Last week I attended my first workshop for the new year and it was an extremely positive experience. The actors were all fired up after the holiday break and it showed both in their work and the questions they asked.
During the back and forth, we ended up discussing their goals. One actor was determined to find representation. Another had his sights set on a union card. And a third wanted to win an Oscar.
A few of the others chuckled when he said that. I was impressed.
The first two actors were being smart. They were chasing short-term goals that build to a long-term goal. And to me, the perfect long-term goal is becoming a working actor, not winning an Oscar. But the third kid was bold. He wanted all the marbles and he wanted them covered in gold.
If you were to go back in time and speak to this year’s nominees when they were just starting out, I doubt any of them ever dreamed about winning an Academy Award. But here they are—one envelope away from doing just that.
So let’s take a closer look at some of these people and see if there’s a common ingredient that helped launch their careers.
One of my favorite actors, J.K. Simmons, is nominated for his brilliant performance in “Whiplash.”
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