I've been an actor for a long time and I've talked to many professional actors, both famous and not so famous, about this. Very few say they're in show business for the fun of it. Perhaps this is idealistic on my part, but I only do it because I enjoy it. I've made some money acting and that's always nice, but if I didn't like it I wouldn't do it. Professionals talk about the 'work' of acting, and getting the next 'job', which is fine, but nobody every says something like, "This is the funnest job I've ever had!" Yes, acting is hard work and it takes comittment and dedication and it must be taken seriously, which I totally agree with. I'm very professional when I'm working on a show. I'm just curious as to what others have to say about this. In my mind, it is possible to do this as a profession and have fun at it too. Like my Grandmother always said, "Find something that you love to do and make that your career and you'll never have to work a day in your life!"....so I did....
2007-08-03 03:59:30 · 9 answers · asked by ndn_ronhoward 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Theater & Acting
I got into acting without the decision to make it a career. I have seen what a career in acting can do to a family, and I decided it wasn't for me. But I LOVE performing. I perform, I teach and I learn. If I were in it for the money, I'd be very bitter by now. But I kept that part out of it, and just worked hard, got involved in as many shows as possible, kept my work hours as flexible as I could and just went out and did it.
Years later, I settled down and now I have a family. But I still perform, and I still teach. I think my experience as a kid helped me set my goals differently than most: I didn't want to be famous, or be rich, from acting. I just wanted to perform and some applause would be nice. I love watching my students as much as performing. I got to see things from a "Wow, this is neat!" perspective, rather than "How can I get ahead." I learned to be competitive without being too cut-throat. (I hope). I imagine doing this as a job would have its rewards, but it comes at such a cost that I admire those who can balance it. I was fortunate to know what I wanted from life and from acting, and I'm glad to say i have them both.
Good for you for finding your balance, too.
2007-08-03 10:03:30 · answer #1 · answered by Matthew P 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was just a given with me. Was born to do this and I have to.
I certainly don't make living at it and I still do it as much as I can. When I was 8 I was in my brother's high school play. When it was over everyone talked about how much work it was. I didn't get it. That wasn't work. We spent a lot of time doing it but we were not working. I loved it and I wanted to spend even more time at it. I still feel the same way. It's not work to me even when it isn't going well. I hate it when class ends. To know the feeling of having a stranger come up to you and tell you they liked what you did is pay enough for me.
I'd bet we all feel the same way more or less. That's the difference between us and the people who wash out. We are here to stay. The real actors. I've read your other posts and they are excellent. So what I want to know is this. How do I get an acting agent? I really like the shows on NBC and I want to meet Bobcat Goldthwaite and Yoko Ono. What website do I go to to be on NBC. Thanks.
2007-08-03 15:45:42 · answer #2 · answered by Big R 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have acted at some level of professionalism for over 25 years. And yes, I love it. And yes, it is a job. And yes, it is hard work -- if you do it right. It is also an art and after all of the hard work has been done and you've struggled through rehearsals, then it's time to create art -- on stage, at performance level, with an audience present. Hopefully, you will move them to think or feel something that they hadn't thought or felt before. But have I ever done a role in a show that I didn't enjoy? Yes. Sometimes because that was the best part for me to contribute my talents to the show in, sometimes because somebody else had been promised the part by the director, sometimes because I needed to make my rent payment. But I would much rather go to a theatre and put on make-up and perform in a role I didn't enjoy or get rave reviews for than go to an office and have toanswer telephones or wait tables. By virtue of the fact that we are "professionals" means that this is how we make our money; therefore, acting is a job for us, but that doesn't mean that we like it any less. We often have to fill in the gaps with jobs in a warehouse or delivering pizzas and we'd much rather be able to act full time and not need to sell men's clothing. I think someone did the industry a great disservice by calling them "plays"; they are work. And hard work but fun work.
2007-08-03 11:29:37 · answer #3 · answered by actormyk 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I really don't understand how a lot of actors say tell with such detail how they knew they were born to be actors.
In my case I didn't expect it. Yes, as a little girl I used to dance and sing in front of my family on special occasions, but I think every kid did that when they were that age. I got into it when I was about 14 or 15.
Everybody wants money, including myself, but more than that what I really want is to be able to make a living out of acting. If I could support myself only on acting, than I really could care less of becoming famous.
I love music and acting, and these two things can come together. I love how people believe in the chance of "what if" in movies. I don't see myself doing anything else for now as my life goal.
I'm no psychic to see if this is what I should do but I do know one thing: the feeling of nervousness and excitement that I got the first time I was going on stage to perform, made me happy. I 've never felt like that before, it was like I was shinning from inside out but nobody could see, I could only feel it. The nerves and fears didn't stop me from enjoying it.
So I believe that I belong because of what I felt .
2007-08-05 00:00:01 · answer #4 · answered by marian m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best advice I got from me dear ol' dad was: Choose something as your profession that you would do even if you didn't get paid.
And after years of fulfilling the second part of the statement, I now make my living at it. And yes, because it's fun. Why do something if you don't enjoy it?
I love getting inside a character. I love making people laugh or cry. I love that for a few hours, I'm taking an audience on a journey to a place they couldn't go on their own.
And basically, I love to play.
2007-08-03 16:42:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are right. If it weren't fun, we wouldn't do it. Applause is another reason for doing it just like the song says. I never wanted to work, so I became a teacher and an actor and in the labor sense, I rarely worked. I loved my professions of acting and teachng because they were easy! Now at 70, I am enjoying a long, comfortable retirement and have been for 15 years. What could have been a better life?
2007-08-03 11:36:49 · answer #6 · answered by Theatre Doc 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm sure your looking for answers from people 20-50 or something. But, I'm only 13 and I've been acting for 7 years.
I love acting mostly because of the reaction in the audience, I love entertaining people and being crazy, different characters.
So, yeah =]
2007-08-03 16:05:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For Acting, I would recommend
http://www.hollywoodnorth.com
2007-08-03 21:17:38 · answer #8 · answered by jjackston 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the money and fame
2007-08-03 13:22:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