Actors Must Be crazy

If you are wondering why I have not posted to this blog in two months (you were wondering, weren't you?), read on.

I know a very respected casting director who said, "I have no idea why anyone would want to be an actor." Some days I can find nothing in that statement with which to disagree. Don't get me wrong, as I love being an actor. Like most actors, it gives me something which I need, and can find no place else. Still, actors have to be a little bit crazy since acting is an occupation where even the very successful fail (auditions) more times than they succeed, you are always looking for that next job, you must continually study, even when you have no definite future project to study for, and when jobs (castings) do occur they fall in a very uneven pace. When I was living in LA, my best two jobs fell within four days of each other after several months of no work. Some days that casting director is right.

Since moving back to the Seattle area from LA, I find the Seattle film industry to be almost nonexistent. Before I went to LA, Seattle wasn't the liveliest film center around, but it was in far better shape than it is today. I believe one reason lies both to the north and south of Seattle in the form of Portland, OR and Vancouver BC, both of which (with government support) are actively courting film and TV productions. Seattle seemingly has no interest in doing what is necessary to attract major film and TV. Of course, Vancouver is way ahead of Portland, but Portland is working hard to become a film and TV center. Since my return from LA I have had exactly one job. It was a great role with a wonderful production company. It was also in Portland and not in Seattle.

So, my reason for not posting to this blog is quite simply, I have had no acting news to report.

As I said, an actor must continue to study under any and all circumstances, and that is what I am doing. With the dearth of work in Washington, I feel somewhat like a football player practicing for a game, which is yet to be scheduled, but study I must and study I will. Towards that end I am scheduling trips to LA in August and October for private lessons with my acting coach in Hollywood and for casting director workshops.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I have conducted two cold reading workshops since returning from LA, and I hope to do more. We'll see.

Finally, a swipe at something that has been on my mind for quite a while, that being reality shows. Even in LA, much less the rest of the country, reality shows cause less dramas and comedies to be filmed, with the result being less work for actors. On top of that, reality shows are incredibly boring. I really don't care what some bounty hunter or a pawn shop operator is up to, nor am I interested in a group on an island working to survive some contrived contest, while trying to make us believe they are alone, when they are surrounded by a large film crew and support staff. I am equally not interested in how fast people can race around the world or lose weight. Yes, losing weight is an admirable goal, but I don't need to see it. Because I am an actor, this opinion may seem very self serving, but I have a long standing rule of not watching reality shows because they are boring (to me) and deny actors the chance to work. Oh wow, I feel so much better for having said that.

Well folks, to use an old Texas phrase from my youth, "That's my story and I'm stickin' to it."

More later.....................