I used to think the only satisfaction I could get from improv was when I performing it. You know, the attention that being on stage gives you. I thought I could only be happy if I was getting the laughs, the applause and the accolades.

That is how I thought for a long time.

I was a scared and selfish improviser because I was scared and selfish person. It was all about me. All the time.

I am grateful to report that today some of my happiest and proudest moments in improv aren’t coming from my own performing – they’re coming from watching my improv students succeed.

It happened last week. At the end of the Art of Slow Comedy Level 3 class, the students put on a long form performance for their friends and family. It’s nothing fancy. We just set up about 20 chairs in a classroom. We have no stage. No lights. And last week, the form was simple, a montage.

Though the space was casual, the work these students did that night was on a very high level.

I could tell it was going to be a great show almost from the moment the show started, just from the first couple of scenes. The group was confident and poised. Though they were a bit tentative, they were patient and listening, which is always a good sign. The concerns I had about their editing disappeared; it was crisp and gave their set the momentum you need in a successful long from.

Typically, when my improv students put up a show, I am more nervous than they are because as the teacher, I hold all the fear for the group. But this time, I felt really relaxed because I could tell this group was on their way to doing a great show. I could stop worrying and actually enjoy the show because they were in the flow.

You often hear in improv about the individual finding his or her voice on stage, but you very rarely hear about the group finding its voice. That night, their voice emerged as group. They started almost every scene realistically and grounded, and if it happened to go absurd, they aggressively supported the game.

And the best part was no one was giving up his or her unique voice in the process. Instead, they were blending their voices together as if they were singing different harmonies to the same song.

To say I was proud was an understatement. That night I had as much of a performance high as if I had improvised right along with them. Though the show was over by 8:15 p.m., I was so excited I couldn’t fall asleep until 1 a.m.

That night was special for me. I certainly attribute it to my age. And therapy. And my loving wife Lauren. And being a parent, because my daughter, Betsy, gets me to see wonder and joy in life though her eyes, just like I must have experienced when I was a kid. Just like my students got me to see the wonder and the joy of improv through their eyes, the same wonder and joy I must have felt when I was starting out, too.

For that, I am grateful, and it makes me feel that teaching improv is one of the most gratifying things to do in the world.

Always wanted to study with Jimmy but never had the time? Sign up for one of his three Art of Slow Comedy Summer Intensives. Only $229 if you register by June 30!

The summer is a good time to catch up on some reading, and I have come up with a short list of books all about making it in the world of comedy that I think you would really enjoy inside in the air conditioning or outside in the sun.

So if the summer movies disappoint, here some book that won't.

  1. Stay Hungry
    by Sebastian ManiscalcoI love books like this one by Sebastian Maniscalco, which tells the story of a kid growing up in Chicago’s northwest suburbs who becomes one of the most popular touring stand-up comedians today. He is so successful he has been included in Forbes's list of "The World's Highest Paid Comedians." He regularly sells out huge concert-sized venues, yet he is still not a household name. In this book, he takes us on his journey from growing up Italian in Chicago to moving to LA in his 20s to pursue his dream, and then becoming the success he is today. Along the way he shares with us the ups and downs on the often bumpy and unpredictable road of show business. I especially liked the parts where he is honest about his failures, and he has the ability to share the lessons he learned from his mistakes. He gives practical advice to anyone who is interested in pursuing comedy, and you can't help but be inspired by his incredible work ethic.
  1. Just The Funny Parts... And A Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boy's Club
    by Nell ScovellIf you want to write for TV, this is a must read. For 30 years, Nell Scovell wrote for such memorable shows as The Simpsons, Late Night With David Letterman, Murphy Brown and more, and she created the show Sabrina The Teenage Witch.In this book, she takes you behind the scenes on the sets of many of these memorable shows and shares the good, bad and ugly that is writing for television. She also shares her experience about the David Letterman sex scandal, which broke in 2009, and talks about what happens when she publicly spoke out about the lack of women writers on the late night talk shows.

