Sorry in Advance

Dear friends,

The #1 thing I wish people understood about working in this industry is that you don't get sick days. You don't get to reschedule and you can't just skip an audition because you never know when you're going to get another one. That is why I want to take the time to apologize now for the plans I will inevitably have to cancel... eventually.

You see, I never know when I'm shooting or auditioning for something. This is an industry that often moves very quickly, giving you only one or two days' notice in many cases, and almost never a full week, before you have to be on set. In a world full of people who know they can plan around 9-to-5 jobs, this might be hard to understand, but please know that I don't knowingly schedule things that will have to be cancelled later.

I hate flaking out on the people I care about. Really, I do. But while I can reschedule dinner with you (or apologize when I have to miss an event that can't be rescheduled, like holidays and birthdays), agents and casting directors don't care about apologies. If I choose to miss a casting because of a friend's birthday, that doesn't tell an agent that I'm a good friend; it tells them that I don't prioritize well and they should call someone else before me in the future. Missing one day on set isn't like calling out sick one day from a normal job. It's the equivalent of not showing up on the first day at a new job.

So that is why I want to apologize in advance: I will have to cancel on you at some point. I just hope you'll understand why.

Love,

Em