A man who pretended to be dead for 321 days landed a role on a huge TV show.
It’s safe to say that acting is a tough industry to crack, with actors having no choice but to take on other jobs, alongside the countless rejections.
For many, becoming a successful actor is simply a dream.
Determined to stand out from the crowd, Josh Nalley from Kentucky, U.S., decided to take a different approach to make his dream come true.
Nalley, a restaurant manager in his forties, got creative.
He dedicated himself to landing a role in the CSI franchise, a series of procedural forensics crime dramas. It includes the following programs: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, CSI: Cyber, CSI: Vegas, and The Real CSI: Miami.
Although he had no prior acting experience, Nalley was convinced he could gain attraction on TikTok with his unusual approach… and he was right.
His account, where he regularly posts videos of him playing a dead person, has amassed over 5.3 million likes.
Nalley tells The Washington Post: “I figured that was the easiest way that I could actually get on to a TV show or movie, you know, without actually having to audition or move out of Kentucky.
“Laziness is part of it.”
Although it may sound simple enough to play dead as it requires no movement, Nalley says he’s become especially skilled at it.
While the location varies for each video, they typically show the restaurant manager lying face down, not moving a muscle.
He tells the Courier Journal: “Having done more than 300 of these posts, I have progressed and gotten better.
“At first, you could see me breathing, or the fake blood looked really bad. I have gotten rid of using the blood and gotten better at holding my breath.”
He adds: “I can lie there and act like I am dead pretty easily.”
Nalley says the videos appear more realistic when there’s movement in the background, as it emphasizes his own lack of movement.
After consistently posting for 321 days, the restaurant manager finally got his big break – landing a role on CSI: Vegas.
He recalls: “I got an email from CBS that said they’d seen me on TikTok and wanted to offer me the part.
“At first I didn’t believe it, but they flew me out to California.”
On set, Nalley spent two hours getting his makeup done, which included large stitches across his chest and stomach – he played the role of a dead person on a gurney.
It took three or four takes, with Nalley recounting: “We had to redo one take because I had my phone in my pocket and forgot to turn it off. Of course, it was a telemarketer calling. That was kind of embarrassing.”
The restaurant manager continues to upload videos of himself playing a dead person to TikTok in order to land himself another acting job.
He tells The Washington Post: “Maybe one day, getting a speaking role.”
Nalley has no plans to quit his day job but tells the Courier Journal he’s actually received several offers to ‘play dead.’
The TikToker’s followers also have faith he’ll land another role in Hollywood soon enough, with one fan writing: “The dedication is insane.”
Another adds: “Give this man a job!”
“I remember when he first started it’s crazy he actually got cast and he’s up to it again. I love it!” a third enthuses.
@living_dead_josh #foryou #hashtag #foryoupage ♬ Very Sad – Enchan
