What I Learned From 40+ Years as a Working Actor

What I Learned From 40+ Years as a Working Actor

What I Learned From 40+ Years as a Working Actor

Carlo Irwin
Carlo Irwin
5 years ago

Don't give up on your dreams, it is never too late. With that being said and because I have been in the business so dang long (40+ years), Stage 32 has asked me to share some of my experiences. Hope you enjoy them.

In my early years, I was a mess. Didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I had many jobs, did a few years in the military, and a few years in business, administrative, sales, and management.

During this time, I also spent 10 years as an actor in the theater doing mostly comedy and musicals. I have been in a play where there were more people on stage than in the audience.

I was also cast as an actor in an air force training film as a pilot who was shot down in enemy territory. I was an example of what NOT to do. They say I died very well. This film also made me eligible for SAG.

What I Learned From 40 Years as a Working Actor

Since I have no ego, “Streets Of San Francisco.” Learned a lot by watching and listening.

Of course, it was time to go to Los Angeles to seek my fortune. After doing a lot of background (extra) work, some of which got me promoted to an actor (two checks in one day!) on shows like King, as an Alabama State Patrolman, and Paternity with Burt Reynolds as a butcher.

Then I was cast as the Harbor Master on General Hospital in a recurring part for about a year, off and on

At that time, I was also in the navy reserve for the Seabees, audio-visual group of course. They had decided to do a short film called, Home For The Seabees. As it was a history of the Seabees, they had convinced John Wayne to play himself as the host along with a Seabee. They turned to me and said, “Irwin, you’re an actor and you have the uniform, why don’t you play the Seabee along with John Wayne?”

What I Learned From 40 Years as a Working Actor

Carlo Irwin on set with John Wayne in "Home For The Seabees"

First, we had to go to the Duke’s house in Newport Beach to discuss the film and schedule. As we pulled up to his house, we could see The Wild Goose yacht of John’s out in the bay. We entered the house into a courtyard and then into a den/meeting room. There was a large table with all of his awards on it and in the middle, rising above all of them was his Oscar.

The next week, we gathered at the Port Hueneme Museum to film. The first shot was on the other side of the room and we couldn’t see them due to the exhibit cases between. He didn’t like the setup and started roaring. I thought, “Oh crap, what did I get myself into?”

They finished and came over to where we were. He walked up to me with a big smile and said, “You ready?” Course, I replied, “Yes, sir.”

John was totally in charge; forget the producer or the director. He turned to the camera and called out, “Action!” We did our scene and he clapped me on the shoulder and yelled, “Okay, cut!”

While they set up for the next scene, we went back to his trailer and played gin. This was the last film John Wayne ever did so I have the honor of being the last actor to work with him.

What I Learned From 40 Years as a Working Actor

Carlo Irwin in "General Hospital"

I then auditioned for The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and became one of the Mighty Carson Art Players, putting on skits in front of an audience.

This included his Regan-Carter debate. He did BOTH Carter AND Regan and I was the Howard K. Smith moderator of the panel. Another one was with just Johnny and me. He played James Bond as a senior citizen and I was “M” to his Bond complete with an English accent. Also in the skit was my good friend Bob Ruth who played “Cold Finger.”

Doing more background work, I backed into a part as an Air Traffic Controller with Chevy Chase on Modern Problems. Unlike many of the other stars I worked with, he did not talk to anyone much.

I also worked with Marlon Brando as his chauffeur in The Formula. You never saw me as the windows were too dark from the outside and inside, they shot to the back where Marlon Brando sat. He was playing an aging industrialist wearing a hearing aid. What no one knew was the aids were attached to a tape recorder with his lines on it.

I have to tip my hat to the casting department of General Hospital. When they learned I only needed one more good year to qualify for my pension, they brought me back in a recurring role as a Hotdog Vendor on both General Hospital and Port Charles until I had enough credits for a good year.

What I Learned From 40 Years as a Working Actor

Remember, these were NOT big roles, but I have worked in small parts with major actors such as Dick Van Dyke, Robert Mitchum, Angie Dickinson, Barbara Eden and Ernie Borgnine.

