ENTERTAINMENT : Keep the Day Job : Two-career individuals have one foot in acting and the other in a steadier profession.

As far as Alan Wedner is concerned, there’s nothing quite like nailing down a spot on a national television commercial. It pays well, it satisfies his need to be creative and it’s fun to be pampered and treated like a star.

Over the years, he’s filmed commercials for the likes of McDonald’s and Chevrolet, TV shows such as “Happy Days” and “Barnaby Jones,” and billboards for Tecate beer and Bank of America.

But Wedner, 38, of Burbank, is equally familiar with nailing down 2-by-4s. Despite his love for acting, working as a general contractor is the way he supports himself and his family.

“Acting is exciting, it’s stimulating and it’s genuinely fun,” he said. “But it’s almost impossible to make a decent living from it. The competition is so great you’re lucky if you land a few spots each year. At a certain point, you have to make a commitment to having a career you can depend on. But that doesn’t mean you can’t continue with the acting too.”

Think about the profession of acting, and it’s likely that once you get past the big-name superstars, you’re left with images of starry-eyed waiters and waitresses waiting for The Big Break.

And though it’s possible for an unknown actor to make $5,000 to $15,000 on a single national TV commercial, landing parts can be as difficult to come by as a taco stand in Tibet.

As a result, many actors have opted to juggle a full-time profession with a full-time commitment to pursuing casting calls.

“The ranks of actors are filled with teachers, attorneys, doctors, real estate brokers and accountants,” said Helen Barkan, an agent at Aimee Entertainment in Van Nuys. “For most of these people, it’s a form of play and a creative outlet. They are always hoping that they will hit the big time. But they were smart enough and realistic enough to prepare for their life so they can pursue their dream. They understand that their financial security is a top priority.”

Elgin Brown knows that fact well.

The 41-year-old Valencia flight attendant for Delta Airlines manages to fit in one or two casting calls a week between flights to the Western U.S., Canada and Mexico.

In fact, after six years working at the airline, he is usually able to coordinate his schedule to maximize his opportunities for doing commercials. He flies 10 to 15 days a month, mostly on weekends. That leaves weekdays open for auditions and filming.

Brown, who worked as a waiter and water-bed installer after graduating from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in drama, has appeared in TV commercials for Miller’s Outpost, Lowenbrau beer and Montgomery Ward. He also has landed roles in such television fare as “General Hospital,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Rich Little Show.”

“I am attracted by the excitement,” he said. “My love is acting--there’s nothing I’d like more than to be able to do it full time--but I am realistic about the industry.” Like many who have careers and do acting on the side, Brown views his theatrical earnings as a bonus.

“The 10 to 15 days I fly each month pay the bills; the money I earn from acting gives me money for investments and travel.”

Studio City resident Gary Bolen--who appears in a current Coco’s commercial and has performed on such TV shows as “Hill Street Blues” and “General Hospital”--splits his workday teaching and acting.

He works part-time as a drama instructor at College of the Canyons in Valencia and at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster. It’s not unusual for him to log 150 to 200 miles a day in his car, commuting between the two schools and the three auditions he averages every week. In fact, his 1 1/2-year-old Saturn already has more than 40,000 miles on it.

“I love acting, and I love teaching,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to give up either. Acting is a part of me, but I also enjoy imparting my knowledge onto the next generation of actors.” Bolen, who has a master of fine arts degree from UCLA and two undergraduate degrees, knows that he is going to make “a certain amount of money each year from acting, but it takes a great deal of pressure away to know that I’m also going to receive a check on the 10th of each month.”

Of course, juggling the two careers can produce a good deal of stress. Bolen, for example, accesses his answering machine four or five times a day, and must occasionally cancel classes because of an obligation to shoot a television show or commercial.

Because he’s hired part time by each school, he’s allowed unpaid personal days off.

Nevertheless, “it makes me feel bad to disrupt the continuity of the classes,” he said.

Wedner, who has filmed more than 75 commercials and two-dozen TV shows over the last 15 years, says he never views an audition as a nuisance but that it’s often difficult to drop what he’s doing and head out for a call.

In fact, there have been times when he simply had to cancel.

“Fortunately, I have two good assistants who can keep things going when I am away, and clients are very understanding. But there are days when there’s just too much going on,” he said.

How difficult is it to make the mental transition from installing cabinets or serving tea at 35,000 feet to pitching sports cars or hamburgers?

“After a while you learn to turn it on and off at a moment’s notice,” said Brown, who occasionally heads straight to an audition after flying in from a far-flung locale. “You simply block everything else out, including being tired or jet-lagged.”

For Wedner, the logistics of getting from one job to another can be complicated.

He uses his van as a portable changing room.

When he knows he’s going to go out on a call that day, he carries the necessary clothing or props--a business suit, clown costume, beach attire, whatever.

And he always carries his mobile phone and pager--whether he’s at a building site or a lumber yard.

“I make sure I am always in touch with the agency so that I don’t miss any opportunities,” he said. Wedner, who says he lands one commercial for every 50 to 80 auditions he goes out on, tries to maintain perspective.

“I make sure I am well groomed, on time and that I leave good pictures. I try to be a pro and give them a good reading. And when I walk out the door I forget about it. If I get the call-back or the spot, fine. But I don’t dwell on it. I realize that at this point in my life, with a wife and a family, my design and contracting business is far more important.”

Added Bolen: “No matter how difficult it is and how tough the odds are, it’s worth it. The two things I have always loved are acting and teaching. Fortunately, between the two I am able to make a very nice living. It’s wild, it’s hectic but it’s very fulfilling.”