Life & Work with Tom Bottelsen of BURBANK

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Bottelsen.

Hi Tom, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a performer my entire life but it took me a while to figure that out. After graduating college with a degree in History and having no desire to pursue that further I threw my hat into acting. I took classes, improv, and did local theatre from Shakespeare to Shaw and before you know it I had a Denver Agent and booked my first commercial audition for a trailer home community; yes, a trailer park. Soon after, I got my SAG card in Denver in 1995 for a commercial and then decided to move to Los Angeles.

And It’s been a wild 27 year ride out here; ranging from writing plays and having my work performed by theatre companies to performing on television, to commercial work to writing screenplays and finding new ways to fulfill my desire to perform.

Then, the pandemic hit and with no outlet, I started to focus on my online persona, which allowed me to write and and share my thoughts on Tiktok and instagram. Soon after, as my account began to grow, I started The Tom Bottelsen Show, a Youtube Channel which has its basis in the love of nerdy-geeky things: board games, sci-fi fantasy movies and television, role playing games and the belief that the human race can unite on those things instead of the issues we choose to fight over. 


I recently signed with AQUA Talent and booked a role on ELSBETH and the soon to be released 3rd Season of MONSTER: The Ed Gein Story.

My YouTube Channel, The Tom Bottelsen Show, continues to grow and it gives me a chance to continue my education in the entertainment industry; through writing, editing, lighting and camera work.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The hardest part of being a working actor is staying busy and creative when there is no current work. I personally write in a journal every morning, which helps me stay in tune with my desires and keeps my creative brain flowing.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Back to my “always been a performer” comment. I’ve been a working musician since I was a teen. It’s been bar bands to college party bands to playing in pick-up bands and house bands etc. I play piano, harmonica, drums, and a little bass and guitar. Plus, I can sing. I’ve written and recorded the soundtrack for a short film titled “The man who loved his cat” and wrote the ending credits song “Riding with Jimmy and Me” for the documentary “DEANERS: Fans of James Dean”.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNGER ACTORS?

If I could give advice to anyone starting this business, and I probably shouldn’t, I’d tell them the following: Just don’t quit. Thats not the same as “follow your dreams”, I always hated that phrase and I still do. It makes the idea of being a working actor sound otherworldly. It’s not. It’s basic. We just want to be paid to work. I don’t need the red carpet and although I’d love to sit next to Jimmy Fallon, the most of us working actors just want to work. To show up on time, leave your ego at the door, stand on your mark, deliver the lines as truthfully as you can, and be a part of a team that has one goal: Telling a Story.

But you should be prepared to experience the “quitting feelings” at any time and without notice and those feelings of failure will come like an avalanche and threaten to crush you. Every actor I met when I first came to Los Angeles, over 20 years ago, all went “Home” to do other things; from teaching to real estate and everything in between and the ideas of being a working actor left them quickly and I totally get it.

Just don’t quit.

Find other ways to be creative and never let the ideals of others dictate your work. Everyone loves the entertainment industry, so everyone has an opinion on what you should be doing. People who have never auditioned, taken a headshot, written a resume, taken an acting class or had the nerves to step on a stage and be completely vulnerable, will want to tell you what you should do. Cut them some slack, it’s not their fault. Everyone wants to help in an industry that we all love and they’re envious that you have the balls to throw your hat in that ring.

Keep focused on telling your own story and being creative. Write more, read more, play more, feed your head with knowledge of the industry and feed your soul with the work of others. Take a class and meet other creatives and help each other with their dreams. It’s like music and musicians; the majority of pick-up players will sit in with you on a session just because playing music is an inherent good and feeds the soul.

Story telling, which is what we do, is an inherent good. Celebrate creativity with those like you and tell those stories.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.youtube.com/@thetombottelsenshow
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tombottelsen
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/tombottelsen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetombottelsenshow
• Other: https://tiktok.com/tombottelsen