"The label you give yourself cannot impact external forces that are not motivated by your own psychology or influenced by a third party's pre-existing consciousness of you. We are all presented with reasons to struggle which come from completely external forces; to pretend that one is not struggling is either arrogance or an admission of defeat. To admit that one is struggling is a sign and a source of strength." - Evan A. Baker

Friday, April 15, 2011

To My Fellow Actors in College

Do you get all the lead roles easily? Does your school choose the plays for next semester based on your talents? Los Angeles might be hard for you.

From BackStage:
Manager Brad Lemack, founder of Southern California's Lemack & Co. and author of "The New Business of Acting: How to Build a Career in a Changing Landscape," thinks acting schools don't teach actors how to be employable after graduation. "Where there is a significant difference between talent and skill," he says, "there is also a huge difference between being able to act and being able to get hired—as in paid—to do it."

Lemack worries that actors who graduate at the top of their class and who always landed the best roles in school will think it's going to be just as easy in the professional world. But any professional knows that starring roles in school productions do not open doors to roles in professional productions. "Students who do not embrace this reality and who demonstrate an entitlement about what they have done versus what they think they deserve can create an energy, an attitude, and a behavior that can prevent opportunity finding them," he says. "It will kill any 'it' factor that might exist."
 And I've seen it happen. Be careful. 

4 comments:

  1. In my entire time at university, I was only cast in two plays, one of which required two voice-overs only... LA's definitely treating me better than my school. :)

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  2. I have worked professionally more than the other girls in my class who were cast all the time in school.

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  3. Having worked with Lira, I would like to add that Lira herself is not only a gifted actor but a consummate professional. I'm sure she could have fallen prey to some sense of entitlement (due to her above mentioned talent), but on the contrary, Lira is an absolute joy to work with. :)

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  4. Aw, Kevin! You can't tell, but I'm blushing. :)

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Play nice.