Confessions: All the World is a Stage

United States
June 3, 2018 7:11pm CST
My dream is to be an actor. I discovered my love of acting after moving to the small town of Newnan GA during my ninth grade year. Originally I was taking a public speaking course, but since my new high school didn't have that course they put me into the drama class. Fast forward a couple months later- I'm on the stage bowing to an audience of cheering elementary school students, with my fellow drama mates. I lift up my head and peer between the bright stage lights to see everyone looking so excited, and happy. I then smiled back, and thought "I love this stuff." I spent the rest of my school career preparing for the reality of a normal 9-5 job. While also secretly planning for a life in entertainment. I continued with drama class, and I also joined chorus. I begin practicing my acting in real life. I became a living character. Soon school was over and several years later I found myself in the real world at that 9-5 job. I remembered my dream, and was disappointed in myself that I had just went along with the rat race. So I convinced myself to go for it. I got some head shots made up, and found a talent agency to join. I even joined SAG (Screen Actors Guild), which is basically a union for the entertainment biz. To my shock I got a call about a week later. A woman named Liz, informed me that she would be my agent, and would text me offers that I should reply to ASAP. And she did. The offers came in for screenings all over the world. Unfortunately they were too far away. So as I waited for something local to come up I became active in online social sites for entertainers like Project Green Light. It's always good to have connections. I met mostly producers and writers, but there was also some actors like myself. The occasional big star would pop in to promote or look for talent, but mostly the crowd was small time players. As we talked I began learning about the side of entertaining that I never gave much thought to. The fame. The stories I heard made me worry. But I thought eh, that's just a few crazy people. Then there was news story after news story of celebrities being stalked and attacked by crazy fans. And not just crazy fans, but the celebrity news organization itself. And then one day after commenting a friend of mine who is a pretty popular tv/movie actress (not going to say the name), I began getting messages in my private email from people that freaked me out. I had gotten too close to the fame monster. So here I am today. I lost contact with my agent years ago. I lost my connections. I cut myself off from that world. I still have that dream. But my fear of fame will never let it happen. What's your fear? What's your dream?
11 people like this
11 responses
@Kandae11 (53770)
4 Jun 18
You should have followed your dream and not allow fear to overtake you. Just avoid wild parties and other likely pitfalls - many celebrities survive without too much fuss.
4 people like this
• United States
4 Jun 18
Yeah, that's true, but I do attract all kinds of people. Complete strangers tell me their life stories, their issues, and their dark secrets. It's too easy for people to bond with me. Fame would only take that to dangerous levels.
@popciclecold (35607)
• United States
4 Jun 18
Always remember one thing and think about this and that is REGRET. If this is something you wanted to do, and apparently it is, all that you have done preparing for it. You will always wonder. Don't be like millions of people, saying wish I could've should've would've.
3 people like this
• United States
4 Jun 18
I never think "I could have." I still think.. "Maybe one day." But if I did it would be local theatre or something small. Maybe I could wear a disguise, and have a stage name.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Jun 18
@redhotpogo IF you in GA, and know all these hook ups. Get them to hook you up with Tyler Perry. I bet you look good and play a part on one of his shows. Heck i ain't no actor but i sure wouldn't mind being an old lady who just be walking in the neigborhood. Lol
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Jun 18
@popciclecold I don't have any hook ups anymore. I would be starting fresh. And I've aged by about 15 years, so probably don't have the looks anymore either. lol But yeah, that would be cool to be part of that. His style is a lot like Eddie Murphy, which was one of my favorites as a kid.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Jun 18
mine was to be a great writer/novelist like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling but alas never had time and now don't ever feel like it. i read once that some people tend to put up road blocks to their own happiness subconsciously . so that is a possibility with both of us friend.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Jun 18
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jun 18
Yes, true. And sometimes people grow out of their dreams.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10744)
• Canada
4 Jun 18
Perhaps it is just a dream and not really something you really want. I think if it was you wouldn't let fear get in the way. I hope you find what your real passion is and I am sure you won't be afraid when you find it.
2 people like this
• United States
4 Jun 18
Oh no. I put my life above anything else. lol It is definitely what I want.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10744)
• Canada
5 Jun 18
@redhotpogo Good to know. I hope you can overcome your fears and make a go of it. All the best wishes to you.
