But man, does one guy judge actors. My friend James sent me an article entitled “5 Awful Things Nobody Tells You About Being an Actor,” written by a bitter dude about why a career in showbiz “will make you absolutely miserable.” The article has unfortunately had 1.6 million hits.
I’m now going to refute all five things on his list.
#5. You Aren’t Building a Real Skill Set.
It’s true. When acting craps out, how will I pay my rent after letting my electrolysis skills go to pot.
When I was a kid, my dad and I were in a sports store, and as I tried on shoes, we talked about the Yankees, in particular their catcher. “Nice guy,” said a man who overheard us. We asked if he knew the catcher, and the guy, who was now a rep for Adidas, said he’d played with him in the minor leagues. “See that?” my dad said later. “When you don’t make it in baseball, you have to become a salesman.” Even at my young age, I knew that was a terrible thing to say to a kid.
#4. Most Roles Have Nothing to Do With Acting.
No shit. Not while you’re building your career. And while the big, national commercials aren’t as prevalent as they used to be, they still exist. My friend Dave Giuntoli, the star of “Grimm” (which has a little something to do with acting), was once a struggling actor who made $75,000 for appearing in one Pizza Hut commercial. All he had to do was eat a slice crust first (it was for their stuffed crust pizza.) But if you feel that’s not real acting, feel free to pass up the $75K, Mr. Morals.
#3. You Will Never Be Considered for Roles That Require Acting.
Because you’re not in the union, and the union is tough to join? Every working actor was once not in the union, yet all of them made it in. If you work on your craft, and you have talent, casting directors will hire you, union or not. If you’re right for the role, you’ll make them look very good. Thought: the writer of this article needs to put himself out of his misery by taking a civilian job. Because there are never politics or shit bosses or layoffs or demeaning tasks that aren’t in your job description or etc., etc., etc.
#2. Your Faith Will Be Exploited.
He writes: “Acting requires about as much faith as religious fanaticism. Performers rely on directors and editors like zealots rely on God.” No it doesn’t – because directors and editors actually exist.
#1. You Won’t Make Enough Money to Live On.
Sure it’s scary not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from, but is there anything more frightening than knowing exactly what you’re going to be doing for the next 40 years?
Hey, I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.
