Simple Acting Skills that Can Change Your Life: Part 2

Actors have many skillsets that can be of use to the layperson. One of these is resilience, the ability to endure difficult times and to inculcate hardship into one's life journey. Unlike most professionals, the majority of career actors spend a lifetime seeking employment. Actors mostly work on a project-by-project basis, and—except in relatively few cases when actors have recurring roles on long-running television shows or on film sequels—the contracts are usually short-term. Consequently, the actor’s path toward occupational stability is often rife with uncertainty and rejection. In order for an actor to endure and succeed career-wise, he or she must have patience, grit, and hope—all qualities that are necessary for success in other vocations.

The journey toward accomplishment can be long and torturous for the majority of actors. In the United States, most aspiring actors seeking lucrative careers in film, television, and theatre often gravitate toward major cities—such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago—to find work. Some eschew profitable employment in other fields, preferring to work as restaurant servers, bartenders, security guards, valets, etc.—low-paying part-time jobs with flexible schedules that allow them to pursue the perpetuity of auditions that seldom lead anywhere. The actor must learn to “hang in there” despite all odds, always hoping that the perfect role and a big break are just around the corner. Patience, tenacity, and optimism are fundamental assets in the professional actor’s toolbox.

For many actors, success is not clearly defined. Even for well-known thespians, failure often lurks around the corner. An actor’s masterful work may be marred by other factors, such as the opening weekend box office receipts of a specific project. One example is the recently released biopic “Steve Jobs.” Despite Michael Fassbender’s critically acclaimed performance in the starring role, some critics have pointed to his inability to “carry” a movie, using the film's tepid box office performance as evidence. In an article on Hollywood news website Variety.com titled “‘Steve Jobs’ Bombs: What Went Wrong With the Apple Drama,” Brent Lang writes that Leornardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale skipped on the project before Fassbender signed on, adding, “Michael Fassbender, the electrifying Irish actor who replaced Bale as Jobs, lacks the drawing power to open the picture.” First, Lang commends Fassbender for being a talented actor. Then the writer backhands Fassbender for lacking star power. Lang’s observation may be true, strictly from a Hollywood perspective. However, should Fassbender be faulted for his critically acclaimed film’s commercial misfire after fulfilling his contract as an actor and being praised for his work? Fassbender’s predicament in this case is the quintessential plight of the actor.

Talent alone does not suffice for the actor. In her thesis titled “Acting Strengths: The Development of Resilience and Character Strengths in Actors,” psychologist Laura E. Taylor states, “Due to high levels of competition, even the mastery and successful presentation of objective skills such as the ability to dance, sing, or play a musical instrument is not enough to ensure work in the performing arts.” In other words, an actor’s talent does not guarantee career success. Taylor continues, “A variety of subjective factors may also be at play when an actor auditions for work. It is possible for actors’ physical condition (height, weight, hair color, etc.) to impact whether or not they are hired for a particular job.” Per Taylor, the success of an actor hinges not only on his or her ability but also on factors beyond the actor’s control. Actors get turned down for jobs for reasons that might lead to litigation in other occupations.

Considering the slim chances of long-term success for the actor, one wonders how some actors retain careers for so long. Veterans such as Robert de Niro, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, and Morgan Freeman, to name a few of the rare examples, have been making movies and have stayed in the spotlight for decades. De Niro, for instance, the acclaimed star of classics such as “Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” and “The Godfather Part II,” has in recent years appeared in comedies, dramas, and action thrillers. He has seemingly adapted to changing times and not been deterred by the inevitable occasional disappointment.

The intrinsic unpredictability of the actor's career mandates that thespians have thick skin, a quality that behooves those working in other careers as well. As former Navy SEAL and Rhodes Scholar Eric Greitens states in his book “Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life,” “Resilient people do not bounce back from hard experiences; they find healthy ways to integrate them into their lives.” Greitens highlights that one must learn to embrace hardship as an integral part of life. Just as actors remain resilient through difficulty, even incorporating their adversities and triumphs into their work, others can do the same and “keep on keeping on” despite all odds.

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“Some actors couldn’t figure out how to withstand the constant rejection. They couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.” — Harrison Ford

“I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.” — Sylvester Stallone

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