Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a theater degree in hand, she was certain everything would fall easily into place. Never mind that she didn't know a single person in the entertainment industry. She was determined, she was confident, she was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong?
Uh, basically everything. It would be eight long years before she landed her Emmy-nominated role of Pam Beesley on The Office-nearly a decade of failure, struggle, rejection and doubt.
The path to professional acting was more competitive than she'd ever imagined. Headshots, agents, classes, auditions . . . there was a lot to learn. And with so many obstacles to navigate, it wasn't always easy to fight off discouragement.
If only she'd had a handbook for the struggling actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way-an established actor who could manage her expectations, educate her...
