That's the Way It Is

“They may give you a praise when you seem to need it, but they will give you a job only when they need it...” (Cohen 10).

The above quote is stated in the very first chapter of Acting Professionally by Robert Cohen and it really got me thinking.

Sometimes, coming out of an audition or performance, people will say things like “That was fantastic!”, “Five stars!”, “Two thumbs up!” etc. Maybe they are sincere and maybe they are lying. However, if you are to measure yourself in this industry by praise, you are heading down a very naive road that may very well lead to failure.

People will say anything to make themselves look good. Saying “You were amazing!” is much better than saying “That was horrible,” on your part and theirs. They look like a nice, gentle person, rather than ruthless and cruel. You leave feeling happy and have nothing against them, even if you are not hired.

However, the fact of the matter is that you can only say you are worth five stars when you land that role. Unfortunately, roles are not handed out as easily and sparingly as praise. As a result, it is sad and heartbreaking to see aspiring actors fool themselves and grow a big ego when they are commended. If taken the wrong way, actors will refuse to take criticism to improve their performances because so and so said that they were already brilliant.

The way Cohen put the issue is so direct and straightforward that it makes this industry so daunting to even consider entering. This is where heart and passion comes in. If you are thinking of giving up after reading that line, then you are better off choosing a different career because it only gets worse. That's just the way it is. This industry can be ruthless and you may probably be lucky to receive praise at all, true or not. They may have a couple seconds to commend you, but they definitely do not have the money in their budget to give a pity role.

All in all, take this line as a reality check. Knowing all of this, are you ready and still willing to enter this industry in spite of its sometimes fabricated front?  Are you able to keep a levelled head, even with the 'praises'?  If so, be grateful and take the applauding comments with grace, but realize that you will always have room to grow and improve, especially if you got the praise, but not the role.