Is it right to love?

Almost all of the articles I've written about the acting industry have been solely based on tips I have acquired from personal experience. While most of these articles stress the importance of certain tasks and the mechanics of being a successful artist, it is hard to articulate just how rigorous all of those tasks really are until you have actually put your feet in the water. If you have a desire to be an actor but aren't sure if this is the lifestyle for you, there are a few major realities that should be considered.

Fame: The common myth about acting is that an actor must be famous in order to be dubbed "successful". This could not be further from the truth. I have worked with many actors who make income from guest star roles, national commercials and residuals from previous bookings, all of whom live very financially comfortably. That being said, you must not get involved in this industry under the false notion that you are guaranteed stardom. This must be done for the love of the art, not the fortune and fame.

Rejection: Do you have thick skin? Before branching out into this industry, I was already tough as nails and I thought I had a pretty good grasp of how to deal with rejection. After the 10th and 20th and 30th time of being rejected, reality starts to settle in and you must cope with the fact that not every audition is going to be a winner. Acting is all about the hit-or-miss ratio and you must be prepared to have having rejection be a part of your every day life.

Jobs: Can you handle working one or more odd jobs to pay for your necessities? An actor does not book one job per every two auditions -- that is unrealistic. It can take 20 or 30 attempts before booking a job, and even that is significantly difficult to accomplish for some actors. By taking on this career, you will either need to work a very flexible day job that can easily have shifts covered or find a night job. Availability is the key to business, so your flexibility needs to be a priority.

Relocating: Many actors who read this do not live in Los Angeles where the heart of the film industry beats. Fortunately, I was born and raised in Los Angeles so not much was required of me when it came to uprooting my life. But for the rest of the aspiring actors who live out of state, you must highly consider where you plan to move, how much money you want to set aside, what kind of job you will have out here, and how you will adjust to California's economy. Carefully consider all of these questions before making your move.

Family Support: From personal experience, I cannot stress the importance of family support enough. A word of advice is to have a logical plan set out before you present the idea to your family. If you are a teenager or a young adult looking to be an actor, do all of your research and take each of your decisions very seriously. Your family will more than likely not take your choice seriously if you don't do the same. Explain why this decision is important to you, show them your wealth of knowledge, and do everything you can to sell your point. This is the beginning stages of being a good actor -- so sell it! Once you have their support, the road to success will be that much easier.

These are not the only obstacles you will face out there, but these are some of the more important ones. It is a dog-eat-dog world in the industry, so be prepared to face the harsh realities before jumping into the pool. If you cannot possibly imagine pursuing a career other than acting, make this your dream and follow it.