Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Lazy Actors Need Not Apply

I've had the opportunity to be a director this year on a few occasions and I'm noticing a common theme with actors: Laziness.  Maybe that's too harsh of a word, but actors are simply not putting in the work.  With being an actor myself, I'm trying to make sense of this.  I understand the hustle part of this business.  Especially in NY and if you don't have an agent. You're always running around looking for the next gig, months go by...no gig...submit like crazy...still no gigs.  Then all of a sudden you book multiple gigs and of course they all go up or shoot around the same time.  We wouldn't dare turn down any opportunity to work so we say yes to all the gigs that come our way, forgetting that each gig requires it's own 'time'.  You gotta prepare for these roles! Or at least you should.  As an actor I understand not wanting to turn down gigs, believing that I'll have the time to put in for each role, but as a director I could care less.  All I know is that you're showing up unprepared, constantly on your phone, not fully committed, haven't made not one solid choice for your character and/or you get a simple direction and you're completely thrown off.   I'm not thinking about all the other productions you have or how many "hats" you chose to wear.  All I know is that I most likely wouldn't have you on any production I'm a part of in which I have a say in who is cast. I now fully understand why directors work with the same people.  It's a trust factor.  I'm an actor first, so I know what it is to get a direction that may not resonate with me, but I respect the director and find a way to make it work.  Depending on the relationship I may respectfully explain where I was coming from in hopes of finding a common ground. If that's not an option, I suck it up and do everything I can to give the director what he/she wants.  Maybe I'm just making this a way bigger situation than what it really is.  Maybe the business has moved into fully accepting mediocrity (thank you reality tv).  Whatever the  case may be, I'm not going to accept that for my own work ethic. I will continue to treat every project like I'm getting paid the big bucks, so when I finally do get those dollars, I won't be thrown off by the work needed to be put in.  

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