    Scovell is a terrific storyteller – funny, vulnerable and brave. She is candid with her readers about her struggles breaking into the male-dominated business and gives us a glimpse of some of the bad behavior she experienced. What I particularly liked was how comfortable she was in sharing with us her insecurities and how brutally honest she was about the disappointments and the egos that come along with working in television. Yet she also shares how rewarding working in television can be. I really enjoyed reading it and could not put it down. I loved how passionate Scovell is about what she does, and I also appreciated that she was giving it to us straight, which made it a fantastic read.

  1. Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night
    By Jason ZinomanIn the ’80s and early ’90s, I was a huge fan of David Letterman’s old NBC show. It seemed like everyone that I knew in comedy looked up to him. He was a comedy god. Zinoman does a great job of deconstructing that god and taking him off the pedestal a bit. Zinoman lets the reader know who Letterman really is, which as a fan is a little disappointing but not at all surprising. You get the sense that Letterman is a pretty self-hating and unhappy guy amidst all his success. Not only does Zinoman capture the personality of the host, but also he chronicles the evolution of his show from the its early days at NBC to its days at CBS, including his sex scandal. I loved all the back stage stuff and was surprised to learn how much Merrill Markoe, a former head writer on the show and Letterman’s former girlfriend, was responsible for developing the voice of the NBC show.

Want to try a new approach to your improv? Spots are still available in Jimmy's Art of Slow Comedy Level 1 class, starting May 23!

Mark Czoske is one of Chicago’s most respected improvisers and teachers. He currently teaches at The Second City Training Center in Chicago and has performed at The Improv Institute and in Flannigan’s Wake. Jimmy talks to him about the “hard truth and realism” in improv, how he develops his characters and how meditation has help him be more in the moment as a teacher and improviser.

It’s nice to write a blog every once in a while when you don't have all the answers.

This time, I’m going to you for answers, because one thing I’ve learned over the years is if I’m struggling with something, there are other people out there who have struggled with it, too. And if I’m willing to ask for help, I have found people are usually willing to share their experience, strength and hope around how to overcome it.

So, here’s my issue (which, sadly, I’ve talked about before): I believe that my worth as a person is directly tied into how I perform on stage. If a do what I determine is a "good show" everything is fine and I am a worthy human being. But if I do what I determine is a "bad show," I am a piece of shit and don't deserve to live.

Yes, there are many things that are fucked up about this, and one of the biggest ones is that my perception of what is a "bad" or "good” show is broken. I can't trust myself for an accurate read. As you can guess, this is an awful way to live, and takes all the joy out of doing improv for me.

Last Sunday, it got pretty bad for me, we did our Jimmy and Johnnie show at Second City. I’ve felt like I’ve been off my game for the last couple of shows and certainly not living up to the high standards I set for myself. On top of it, a lot of my students who I respect came to the show. And in my head, I assumed that after watching my performance, they were all thinking that not only does their teacher suck, but also “Why is he teaching the Art of Slow Comedy when he isn’t even doing it himself? He is so full of shit. Why should we listen to that chump?”

These were only a small sample of the negative voices in my head on my ride home. In fact, they got so loud that I was surprised I could focus enough on driving to get home safely. I was not being kind to myself.

The sad thing is I have been doing this to myself for years, ever since I first started improvising back when I was in my late teens. The whole joy part of improv is something that has never come to me naturally. It has always been more about myself worth.

After being in group therapy for years, I know why I think this way. I was one of five kids from a dysfunctional and addictive home. Both of my parents were emotionally unavailable and I was neglected. I competed with my other brothers and sisters for my parents’ love and attention, which really didn’t exist. One way I squeezed a tiny bit of attention out of the nearly empty tube of toothpaste was by being the funny one. No one in my family could keep up with my quick and sarcastic humor. Getting laughs for me equaled love.

I thought getting laughs from my Mom and Dad was getting real, unconditional love. It was not; it was fake. It was like using artificial sweeter in your coffee. It tricks your brain to think you are using real sugar.

I didn’t fully understand this when I first started out in improv, which is why I was threatened by people who I thought were funnier or more talented then I was. Now, it makes sense. It was all about my role in my family. In my head, there was not enough love and attention to go around, and if someone else was funnier than I was, it felt like I would lose what little was available.

