Being an actor offers me the freedom to portray characters in roles that live in ways and do things I would normally not be able to in my own life. The freedom of expression, the ability to collaborate to create art and the opportunity to meet some of the most interesting people in the world is liberating. The feeling of booking an audition that I’ve worked incredibly hard on breaking down the story, script, character, and memorization is euphoric. It also pays very well once you begin to move upward in your career.

To be a successful working actor is to spend 90% of your time preparing for the 10% or less time in which you will actually perform your craft. To give you perspective; a writer can get up and write, a painter can get up and paint or a dancer can even get up and dance. An actor cannot simply wake up and act. You need to be hired to act. You need a script, a partner, and a location or a set.

The disadvantages are many. If you’re a film actor, the day you wrap your final day of filming you are now unemployed. You must go out find another job again. If it took you 90 no’s to get to the yes that booked your current job that can be daunting. It takes a high degree of fortitude and wherewithal to stay motivated through that level of rejection while keeping your bills paid. I have been fortunate to establish myself as an entrepreneur prior to my acting career but there are many people who rely on their acting paychecks. The result is often that they accept jobs they don’t truly want, they work a struggling job such as a bartender or server, or they simply quit.

This career is definitely not for everyone or those with a weak stomach or a high degree of sensitivity. You must be thick-skinned and driven. You must have the ability to focus in order to grow and you must have the social skills to network within the industry. Overall with great work, there is a great reward at the end of the rainbow.

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