Us "Actors"
I’m writing on my new blog every day for thirty days straight. This is the sixteenth one.It’s always interesting meeting other “actors” in Los Angeles. You never know what kind of “actor” you’re going to get. People who haven’t acted a day in their life. People who want to be “discovered.” People who talk to you about their recent failed auditions. People who ask what your sign is, and then explain why it totally makes sense that they’re a Pisces and their boyfriend is an Ares. People who suggest you read The Alchemist or the Tao Te Ching.It doesn’t take much to call yourself something. Calling yourself an actor is a pretty empty act. You have to make it mean something.
So today I shot the social media campaign that I booked last week. The campaign’s for a company that makes moonshine. We shot a lot of pictures and short videos that the company can post to Facebook and Instagram. It was basic stuff. Young adults in their mid-twenties toying around and enjoying life while drinking bottles of moonshine.We shot at a house in the Hollywood Hills. The front porch of the house directly faced the Hollywood sign. It was the closest I’ve ever seen the Hollywood sign from the front. After several years of living here, I think it’s funny that such an iconic sign is rendered normal from a distance. But today, when I faced it so much closer than usual, I was reminded of its novelty. I live in Los Angeles - one of the most influential cities of our generation.Anyways. We began at 8am and were wrapped by about 8pm. It was a long twelve hour day, but to me, it didn’t feel that long because I met a dozen “actors” I’ve never met before. Most of our “work” involved just hanging out and talking to each other while holding different bottles of moonshine, and so we had a lot of time to do what “actors” love to do when they meet new “actors” - talk about our careers.These conversations are always fascinating. We talk about what goals we have, how we stay positive in the face of rejection, how we really want an agent that will fight for us, and how we think that if our boyfriend was a Taurus we would probably fit better but seriously since his aura is blue then it’s probably better that he’s an Ares because if he wasn’t - he’d be out of alignment with the third moon of Saturn.…I think beyond anything, “actors” want to show other people that they’re not an “actor.” They aren’t one of the ones that isn’t taking their career seriously. Whether they try to convince you by talking about their auditions, agents, or their boyfriend’s astrological sign, I think it’s all the same.
I think it’s funny how people say that actors today are regarded so much higher than in the past. “In centuries past, acting was always considered a very low status career to pursue, but now, actors are paid multiple millions of dollars for as short as a week’s work on a film. Acting is so glamorous now.”…this idea is ridiculous to me. Multiple millions of dollars? Who’s making millions of dollars? I don’t personally know one actor who makes close to a million dollars. I know about a hundred that don’t make a living off of it. I’ve met close to a thousand that don’t make a living off of it. I’ve gone to multiple interviews where I’ve had to feel reluctant to tell anyone that I’m an actor because they’ll think I’m less reliable. I’ve met new people that have literally walked away from me after I told them I’m an actor. I have close personal friends that don’t see the work I put in who don’t respect my work ethic. I don’t feel like acting is a glamorous job. Maybe for the top 1%. But for most of us “actors”? It’s a constant. uphill. battle.Let me talk more about us “actors.” I think it’s inspiring to meet new actors. Each person is a soul that was inspired at some point to live in Los Angeles and pursue a dream. Some dreams are well-founded and others aren’t, but who’s to judge? We are all attempting something where the odds are never in our favor. Each person had one day where they said to themselves, “I don’t care if I’m being naïve, I don’t care if the odds are stacked against me - I’m going to try this.” And I think that’s inspiring and amazing.So yeah. You meet actors who haven’t acted a day in their life – they have to start somewhere. You meet actors who want to be “discovered” – because after ten years of auditioning, they’re tired. You meet actors who want to talk about their recent failed auditions – because they’re excited they got close to success and if they tell you, maybe it’ll seem closer for both of you! You meet actors who want to know your sign – because when you face so much rejection, it’s good to remind yourself who you are. And you meet actors like me who’ll suggest The Alchemist and the Tao Te Ching, because I’m a sellout who reads good books that other people recommend.
Today was a really fun day. I met actors who inspired me, made me laugh, and made me think. Yeah. It doesn’t take much to call yourself an actor. Calling yourself an actor is a pretty empty act. But we all took a leap of faith off a very high cliff. And I respect every one of us for attempting something so difficult. Maybe that’s all it takes for calling yourself an “actor” to mean something.