WHY ARE YOU AN ACTOR?
I’ve come to realize that as a young actor I was wishing for a dream. I was naive in thinking that I was going to be a movie star, when I barely took the time each day to nourish that potential. I became so consumed with making it that I completely lost any concept of the reality of what my life will most likely end up like. With most career choices we do have a general idea of how our life will be. I once read an article on the most stressful jobs. Here’s the list in order: firefighter, enlisted military, military general, airline pilot, police officer, actor, broadcaster and so on. Young actors could never imagine that this great, exciting endeavor they’re embarking on, would actually turn out to be one of the most stressful careers out there. The reason being, most actors are more attached to the idea of a big career than with the development of their work. We need to really own the lesson of focusing on the approach not the results. Focused on our work, we need to replace habits and routines that keep us from being creative on a daily basis. The great Anthony Hopkins speaking to a room full of acting students said he memorizes at least one sonnet a week as a way to stay connected. Find your passion everyday and rekindle it again and again and again! I recently heard that Meryl Streep learned the guitar for an upcoming film. Many of us can strum a few songs and we know the time commitment it takes to be able to do so. At this stage of her career, what compels her to take on, of all the hundreds of scripts offered to her every year, a role that requires a guitar player? I’ll answer with my favorite Bob Dylan quote, “He who is not busy being born is busy dying”. Streep’s greatness lies in her curiosity to grow beyond what she already knows.
Steve Richard Harris – Selt Tape Service