Although actor Rick Hearst has won two Daytime Emmy Awards and has a recurring role on “General Hospital,” he continues to work a common job.
The 59-year-old, who portrays Ric Lansing on the long-running popular soap opera, promoted his real estate sales services on Instagram last week.
Hearst began a recurring role on General Hospital this year after nearly a decade-long hiatus. He has also performed characters on “Days of Our Lives,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
“I’ve been on break from ‘GH’ for a couple weeks now,” he said on Instagram about his current schedule. “I also happen to be a real estate agent here. I love helping people find homes here, sell their homes here. It’s really a great lifestyle out here.”
Other Actors at Work
Hearst isn’t the only successful actor who leans on work outside of film and TV roles.
Texas personal injury lawyer Don Worley, owner and managing attorney of the McDonald Worley law firm, moonlights as an actor and producer. He’s the star of the Amazon Prime and Tubi streaming series “Power of Attorney: Don Worley” and the upcoming feature film “Time for Sunset.”
Worley also co-owns BrandIn Entertainment, which provides financing for film and television projects through brand integration.
“There is a lot of down time as an actor even during filming of a current project and I like to stay busy,” Worley told The Epoch Times. “You never know when or if the next acting gig will arrive. Every actor should have a side gig just for something to do during the down time to keep their sanity and for diversification.”
“No one should feel sorry for me either from a positive or negative perspective,” he told the outlet. “I’ve had a great life. I’ve had a great career that most actors would die for.”
Since then, the Yale-educated thespian has booked recurring roles as Daniel Warren on “Power Book II: Ghost” and as Conley in Tyler Perry’s “The Haves and the Have Nots.”
Work Ethic Among Actors
“To work at a Trader Joe’s and be on a TV show seems crazy but it’s not,” New York-based actor Tom Paolino told The Epoch Times. “The work ethic in this country is declining. It wouldn’t have seemed crazy 40 years ago because people valued work.”Paolino, who recently booked two scenes on “FBI: Most Wanted” with actor Dylan McDermott, has a Taxi & Limousine Commission license and has driven more than 10,000 trips.
He also works as a tutor, a yoga teacher, and a hockey coach to pay the bills while auditioning for his next role.
“I love acting so much that it doesn’t matter,” Paolino said. “I’m committed and there’s no Plan B. So, I find ways to stay in it and do what I love. There are a lot of people who want to be actors and there are only so many acting jobs.”
Previously, he was cast on “FBI,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and “Blue Bloods” while driving for ride-sharing service Uber.
“Uber has a wait list now and because I haven’t driven in a while, I can’t just grab a car and drive,” he said. “I might drive for Revel. I’m going there this week to finish the onboarding.”
Revel is a New York City ride-sharing platform whose drivers use Tesla electric vehicles and charging stations.
Chinese American actress Judy Go Wong teaches filmmaking at various colleges when she is not acting in film and television.
“I teach students in film school what to look for in actors and how to have stellar actors in their short films because they’ve never cast anyone before,” Wong told The Epoch Times.
The District of Columbia-based actor, who is also a wife and mother, had recurring roles on “House of Cards” and “Veep” in the past and works a side job because acting work isn’t steady enough.
“The challenge of being an actor and having a side job is time,” Wong said. “When I do have a role, my clients are very flexible. It’s just about moving around schedules.”