So how that plays out in improv today is if I do I good show I feel I am loved, and if I do a bad show, I feel like I’m not loved, that I will be abandoned. I have made progress, though. It used to be more severe. Before, I felt I had to be the funniest person in the show to feel loved, and today I am much more comfortable with letting other people get laughs. So, I am not hopeless here.

But I would still like help. I am hoping as you read this that not only can you relate but you are also willing to share your secrets with me about how to overcome this in the comment section below. Because this is killing me. This takes all the fun out of performing. So, I am asking, please help me. I am all ears.

Looking for a new approach to your improv? Sign up for Jimmy's Art of Slow Comedy Level 1 class, starting May 23. The Early Bird Discount ends TODAY!

If you don't take care of yourself in this exciting, yet taxing art form you will be toast. Toast does not perform well on stage – it’s dry, and flat and doesn't have much flavor.

If you want to avoid the toast syndrome, one of the best ways is through a little self-care.

Self-care is the art of taking good care of yourself so when you are put in high-stress situations, like improvising in front of a paying audience, you can perform to the best of your ability.

For me, self-care is simple. The days when I teach classes at night, I make a point not to run around town doing a million errands, and I take a bath before I have to go to relax. When I have a show at night, I take it easy during the day.

This whole concept of self-care is not taught in school, and it’s very rarely mentioned in the improv community -- until now, since I am mentioning it. So, here are some very simple things you can do to take care of yourself that will not cost you a dime.

  1. Meditate
    As you know, one of the most important things we can do as an improviser on stage is to listen, and when you meditate, you are able to quiet your mind so you can listen more fully. There are many different forms of mediation. You can focus on your breathing or on saying a mantra and be conscious of your thoughts. When your thoughts arrive, try to just be aware of them without judging them and let them go. Normally, I have a lot of negative voices in my head telling me that I suck and I’m a piece of shit, and I’ve found that nothing has helped reduce these messages more than 20 minutes of meditation a day. However, you don’t have to start with 20 minutes. Instead, just start with one or two minutes. After you can do that, increase it a little more each week until you get to 20. On the days I am teaching or am doing a show, I make it a priority to do my mediation. I find it helps me be more centered and open to other people’s ideas.
  1. Take a break
    Instead of scrambling to take another round of classes or desperately joining another improv group that rehearses on Tuesdays at midnight, have you thought about taking a break? Yes, you say, but that would be quitting. Did you quit school every summer when you went on summer break? No, you didn't. You went back to school in the fall with new life experiences, you were more focused, and you were excited to be with your friends again. The same principal applies in improv. I cannot tell you how many times I have taken breaks from improv and come back even more inspired. The length of the break is up to you. Remember, improv is not going anywhere.Occasionally I have returned from a break and have not felt that way, because either my break was not long enough or I didn’t really rest -- just something to be aware of.
  1. Write
    Write anything. Get out a piece of notebook paper or turn on your laptop and write anything. A poem. A short story. A screen play. A blog. Your memoir. Journal. I used to write improvised scenes in my notebook with the understanding that they were not going to be seen by anybody, but I was just doing it for practice. Whenever I write, even writing this little blog, I find it easier to organize my thoughts on stage. I have also found that writing helps take the pressure off of me when I’m improvising. I’m not sure how this works, but it does.
  1. Be Grateful
    Improvisers can be the most ungrateful people in the world, especially if we think we are being passed over during auditions or other people are getting opportunities that we think rightly belong to us. But if you want to build momentum in your improv career, it’s essential that you be grateful for the stuff you already have that is right in front of you. When you can change your attitude about what you already have, you can have more fun on stage and bring a healthier, more positive energy to your work. You’re also a lot more fun to be around.So how do you work on your gratitude? My suggestion is to write down five things you are grateful for once a day. They can be improv or non-improv related. Nothing will jump-start how you feel about yourself and your career more than practicing gratitude. If you need help getting started, let me help: “I am grateful for reading this blog...”
  1. Drink Water
    Yes, you read that right. Drink water. Not beer, not Starbucks, not Diet Coke, but water. H20. Drinking close to a gallon of water a day is one of the kindest and nicest things you can do for your body and your brain. I think a lot of people suffer from dehydration and they don't even know it. When I get headaches and feel tired in the middle of the day, chances are I have not drank enough water. It’s so damn easy, and so damn hard at the same time, but if you want your body to function at the highest level possible, which is important when you perform on stage, then drink some fucking water.

