Actor. Writer. Whatever.

by Mellini Kantayya

An honest, inspiring exploration of the New York acting world, ambition, and success, delivered by a fresh, bold insider’s voice. In her critically acclaimed essay collection, writer Mellini Kantayya exposes the pinnacles and pitfalls of pursuing artistic ambitions and life as a rank-and-file actor. Her unflinching depiction of show business, backstage anecdotes, and self-deprecating humor will resonate with both the creative and the curious—and inspire anyone who has ever juggled making art and making rent.

Genres: Essays

212 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2013

About the author

Mellini Kantayya is the critically acclaimed author of "Actor. Writer. Whatever. (essays on my rise to the top of the bottom of the entertainment industry)". She is a writer, actor, and humorist. She is believed to be the first actor of South Asian heritage to have a recurring speaking role on an American soap opera—playing a nurse on “One Life to Live” for seven years. Mellini continues to work in television and film today.

Her writing has been seen in various publications, including the hip-hop magazine “Okayplayer” and as a regular contributor to “Huffington Post Comedy.” She has been a commentator on NPR affiliates and performs as a live storyteller.

As a private citizen, she penned a petition to Congress to investigate Epipen price-gouging. The petition went viral and resulted in the pharmaceutical company’s CEO being brought before congress and ultimately the reduction in drug price.

She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Reviews

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Actor, Writer, Whatevers are a tribe of people who didn't fit in elsewhere, yet it seems I was separated from my tribe and raised by wolves. Stumbling, awkward wolves."

Holy crap, it's like she broke into my brain.

See, I'm one of the ones who "have been defeated. Have sold out. Have traded dreams for creature comforts." Or maybe I just had to give up what I love to make sure we have food on the table. Cause I'm sure as hell not going to be finding paying work in Nowhere AL.

I do love this book though. Don't get me wrong, that particular sentence was a little harsh. But I get the rest of it so much. I've never done the live in New York and sell your soul for an interview thing, but I never much had the resume for it. But working your ass off day after day, knowing that whatever you do right then is what everyone will be judging you on when they're looking for a certain type of person, a certain style? Been there, done that. Got the diploma, but not the t-shirt.



"But it wasn't all fairy-tale endings in the Book of Face. Facebook can be an artist's worst enemy. It's the world's most perfect facilitator of procrastination."

My sewing machine is set up. It's in there, waiting for me to take the time to go do what I love. And occasionally, I do. But all the things I could be doing instead tend to get more attention. I mean, someone has to make sure my crops aren't failing! And by the time I realize, oh crap, I wanted to do this list of other things, it's usually 3AM.




"A mindset exists that unless what you do makes you money, there's no value in it. Nuns and priests get religious exemptions. But artists, community organizers, and stay at home parents are not respected for pursuing their calling instead of the dollar."

And maybe that's why so many of feel we need to be something different, do something better. I'd work on community theatre jobs all day long if we didn't need the money. No pay in most cases, but my heart would be 110% in it every day. And that would make me happy. And happy moms have happy kids. ;)



Here's the thing, I know people who have "made it." One of the guys I went to college with, he was the casting director for the Tony Award winning Best Musical. This year. 2014. Go look him up, I'll give you a second. One of my best friends from college is the production manager for BCT. It is possible to make it in Alabama. But you've got to put in all the work. And as much as I want to be a "Whatever" I don't have the time to put that work in. Life got in the way.

"Talented people who have "made it" think of themselves as lucky. Lucky people think of themselves as talented. Put that on a five by five card and laminate it."

I'm neither. But I can be okay with that. It's not good, it's not bad, it just is.


Actor. Writer. Whatever. (essays on my rise to the top of the bottom of the entertainment industry) is a fantastic book. For anyone who has ever dreamed of wanting something MORE, being better than the rest, or simply shining. Because we can't all be stars, but we don't have to settle for mediocre either.


****


I received a free copy of this book to review via Goodreads Giveaways.

[Kristen Tsetsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of essays about struggling in a competitive artistic industry that has subjective standards is unflinchingly honest, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny - sometimes all within the same paragraph. Mellini Kantayya's writing is crisp and seamless and entirely unaffected, which makes her short memoir a true pleasure to read.

As someone who isn't even at the top of the bottom of an industry but would be thrilled to be there, there was a lot I could relate to. What wasn't relatable was educational (for instance, how straightforward the exclusion can be of actors who aren't white, which Kantayya discusses without an ounce of self-pity).

