A C T R E S S 

With James Pratt

James Pratt an Australian award-winning actor, director and producer. He made the move from his hometown in Sydney to Los Angeles. He is the recipient of various international film awards including, Best Actor at the Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Director 2022 Cannes Film Awards and Best Actor at the 2022 Beyond Hollywood Int Film Festival. He is also a member of the Cannes Film Awards judging panel. For James, the best part of the industry is simply enjoying the fact we get to do this. He values being grateful for access to opportunities, working collaboratively and enjoying getting to know people’s true character on set. 

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SHOULD I MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES IN 2026?

Los Angeles is slower than pre-2020, but still significantly larger than the Australian market. Young actors can often connect quickly, whereas Australia is more limited.

Key relocation factors to consider: Traffic and commute time, budget, access to meetings and auditions.​

High volume of auditions in Los Angeles, pilot season remains a key discovery period, breakout roles are still achievable, physical presence in the market increases opportunity.​​​​​​

The culture in Los Angeles is that people generally support each other; less tall poppy syndrome compared to Australia. 

Experiences of international actors moving to Los Angeles vary wildly. Some people go and feel invisible, feel they've had a terrible experience and others arrive and get 6 auditions in one week gain momentum fast.

LOS ANGELES HUBS FOR MEETINGS & EVENTS

West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, sometimes Studio City.

When you meet Studio Executives if they’re not meeting you on the lot, they’ll meet you nearby; e.g. Aroma Cafe is popular in Studio City for meetings from Warner Bros and Universal. As well as The Maybourne in Beverly Hills is popular for Sony Pictures meetings, —close to work and their communal home.

Overall, Hollywood and West Hollywood are the most common. If you're living and breathing acting, it’ll save you a lot of time living here.

Events are most commonly in West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills. Eg. Movie premieres, film panels, studio launch parties. Events are always happening; if you miss one event there’ll be another later that week​. 

MOVING TO LA & NETWORKING

Before moving, don’t overload your schedule with meetings or the first month can involve multiple meetings that go nowhere; stay strategic.  In LA, meetings are easy to get, but often people meet out of curiosity or personal gain rather than to genuinely help you.

Be selective: focus on people you can truly collaborate with and be cautious of exaggerated claims—some stories may be false; do your research.

Note, it’s not hard to get on the red carpet; it's quite easy. But don't forget to ask yourself: What’s the event and who will be there? —focus on your goal. For example, Grammys after party is better for networking than a fashion store opening with influencers if you want to be a professional actor.

Don't forget to consider traffic; West Hollywood to Malibu at 5.30am is 35 minutes, 6.30am is 1 hour, 8.00am is 1h 30min to 2 hours on the PCH)

THRIVING SECONDARY MARKETS 

Atlanta has rapid industry growth and lower cost of living. Atlanta has taken much work from Los Angeles. As well as New Jersey and New York.

THEATRE SCENE

Theatre strongest in New York, Los Angeles is more focused on film and television.

New York actors auditioning often have classical training, strong voice and movement skills. Whereas LA casting can lean towards a good audition, screen-based, or suitable look for the role.

APPLYING FOR THE 0-1 VISA 

Applying for the 01 is not as hard as people make out. Planning is key, finding references, press, and connections.

INTERNATIONAL MOVES & STRATEGY

Los Angeles offers huge opportunities, no tall poppy syndrome.

Overall James advises actors that any move outside Australia is helpful— as you can always return if it doesn’t work out. Australia: slower pace, beautiful environment, clean beaches, but smaller industry. Australia will always be there; the opposite isn’t true for overseas.

UNION VS NON-UNION 

There’s a healthy mix of union and non-union work available. However, SAG-AFTRA required long-term as by joining a guild means you don’t want to miss major auditions later.

In 2025/2026, there’s more non-union work than usual. Why? Films are cheaper to make, distribution is more accessible.

For example, some actors charge $250,000 per day, on a $1M indie budget, that’s impossible to employ. Hence, Producers adapt by casting lower-fee actors and mixing union and non-union talent.

INDIE FEATURES AS AN ENTRY POINT -- THE SHIFT AWAY FROM STUDIO-ONLY FILMS

Indie films are more alluring now. Feature films are a really strong market to learn how to get in, especially if you want to create your own content.

An indie feature carries real value, but is far more achievable budget-wise, actors can now move the needle in indie films far more than before. It’s a clear sign the industry isn’t studio-only anymore.

For example: You and I say, “Let’s make a movie.” We’ve got $50,000. We could possibly make a small TV series but it probably won't get a deal with Netflix. But, we could definitely make a feature film — like a horror — that could make money if done right. 

Festivals like Beverly Hills Film Festival consistently showcase strong indie work. You’ll see actors you recognise from TV and film with budgets around $500,00 and suddenly it’s not studio-centric anymore, and that’s genuinely exciting.