Are you looking for a new approach to your improv, or want to try it for the first time? Sign up for Jimmy's next Art of Slow Comedy Level 1 class, starting May 23! Early bird pricing ends May 9.

A couple weeks ago, I talked about the importance of doing improv warm-up games before your classes, workshops and rehearsals. Today, I wanted to share three warm-up games that I have been using for some time that I found to be very helpful. Like improv itself, there is no right or wrong way to play these games, and over the years I have modified them, so you will get my version of them. As always, keep what you like and leave the rest. And hopefully you will put your own spin on them as well.

  1. Zip-Zap-Zup
    In the Chicago improv community, this is one of the most popular warm-up games of all time. I have been playing it and teaching it for over 25 years, and I have to say, this game still holds up. The reason I like it is because it’s one of the easiest and simplest improv warm-up games out there to play. It’s so simple the players don't have to think, and it also works with any level or mix of levels of improvisers.How it’s played:
    Have your students form a circle. One student begins by making eye contact with someone else and saying “zip” to another person in the circle while doing one clap. That person will do the same to another person saying “zap.” Then the next person does the same thing to another person saying “zup.”Tips:
    Remember, the words are not important. The goal is just to have fun and get the students to stay out of their fricking heads. Some new players will get caught up on the words. You will know because you will hear them say things like, "Wait, they did not say ‘zup,’ they said ‘zillow.’” If that happens, odds are the game is transforming, and this is a good thing. Encourage the students to morph the game. They may do it by dropping words entirely and using sounds instead, they may do it by passing objects versus pointing and clapping, or they may change it by saying people’s names instead of “zip, zap, zup.” Any way the game transforms is a sign the students are listening and having fun. What else would you expect from a warm-up game?

    Another variation you can try when the group seems out of sync – for example, when players are trying too hard or are not taking in what they are getting from their partners -- is Silent Zip Zap Zup, which helps them really listen to each other. I will instruct them to use no words, but instead pass a physical gesture to someone in the circle in the exact way they received it from someone else. All they need to do is pass it on. If someone pretends to throw a baseball to you, all you have to do is pretend to throw the baseball to the next person.

    Once they seem connected I will then have them go back to playing Zip, Zap, Zup using the words. Depending how they are doing, I may go back to silent and back to words. Either way, the focus is to get the group to be in sync and more connected, which is important for when you start doing more complicated exercises like scenes or short form games.

  2. What's in the Box? Variation
    If you are trying to teach agreement, you can use a variation of an old improv game called "What’s in the Box?"How it’s played:
    Have your players form a circle. The teacher/director stands in the middle of the circle and faces one person directly and holds up an imaginary box. Ask one of the players to stick their hand in the box and pull something out of it. Let’s say they say it’s a hat. Then slide down to the next player in the circle and ask them a question about the hat, such as "What color is the hat?" Then move to the next student and ask them a different question about the hat, such as, "Whose hat is this?”I usually ask for three to five questions about the object until a story stars to emerge. For example, if we learn that it’s Bob’s hat, you can say, “What is Bob going to do with the hat?” If someone says, “He’s going to wear it to a birthday party,” keep asking "Then what?" to the next player in the circle until there is a narrative going. For example, you may end up with something like, “He’s going to see Karen at the party. He’s going to ask her to dance. Their first dance will be a slow dance to Bruno Mars.”

    Tips:
    I have found it helpful to repeat what each player has said before I say, “Then what happens?” You can say different things to prompt them if you would like, just keep in mind that the focus is for them to acknowledge what the other player has just said and build off of that. If they say no to an idea, I will sometimes remind them that we want to find the agreement. However, it’s important to be lenient during warm-up games so use your judgement depending on the player.

