I believe every "Doctor" who has taken the role for the past 20 years hasn't worked since, and a lot of them do conventions each year now. Which is obviously a concern. The UK is a pretty insular market - if you're hot you do a short stint on a popular BBC or ITV show, and if you're not you last on them forever (Corry, Eastenders) or end up on The Bill or Hollyoaks.

The few people who have 'broken out' of the UK market (to much pay) have been those who've done something popular on the BBC, and then quit, and done things in the US. Which, as it happens, Chris is doing at the mo.

There was an article somewhere that implied that Eccleston didn't get along with someone in the production. Not like they were having screaming matches, but that he wasn't exactly thrilled to go to work.

I believe every "Doctor" who has taken the role for the past 20 years hasn't worked since,

Well the show wasn't on for the past decade. If you mean the 20 years prior to 1996, McCoy and Colin Baker haven't done a whole lot on TV, but Davison and Tom Baker certainly have.

I stand corrected, Strega.

You would be surprised at how low some of the actors who are recognizable are paid. Most actors are lucky if they can make a modest living. Getting a series or movie is a good way to make the rent. The big names make the bucks, but those jobs are the cream of the crop. It's a very volitile career, and it's only slightly above, and sometimes below being a temp worker for Kelly services. Like temp work, it's the time between jobs that'll kill your soul, sometimes.

Even after the first two admittedly low-budget Evil Dead movies, Bruce Campbell worked as a security guard. In his book "If Chins Could Kill" he wrote about the day a co worker finally recognized him.

Good book, btw, I recommend it.

Look at me, talking as if I actually kept up with the acting thing. I did look into the prospects when I was in college, and I haven't heard anthing here or from my reading that says it had changed in any revolutionary way.

Did I miss anything? I'm sure the working actors on the board could verify most of this, or call me pretentious and point and laugh.

ETA: On the other hand, pay scale and all? One gets to act for a career. How cool is that?

No, I think it's pretty much like that. Has been for my brother, at least.

..who appeared in both the Firefly pilot and the BDM, to bring it on-topic and sluuuuut at the same time.

If I would have been of a little smaller size and had a bit more self confidence, I would have at least tried a career at acting.

I loved being on stage in college, big parts, small parts, even technical work. There's a very strong draw for me to the world of make believe.

Why I'm a computer tech now is baffling to me.

Why "a little smaller size"?

If I'd had more self-confidence and ability to break with my parents' wishes, I'd definitely be doing more creative work right now. So instead of being poor and fulfilled, I'm poor and unfulfilled.

Because the guy who plays Hurley on Lost is an exception.

So was John Candy, and John Belushi to a smaller extent. And they had excessive talent on their side.

The volume of work for actors of volume is not as great. And? many of the roles for very fat guys are as very fat jokes. If I had refused to take fat joke characters, my pay would have been very infrequent indeed.

Plus? Hometown and college acting does not a real actor make. The horrible little devil on my shoulder kept saying "Who are you kidding"

Ah. OTOH, if you can get into the character actor niche, you could have some fairly dependable income. Lead actors get popular and then most fall back down again, but a good character actor can have an IMDB record a mile long.