Acting As a Business with Brian O´Neil
Acting as a Business
This master class introduces actors to the essential business principles behind building and sustaining a professional acting career. Led by Brian O’Neil, author of Acting As a Business: Strategies for Success, the session will help actors approach their work not only as artists, but also as strategic professionals navigating a competitive industry.
Participants will learn how to strengthen their career foundation and make smarter choices when presenting themselves to agents, casting directors, producers, and other industry professionals, including:
Understanding the actor’s career as a business.
Building a clear and practical career strategy.
Presenting yourself professionally to industry decision-makers.
Understanding representation, submissions, auditions, and follow-up.
Making informed choices about headshots, résumés, reels, and professional materials.
Identifying actionable steps for long-term career growth.
Avoiding common mistakes actors make when managing their careers.
To get the most out of the session, participants are encouraged to become familiar with Brian O’Neil’s work, especially his book Acting As a Business: Strategies for Success, a trusted career guide for actors, as well as Actors Take Action.
Event Name: Acting as a Business with Brian O’Neil
Guest Instructor: Brian O’Neil, author of Acting As a Business: Strategies for Success
Date: Monday, August 17
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: HOLA Office
Format: In-person masterclass
Capacity: Limited to 18 participants
Language: English
Arrival Time: Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of the session.
About the Instructor:

Brian O’Neil is a former talent agent and personal manager who has represented actors across theater, film, television, commercials, and radio. He is the author of Acting As a Business: Strategies for Success, a widely used career guide for actors, and Actors Take Action: A Career Guide for the Competitive Actor. He is also the founder of Acting as a Business, a career-consultation and coaching service for actors. Brian has served as a guest lecturer and guest faculty member at leading actor-training programs, including Yale School of Drama, The Juilliard School, and NYU Graduate Acting, among others.
Cancellation Policy:
- This complimentary offer for HOLA members is subject to limited availability. We ask that you register only if you can attend the entire event.
- In the event that you need to cancel your reservation, we kindly ask for your prompt notification with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. Please send an email to inform us of your cancellation at hola@holaofficial.org.
- Failure to provide timely notice or being a no-show will result in a 3-month restriction from participating in HOLA programming, starting from the event date.
- To register for events during the restriction period, a $35 penalty fee will be required to waive the restriction.
Política de cancelación:
- Esta oferta gratuita para los miembros de HOLA cuenta con plazas limitadas, por lo que les pedimos amablemente que se inscriban únicamente si están seguros de poder asistir al evento completo.
- Si necesitan cancelar, les solicitamos que nos notifiquen con al menos 24 horas de antelación enviando un correo electrónico a hola@holaofficial.org
- La falta de notificación para cancelar dentro del plazo especificado o la ausencia resultará en la restricción de 3 meses para participar en las actividades de HOLA, comenzando desde la fecha del evento.
- Si desea registrarse en eventos durante su período de restricción, tendrá que pagar una tarifa de penalización de $35 para evitar la restricción.

HOLA programs and events are made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, as well as by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Miranda Family Fund, the Radio Drama Network, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund for their private contributions to our 2025-2026 programming, fostering Hispanic and Latin artists who enrich our culture.
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Date
- Monday Aug 17 2026
Time
- 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Location
HOLA Office/Studio
- 107 Suffolk St # 302, New York, NY 10002
Other Locations
Online via Zoom
Organizer
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HOLA
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Phone
+1(212)2531015 -
Email
hola@holaofficial.org -
Website
https://www.holaofficial.org
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