  3. People Who
    This game is a fun way to get to know each other in a non-threatening and entertaining way. I love playing this game on the first day of a class or at workshops because it’s a fun way for people to get to know one another and get them to move. I think it’s always important to have several games to play that require movement, especially if they come in tired or with low energy.

    How it’s played:
    Have the class sit in chairs in a circle, with one fewer chairs than number of people in the class. Choose one person to stand in the center. That person will say something that is truthful about themselves, and they will use the phrase, "People who are wearing jeans” or “People whose favorite TV show is VEEP." Now if that is also a truth about a player sitting in one of the chairs in the circle, they have to get up and find a different chair. When people get up to find a different chair, the person in the middle will look for an open chair to sit down.

    Tips:
    The point of this game is really to get them to be more physical and have fun. I am pretty lax on the rules. If two people get in the chair at the same time or if someone says, “People who are wearing blue” and they are not wearing blue, I let them police themselves.

    I will interject, however, if it gets too physical because people can get competitive and rush around and bump into each other.

    After playing this for a bit, you can do a variation on the game where you say, “OK, now the theme is sex, drugs and rock and roll,” and people can start revealing a bit raunchier things. However, only use this variation for mature audiences. I would not recommend it for high school or college groups and definitely not for corporate improv training.

    Want to experience Jimmy's award-winning class? Sign up for Art of Slow Comedy Level 1, starting May 23! Sign up by May 9 to save!

Dan Bakkedahl is one of the stars of CBS's Life In Pieces, and you also know him from VEEP. He is an alumni of the Second City and iO Chicago. Jimmy caught up with him while he was back in Chicago recently to talk to about why he's happy with the state of improv on TV and film, getting a compliment from Del Close, and why choosing not to play certain stereotypical characters makes him a better improviser.

From time to time, a fan of this blog or the podcast will contact me directly and ask me an improv-related question. Recently, I received a question about how to know if you should pursue improv seriously, and I decided to share it because it's something I believe everyone in improv, comedy and acting has probably struggled with, regardless of what age they were when they started.

Q: I have a question that may be rather presumptuous and reeking of a quarter-life-crisis, but I thought you might have some advice that could help me or others. I recently graduated with a liberal arts degree. I became involved in comedy halfway through college, and I've left wanting to pursue improv and acting seriously, but I have a constant, nagging feeling that I fundamentally lack the capability to do it. While it may be true that I could benefit from taking more classes, I have an anxious/alcoholic mind that is constantly trying to convince me that I am worthless and that my dreams are unrealistic. It's hard to even know where and how to start with these feelings casting a shadow over everything I think about doing. I don't want to let this anxiety dictate my ability to perform. How do you find the resilience to pursue improv and the things you love in your life? Any advice is appreciated.

A: The fact that you are asking me this question gives me a clue as to the answer. It sounds to me like you love doing improv and acting and are clear you would like to pursue it more seriously. So I say, trust your instincts and jump right into the deep end of what you are passionate about right now in your life. Who knows? You may do improv/acting for a couple of years and be like, "I am done," or you may become a lifer or end up SNL. You will not know until you try.

I cannot think of a better time to throw yourself into improv/acting than right after college when you still have so much energy. If you're afraid that pursuing improv or acting will delay your "real career," just know that whatever you learn in improv and acting will never be wasted. The credits transfer to life, and the skills that you will learn will apply to any future career choice. Look at those years you pursue acting and improv as grad school. Got it? OK, let's move on.

Now, let's look at your insecurities. I want you to know that I can relate to them all.

In terms of feeling that you "fundamentally lack the capacity to do it," at this point, with your limited experience, you do not have enough information to make that determination. Sorry about that, but the truth is it takes at least three or four years of studying improv and doing shows on a consistent basis to know if you're really good at it, and that's a conservative estimate. So when you start taking classes, beside having a great time and learning, remember you are gathering information about your skills that will help you make you an educated decision about whether it's worth pursuing for the long haul.

Also, be open and be flexible. You may start doing improv and find you like acting more, or you may be drawn to doing stand-up or sketch. You don't know where it's going to take you. The clarity you are looking for will come from taking the action and signing up for a class. Baby steps here.

