Character creation help: Model / Actress

[Beorning]

Currently, I'm trying to create a character for one of the games I'm in. I want this character to be either a female model (somewhat successful) or an actress (starring in some minor TV / movie roles). I could use some help with coming out with her background...

Basically: at what age does one start a career in acting or modeling? At what age one *ends* such a career (I've heard that models are considered too at 25...). Also, would such a career be compatible with studying at a college? Are models and actors busy people?

Come to think about it: does anyone know a typical daily schedule of a minor actor or a model? I mean, how often do they have nothing to do during the day - and how often do they go to work? When they do work, how much time does it take daily?

[Stella]

Modelling could start at any age. Some make the transition as kids to adult fashion models. Ending at 25 doesn't really happen - some of the biggest models around now are older than that. Victoria's Secret's biggest name, Adriana Lima, is 31. Heidi Klum's nearly 40 and still books jobs (I think.)

Not all models are full time, it depends on how successful she is and the kind of modelling. So doing it part time to college is possible. Some models are High Fashion, which means they walk in big shows and do large campaigns like Chanel or another big name house, others are catalogue models who appear in more affordable, every day fashion catalogues and the like. As I said, really depends on her workload. A successful high end model would be busy and travel a good deal for shoots. Same goes for successful actors - and struggling actors, who'd constantly be attending auditions. It also depends on whether they're shooting back to back movies, or working on television.

I'm not sure about your last bit. Depends on how successful she is and the kind of work she is committed to. And then it depends on the work itself.

[Vekseid]

Come to think about it: does anyone know a typical daily schedule of a minor actor or a model? I mean, how often do they have nothing to do during the day - and how often do they go to work? When they do work, how much time does it take daily?

The most successful porn star I know signed up to a six-figure contract where she would agree to do a couple dozen shoots, with a shoot typically occurring over a weekend (though she had a fair amount of free time during). She would sometimes double her shoot's take by pretending to be some rich guy's girlfriend at an upscale party.