ACTING IS PRETENDING

Funny. I once heard a casting director say to his class that he wouldn’t even bring an actor in to read if he didn’t see on their resume that they graduated from Julliard, Yale Drama , NYU or any other top drama school.

Of course I heard a barage of murmurs from the class immediately following the rediculous statment. I could see everyone mentally filling out their grad school applications so they will climb further into debt, take themselves out of the business for three years in the hopes of possibly getting a better agent and getting called in to read for this one Casting Director. And really, God Bless all the actors who went to such top schools. That's terrific. And I applaud you! Sometimes I wish I had applied. Would I be much further along in my career had I gone. Who knows? And does it mean that you are guarenteed an Oscar or even a steady acting career when you graduate such a prestigious acting school? No. If you didn't go to one of the aforementioned top schools does it mean that you don't even stand a chance at a steady professional acting career? No. Are your chances a little better in snagging a top agent coming out of one of those schools? Absolutely. Especially if you look like a young Brad Pitt or Charlize Theron. I do know a terrific actor who graduated Yale Drama and somehow it hasn't yielded a terrific agent nor a steady career. Unfortunately, a steady acting career is really the one profession that isn't necessarily based on meritocracy. You can struggle for years and years and finally pop at the age of 40 if at all OR you can get discovered in an arcade and without a single class, star in your very first studio movie with a famous action hero (ie Edward Furlong in T2). Nearly 80% of Hollywood (by Hollywood, I mean the top earners - the A-List actors) had never attended a top acting school much less taken a real acting class.

There were a lot of talented people in this class, paying tons of money to learn something from this casting director. And of course to make another connection, hoping that they'll get noticed by this person which would then yield a major acting job. Then crushes everyone by saying - I repeat: "...I will not even bring an actor in to audition for me if they did not go to Julliard, Yale Drama , NYU or any other top drama school."

Are you kidding me? Now I could understand a top hospital or top law firm or NASA saying that about Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Cornell where people's very lives are at stake. But actors!? Let's get real. Yes there is a technique and a skill to learn when it comes to stage, and screen (especially when dealing with the classics such as Shakespear) but come on now, it’s not rocket science. We are not changing the world here. I mean, what is acting, really? I'll tell you. Acting is simply pretending. That’s all we actors do. We pretend to be someone else. A specific character in a specific circumstance that a writer has provided for us. That’s it. Children pretend all the time. Little boys pretend to be army soldiers in war or professional athletes making the game winning score in the last few seconds while little girls pretend to be princesses, nurses or mommies. Some people pretend better than others. As long as you don't become self-conscious when the lights go up, or the camera starts rolling and the director yells, "Action!" You'll be fine. Actually, you'll be better than fine. You'll actually be good. That's the whole trick to pretending. Just use your imagination the way a child would. Of course, as adults it's much harder to let go of our inhibitions and truly immerse ourselves in the imaginary character and situation or circumstance. So I personally do believe in preparation. That's really where the technique lies. In the preparation. But still, when we are actually performing or acting, all we are doing is just pretending.

So. Actors / Pretenders: Ignore the camera. Ignore the boom mic. Ignore the crew. Ignore the audience. Just play and play honestly. Just pretend. And who knows, if you pretend good enough, an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, SAG, or MTV Movie Award could very well be in your future.