Actress Post #5

What's the point of Acting? - Part 1

I've struggled with this question over the years. Is acting, as a job, a worthwhile endeavor? I'm not talking about whether it's "smart", or is it going to make me money, or am I ever going to be recognized. I'm just talking about whether or not it's an honorable life pursuit, or just frivolity. I would look at other professionals like nurses, priests, social workers and think - "How can acting be just as valuable as what those people are doing?" Believe it or not, the answer finally came to me about 4 months ago. It wasn't so much a yes or no answer as it was an - Absolutely!! and here's why - kind of revelation.

This year I had a chance to attend Comicon, and the best part of the whole experience was when I met James Marsters. James is best known for his portrayal of Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as his work on Caprica, Smallville and the pilot for the new Hawaii Five O.  

With as much courage as I could muster, I stood in line to talk with him. I had no idea what I was going to say, I just really wanted to make a connection. All I knew was that I had to play it cool. It was really important that I came off as a peer rather than a nervous fan. (Talk about an acting challenge.) As I waited, I realized that everyone there wanted something from him, including myself. It suddenly dawned on me that I needed to come from a place of generosity, and keep the focus on him instead of me. If I shared with him how much I appreciated his work as an actor, his choices, his sense of humor that this would be coming from the heart and not the ego, and then I would know what to say. It worked, and we ended up having a great 2 minute conversation about his acting, as well as my personal situation, and my desire to work or at least continue trying. He told me that it was important to never give up, that I had to keep pursuing it. I really appreciated his time and encouragement.

During the rest of the convention, it hit me how much joy everyone was experiencing. Some of our favorite Science Fiction television actors had come to Comicon - actors whose work had touched us in some way and we were ecstatic. Then I got it. This was the point. This IS the point of acting - JOY. When I'm fully in the moment, I'm feeling Joy. When the audience is watching, engaged, they are experiencing Joy. When I give of myself, when I create, the positive Oh-So-Good feelings that I feel and spread around, that's the point of all the effort and all the work. And I don't know about you, but I'll take as much of the good stuff as I can get. I don't know if I can articulate it any better than that, and maybe it sounds a bit corny but so be it. Sometimes the most basic revelations can be that simple.

And now...I no longer need to ask the question.