I should add that you hardly need to be an actor or a writer, or even someone in a creative field, to enjoy Kantayya's essays. Whatever your passion or interest, there's no doubt been a time you've wanted to be chosen, struggled to keep your mouth shut when confronted by a braggart flaunting his or her successes in an area of interest similar to your own, or wondered whether you were even in the right field after not reaching Marker X by Y date.

Kantayya covers it all, and she does it with humor, heart, and humility.

[Michael Urb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just one of those books that leaves you wanting more. I assumed a book written by an actress and writer making in the entertainment industry would be self-indulgent and/or somewhat shallow, but it is the absolute opposite. Kantayya views her own experiences in the context of American ideology. It’s equal parts memoir, cultural criticism, and humor (it is hysterically funny). She has a writing style that forces you to turn the page, “just one more chapter,” you’ll tell yourself. Then tell yourself again. And again. Until the book is done;)

[Melissa F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book. I can’t remember the last time I read a book so fast. It’s smart, funny, irreverent. I know nothing (and care nothing) about the entertainment industry (I don’t even have a television) and I found the narrator to be totally relatable. She succinctly expresses those nebulous feelings we can’t put out fingers on and those things about ourselves we are just too embarrassed to admit… and I found myself laughing about all of them.

[Bookish Baroness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, especially as an aspiring author/actress!

It was really nice to read the story of a not-so well known actress and screenplay writer. The struggles that come with New York life and being a woman of race in show business.

[Breanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her irreverent yet poignantly titled book of essays—Actor. Writer. Whatever.—Mellini Kantayya delivers a humorous and veracious account of what it means to be a struggling creative type in modern society. While at times self-indulgent, Kantayya litters her essays with the perfect balance of witticism, mirth, and insight, making Actor. Writer Whatever. an enjoyable read.

Adeptly exploring the themes and struggles of what is means to have insatiable and unwavering creative urges, Kantayya work is best when employing her stream of consciousness style as in her essay Why My Screenplay Isn’t Finished. Rattling off what a day spent “writing” is typically like (a plight any writer and person with a creative process can relate to) and contemplating whether she should being using the term lie verses lay, Kantayya examines the ease in procrastination even when a person enjoys his/her job—an issue relevant to all individuals not just creative types. Kantayya ends the essay with a perfect summation of why she still continues to create despite seeming dilatory —because she can she no other way than to create.

However, despite a good measure of whimsy, Kantayya’s essays are not without fault. The author wavers from true artistry, as when she deliver the truly hilarious comparison of those who reach momentary success (think of a short-lived but highly popular/successful television show) because they are beautiful but not necessarily good at their craft versus individuals who never become successful in mainstream culture yet are good at their craft. It is in this essay—Quotable Encouragement—Kantayya delivers perhaps one of the funniest lines of the book: “It is a short shelf life, but ah what a lovely shelf. The rest of us have the shelf life of a Pop Tart. On one hand, long. On the other hand, it’s a Pop Tart.”

However, where Kantayya falls short is her insistency she is an artist and a true professional, which at times seems not just overdramatic but overcompensation as well and make me doubt her obvious talent. Kantayya also takes on a superior attitude about her professionalism in relation to persons she attended school with, but have fewer entries on imdb.com, which while relatable, make her less endearing than her other essays suggest.

Notwithstanding, Kantayya’s biggest achievement is her brevity. The author never overreaches for the sake of words and pages. Her words are direct and purposeful making Actor. Writer. Whatever. a rarity among works written by individuals in the entertainment industry. Kantayya is talented and funny, and could very well be your best friend. Actor Writer. Whatever. is a refreshing and unique take on the entertainment industry and skillfully highlights themes of life and work relatable to all individuals not just creative types.

[David Dacosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The candor displayed in Mellini Kantayya’s self-described memoir-ish, creative nonfiction, cultural criticism collection of essays, Actor.Writer.Whatever, is unheard of in my extimation. The entertainment biz typically frowns on such expression until an actor/filmmaker/playwright has become a household name. In that way, all of the misadventures of that said actor/filmmaker/playwright’s rise to the top are now distant specks in their rear view mirror. As a part rant and harrowing account of the on again/off again life of a refuse to accept no thespian, Actor works on a number of levels.

Easily the most hilarious chapter, Notes, explores the often pretentious and frustrating world of personal criticism, or more specifically, solicited and unsolicited critiques by friends, acquaintances and entertainment industry types alike. As a fellow screenwriter, I was able to relate wholeheartedly to the maddening barrage of unwelcomed opinions directed at Kantayya’s writing. The entertainment biz is probably one of the only professional fields where outsiders often over estimate their knowledge based on nothing more than simple commercial consumption.