I feel my acting career has been semi-successful as I get a small check every month. Now I could have retired, but I was just getting started. I started writing; now have either written or rewritten 14 scripts. I also started working on indie film projects as a production manager and then started my own company, Atomic Hollywood Productions, LLC.

Once we have gotten by our current conditions, I hope to start producing films. See you in the movies.

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About the Author

Carlo Irwin

Carlo Irwin

Actor, Line Producer, Producer, Production Coordinator, Production Manager, Screenwriter

I am an indie writer/producer in the San Francisco bay area. Been in the business, both in front and behind the camera. I am available for anyone that might have need of my years of experience. I have screenwriting, scheduling and budgeting programs and all the latest rates. Also have a lot of c...

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12 Comments on Carlo's Article

Peter Hargrove
Distributor
His name was "Reagan".
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
Whoops, thanks for the heads up.
5 years ago
Eric Ross Gilliatt
Actor, Director, Producer, Theatre Director, Theatrical Producer, Screenwriter
Incredible career, Carlo, and actually not unlike my own, believe it or not...40+ years now in the business and just "getting started."  Started out at 30 years old doing on camera TV commercials, community theater then professional, and now, after a slight pause in the middle, doing films (last film premiered at Cannes last year) and co-owner in a film studio, doing screenwriting, and working on producing a four film slate. Love to meet you after all this virus stuff has settled and "talk some business."  Great stories, always loved "the Duke." Thanks for sharing.
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
Thanks for the kind words, Eric.  Matter of fact, I am presently working with a writer/publisher in Spain on a Russian-type Pirot adaption.  Love to chat with you.  My email is carlo.irwin@yahoo.com.
5 years ago
Peter Killam
Crew, Photographer (Still), Screenwriter
Carlo,Thank you so much for sharing so many of your experiences working in the business. Your work ethic and longevity speaks volumes for what many of us need to hear as we set our goals. I’ll look forward to hearing great things from your production company’s future projects.
5 years ago
Hi Carlo,Thanks for sharing your stories they are fascinating. The movie industry has always drawn me and if. I were not such a shy introvert I might have considered a career there. Now I'm just a writer hoping that someday one of my books will be made into a movie. I think that is the dream of every writer. Please, keep on sharing episodes from your life. 
5 years ago
I'm sure those stories are just the tip of the iceberg Carlo! Thank you for sharing - and the photos are wonderful too!
5 years ago
Wow, thanks for sharing Carlo, wonderful story and excerpt of your career so far. 
5 years ago
William Joseph Hill
Actor, Screenwriter, Filmmaker
Wow!  Those are some fantastic stories Carlo -- especially "The Duke"!  He was my Dad's favorite actor of all tilme.  Not to mention all of the other legends you got to work with!   
5 years ago
Edgard Lassalle
Screenwriter
Great!!!  thanks for your answer....
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
Sorry, Edgard, that was one I missed.  Would have loved to meet him.  With any good fortune, I will get a chance to meet some more great actors when I start producing.
5 years ago
Steve James
Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter, Voice Actor, Voice Artist
Inspiring stuff, Carlo - thanks for sharing. Wouldn't we all like ti look back from semi-retirement and be so happy? Great way to start the morning.
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
Tibor, thanks for the kind words; looks like you have had your share of meeting stars as well.  Stay safe and I wish you the best.
5 years ago
Tibor Tibi Andris Halmai
Actor, Author, Director, Music Composer, Producer, Publisher, Screenwriter
