The Actor's Success: Free Stuff

How to Stay Persistent

The Actor's Success
the online eZine for Actors
who want thriving careers
from Robin Jones

Volume II, issue 3
March 2005

"We can't float through life. We can't be incidental or
accidental. We must fix our gaze on a guiding star as soon
as one comes upon the horizon. And once we have attached
ourselves to that star, we must keep our eyes on it and our
hands on the plow. It is the consistency of the pursuit of
the highest possible vision that gives you the constancy,
that gives you the encouragement, that gives you the way to
understand where you are and why it's important for you to
do what you can do." --Ossie Davis

Mr. Davis died February 4 at the age of 87. Arthur Miller
died a week later at 89. I was a little surprised at how
much both their deaths affected me. And then it occurred to
me that it was their lives, brought into my focus because of
their deaths that moved me so much. Whatever you think
about them as artists, the undeniable fact is that they had
a huge impact, through their respective crafts of acting and
playwriting, on the culture at large.

As you may know, Davis was tremendously instrumental in the
civil rights movement in the 60's, and was honored to speak
at the funerals of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Roy Scheider said that he and wife Ruby Dee were "the first
political couple of America. Ossie seemed to always show up
at the right time, on the right side, which was always the
human side. He had a very heartfelt sympathy for people
everywhere."

Miller will be remembered as much for his protests of
McCarthyism in the form of The Crucible and his refusal to
"name the names of Communist sympathizers," as he will for
his plays. That act in itself surely helped give permission
and courage to those with their "eyes on the star and hands
on the plow" of the civil rights movement.

Both were men who not only held fast to their principles in
the face of persecution and oppression, they fought hard for
those principles through their art. They literally changed
the world, simply by being who they were meant to be.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not nominating either Davis or
Miller for sainthood; they had their faults and weaknesses,
just like everyone else.

That's perhaps the most important point here: they were
human. Worthy of admiration and respect, yes, but human.

Your media, that is, film, TV, and theatre have the power to
help us understand our culture, in fact shape our culture,
and change people’s lives. You, the actor have been
entrusted with that power.

Every time you step on the stage or your film is screened:
tens, hundreds, thousands, perhaps millions of people are
going to lose themselves for a moment in what you're doing
and who you're being. It doesn't matter if you're the lead,
or an extra in the background - you are there for a reason,
and you have the opportunity to change your audience in a
powerful way.

So what's the "highest possible vision" you hold for the
world? What change would you like to see out there? And what
will you do with your power?

In case you feel this is getting a little heavy and serious,
I'm not suggesting you become a martyr. I doubt Rodney
Dangerfield saw his life's purpose as furthering equality
and social justice, but he sure made me laugh. Perhaps your
vision is simply about seeing people laugh more. Then craft
yourself as a comedian and make it happen. There's as much
greatness in humor as there is in social justice.

And I'm not asking you to be noble just for the sake of
nobility. Having purpose, as Davis says, gives you
constancy, encouragement, and "gives you the way to
understand where you are and why it's important for you to
do what you can do." In other words, it's a route to
success, however you define it.

Although it's impossible to prove, I'd be willing to bet
every dime I have that the success Davis and Miller saw was
a direct result of "the consistency of the pursuit of the
highest possible vision," of committing themselves to
something larger than themselves.

Think of it in basic acting terms: "what does my character
want, particularly from that character over there?" Playing
the intention takes your focus off you, puts you "out
there," and gives you something real and exciting to play.
It gives you that star to fix your gaze on and a plow to
guide.

The same is true in life.

Knowing the change you want to see in the world gives you
confidence, determination, persistence. Over time, you begin
to find your choices move from being "incidental or
accidental," directed, focused, and insistent.

Since the only thing you really have control over is what
you do, focus yourself on your vision, and success is
imminent.

Until next month, my friends, I wish you much love and
success.

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