'DWTS' Star Maksim Chmerkovskiy -- I'm a Skinny-Dipping Cowboy Now

"Dancing with the Stars" isn't always where Hollywood careers go to die -- case in point ... "DWTS" alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy ... who just got his first big acting gig in a brand new country music video ... after quitting the show last year.

Granted ... he has one line, but still ... you know how hard it is to get an acting job these days??

The music video is for "Til Your Boots are Dirty" by singer Stacy Burk -- no, not the hardcore bondage porn star ... this Stacy Burk is a man -- and the song's actually pretty good.