Hollywood duo Mark Rosin, writer, producer and writing instructor and Cynthia Hoppenfeld, actress and acting instructor, came to Missouri Southern to give students tips on the entertainment business.

Rosin said he wanted to be a writer as early as his teenage years when he and a childhood friend wrote a script for one of his favorite sitcoms, “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Rosin started his career as a program development executive at CBS. Since then, he has worked in many different fields of the entertainment business from writing movies and sitcoms, to editing magazines and screenplays; most notably he wrote for Harper’s Bazaar. Rosin also spent seven years in Singapore as a consultant and trainer for MediaCorp studios.

“Everything I have done and do is working with words,” Rosin said.

Hoppenfeld started acting at the age 17.

She got her start at the Barter Theatre in Abington, Va. while starring in Seven-Year-Itch.

She then ventured in and out of the acting scene landing feature roles in films such as Why Would I Lie, which starred Treat Williams, and A Star Is Born, starring Barbara Streisand.

However, Hoppenfeld’s passion always remained with theater. Hoppenfeld’s Broadway credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Tennessee William’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Street Car Named Desire.

The couple met through Hoppenfeld’s sister, an editor for Harper’s Bazaar, for which Rosen eventually became a writer. Since then, they have been together for 32 years.

While they both agreed they love instructing students who are pursuing careers in the entertainment industry, they shared two different aspects as to what the business entails.

Rosin spoke of what he felt every prospective writer should know.

“When you are a freelancer, your job is to not give up,” he said.

Rosin said the best thing for a writer to do is to always write what one is passionate about and pick the stories one is drawn to.

One of the things Rosin learned from his experience as a writer is the importance of education.

“The more knowledge and understanding you have of the world, the deeper your work will be,” he said.

Judy Stiles, general manager of KGCS, said she thought it was good the two were on campus interacting with students and sharing their experiences. She said she thought it is motivational for students to listen to people like them.

Both said they want anyone with the mindset of going into the entertainment industry to understand the industry is constantly changing so they must be prepared for anything and everything.

“You can’t afford to think you are finished,” Hoppenfeld said. “You are your instrument and you should be constantly changing.”