“The incredibly sticky, uncomfortable, complicated, minefield-laden subject of race” draws a direct correlation between the type of acting roles Kantayya was typically selected for in plays, television, etc. both pre and post Obama’s election as President. Like the African-American, being born to South Asian immigrant parents, Kantayya had her own set of type casting burdens to overcome. “After Barack Obama won the Iowa Caucus, almost on cue, my career turned around, “she recalls in the chapter.

The writing in Actor.Writer.Whatever is smart, comical, insightful and above all, emotionally vulnerable. Early on in the book, the author expresses her difficulty in categorizing its genre. Coming to the close of this literary ride, I’d offer Art-house Lit as a possible option. You don’t come across original works such as this every day.


(Click on the “more videos” section of my Goodreads page to find a recent Skype interview that I did with Mellini)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.

I was thoroughly entertained by this book, and found it really relatable -- despite having seemingly little in common with the author. Her stories are down to earth and funny, and even though I am not an actor, writer, whatever, I certainly can relate to mentally competing with others. Yet incredibly, she never sounds particularly bitter -- or maybe it's that she completely admits it when she is. Perhaps Kantayya describes her attitude best herself when she says that "The glass is neither half full nor half empty, just filled to the midline -- about four ounces (if I stumble upon it after noon I may add an additional ounce of vodka and a twist and be on my way)." The stupid people she deals with are the same stupid people any of us deal with. Highly entertaining, wry, quick read.

[Mario Starks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't explain how many times I fell out of my chair reading this book. I picked it up because the title was catchy. Great collection of essays from the perspective of an actor, writer, (whatever). Author Mellini Kantayya is Brooklyn-based and provides a dose of healthy realism when it comes to the struggle of artists everywhere, particularly those with hopes and dreams of realizing success in New York City. In sum, the author highlights what really matters—honoring the time spent with your most supportive (and supporting) cast of characters in life—family and friends—while also sharing tales of characters encountered throughout an artist's journey who aren't so supportive. A very entertaining read. Transparent and relatable with a seemingly unintentional but poignant dose of inspiration.

[Kaitlin Batik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happened to come across a copy of Actor, Writer, Whatever when I was visiting the Drama Book Shop. I hadn't previously heard of the author, but as someone who enjoys writing and performing it looked interesting.
The fact that I read the book the day after I hit a big milestone on a personal writing project may have impacted my enjoyment of the book. I've read books about writing before, but my experience with stories about balancing writing and life was limited to short essays in Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul.
I found the essays entertaining. I particularly liked the one about the notes the "semi retired CPA" left on a screenplay and the sassy responses to those notes.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this. I tend to go for fiction over memoirs but I'm glad I picked this up. It was great book to start 2017 with.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

I enjoyed reading the author's thoughts on her career, and would recommend this book for aspiring playwrights or anyone looking for some insight into the NYC entertainment biz. The essays are enjoyable to read and often sarcastic and funny. The author is relatable and her stories interesting, and you want to root for her throughout. However, I wish the essays were more in-depth. I found myself enjoying an anecdote within an essay and wish that we had stayed more in the moment—some of the essays felt too overarching or glossed over potentially interesting stories for the sake of sticking to the main theme.

Overall a nice quick read.

[Dianna Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are all critics of something---that doesn't make us right---its just a point of view-- something maybe popular at one moment and lay dead for years after---Great book-- I really enjoyed these thoughts on the essays on the rise to the top of the bottom---Mellini is on the top with 97% of singers, writers, actor or whatever unemployeed she shows great insight a sad area of fighting yourself to the top with giggles, and smerks on the way... Thanks for letting me enjoy this

[Shannon Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a goodreads giveaway. A great quick read that I really enjoyed. It's well written and very relateable for anyone who's ever had big dreams but feels frustrated and stuck in their jobs. Also has some interesting insights into the entertainment industry for anyone with even a passing interest in the behind the scenes action.

[Exapno Mapcase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Goodreads first reads review.
This is an interesting and honest tale of what it is like to be an actor and writer in New York. She tells about the good along the bad and sometimes the ugly. It’s a good read for anybody who wants to be in show business and know the realities behind it.

[Rosemary V.p. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminded me of the kind of stories you hear on this American Life.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

an extremely honest, personal, and sharply funny tale of making it (or not) in NYCs cutthroat entertainment business. truly an enjoyable read!

[Fiona Maazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candid and funny!