We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maxime Bos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Maxime, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
If you want to get into acting, the first thing you should definitely do is… learn how to act. It might sound super obvious, but even if you have tons of natural talent, taking some acting classes will always help you in some way! Whether it’s learning about new techniques, getting connections and widening your network, or simply just to get more experience, practicing your craft is never a bad idea! I came to LA and enrolled in certficiate programs at both NYFA and UCLA, and it was an amazing decision! I made so many connections in the industry through friends, friends of friends or even teachers and it’s gotten me many opportunities that allowed me to build up my reel and get an internship at a prestigious talent agency. So if you’re not sure how to get started, sign up for some classes! You won’t regret it!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I first got into acting when I was really young and taking theater classes in our town’s local community theater back in The Netherlands. I loved it so much that I continued acting all throughout highschool, getting bigger and bigger parts each time. I then stumbled upon a chance to be an extra in a popular tv show, which was my first time ever on a professional filmset. I immediately fell in love! I started working as an extra more, and eventually when I finished my bachelor’s degree, I decided to move to LA and give film acting a full-time shot! I’ve been here now for almost a year and a half in total, and I’m having the most amazing life I could ever imagine. I worked hard in my acting classes and started booking shortfilms and photoshoots, and eventually worked my way up to runways as well! While everyone knows it’s not easy trying to make it in acting as an international, I believe it’s also what sets me apart. Because of my different cultural upbringing and background, I bring a unique perspective to every role I take on. And if leaving my country, family and life behind to move across the world just to work in the industry doesn’t sound like I’m motivated enough to succeed, I don’t know what does!
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
There are many resources that help actors and models in the business. But the biggest resource I initially didn’t use nearly enough is your network. I learned that nearly everything in the entertainment industry is centered around networking and who you know. Keep in contact with your friends from school, and let then know when you’re looking for a job as they might know someone else who’s looking for someone like you. And when you book a job, stay in contact with all the filmmakers, photographers and makeup artists, and regularly grab some coffee with them, or talk to them about what you’re trying to achieve. Always be friendly, and help out others as well when you can. This industry is one of the most social industries that are out there. So make sure you build your network!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
To me, the most rewarding aspect of being and actor and model has been the people I met and became friends with along the way. I know, I know, very cheesy, but it’s true! I’ve met the most incredible and interesting people in this business, and it’s been a blessing to learn about their many different cultures, beliefs and life experiences. We also all help each other out whenever we can and lift each other up, recommending each other to jobs, helping with selftapes or rehearsals, introducing each other to more people, and they’re the best support system I could ever ask for! Another aspect is of course that being able to be creative in my work feels very freeing to me. I feel less stressed, and more like I can just be myself. Of course it’s not an easy profession by all means, but these aspects definitely make it worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.maximebos.com
- Instagram: @maxime_bos
- Youtube: @maximebos2778
Image Credits
Caitlin Gore, Isabella Bjorkmans, Brett Stanley, Priscilla Runion