Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 4/25/2007

Question
First of all i just want to thank Taylor for the great advice. And all i want to ask now is that, when we become actresses, how do we avoid the whole, your sooooo fat, you don't deserve to be an actress. And trying to be proud of your weight, i admit that i am chubby. And I'm proud of who i am, I'm beautiful on the inside, as i am on the outside. I'm only 13, but i know that i could make it with the stars, I'm just not there yet. But i will be... soon enough.

Answer
Hi Mai,

So, you want a way to avoid the comments? Well, there isn't too many options on that unfortunately. In acting or life...whether you want them, or not, you get comments. The thing is, to decide if they are valid or just being mean. As a comedian said once: "They wonder if you know you are fat...like it didn't occur to you..." Sometimes it is well meaning people who lack tact and don't realize that things are different for them compared to you. When it's the entertainment industry, they kind of expect you to be able to withstand critique. After all, it's business and business is about facts and spreadsheets and sales figures...that's where they live. That's where their heads are at.
Interesting story: Margaret Cho, the Korean-American comedian/actress was given her own sitcom "American Girl" by a network. The show lasted approximately 15 minutes (Hollywood time) lol! The execs told Margaret that she should lose some weight to fit the character...a young, hip single girl. Margaret tried to crash diet and wound up damaging her kidneys permanently. She learned to accept herself afterward as is and is wary about dealing with network people who want to change her.
As I said in my other answer, while you have to come to terms with your "type' and what you will be...I don't think you should just resign yourself to being a certain way.
What I mean is, (my personal belief) if you ever stop thinking you can improve yourself (mind or body) you might as well give up. It's important to love yourself and accept yourself, but it is easy to lean on a crutch called "CAN'T". You need to look at your body as an instrument in acting. If the instrument needs new strings or is in disrepair, you will have a hard time playing a concert. In as much as you need your emotions free like keys on a piano, you need to be able to make your body move the way you want when you want. That doesn't mean you must be thin, just that you have good control which comes from stretching and an amount of exercise. BTW,I seriously recommend any actor that can afford it to spend some time with a therapist. It helps you understand yourself and your drives/needs/wants which helps you when you have to find your character's set of quirks by figuring out how you differ. -How you would react verses how your character would react to a situation.  Beyond that, most people are a little nuts and we actors are just a little bit more! lol!
Why else do we love something that is such a rollercoaster and kicks our butts at times? I'm kidding (a little).
I love your interest in acting, feel free to ask questions along the way!

Best, Taylor