1 person likes this
@just4him (308232)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
4 Jun 18
My dream is to be a best-selling author. I'm doing what I can to make that happen. I've been writing all my life, and I'm not going to stop now. My fear is that it won't happen and I'll always be poor and never make something of myself in this life.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Jun 18
I think a lot of people have that fear. It's the leading cause of depression. But you don't have to be a successful writer to have a meaningful life. You've already done that. Just ask anyone in your family what you mean to them. Take the pressure off of yourself and write for fun.
1 person likes this
@just4him (308232)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
5 Jun 18
@redhotpogo Now, that would be opening a can of worms I'm not ready to open. The only thing I want to do in life is write and be the best I can be for the Lord. If I were to please my family, I wouldn't be writing, and that's my passion.
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
4 Jun 18
That is inspiring to keep chasing our dreams but I think one way or another it makes us scared to actually pursue it again (if we were able to "nearly" achieve it). But for me, my fear is that people will be so judgemental and you have a lot of competitors that you cannot sell your products but hey, that is part of life. Either play or be killed. I am sure I do not want the second one.
2 people like this
• United States
4 Jun 18
My real job is competitive too. Good thing I don't have a fear of competition or I don't know what I would do.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Jun 18
@mlgen1037 Yes. If I get stressed over trying to outdo a competitor I just move on to the next competitor. Wasting my time trying to outdo someone I have to put that much thought into will only allow others to slip past me. And now I realize that statement I just made probably only makes sense to me. I'm not very good with "words." So just shake your head and pretend it does. Because I took a whole 10 seconds to type it out, and there's no going back now.
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
4 Jun 18
@redhotpogo Yes. Sometimes thinking of the competitors really get the best of you and will not make you any better.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (137237)
• Philippines
4 Jun 18
I hope you can still have the chance to follow your dream. I had my dream to have my major in college. Still, I have some personal dreams that need to accomplish.
• United States
9 Jun 18
Some way. Some day. I will figure it out. I hope you too will accomplish your dreams.
@Shavkat (137237)
• Philippines
13 Jun 18
@redhotpogo I am still catching my dreams. Hopefully, I would be able to reach them this year.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Jun 18
That's the price of Fame, you get to encounter crazy fans and paparazzi wouldn't stop taking pictures of you. You could try theater or some of those other movies that are not hollywood related.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Jun 18
Yes. I have considered theater. It is most likely what I will do. Then again with my luck I would be the only person in theater to attract some crazy stalkers. Except it wouldn't be your typical crazy. It would be an intellectual crazy. That's some silence of the lambs stuff right there.
@rakski (112925)
• Philippines
4 Jun 18
Comes withe fame are lots of fans and crazy stalker. I do not know how they cope up with it. Add more intrigues and gossips as well. How are you now? What path did you chose to have minus the acting career?
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Jun 18
I'm a graphic artist now. Not the same as being on a stage, but I do get to entertain in a way, and no one will ever know who I am.
@TheHorse (207394)
• Walnut Creek, California
4 Jun 18
Playing B+ level music puts me in touch with "frightened night people," to quote Chicago songwriter Ed Holstein, but nothing more than that. Teaching college puts me in touch with some weirdos.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Jun 18
So true. The kids these days are strange. And predictable in their unpredictability. But there's not a lot of students that become obsessed with them or paparazzi following their every move. "Mr. Tweed are you grading papers? Hey why did you give little Timmy an F? Does it have anything to do with the comment that Miss Cankles said about you in the teachers lounge? Hey, Mr. Tweed. Look this way. Just one pic." "ehhhh I've seen all your homework. I'm like your biggest fan. I can even make little smiley faces in red ink just like you. Only I don't use ink. I use my own blood. We have so much in common Mr. Tweed. yessss.... good Mr. Tweed. Goooood."
@Metsrock69 (3505)
• United States
8 Jun 18
I have the same fear about job interviews. I have been self employed so long that when I go to a job interview, I have a gap in employment. i have experience but They always look at that gap or it seems i am over qualified. I never heard about being over qualified.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Jun 18
lol I got that same response before. Someone actually told me that I was over qualified? I was like what? Shouldn't you be hiring the best? Job searching is quite an adventure. It was actually that statement that encouraged me to be self employed. Clearly we must be on a whole other level. They're like no. You can't be an employee. You're a boss.
1 person likes this