OK, now my favorite part: the anxiety/alcoholic mind. My brain is wired the exact same as yours, and in my experience, my insecurities about my abilities as an improviser and actor have never completely gone away. Even after doing it for more than 30 years, there are still lots of times when I tell myself that I suck and that I should quit. My brain compares myself to others and comes up short. It makes me jealous of other people's success. It tells me I'm getting worse, not better, and that I am wasting my time. But ultimately, I keep doing improv because deep down I love it, and I need to express myself in spite of my fears and insecurities. And luckily, the more I do it, the less power these fears have over me.

Feelings cannot be avoided or swept under the rug. We need to feel our feelings. That is what fuels art. Yes, this is by far the most painful part of the creative process and the most necessary one, not only as improvisers and actors, but as people. By pursuing improv and facing your insecurities, rather than choosing a "safer" career path, you will actually have the chance to heal the shame and anxiety you feel and to reduce the size of the shadow you talk about.

In terms of resilience, mine has come from the help of others. A lot of times when I feel like I want to quit, I call my support peeps and they encourage me to get back on the horse. To thrive, you will need a shitload of support. If that means you need to get into individual or group therapy, do it, because you deserve it. If you need more friends who are emotionally supportive of your dreams, go out and find them right now. Build a strong support network, and when you have doubts and fear that you're going fail, they will have your back. Sound familiar? (Warning: They may not be the same people who have your back on stage.)

I am not going to sugarcoat it: Pursuing improv and acting is not an easy path. It's very difficult at times. You not only have to deal with your insecurities and your fragile ego, but you also have to deal with other people's insecurities and even more fragile egos.

I hope I am not the last word on the subject. I would love to hear your input on how you find your resilience to continue to pursue improv? Please let me know. I can use all the inspiration on the matter as I can get.

Want to try a new approach to improv? Jimmy's next Art of Slow Comedy Level 1 starts May 23! Early bird deadline ends May 9. Sign up today!

When it comes to teaching improv, I am old school. Though I have evolved as a teacher and performer over the years, one thing that has not changed since I started teaching is that I love beginning each improv class or workshop with a series of warm-up games.

Warm-up games are essential. This is something I learned from one of my favorite improv teachers, Martin DeMaat. Some improv teachers don’t see the importance of them. They want to cut right to scene work or throw the students right into doing a Harold.

Yes, warm-up games take time. Yes, they seem silly and not as important as going right into working on scenes or a long form. I can assure you, however, that by playing warm-up games, students can go deeper and be more grounded in their scenes, not to mention take more risks, if they have warmed up first.

  1. So, what is the point of warm-up games for the students?
    It is simple. To get them to play without self-consciousness or judgment. Warm-up games serve as the bridge between a student’s day and the class, workshop or rehearsal. It is the foreplay before sex.So, as a teacher or director, it’s very important to not give many notes, if any, during the warm-up game section of improv class because that takes away the point of making it a time to relax and open up. Occasionally I’ll guide my students during warm-up games, but I am very cautious.

    After many years, I have come to the conclusion that it’s not even important for the students to get the games “right.” It's just about playing. Pure play doesn't have rules. It transforms from one thing to the next. I will tell my students the directions of a warm-up game just as a starting off point. If it transforms, it doesn’t matter. I love watching a class take zip zap zop and morphing it into different sounds and words and then it turns into a game where they are passing and transforming objects. Watching this, you think, this can go on for hours, they are in the zone of free play.

    Even if you warm them up by doing a series of short scenes, hold your tongue, because the beginning of class should be all about them getting out there and playing. I often look at it like, let's get the crappy scene out of the way first so we can do some good ones later.

