Bold Choices Aren't Just Reserved For The
Stage
The Actor's Success
the online eZine for Actors
who want thriving careers
from Robin Jones
Volume I, issue 3
October 2004
People love to watch great acting for the same reason they
love to watch a tightrope walker: there's a thrill in the
chance he'll fall off. Reflect on your own roles. Don't you
do your best work when you're putting yourself out there,
taking giant risks, feeling that you're walking that
tighrope?
I saw Ian McKellan in London playing Richard III several
years ago. In the soliloquy that ends "March on, join
bravely, let us to't pell-mell/If not to heaven, then hand
in hand to hell," his voice was so guttural that he worked
up a good amount of saliva which he swooshed around in his
mouth and spat on the ground in front of him. It made his
character terrifying and disgusting. And brilliant.
Any acting teacher worth her salt encourages Bold Choices,
Vulnerability, Taking Risks. They're essential for good
acting because they propel the actor beyond the "how-are-
you?-fine-how-are-you?" of everyday life and expose the
beauty and yuckiness of humanity. Good scripts demand Bold
Choices, and we do our audiences a disservice if we back off
and play it safe.
Theatre, television, and movies are about ordinary people
with extraordinary desire. Ordinary logical predictable
choices betray scripts and keep the lives of your characters
flat and uninteresting. And stuck.
Ever wonder why you might feel stuck or bored with your
acting career (or life in general)? You got it. You probably
make safe choices rooted in fear and confusion, rather than
courage and wisdom.
You're not alone; we all do it. "I don't know what to do."
"The risk is too great." "I don't have what it takes."
These
are exact phrases I often hear from my clients. And they
simply boil down to "I don't trust myself."
It's as though you're standing on the cliff on a hot day,
longing to jump into the crystal clear cool water below you,
but you're afraid you'll hit the rocks.
I'm not talking about taking stupid risks, jumping off where
the rocks are unavoidable. I'm talking about using your
wisdom to guide you between the rocks, and bolstering your
courage when the rocks still pose a threat.
I recently took a bit of a risk and made a bold choice
myself by thinking out loud to my wife, "people are as rich
or as poor as they choose to be." She nearly fell out of her
chair. Being a lifelong lover of social justice, she
couldn't believe I said it.
I'm not even sure I fully believe it, but here's what I
mean: you make choices all day long, even when you're not
aware you're making them. You choose to get out of bed
rather than hitting snooze. You choose what, if anything, to
eat for breakfast. You choose to go to work, and so on.
"Wait a second," you say. "I have to go to work."
Actually,
you don't. It's just that the consequences of skipping out
may not be desirable.
This recently hit home to me. My magnificent two-year-old
daughter's favorite phrase is, "pick me up!" One time
she
said it while I was cooking dinner, and I said, "I can't
right now, Honey." It suddenly struck me that I could, but
the potatoes would burn if I did. Now I consciously take
responsibility for my actions and say, "I'm not going to
pick you up right now."
Here's the point: you always have a choice. What breeds fear
and confusion is the belief that you don't.
So do you want more excitement out of your acting career? Do
you want more success?
Then be aware of the choices you're making and the results
those choices bring. Choose from courage and wisdom, and you
can do anything you want, including becoming rich. Or having
all the acting work you can handle. Or, eventually, both.
Want some things you can do to get yourself into a mindset
of taking bold actions?
1. Eliminate "I can't" from your vocabulary. Replace
it with
whatever the truth is ("I could, and the consequences will
be _______ "). Over time you'll be amazed at the
possibilities that will open up that you never saw before.
2. Chew on this question: What would be available to me if I
made more choices based on Courage and Wisdom rather than
Fear and Confusion?
3. Complete my quick worksheet for taking bold actions. It's
free when you sign up for my monthly eZine. Visit my
website now at http://www.ActorsSuccess.com to subscribe.
So my friends, make bold choices on and off the stage, and
not only will you see more success, your life and career
will be thrilling and brilliant. The choice is yours to
make.
(c) 2004 The Actor's Success & Robin Jones
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