Aspiring actors, Ontario's Ministry of Consumer and Business Services asks you to answer these questions:

1. Do top agents advertise in the newspaper's classified section, hoping to discover new talent?
2. Does an actor need a big photo portfolio to get work?
3. If you want to become an actor, will an agent start you off working as an extra, then move you along to speaking parts?
4. Are commercials easy to get into?

If you answered "No" to all four questions you're in the know about the acting profession.

Smart shopping experts at the ministry have worked together with respected professionals in the entertainment industry to prepare the following explanations for the questions above and some other tips to help keep your feet on the ground if you have stars in your eyes.

1. Newspaper advertising: You may sometimes see a casting call in the newspaper, but the entertainment industry code of ethics prohibits agents from advertising for clients in general publications. The experts say that any ad you see in the newspaper classified section has been placed by an agency you're unlikely to want to join once you know all the facts.

Most good agents are very busy with clients who have suitable experience and who have contacted them because they specialize in the agent's particular area of expertise.

2. Photographs: Actors generally require only head shots, which cost an average of $175 to $200. Scam artists may tell you a big, expensive portfolio of photographs is necessary. But legitimate agents don't take photographs, recommend a photographer or offer photographic services.

How is someone convinced they need the full treatment? In one recent example, a consumer said she and her husband both went with their teenage daughter when she answered a "talent agency" ad. They met with the agent, who promised her work if only she'd agree to the photo portfolio, at a cost of nearly $1,000.

The consumer later reported, "My husband and I both went to the meeting and this man convinced us that nothing in the world was more important than having the photos taken. He was very persuasive. Of course, the offer was extra hard to refuse because my daughter was sitting there with her eyes shining, imagining herself a star."

"Later when we got home I began to think...normally we'd never buy anything as expensive as that portfolio without a lot of discussion and thought. But the man said the offer was only good at that time..."

Luckily, this consumer got her money back, but many are not so fortunate. The "agent" could have moved on to another town and been impossible to trace.

Most professionals find photographers through the suggestions of other people in the business. If you don't know some insiders to ask for a reference you probably aren't experienced enough to need a photographer.

3. From walk-ons to major roles? Agencies that specialize in finding work for walk-on performers, who do not have speaking roles, are known as "background agencies" and they will not represent you for other acting jobs. Many actors have contracts with both a background and talent agency.

People who work for legitimate background agencies will be charged a small signing fee--generally less than $100—upon signing a contract and will be required to pay the agency 15 per cent of their earnings. The agency will expect you to take the unsigned contract to your lawyer for review before you sign.

The background agency does not require you to be trained. Appearance, wardrobe and availability are the assets they seek.

Principal agents deal with acting roles. They don't offer training and can't guarantee work. They do take on people who have experience and training in voice, acting and movement.

Generally, before being taken seriously by a talent agent, actors have demonstrated their determination by working in community theatre or non-union television. The experts say even a teenage actor will be expected to at least be studying acting at school.

Principal agents will also expect you to sign a contract after it has been reviewed by your lawyer.

4. Commercials: The experts say anyone who suggests that you can make easy money in commercials isn't being honest. National campaigns are likely to employ unionized actors. If there are "real people" appearing in the commercial, they are probably famous.

To find out more about choosing an ethical agent, call the Acting and Modeling Information Service (AMIS) hotline at (416) 977-3832. AMIS provides a free telephone listing of agents who adhere to a professional code of ethics and are willing to take on new clients.

If you have been approached by or have signed a contract with someone you think may be an unethical agent, or would like more information on a variety of consumer issues, call the ministry's General Inquiry Unit at 326-8555 in the Toronto area or toll free at 1-800-268-1142. Special electronic equipment for use by people who have hearing and speech difficulties is available at (416) 326-8566.