What I gleaned from your tale, Carlo, was that you're a nice guy I would have enjoyed working with and even more, sharing a beer and stories. Some of my most enjoyable times were in the late 40s before the advent of TV.  I was in my teens working little theater, summer stock and in the last of the grand days of network radio drama. This was in Toronto. My first network shot was with another newcomer named Leslie Nielsen who had already done a few shows. I felt intimidated because we had a large cast and everybody who was anybody was on hand.  Leslie came over to me and said, "I'm Les Nielsen. You're new here, aren't you?" I nodded.  "Come on," he said, "Let me introduce you," and he took me around to each of the big names of the period, and I never forgot that kindness.  There was a coffee shop in the basement of the CBC Network headquarters where we would swap stories with Chris Plummer and Lorne Greene and there was a pub across the street where I would be treaed by stories from great people, most of them unknown outside of Canada or 20-30 years later and all of them gone today, except for Chris who was a year older than I but whose publicists keep making him younger.  They may soon make him my son.I had recorded my first radio commercial with Monty Hall with whom I remained in touch all these years. We lost him 3 years ago.  Got a suggestion for you.  Put all your memories on paper  in chronological order or just focus on individual pieces on the most memorable events and publish them as a book.  You've got a pile of unproduced screenplays. Put them out as ebooks, too, on Amazon.  I left performing when my wife became pregnant with our first son, and had a very successful career in advertising which got me on a lot of film and TV setsas a director and producer.  I took a memorable experience with one commercial in which I directed Zsa Zsa Gabor, added personal roller-coaster of a year before the event and some time following it and published it as a memoir titled THE ZSA ZSA AFFAIR.  We forget that the average person, be it a teacher or doctor or accountant or banker spends life doing the same thing over and over again, and our crazy lives(along with intermittent starvation) make fascinating stories for them to read. My latest discovery involves a song I wrote in 1958 - titled I GREW UP LAST NIGHT - and hired a teenager to sing for me on a demo I recorded. I paid him $15 and signed the song over to a music publisher. Then left New York for a big job in Boston. The publisher got a record on Colpix, a new label owned by Columbia Pictures (which didn't last for many years because it was run by idiots)  The publisher sent me a box of records to promote in Boston but their arrangement was so bad and the singer they had on it sucked, so I distanced myself from it and pretended I didn't know the song.  A couple of years later I got a huge check in royalties on the song - someone in Germany had translated the lyric and recorded it in German. It got on the back of a big hit over there and I was happy.  I never earned another dime on the song.  60 years later, a couple of years ago, I did a Google search on all my old titles because some of them were cropping up on Youtube. Lo and behold, I found the song on Paul Simon's website, the original demo, identified as "an unreleased song."  Paul had been the teenager I recorded on the demo in '58. The demo was then swiped by some Brits and included in albums and they're selling it online.  The huge German publishing outfit, BMG has now bought out the original publisher and sends me two  royalty statements from online sales and play ON THE ORIGINAL DEMO while the record died 60 years ago.  Showbiz is full of surprises.
5 years ago
Lauren Scholtz
Actor, Producer, Screenwriter
Thank you for the insights and inspiration!
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
You are welcome, Lauren, as you know, if you don't try, you can't win.
5 years ago
Pontus Olgrim
Actor, Playwright
Thanks for sharing, very inspiring!
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
Thanks, Pontus, if you just keep pressing, you will prevail.  It also helps to have some kind of side job while you are pushing.  No sense in being a starving actor or writer.
5 years ago
Vicki Brown
Director, Producer, Content Creator, Choreographer, Actor
Excellent condensed autobiography, complete with photo support. Thanks for sharing! 
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
You're welcome, Vicki; the best way to get along in this business, as you probably know, is to have a thick skin, don't take anything personally and be patient.
5 years ago
Samita Nandy
Actor, Film Festival Director, Producer, Director
What an outstanding story! Thank you so much for sharing Carlol
5 years ago
Carlo Irwin
Producer
Samita, you are more than welcome.  This is a crazy business, but if you stay long enough, you will prevail.
5 years ago
Matthew Cornwell
Actor, Editor, Producer, Screenwriter
Love the old Hollywood stories, especially the nuggets about John Wayne and Marlon Brando. Thanks for sharing!
5 years ago
Taylor C. Baker
Actor, Screenwriter, Content Creator, Producer
Matthew Cornwell right?! My favorite kind of Hollywood stories! Thank you Carlo!!
5 years ago
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