As seen on TV

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Life is good for Joseph Halsey. The Castor Gardens man owns a successful general contracting business. And he stays busy as an actor and an instructor for individuals looking to advance in that field.
"I have it made," he said.
Halsey will make a network television appearance on Tuesday on Law & Order: SVU. The show airs at 10 p.m. on NBC 10.
On the highly rated crime drama, Halsey portrays "Officer James," a New York City police officer who responds to a murder at an apartment building.
The actor leads detectives Elliot Stabler (played by Chris Meloni) and Olivia Benson (played by Mariska Hargitay) to the crime scene. The story line is about a psychic who tells the police about upcoming murders.
Halsey doesn’t know how long he’ll be on the screen, but he taped a full scene that is essential to the plot.
Having been on television before, the actor doesn’t get overly excited about being seen on national TV. Instead, he’ll watch his appearance from a critical point of view.
"My mom gets real excited. I’ll go watch it with her," he said.
Halsey grew up in Trenton before moving to Florida for his high school years. He began acting in high school plays, then attended the Florida College of the Arts. Later, he moved to New York to attend the Actors Studio.
While unwilling to divulge his age, the actor will say that he generally auditions for roles for 25- to 30-year-olds. In fact, last week, he read for the role of a 25-year-old on the FX fire drama Rescue Me, starring Denis Leary.
One of his favorite roles was a recurring one on The Cosby Show as Wayne, a pizza delivery boy.
On the set of the top-ranked show, he was treated to catered lunches and had his own dressing room.
But, like most up-and-coming actors, he had to find other ways to pay the bills.
"The following week, I was bartending," he said.
His other TV credits include guest appearances on One Life to Live and America’s Most Wanted.
Last spring, he appeared on Law & Order as "Bill," a bar patron who is questioned about a shooting death.
His resumé includes off-Broadway and Florida regional theater gigs. He also played in Bigger Than Plastic, an East Coast band that produced three albums.
For now, at least, Halsey is happy to be working on various projects.
"It’s great walking on the set of Law & Order, then be on a soap the following week," he said.
The actor — who has a Web site, www.josephhalsey.com — has also appeared in commercials for Saturn and the Newark Star-Ledger newspaper.
Commercials are the subject of one of the classes he teaches at a Bensalem studio. He holds courses for beginners and professionals.
Students learn the do’s and don’ts of the audition process, how to read cold copy and cue cards, and how to look good on camera.
They also are told how lucrative it can be to appear in commercials, particularly long-running ones. It can amount to a year’s salary.
"The Verizon guy is very happy," Halsey said.
Actors shouldn’t look at commercials as a dead end in the business, according to Halsey.
"When you start paying rent in Manhattan and you learn how much the grape made on the Fruit of the Loom commercials, pride is not that big a deal," Halsey said.
Halsey also teaches a class titled "The Business of the Biz." It’s for children interested in becoming a professional actor and their parents.
Among the instructor’s advice is developing a dependable source of income outside of acting.
Many actors are waiters or bartenders. Halsey modernizes basements and puts additions on homes. By having something to fall back on, he explains, it puts the actor at ease at auditions. He doesn’t seem as desperate for a role.
Halsey also suggests that actors take jobs to stay fresh, even if the role doesn’t seem enticing. By constantly practicing the craft, he said, an actor will perform better at auditions.
Dealing with rejection is another major part of the business. It can be humbling.
"You’ve got to keep plugging and plugging and plugging," Halsey said.
There are opportunities for actors out there, he believes, pointing to the multitude of cable television channels and the growing popularity of independent films.
Television is his favorite medium.
He loves shooting on location in New York, picking the brain of legends like Bill Cosby and working for professionals such as Dick Wolf, producer of the Law & Order franchises.
A three-minute scene might take 14 hours to tape, but he doesn’t mind. The lighting, cameras, props, makeup and everything else have to be just right.
"Everything has to come together," he said.
Television-wise, it’s pilot season. There’s bound to be numerous Desperate Housewives copycats and shows designed to appeal to fans of NYPD Blue, which is going off the air. As an actor, Halsey hopes the reality genre is fading.
Halsey will be trying to win guest, recurring or permanent spots on TV.
"I love auditioning," he said. "I love the whole process, the challenge of it." ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com