The world of a professional actor is full of challenges, and most of the time they wait until a casting agent to call with the next role. That’s not how Edward Tournier is handling it though. This young man knows what it takes to succeed in the business, and he’s doing it.
The 28-year old, soft-spoken French-born actor grew up in the Boston area after moving to the United States at age three. He’s always had an interest in performing. And, from age 10, Edward was dazzling audiences with a wide-range of talents at a local children’s theater.
After finishing his college studies, Edward booked “Normal Adolescent Behavior,” an independent movie starring Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia) and directed by Beth Schacter.
“It was a small indy project,” he said. “They had a very exciting young cast and it was fun to be a part of it.”
Edward also shot 10 episodes of an MTV series, “What Goes On,” but it was never distributed by the network.
“That happens sometimes,” he said. “It was fun to do, but not everything works out in the end.”
Both projects were filmed on the east coast, but Edward said to succeed in the industry, an actor needs to be where the jobs are, so he moved to southern California.
“Los Angeles is the epicenter of the entertainment industry,” he said. “This is where things happen. This is where actors act.”
He’s lived in the city of angels for five years now, going through the typical “good times and bad times and lots of theater work.” Edward says every experience is a valuable lesson to “stay creatively sharp” for when the phone rings with the next role.
The writer’s union strike a few years ago changed the dynamic for professional actors though, creating less demand for professional actors and more demand for reality television “stars.”
“People are trying to rap their head around a new media opportunity,” he said. And there are so many of them. “It’s been a challenge for actors.”
He just finished a six week run producing and starring in “Monkey Adored,” a first-run, original production at a local Los Angeles theater. While the Los Angeles Times gave it a mixed review, they praised Edward’s “charismatic” performance.
“It was a really fun part to do,” he said. “It was incredibly rewarding to be in on a world premiere…and doing contemporary theater. It was such a great project!”
I asked him how it felt to hear the applause during a curtain call following a performance in live theater.
“I never liked curtain calls,” he said. “Then an actor friend of mine told me why we do them. He said the curtain call is not for the actors, it’s a way for the actors to thank their audience for being there.
“The bow is a sign of respect to the audience…it’s a moment to give thanks, rather than receive praise…Now, I love curtain calls.”
Edward reminds himself daily to keep focused on what is important – especially in a city full of exciting ideas and projects.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint. So many people get into acting for all the wrong reasons,” he said. “Sacrifice is required of all artists. It can be a tough performance schedule or a crazy, whacked out haircut that they have to wear for a week.”
Keeping his acting skills sharp is a continuous process – but one that Edward enjoys doing on a daily basis.
“Being an actor is an act of faith really,” he said. “You have to make your own work, because there are so many people competing for those jobs.”
For him, that means staying physically fit, intellectually sharp and always creative. “You have to make sure you are always prepared so when the phone rings, you’re ready to go.”
There is a lot of downtime for most actors when one role ends and the auditions for the next one begin. When the next role doesn’t come quickly, it can be discouraging — and every actor will experience it.
“I think it’s important in this day and age for actors to have hyphenated occupations,” he said. That’s why Edward has added directing and producing to his skill set. He has also done some stage manager duties for a local theater group.
The Rogue Machine theater company – a group that Edward has been involved with for five years, is one such place where he can develop talents behind the curtain, as well as on stage.
“I learned very early that you have to create your own opportunities in this business,” he said. “The next job always comes from contacts made at the last one. I work consistently enough to get noticed.
“But, what matters at the end of the day is that I keep putting one foot in front of the other,” he said. “I’ve had great opportunities to write, direct and produce with them, so I’ve really sort of stepped up my involvement in other areas of the industry.”