Expert: J. Spyder Isaacson - 1/17/2009

Question
Hello J. Spyder,

My name is Michael and I've always had an interest in pursuing an acting
career. I got the acting bug at age 7 after watching films and Broadway shows
with the hope of becoming a star. However, my dad didn't think I had what it
took to be an actor because he found me to be shy. As I understand it, a lot
of actors are shy, but that was not the case for me. The truth is, it's taken me
years to finally realize that it was my dad who was shy and he was convinced
that I was just like him, but I was the complete opposite. On the other hand,
my mom was more supportive of me because she is an artist herself.
Nonetheless, I went to college and majored in something else that was
completely unrelated, but in the meantime, I attended a youth center where I
took acting lessons for two semesters and fell in love with it. Then, I pursued
a career working as a temp because I was trying to make a difference in the
world, forcing me to stop taking acting lessons, my plate was too full.

Now, at age 36 I still have the desire to pursue an acting career. But my 7
year old dream of becoming a star has now changed to wanting to become a
serious and good character actor. I would imagine that when someone is 7
years old, it's quite common (and normal) for any child wishing to be a star
because they are at that age where they want all the attention to focus on
them, but since that time, I've matured, I have found myself, my place, I know
who I am and what I want to do. And that is to learn the true art of acting. My
family and friends have told me to go for it but that I should pursue
becoming a star because they said I was very handsome, but I never saw
myself that way, I just consider myself to be average looking. Besides, I think
my chances of becoming a professional actor will be significantly increased if
I become a character actor because I will have more options to play a diverse
set of intriguing and fascinating characters as opposed to a star. You're
probably wondering why I want to become an actor? Well, that's a good
question! One that deserves a good answer.

My reason for becoming an actor is because acting is my life. I enjoy being
with people, I'm fascinated by how they think, tick and behave. I don't see
actors as "stars" or people who flew from the sky or people who pass from a
membrane into another reality, they are people just like us with flaws, warts
and all. They are more like amateur psychologists who study people and the
human condition. It's about playing characters, especially villains to see how
and why they do the things that you and I would never do in real life, ever. It's
eventually deciding what kind of person you want to be and what kind of
person you don't want to be. My goal is to become a professional character
actor, to understand people and in the long run, to better understand myself
as well in the process, thus, evolving into a better human being. Also, I
understand that the acting profession is a very difficult industry to break into
but I have my own successful internet business so I won't have to worry about
going hungry when there is no work.

Anyway, my question is, am I too old to start? I understand that actor Danny
Aiello started at age 43 and Morgan Freeman didn't get his big break until
age 52. Is this true that you can start at any age?


Best regards,

Michael  

Answer
Thanks for such a thorough question! It always helps to have as much information as possible.

It's kind of ironic that you would ask me this particular question. To give you an idea of how ironic, I worked in community theatre for decades while I pursued a career in Information Technology. Then I started getting offers for professional work.

Meanwhile, my IT career began to stagnate and I began to get badly burned out. Add to that the fact that I was working for a company I had learned to HATE. So, with some good advice from a trusted source, I quit my job and went back to college, and eventually finished my Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts.

I was 43 at the time I graduated.

The answer to your question is simple: no, it's never too late. Also, you gave the only perfect answer to why be an actor. I like to paraphrase a statement made by Kurt Vonnegut: "you know you are an actor if to not act is to die." (He was actually referring to being a writer, but it applies to all of the fine and performing arts.)

I would strongly encourage you, especially if you want to do work for professional companies, to find a really good training program. Consider pursuing another bachelor's degree, for instance, at a college with a good theatre program. If that's not feasible, there are plenty of good actors workshops out there that can help you develop and hone your skills.

Lastly, don't lock yourself into ONLY being a character actor. It's how I started, but I have since done some REALLY good work doing mainstream roles, including original shows, and most recently the role of Doctor Seward in a production of "Dracula".

Above all else, don't give up. It can take some time to build a reputation and start getting REALLY good paying gigs, and there may be times where things are tight. Just hang in there - it'll happen eventually.

Break a leg, and let me know how you do!

-- Spyder