Meet Josh Hooks | Actor & Self Tape Studio BEAST:)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Hooks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started A Place to Tape for both practical and creative reasons. As an actor, I love being a reliable reader and coach for other performers. Running a self-tape studio also keeps my own craft sharp. The idea took root when I lived in Atlanta in ’21–’22. After trying a few subpar studios, I knew I could help raise the bar. Partnering with another actor, we opened a space that quickly became successful. When I returned to L.A., I carried that momentum and confidence into building A Place to Tape here, in HOLLYWOOD.
For me, it’s never just about hitting “record.” Acting and auditioning are deeply personal, often uncomfortable things. My goal has always been to create a space where actors feel supported, heard, and set up to succeed. Whether that means direction, coaching, or a comfortable setting while you pretend to be a “grounded and natural banana” (commercial casting instructions are insane), I’m in.
Many clients don’t realize it, but I’m also their fan.
I care deeply about keeping my rates fair. I’ve been the actor paying $60–75 for a half-hour with a flat reader and no real support. I never wanted to replicate that. Instead, I built a space with top-tier production value, paired with collaboration, encouragement, and a fair price point.
At its core, A Place to Tape exists because I wanted to be the kind of person I wish I’d met earlier in my own career. The growth since opening in early 2024 has been steady and exciting, but what means the most to me is the community forming around it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is being me, acting. I’m not sure it sets me apart, but I guess how I live inside it every day. Like, EVERY. DAY. It’s my job. I’ve learned that when opportunities don’t come, you create your own through consistency, humility, and persistence. My work and my studio come from the same place…. This isn’t just about making tapes; it’s about creating space for people to feel supported, encouraged, and inspired in their pursuit of……..whatever it is you call it – acting, chasing a dream, faking till we making, etc

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A friend of mine is actually going to visit me in L.A.?!?!…..I’d probably ask them to read for me. Then we’d go anywhere a Waymo would take us:)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The list of people I’d like to thank is far too vast to ever fit into words. It begins with my parents and stretches out to every friend who has walked beside me through different chapters of my journey. I thank those who are no longer with us, whose memory still shapes me, and those I have yet to meet, who will one day leave their mark on my path. I thank those who doubted me – fuel in my fire. And those who cheered in silence – holding hope for me in ways I may never fully know. I thank every soul who, in some way, has touched my existence. Above all, I thank a higher power, a creator (however you may name it), for the gift of this life, for opportunities both granted and withheld, for triumphs and trials alike. In the end, none of us are anything without one another, and I carry that with me in gratitude. Specifically – To Derek & Sarah Jane, thank you……

Website: www.aplacetotape.com

Image Credits
Me, Dixie, and many unseen.