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Act because you actually love it.
Apr. 20th, 2012 11:59 am(I'm still figuring out the best way to cross-post my Wordpress blog here. For the time being, it's a cut and paste job)
Jenna Fischer, of The Office, posted some great advice for actors. I’m pasting in one of my favorite bits below, but the whole entry is worth a read.
http://www.myspace.com/pambeesley/blog/141657788
Jenna:
I thought being an actor meant being famous. But, most actors aren’t recognizable. It’s funny. I watch TV in a whole new way now. Like, I watch a show and I see the person who has 3 lines on Law and Order and I think, “Their family is gathered around the TV flipping out right now. I bet that was a huge deal for that person!” There are so many actors that make a living by doing support work on shows. I was that person for many years.For me to stay in this business, it had to be okay if I was never recognized. I learned that I loved the craft of acting more than the idea of being famous.
One thing I’ve noticed as an actor, especially in a small market like New England, is many actors fit in one or two categories* – actors, who enjoy acting, maybe take a class here and there, and perform when they can and the people who want to be movie stars. Now, there’s nothing wrong with either category, but I find a lot of the people in the latter group might be more enamored with the idea of being famous than the actual acting and work and process that goes into creating a performance. Acting is hard and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. Acting is not necessarily about becoming famous. It is because you love it.
I wouldn’t have stuck with this for this long if it was all about fame. Trust me on that one.
*That isn’t to say there aren’t a lot of real pros out there or well-trained hard-working actors or people who love film who work really hard. Just something I’ve noticed as of late.
Jenna Fischer, of The Office, posted some great advice for actors. I’m pasting in one of my favorite bits below, but the whole entry is worth a read.
http://www.myspace.com/pambeesley/blog/141657788
Jenna:
I thought being an actor meant being famous. But, most actors aren’t recognizable. It’s funny. I watch TV in a whole new way now. Like, I watch a show and I see the person who has 3 lines on Law and Order and I think, “Their family is gathered around the TV flipping out right now. I bet that was a huge deal for that person!” There are so many actors that make a living by doing support work on shows. I was that person for many years.For me to stay in this business, it had to be okay if I was never recognized. I learned that I loved the craft of acting more than the idea of being famous.
One thing I’ve noticed as an actor, especially in a small market like New England, is many actors fit in one or two categories* – actors, who enjoy acting, maybe take a class here and there, and perform when they can and the people who want to be movie stars. Now, there’s nothing wrong with either category, but I find a lot of the people in the latter group might be more enamored with the idea of being famous than the actual acting and work and process that goes into creating a performance. Acting is hard and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. Acting is not necessarily about becoming famous. It is because you love it.
I wouldn’t have stuck with this for this long if it was all about fame. Trust me on that one.
*That isn’t to say there aren’t a lot of real pros out there or well-trained hard-working actors or people who love film who work really hard. Just something I’ve noticed as of late.