PILOT SEASON & WHY BEING “IN THE MIX” MATTERS

Pilot season brings more auditions, more new faces, more risk-taking. Pilots often take chances and all it takes is one show getting picked up. Casting directors are often looking for the next big thing, because that helps them.

Sometimes you don’t book because they may go with someone already on a show as a series regular as it can better for Prints and Advertising. That’s normal, the key is being in the mix, in countries like the United States with lots of productions you get more auditions so more chances.

BREAKOUT MOMENTUM & CASTING

When Landman was cast they didn’t insist on A-listers, they were open to finding new stars. A strong example is 'Wingman', a film James produced with Kayla Wallace, a talented, established actress looking to break out. After shooting Wingman, she auditioned for Landman and she’s now a series regular.​

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ACTORS

Think 10 years ahead, what you show now shapes how casting sees you later. Early roles tend to define trajectory so be careful what you lock yourself into. Look at actors’ breakout leads, those roles often follow them as It’s rare to break out in one genre, then pivot immediately. 

Be strategic about: What you write, what you star in, what story you tell about yourself. If you create your own work, Casting will associate you with that role.

If you want range, be intentional. Casting directors see patterns, not potential.

ACCENTS & WORKING IN THE US

Australians are often asked to do English accents, be able to do the regional English accents to a professional standard.

When auditioning or American roles, stay in American accent consistently. However, If it’s not an American role, the Australian accent can be an advantage. For example, a specific commercial.

As Australians have built a strong reputation in the US. (Australians overseas are genuinely nice; they share similar experiences and challenges.)

LA CITY DYNAMICS & PERSONALITIES

Love LA, but treat it as a business model, not a dream lifestyle.

Personality types vary: Ambitious newcomers from small towns, fame-seekers, actors who simply love acting, people attracted to the lifestyle rather than the work.

Have awareness of these dynamics, not everyone is acting in good faith.

REPRESENTATION IN THE US

Australian actors, connect with a LA manager first before seeking an LA agent. Managers drive auditions, build your team, and can get you in the door with major agencies.

Larger teams, mean more commission and higher taxes—plan finances carefully. Eg, Agents, managers, publicists, business managers all take a cut; be strategic with your team.

BOOKING WORK

Non-union work may appear on IMDb or CastCaller.

Focus on quality over quantity, aim for proper budget productions and studio work rather than only short films and lead roles in indie features carry more weight than numerous short film credits.

TRAINING & CLASSES

Avoid schools that overemphasise celebrity name-dropping; use your gut. 

Be clear on your needs: voice, audition technique, scene work, or on-set confidence.

In LA, formal training is less critical— showing up and a good audition matter more.

NETWORKS & COMMUNITY

Online communities and Aussie networks in LA are valuable for events and project support eg. Australians in LA. 

Australian Embassy in LA can support screenings of Australian films.

APPROACHING CASTING DIRECTORS

Cold emails: short, creative, one-line updates with purpose (e.g., new headshots, recent roles). Avoid emailing repeatedly without a reason. Keep communications top-of-mind but concise.​

UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS

Knowing the business side helps as an actor—you can see red flags faster. For example, if someone promises a movie will make a million dollars, first check the distributor. No distributor? Red flag. Small details like this help you assess opportunities realistically.

VERTICAL SERIES & NEW DISTRIBUTION MODELS

Vertical series are the new thing, particularly over the last 6–12 months. Some numbers are genuinely hard to ignore: Hundreds of millions of views and  entire seasons made for around $170,000, from a producer’s perspective, that’s compelling — even if it’s not their preferred format. For actors, i’s a way to practice, stay on set, keep momentum. Some people lean into it whereas others, especially those focused on cinema, may feel it doesn’t move the needle creatively. However anything that gets you acting, and keeps you creative, should be championed.​

NOTABLE PERSPECTIVE FROM JAMES PRATT ON LOS ANGELES 

"I absolutely love LA, it's a great place. It's ambitious. People are seeking out their best life. I think the key to me enjoying it the way I do is I don't look at it like it's ride or die. I look at it like a business model, everybody's living on campus and they're all auditioning for that one quarterback position in a football team,  they're all wanting that. So when you don't get it, it's not like Sydney or Melbourne, where you go back and you're surfing, or your friends are in finance and you can detach. You go back to being around the quarterbacks that either got a role on the team or didn't. Therefore, if you can understand that's what the city's like, you're not taking things at face value. The business model there is very much built on dreams. It's not real, meaning the dream that I could become this, or the dream I could become that."

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Message from LIOR — In closing our interview with James Pratt, our key takeaway is that with perspective, consistent daily action towards your goals and strategic decision-making, you can make this fulfilling career you're full-time career. 

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With thanks to James Pratt for his expert advice and generous contribution to this LIOR Global Entertainment article. Find out more about James Pratt on IMDb and Instagram