A Native American actor classmate of mine did a lot of tv during the era where Vietnam-based programs (e.g. China Beach) were running as casting directors would hire him for those parts (his hair was short then). I guess that's why you see self-financed stuff. Defiance has a Native American in a lead part, but I am hard pressed to think of anything else. Figure 2% of the population would give you something statistically.
I’d think odds are the ones I’m seeing on TV or in a movie are paid. (Most of the actors are unpaid. Most of the sightings of actors are probably of paid actors.)
Artisanal textile workers, categorically, were not as talented as elite actors because the size of their competitive pool and the barriers to creating work were minuscule compared to that of Hollywood actors - who emigrate from all over the globe and assimilate to US culture to use their talent.
While a lot of cultural products (not art) like movies and shows are created like fast food, people are drawn to them because of the unique talent, charisma, looks, presence etc of the actors that participate. I don't see Avengers: End Game breaking box office records if it didn't have those rarefied individuals.
If you go back to my initial post, I pondered whether the original comment meant celebrity.
With regards to Hollywood film making, if you look at startups, you can be any gender or race, but as long as you bring your A-game, people will take you seriously.
In Hollywood, you have to be a very specific type to make it as a performer, otherwise you are relegated to working in the background to help create the movie OR fitting a stereotype to be part of a movie. In the last few years, the only Asian actors I've ever seen lead a 'Hollywood' movie without being relegated to action heros is Harold and Kumar.
Foreigners in fairly racially homogenous places can get into acting / modeling / promotional gigs pretty easily.
A German friend of mine was randomly approached in Manila. She ended up playing a decently sized role in a local movie. No acting experience. I also auditioned for some commercials; the casting agent thought I was handsome. Uh, I'm pretty unremarkable at home, but sure. I'm terrible at acting but it was a fun little activity I'd never have gotten to do normally.
It would be a hilarious twist in life to become a star in another country like this guy has.
It's also a great place for motivated actors to pour gasoline on some minor embers and turn them into a wildfire, allowing an irrelevant minority to seem like a representative majority.
Television/film casting is like that. Being from Los Angeles I had dabbled in "extra" work a bit (still have my expired SAG card! :) Casting agents always need certain looks or skills, e.g. someone tall with red hair that can horseback ride, or has a running car older than 1970. Stuff like that goes out in casting calls, and the best they can do is ask people to work their social network in the traditional way, i.e. family or friends they might know etc. Come to think of it Hollywood in general is pretty low tech...
I think there are foreign actors. But I don't think that's the entire explanation. I think rather they're taking advantage of rifts that were already here. And there are plenty of home-grown actors taking advantage of these rifts as well.
How is this different from the past where people wanted to be actors on TV and/or movies?
When I was growing up I remember some said they wanted to be Barbie, or GI Joe.
Cultural influence will always be a “thing” as it were. Doesn’t mean it stays a primarily thing or wha t have you. I don’t think it says anything meaningful about someone’s future per se
Then you get creative like Mark Normand (who looks like a garden variety white guy) but draws a lot from his settings and surroundings.
I don't blame people for using their physical idiosyncrasies or ethnicity to get their foot in the door. But you're right in that it only goes so far and you gotta evolve.
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