Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Acting, Actors, Assholes, Jonas Brothers
There are so(oooooooooooooooooooo) many people in New York and chances are most of the people you come across are actors. Whether they wait your tables, pour your draft, or walk your dog, they do it because it’s their $money$ job. I know I don’t want to be waiting fucking tables until I’m so old I collapse under a tray of grilled cheese sandwiches–I do it because I have to. 
Currently I’m working two jobs (sonofabitch) and auditioning in the early morning. Not a good combition. Like any New Yorker (or long-time transplant) I don’t sleep, I drink coffee like it’s mother’s milk, and my feet are calloused from walking everywhere. The only habit I’ve seemed to blatantly disregard is smoking, although in this city I take in so much second-hand, my chances of not getting lung cancer are slimmer then if I’d been a chainsmoker at the age of ten. Yipee, ain’t life grand. I digress, because of getting up at 5am for auditions (I’m non-union, so I’m in the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bottom of the barrel as far as getting seen at all) coupled with working two jobs, and trying to pay rent, there is one conversation I am sick of having–it goes like so:
Stupid: “So why did you come to New York?”
Me: “I went to Circle in the Square Theatre School.”
S: “Huh (smirks and guffaws). So you’re an actor then?”
M: “Yes I am.” (subtext: you are a fucking asshole)
S: “Isn’t that tough here?”
M: “Yes, but it’s worth it to be doing what I love.” (subtext: you are a dumb fucking asshole)
–coming up is the #1 offensive question to any actor, especially me–
S: “So what’s your back-up plan then? You know, when this doesn’t work out?”
M: (My restraint snaps and I proceed to choke the stupid fucking asshole, they die, i stand over them calmly) “There is no back-up plan asshole. I don’t plan on failing.”
–THE END–
That’s usually what’s going on inwardly when someone is stupid enough to ask about a “back-up” plan. I’m not an actor because I’m planning on failure or boatloads of money. I’m an actor because I have a passion for my art and a need to see my passion expressed. That’s it. There’s no “back-up” for passion, it just is. It is people who are afraid of failure, and bitter towards those they see following their passion, that need a “back-up” in order to justify their life. Then again, this is coming from a girl living one day at a time, sleeping five hours a night, and working two jobs in order to follow her passion. It’s worth it to me, is it worth it to you?
