Mt. Prospect senior scores hundreds of modeling, acting gigs

Most people may view TV commercials as the time to go get a snack. Not Jim Goss.

No, Goss likes to stick around a bit to see if he can catch a glimpse of himself in a commercial. When he does, he just smiles to himself, he says.

After retiring as a plant manager with a large Chicago manufacturing company in 1999, at the age of 65, Goss found himself bored to tears. Although always active, he never participated in any serious hobbies, which could fill his golden years.

One night, in front of the TV, he got to wondering where companies get the people to be in the commercials. After schooling himself on the concept of talent agencies, Goss called a few. Even though he had no training or experience, several looking for "real people" signed him on right away. Eventually, he was added to the rosters of 11 agencies.

Today, at the age of 73, the Mount Prospect celebrity has more than 200 roles under his belt. They include print modeling, training films, voice-overs and TV commercials.

"This business is crazy," Goss said. "I still can't act, but I still get jobs."

Goss' first national voice-over was for Toys R Us. In talking about it, he spouts the line, "It's a great time of year to be a Toys R Us kid," with the same vigor he conjured up in the commercial.

It was a hit. However, things didn't go as well for him at his first TV commercial audition.

"The woman said I needed more work and that I reminded her of a deer caught in headlights," Goss said. "I went home and started practicing in front of a mirror. It was then I figured out the secret. I just needed to be myself and not a copy of what I thought I should be."

That seemed to work, as Goss garnered his first TV commercial for Mayor's Jewelers, playing the part of a millionaire. However, it was a commercial for Marshall Field's that Goss feels was his "nicest" job.

"It was for their day-after-Thanksgiving sale," he said. "It had the Chicago skyline in it. I played the part of a doorman who winks in the commercial. It's played for five years and I get $3,000 a year for the run."

Some of Goss' major accounts include Wal-Mart, Sears, Allstate Insurance and Capital One, which ran an ad in Time and Newsweek.

Goss' specialty of being a "real person" rather than an actor has paid off, as noted in an audition he did for Liberty Medical TV commercial. The company searched three states for talent. As the auditioning pool dropped from 60 to 25 to 15, Goss grew weary of the process.

"When I went in for the audition, I had my pre-canned talk all memorized," Goss said. "Thirty seconds into it I took off my glasses and said, 'Sorry, I can't do this. I'm not an actor, but I do have diabetes. Why don't you just ask me questions?'Ȧ"

After their initial shock, the group decided to do it Goss' way. They continued to audition others, filing through them quickly until one man came out and told everyone the guy who can't act got the part.

For a Santana music video, his role called for several kissing scenes with a young woman. When Goss expressed concern over the part, his wife, Ann, was hired to play opposite him.

"We had to kiss for hours," said Ann. "At one point, the director told us that we really threw our hearts into it. He didn't realize that we were husband and wife."

Ann, 73, also garnered parts in two Disney World commercials with Jim. She was cast when there was no one else to play his wife in the spots. Now, Ann has signed with three agencies of her own.

"I probably wouldn't do it if it wasn't for Jim," she said. "But most of the time we act as husband and wife, so we do it together, and that's nice."

The Goss' daughter, Janine Tipre, also thinks it is a nice arrangement. In fact, even as a child she thought her father should act.

"When I was a kid, he used to break into characters or break into song out of nowhere," said Tipre. "So I felt he'd be a natural for it."

Goss has made both a hobby and career out of being "a natural for it." To this day, he still has not taken an acting class. Yet, he is very accomplished at his trade.

"I think he is successful because he stands out in a crowd," said Tipre. "He's a nice, easy guy that gets along well with directors and producers. He's memorable and doesn't blend into the woodwork."

Goss said he found this adventure to not only be exciting, but also financially rewarding. He will joke that when an agent calls with a "fun job" it is really code for one that doesn't pay too much. Although some jobs may pay $100, others can garner $15,000 or even $40,000 with residuals and holds.

Seems Goss has come a long way since 1940 when he played the part of a duck in a play at Mrs. Wickams Elocution School.

How to get into commercials

• Secure a professional head shot, along with comp photos (usually four different character shots)

• Produce a resume

• Contact local talent agencies

• Follow up with companies

• Attempt to get an in-person interview to put a name with the face

• Be open to any and all jobs, no matter how small, or what pay range until you become established

• Be yourself - and go for it