ACTOR Ryan Radis has revealed his inability to go to Disneyland with his wife and two kids due to the demands of his job was “super disappointing.”
Instead, the 41-year-old actor was rehearsing lines, waiting for the commercial director to yell “action.”
“I couldn’t go with them, which was super disappointing. If I had a normal job, I could’ve just taken a sick day,” Ryan admitted in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
“I’m glad I did the job because it provides security for us, but I have no sick days.”
A nine-to-five was never in the cards for the aspiring film star who began acting right out of college.
Ryan originally attended the University of Santa Barbara to pursue political science.
But by graduation, he realized that waking up and going to set at 5:00am was more than just his call time, it was where he wanted to be.
Between a supporting role in the popular film Hancock and a guest star appearance on NCIS, Ryan’s been fulfilling an irrevocable passion while chasing security in an unpredictable industry.
Despite wavering periods of anxiety and doubt, the persistent actor has never once redirected his career away from entertainment.
“I had good instincts. I got lucky in commercials pretty early, and I think I got really good at it,” Ryan said.
Sustaining a comfortable career in performing arts often elicits a constant feeling of the unknown – you never know when the next job will come until you’re in a position to turn them down.
He was lucky he had family support in Los Angeles, financially and emotionally.
Before having a family of his own, Ryan was living at home, attending acting class, and going to three to five auditions every week.
At age 23, Ryan locked down a commercial agent and a spot in the Screen Actors Guild for better jobs and health insurance.
Ryan explained: “Commercials need to run to survive. That’s basic in my survival.”
“For health insurance, I need to make ‘X’ amount of money. If nothing is running, I’m not gonna get that.”
“So, even after you shoot a commercial, you’re still kind of holding your breath and hoping it will run.”
Every job pays differently, too.
For as long as Ryan can remember, he’s been good at selling the joy of biting into fake food for product promotion.
Yet, years of experience still never guarantees a role.
“You just hope,” Ryan openly proclaimed.
All you can control is what happens during your audition time. After that, it’s up to the directors.
According to Ryan, feelings of fear and discouragement never fade, on top of financial worries.
“I have this thing every time I’m done filming, no matter how great it was, this energy drains from my body. Whenever I get home I’m thinking: ‘That’s it, I’m done. That was the last job I’m gonna have.’”
“It’s so out of your control unless you have something planned or booked, you don’t know when that next time will be.”
The actor described himself as an anxious individual.
It’s hard for him to take a step back and refrain from overanalyzing his performance in an audition.
Ignoring bubbling feelings of doubt and stress got easier for Ryan once he had kids.
“It’s really hard to. I think now that I have kids, it’s easier because I’m more distracted, but it is really hard. My personality overthinks things, and I’ll get trapped.”
Yet, there have been times when the actor thought he “bombed” a callback and ended up getting the role.
When Ryan found himself the most drained and dispirited was when he had 13 avails in one year – when an actor is asked to stay available for the shoot day.
In Ryan’s case, 10 of the 13 casting directors released him from the obligation – they didn’t want him anymore.
He explained: “They’re putting a puzzle piece together, and sometimes you just don’t fit the puzzle.”
Though this unpredictability evokes disappointment from time to time, Ryan’s always found that “things will always just happen.”
He said: “There will always be opportunities, and I think I have to believe in myself because I got nothing else.”
Working as an actor in the SAG-AFTRA may set the 41-year-old up for better protection, but it also adds pressure throughout the year.
You have to qualify and meet your required threshold within the year period, which can start from any month.
“One job can absolutely cover it,” he proclaimed. However, the opportunity has to be lucrative at the right time.
And daily shoot rates aren’t enough to meet the threshold.
“I start thinking when that month hits, I need to start making money.”
“As soon as I know I hit the threshold, I can now breathe for the rest of that year.”
“Most jobs are probably not satisfying, but it’s the work of the actor. I would love to be a series regular on a show, like to have that consistent everyday work. My family then has security.”
Financial stability was manageable when Ryan was a single 23-year-old, but the risk was always there.
When he met his wife, Rachael, Ryan was “at a high point in his career.”
Yet, due to the nature of the industry, he thought he was a “red flag” because of the potential risk of financial insecurity.
“I never had to take a break from acting, though,” Ryan admitted.
Through his marriage and into fatherhood, the dedicated actor never strayed from the industry.
“There’s always going to be those times where it’s drier than others. It feels like when that starts to come, something runs on TV. Knock on wood that continues happening.”
“Things change when you become a parent, but it’s never made me want to quit acting. It’s now more important than ever that I book a job.”
“It’s more of just having the courage to ask for a timeframe and working it out about picking up the kids.”
The acting world is shut down roughly between 7:00pm and 10:00am, and you’ll rarely have to block off a whole working day.
Spending quality time with his children during the week isn’t an issue because having a flexible schedule when his wife doesn’t means school pick-up duty is his primary responsibility.
“I no longer care about fame. I care about surviving and just taking care of my family. I think now that where I’m at, I’m a dad first, I’m a dad, husband, and then an actor.”
This means his auditions come after taking care of his children.
“Now having an audition at 3:00pm when I have to pick up my kids at 2:40pm is a problem. It’s an extra thing to juggle because my wife is working,” Ryan professed.
Though sporadic jobs prevent him from being with his children at unusual times, Ryan gets to be with them mostly during office hours.
“I feel like because of my choice to be an actor, I am that much closer with my kids. I can take them to their after-school activities when most dads can’t,” he claimed.
Heading into his mid-40s, Ryan knows continuing to pursue acting becomes more of an economic gamble.
The driven father isn’t oblivious to other individuals in the industry who have accomplished more at his age.
“Everyone’s journey is different. I’m always worried I’m going to age out. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened yet, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Ryan affirmed.
“It’s the only thing I’m qualified for. I cannot see myself doing anything else, and I think I’m really good at it.”
Being a regular TV series star is the ultimate dream.