A lot of people ask me how I knew Man Men or Breaking Bad would make great TV. I know because I read those scripts, I felt something. I didn't do any market testing or focus groups -- I just asked myself, would I want to watch this? When you are weighing an opportunity, make the question that simple:
Do I really want this, or am I doing it for the money or the prestige or because I think I should? It can't just be about those things. It has to make you feel good, too. And by the way, if opportunities aren't knocking, you can make your own. When I was looking for work several years ago, I took everyone I knew in NewYork, where I'd just moved, to dinner or drinks or tea. I explained that I was open to anything. Six months later, one of those dinner dates called about a possible job at AMC. If I hadn't put myself out there, that never would have happened.
--Christina Wayne former senior VP at AMC, current president of Cinefix Studios, and and executive producer of the new BBC America series copper.
