About the Book
How do I get an agent?” “How do I get in the room where it happens?” “How do I hang on to my happiness, confidence, and self-esteem?”
The answers to these questions, and other ideas and suggestions, are all waiting inside Climbing Rejection Mountain by Broadway veteran and former Equity President Nick Wyman. This is a book for everyone who loves theater and wonders how actors make a living, but it is most especially a book for those who are trying to make (or hoping to make) a life in theater.
Students in high school and college who are contemplating life as an actor and actors just starting out in their careers will find in these pages an amusing gold mine of useful knowledge—and actors further on in their careers will also find this book instructive, beneficial, and entertaining.
Climbing Rejection Mountain is highlighted by anecdotes from Mr. Wyman’s long, illustrious career (sixteen Broadway shows) as well as dozens of clever, amusing cartoons by the noted Broadway actor (seventeen Broadway shows) Michael X. Martin. Making a life as an actor is difficult, but this book—full of practical advice and guidelines for approaching not only acting but life—will make it easier and more fun.
About the Author :
Nick Wyman
The former national president of Actors’ Equity Association, Nick Wyman was recently acclaimed for Network on Broadway with Bryan Cranston. His fifteen other Broadway roles include Firmin in the original cast of Phantom of the Opera, Freddy in the Rex Harrison revival of My Fair Lady, and Thenardier (for six years) in Les Misérables. In fifteen feature films, he has beaten up Bruce Willis in Die Hard with a Vengeance, sold Steve Martin a cab while John Candy stole it in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and dug up a body for Chevy Chase in Funny Farm. He is also the proud owner of numerous television credits, including Boardwalk Empire, Veep, Elementary, and The Good Wife.
Michael X. Martin
Michael X. Martin has appeared in the Broadway shows The Bridges of Madison County, The Front Page, It Shoulda Been You, Curtains, 9 to 5, Bright Star, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Catch Me if You Can, My Fair Lady, All Shook Up, 1776, Kiss Me Kate, Ragtime, Les Misérables, Man of La Mancha, Oklahoma!,and King David. He has also been in a dozen Off-Broadway shows, over one hundred regional productions, concerts at Royal Albert Hall, the Manaus Opera House, and Carnegie Hall. Recent TV credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Madame Secretary, Boardwalk Empire, and the Law and Order hat trick. When asked nicely, he draws cartoons.
Review :
Wonderful. Full of really helpful information! It's a terrific handbook for both the aspiring actor and inspiration for anyone in the business who wants to remember why they are there. Really useful! AND entertaining. It's given me a lot to think about, and I'm out of the game! I wish I'd had something as clear as this when I was starting out.
Nick writes it like he lives it. When climbing mountains, he makes the switchbacks great fun!
Nick Wyman's book is as entertaining as it is valuable. Climbing Rejection Mountain is filled to the brim with detailed, practical advice on functioning as an actor, written from the perspective of an expert. In sharing stories from his own successful and varied career, Nick imparts wisdom and insight that any actor—and indeed, any working professional—could benefit from. At the same time, each page is filled with wit and humanity. With his decades of experience, and thoughtful intelligence, Nick gives readers an arsenal of specific recommendations on both day-to-day life as an actor and also the bigger picture. The book is a must-read for actors at any stage of their career.
As a young actress living in New York, I thankfully got my hands on this book right before two of the biggest meetings of my career. It's the perfect tool to prep you for those career milestones like landing an agent, meeting with producers, joining a union, or picking a school if you’re just starting out. Plus, it's the prefect length for a plane ride from NYC to LA. If it wasn't for this book, I'd still be going to open calls rather than agent appointments.
If only I had had Nick's wise and witty book as reference when I began my theatrical journey! He writes with such humor and humanity, as only he could. This should be on every young actor's must-read list. And Michael has captured the tone so perfectly!
Where was this book when I was starting out? Nick Wyman gives the young actor an indispensable road map to navigate the 'business of show' and does so with his unique blend of honesty, wit, and boundless compassion.
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