-crafted sci-fi novellas for years with very little luck. I still write on the side as a hobby, but I’m pretty sure at this point its not really going anywhere and once I get to a “sticking-point†on a novella, I slowly start resenting the book because I want to work on another project but here I am doing this one—so I only finish half of the longer works I start. I do very well writing short story anthologies, though, and I have finished a few novellas. Acting sounded interesting to get back into because its another creative outlet for me—I tend to cycle through those.
As for your questions:
Did you think about how you'd arrange to fly or drive out to the set?
This is Shreveport, Louisiana. While the new governor took away the tax credits for filmmakers, there are still local venues and films here. Also, Dallas, Texas is only 2 hours drive west of here. That city is a major acting hub for our region. I could catch a job there and still have a possible (if still painful) commute to Dallas. Also, we have community theaters here I could eventually work my way into.
Can you take off work at the drop of a hat?
Since I am starting a public teaching job this august, I will be able to take off pretty easily 10 days a year after I get tenure in a couple of years, though I see the teaching job as my PRIMARY job, so I’d prefer to just work around it by using my summers off. During the year, I’ll be using weekends to rest and make lesson plans, so that’s out. I’m more planting seeds to pursue acting full time later in life by building a resume and experience now, since I have every intent to have a career as a teacher first before committing to acting later. Low budget work is fine, since I am making 47,000 salary as a teacher and only paying 5k for benefits and 9k for taxes. I just want to get my name out there and pay my dues.
Can you cough up the transportation costs to get your butt on a plane or drive umpteen miles to the film set?
Yes, by the time summer rolls around every year, I’ll have a decent-sized warchest to pull from.
Are you able to commit to a grueling schedule, mental and physical exhaustion, and a work environment laden with stress?
Yes, but only seasonally.
Would you be comfortable with snippy people directing your every move?
I’ve dealt with that before. I can deal with it again.