The following Notes From the Field essay is written by actor Zane Holtz, who can currently be seen on Netflix’s “From Dusk Till Dawn” and in feature films “Hunter Killer” opposite Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, and Toby Stephens.
I have been tasked with writing a letter to my younger self on how to make a living as an actor. My immediate reaction is to advise against pursuing a career that has an extremely low percentage of success and a very high percentage of unemployment. That being said, actors and artists in general have to follow their passions, and if I were to deny my younger self that path, I would be suggesting so out of fear.
Forget fear.
I love to act, and I wouldn’t change my journey. When I first started the grind of being a working actor, I accepted some jobs out of financial necessity and not based on the quality of the work—that is OK! Often, we find ourselves judging material and judging ourselves for taking work—that is not OK. We work in an industry that is by its very nature subject to outside criticism and evaluation. The last thing that working actors need to do is jump on that bandwagon and judge themselves. Don’t be afraid to work, and
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