  2. How can warm-up games help the teacher?
    Using warm-up games at the beginning of the class is a great way, as a teacher, to get connected to the class so you can assess their energy for that day. Students will bring in a different energy to each improv class or rehearsal, and as the teacher/director, it is your job to assess it so you can adjust your teaching to how they are feeling in that particular moment.I remember one time my students came into class all tired and with low energy. Maybe it was the weather or the traffic or that they had just had a shitty day at work, but when they began to warm up, they looked like they were zombies. They had brought their day into class, which gave me an opportunity to make an adjustment. I had them walk around the room and talk about their shitty day and how they were feeling. This helped me know where they were at so I didn’t need to take it personally and so I could keep adjusting to their energy. And once they had a chance to speak about how they were feeling, their negative energy seemed to lift.
  3. How long should you have the class play warm up games?
    Every improv class is different, so this is where you need to trust your instincts. A good rule of thumb that I picked up from Martin De Maat is that you should continue to play warm up games until they are laughing and having a good time. If that is the case, you have connected their head with their body and the laughter means they are open to learning. My experience is some classes take longer than others to get to this stage based on the group and the day and even the size of the class.

Next week we’ll talk about my favorite warm-up games.

Got plans for the summer? Come to Chicago and take Jimmy's Art of Slow Comedy Summer Intensives! Happening July 14-15, July 28-29 and Aug. 11-12. Sign up today!

Last week, I did it. I finally did it. After five years of auditioning for Chicago P.D., I landed a part, a nice speaking part with lines.

It was playing a prison guard. Which is not only in my wheel house, it’s apparently my calling in life. One of my first parts I ever got in TV or film was in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, where I played a prison guard who was terrified as the prisoners were rioting.

My scene was with Tommy Lee Jones. He played the warden. I didn’t have a clue who he was. I thought he was a country music star making a crossover to film.

I remember thinking at the time when we were doing our scene together that he was playing the warden way over the top and he might want to bring it down a little for film. That year, he won the Oscar for The Fugitive.

The next time I played a prison guard was in Public Enemies. Though technically I was not a prison guard, I was custodian, and not just any custodian, but the custodian who John Dillinger scared with a carved piece of soap that looked like gun to make a prison break. Johnny Depp played Dillinger, and I knew who he was from People magazine.

Both parts called for the character to be scared to death, which I was at both auditions, at the call backs and on the set, but this role on Chicago P.D. would have to rely on my acting. Which is a different kind of scary.

The break down called for a "nerdy, brusque” prison guard. The nerdy part was easy. I just had to show up. The brusque part was where the acting would have to come in.

The late Jane Alderman, who was a casting director and a teacher of mine, would always say to me, though I did not get it at the time, "You are an improviser. Use your improvising in your acting."

She passed away a couple of years ago, but her lesson finally got through to me just in time.

I approached my scene as if I was working at the DVM. It didn’t have to be more complicated than that. Thank you improv, and thank you, Jane Alderman.

Something that I am embarrassed to admit is that when I have gotten day player parts before, and believe it or not, I have gotten my fair share of them, I always thought that this would be my big break. I was delusional, thinking the scene was about my character. It’s almost laughable now.

What I finally realized this time is that day players are serving the story and the star. The producers want you to come in and say your lines. They’re not looking to spin off a series based on Prison Guard Number 2.

Day players are not important. You may be acting on a hit TV show on a major network, but your role is invisible. No one will remember you. Which is a good thing, because it takes so much pressure off of you, and once I realized this, I could actually act and have a good time on the set, which I did.

When I was starting out in show business, my agent said to me, "For every 30 things you audition for, you will get booked on one of them."

Though I did not want to hear that at the time, it was helpful, just like realizing when I was cast as Manny the Used Car Salesman in an episode of ER, I was not there to win an Emmy, but to serve the story. As an improviser, I am comfortable in this role of supporting the story. As a human being with low self-esteem who is trying to prove to myself and the world that I am enough… well, that’s another story for another blog.

But I am grateful that I got the opportunity to do an episode of Chicago P.D. and that even at my old age I finally got this day player thing down and I am open to doing even more parts.

You never know — they may bring Prison Guard Number 2 back next season. Want to read more practical advice about how to approach being a day player on a TV show or film? Check out this blog I wrote for Green Shirt Studio.

Ready to get back to improvising in person? Don't miss Jimmy's in-person Two-Person Scene Tune-Up on July 31, 2021!