Jon Huertas: Making the Transition from the Military to "Generation Kill"

by Alex A. Kecskes

Best known for his role as Sergeant Antonio 'Poke' Espera in HBO's Generation Kill, Jon Huertas is also homicide detective Javier Esposito in the TV series Castle.

Well known for attending charity events held for the military, the New York native served 8 years in the U.S. Air Force in conflicts around the world--from Iraq (Desert Storm) to Panama and Granados. He is dedicated to improving the lives of wounded veterans.

"On Castle, I'm kind of the technical advisor when it comes to tactical stuff," says Huertas. "When it comes to weapons and going into rooms, they'll come to me and ask, 'how do you go into a room?'"

One Air Force veteran noted that pursuing acting while in the service can definitely be a challenge. There's not much opportunity to do any Equity (union) work, since rehearsals are usually held during the daytime and most military jobs have a day schedule. Also, most Equity work is a full-time job. No matter what branch of the service you're in, you're basically "on call" 24/7. This pretty much puts a damper on any rehearsals or performances you may want to schedule.

What you can do while you're still serving active in the military is refine your skills and gain some acting experience. For this, it's best to enroll in a local community theatre company. Some military bases have their own community theatre companies. These are all ideal venues to hone your acting skills, make contacts and build references.

Finally, you can also look into attending workshops and classes in your duty area. Many of these classes are scheduled for people with day jobs, and if you happen to miss a class or workshop, it's not that big a deal. Actors who have made the transition from the military to Hollywood know there's no substitute for training. Raw talent only gets you so far.

For an additional perspective, check out this video:

For more information on Armed Services jobs, check out: http://www.armedservicesjobs.com/