In our minds we’re like on-call doctors, noble instruments of truth ready to drop everything for the sake of duty. The reality? We bail on weddings, trips, and helping friends in order to audition for mostly bad roles in terrible projects. What we’ve dropped are people, and they have feelings. In a blend of traditional AA’s steps eight and nine is our own step nine. It’s time to write a list of all the persons we have harmed and make direct amends to such people wherever possible.
It’s not a fair assumption that everyone should be on board with your path as an actor. It’s hard for people to root for your success when they’re trampled in the process. Even doctors (who are actually saving lives) have trouble getting others to understand the demands of their work. We’ve given a business with zero regard for our schedules complete control over them, using the “my hands are tied” excuse when, in truth, we’ve offered up the rope. Since very few of us were forced into the family business of acting, we are solely responsible for how it affects our relationships.
First of all, not all projects are created equal, so the job shouldn’t always trump everything else. We
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