A career like no other

God, am I tired of seeing teens write on Yahoo Answers about their "acting careers." Of course they do not have a career as an actor, they just think it would be nice to have one. There are quite a few adults who feel the same way. None of these people have any idea what having an acting career is all about. I recommend that all of them see the Anthony Franciosa movie of Career, a play by Lawerence and Lee. Then they all need to read all the posts on this blog and finally read Acting Professionally by Robert Cohen. Bur , ya know what? Most of them will not be interested enough in what it is like to be an actor to do any of that reading. Most of them are just fantasizing. Well, as I have said, they have been seduced by the images on their TV and movie screens and think that acting is want they see there. And they are so wrong!

Acting is a career like no other. Of all the people who are professional actors (those are the members of Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association and some are members of AFTRA), of all those people only a handful actually earn a living at acting. Fewer yer are those that are stars, who have earned enough money to live lasvish lifestyles for ever. Does this mean it is not a good idea to try to become an actor?

Yes and no. Yes it is a bad idea if you think you are going to be a star and/or earn a living at it.

No it is not a bad idea if you love acting and are willing to devote your life to it and do it on the side as you earn a liviing doing something else. Acting as a career, you see, will not fill your pocketbook, but will fill your soul. If it is something you have to do, then by all means do it, but don't expect too much of it. Become the best actor you can, arrange your life so you can take advantage of auditions and occassional work. Make your career in acting an avocation. Work you do on the side of what work feeds and houses you. Be very good at this.

There is always the possibility that luck will find you and you will join the few who are made rich and fanous Just don't count on it. It is such a longshot and it takes so much luck for that to happen.