Do What You Love, and the Rest is History

Find out what you want to do, then "just do it."  Or start doing it.  But do more of it than anyone.   

If you love what you do, it is more likely you will spend the hours working at it to refine your craft.  

Many actors want to be a movie star.  So, the goal is pretty straightforward.  

But it's important for an actor to set some goals about what they really want to do - what type of movie star?  

Some actors just want to be that "working actor" who isn't famous, but works all the time.  Some actors grew up watching soap operas, and secretly want to be a soap star.  Some actors love doing Shakespeare in regional theater.

But the important thing is to do what you love.  Because that is the thing you will be willing to spend thousands of hours perfecting.

I've known many types of working actors in my years of coaching in Hollywood, like the ones listed above. And they all put thousands of hours into their acting.  They rehearse, audition, perform.   Rehearse, audition, perform.  

Because whatever opportunities you get presented in the form of auditions or even jobs, you want to be ready, and you want to be your best.  And you only get there through practice.  

There is a fascinating documentary called DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPpUKen7Cwg

They were kids who didn't have a lot of traditional goals, but spent HOURS and HOURS skateboarding. They did what they loved to do, and became the best skateboarders in the world.  They practically invented a sport, and what is now a multi-million dollar industry, and the X-Games. 

Two guys in that group, Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva, had some big goals. Peralta and Alva endorsed products and created their own companies.  They dominated the sport.  But first and foremost they were great skateboarders, because of hours and hours of running around with a skateboard and finding every empty pool they could skate in. 

Peralta produced the documentary about DOGTOWN, and also made another similar documentary about big wave surfing, RIDING GIANTS. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADy8f6t4Ri8&feature=related

In RIDING GIANTS, when the surfers were asked they surfed the biggest waves, their answers were "living life to the fullest," "going to ride big waves to find out who I am," and "it's that ultimate big wave that you remember for the rest of your life." 

Both are great documentaries.  Moral of the story: spend HOURS and HOURS doing what you love.  There was no promise of glory, no promise of a career.  In fact, no one really made any significant money in either sport, until these kids, who did what they loved, took it to another level!   Wouldn't it be a great life if you could spend hours and hours doing what you love?

If you love acting, like these guys loved surfing and skateboarding, and you put the hours in, it can be a great ride. 

Take some risks.   Call someone in the industry.  Ask for a referral.  Go ride that big wave! 

The actor's journey begins - Hollywood

Working in Hollywood as an actor and coaching actors is a fascinating journey.   I moved to LA in 1988 and started the journey of the actor - studying, doing plays, auditioning, getting agents, doing commercials, and doing TV & film.  I started coaching actors almost as soon as I started acting.   

Actors get picked on for "being flaky," or "irresponsible."   My experience and observations are that actors can be the most committed, focused, dedicated people you can find.  

It's an incredibly difficult journey to be an actor - because most of the time, actors are working two careers.  One that pays the bills right away, while they take all the actions necessary to get to the point where acting is paying the bills.    Many are waiters, graphic designers, managers, etc. during some part of the day or week.  The rest of the time, they are the sole proprietor of their business of being "the actor."  And for the most part, within that business, they have to do it all.  

Someone really has to want this acting career, if they are going to commit to this journey.   

I've seen actors, writers and directors blossom as people and as artists in this pursuit of their dream to "say something special" in Hollywood.    

There are actors who become dark and disillusioned with the business.   There can be lots of road blocks.  There are bad agents, bad relationships, bad directors, and of course... bad auditions.   

But for the actor starting out in Hollywood, or the veteran choosing to continue the journey after 10 or 20 years, the dream shines the light to the path.   If the actor is pursuing his life's passion, regardless of any hardships, it's a great ride -  because he is doing what he loves.