There are 3 main actors
unions. These are the
Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (
AFTRA) and Actors Equity Association (
AEA or Equity). In NYC there is all kinds of work you can book. Some of it will be listed as non-union and some of it as union. Joining the unions is pretty important if you plan on making the decision to become a professional (i.e "paid") actor. They can make you look more respectable on paper - I have heard many different
agents and
casting directors say that if an actors resume is light on the training they will overlook it if they are represented by a union - especially SAG and Equity (AEA). Less so with AFTRA - I will explain in a sec. The unions are also there to help actors get paid appropriately and in some cases...
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