WAREAGLE on 23/4/2009 at 16:29

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So... Ive been doing my actor thing lately in Hollywood...I got exceptionally wired last night and wrote this whole letter out. It is going to absolutely no one, at least for now, and out of all things I wrote it on my facebook wall. I didn't mean for it to get so large, I just kept having more to say. These arent things that have been major revelations to me, I just needed to get them out. This is purely my opinion of course, so feel free to disagree. This all kicked off after some pretty interesting things happened last night and I just couldnt make my brain shut up. Its now 9:21 am and ive been going since around this time yesterday, funny thing is this morning just flew by... i feel like im on meth or something. anyway here ya go.


I feel that my fellow actors in Hollywood have disgraced my profession by only participating for fame and fortune, not truly understanding the aspects of our craft, not realizing that it is in fact an art, an art of entertainment. An actor creates a reality in itself, and a good actor will bring the audience into this reality, to share the created moment. This is an art.

Yet the actors I have encountered have no interest or knowledge of what I speak and when I try to hold conversation, fail. They only think that to be an actor is as simple as being, presenting an image. They have done so in mass for so long that it appears to be the accepted normal. Audiences have become accustomed to this and no longer desire what really could be.

The theatre remains somewhat of a sanctuary from this mentality of film actors. Theatre is a place where actors still share a created reality and desire to be in the moment, desire to bring their audience into their world. While some false actors have corrupted the stage, it has not been in mass, such as it has in the film industry. Maybe theatre actors realize this and stay away, maybe I am just slow on the uptake.

Yet it doesn't change the fact that it has happened and we, as actors, have accepted it. America as a whole has accepted it too, but this is not their profession, their career, their passion, their art... it is ours. We are simply entertainment to them. We must change ourselves, be the ones to show America what it is missing. No one is going to take up the cause to combat the devastation of one more art in this world, especially when the artists themselves have accepted it. There are some who agree with me, I am sure. It is up to us to change our reputation, change the way we are perceived and accepted.


No one is going to do this for us. This will never be easy, but nothing easy is ever worth achieving.

Everyone knows what attracts the false-actor. I have already stated that I feel my profession has been disgraced by those only seeking fame and fortune. I must stress that this is only sickly when it is the only thing you desire from the craft of acting. You are no longer an actor or an artist, you are a prostitute. Things these false-actors create will never be real, they will never be a form that one can mold or manipulate, they will never be anything special. Some may enjoy them which is fine, but they will be only shells of what could be.


These false-actors are not hard to identify. The famous ones even more so. Any talented actor/artist (that's right /artist) that has spent time on the stage will learn a few things about the audience, some do's and don'ts if you will. As an actor/artist, our job is to create and provide a reality, as I have stated. We strive to make this reality acceptable and believable, so that the audience may cease to see us as actors and see us as the characters we have developed. If we can make them share feelings with our character, from remorse, sorrow, sadness, elation, etc etc, share our fears, our thoughts, if we can simply have them see our characters as real, we have succeeded in a masterpiece. Now the one thing an actor will never desire to do is cause the audience to distance themselves from the character. Once distance is created the illusion will collapse, and the audience will instead see an actor, not a character, not a life in motion. Its done.


Something a wise actor will never do is purposely create a distance between a character and his audience, yet even the "best" do. Voice one controversial opinion, voice one real feeling to the world, and you run the risk of alienating your audience. If they disagree with you, they could potentialy begin to resent you, making it harder for them to accept your characters. Many actors fail to understand this, or simply become so egotistical they fail to recognize it as a problem.


These actors have now become what I feel is destroying our profession. Whether they know it or not, they no longer wish to create to please the audience, no longer do they wish to create new realities, new art, new characters. Any actor voluntarily positioning himself in a weakened state is doing a disservice to all of his peers. He has become the anti-actor. Whats the point in acting if you cant make someone believe you're someone else?

This applies to those who have already had some success. Once our fellow actors, they are now blind to the realities of the craft.

Ones that I think create even more of a problem, create even more damage, are the ones without talent, skill or training. The ones who believe their image alone will rise them to fame. Unfortunately this actually works. I feel it damages us even more than anything on the list because it has the potential to lower the bar. Its not just the problem of false-actors becoming successful, its that one bad apple can serve as the inspiration for the rest.



Once the bar is lowered, we could potentially see even once good and talented actors slip. Some may not try as hard since the competition has weakened. This is unlikely, because I feel good actors are passionate about the art, and tend to constantly try to redevelop themselves into something more, but the threat still exists.

We are part of a profession that was once noble, and in some circles remains so. Theatre has been around for centuries and fortunately resonates with all the beauty and luster that only a long period of well crafted art can. Film, unfortunately, is not so. In its relatively short life span, it has gone from something great, to consisting only of things guaranteed to provide immediate gratification. I fully place the blame of the weakened artistic integrity of the film industry on the actors head, even though I am well aware they are not in control of scripts, direction, editing, production, etc etc. or any other aspect of film. I blame ourselves because we are the ones who accept roles that are beneath us.


Yes actors have roles that are beneath them, either morally or artistically. Once a certain median has been reached i feel that it is a step back not only for the actor, but for the community to accept certain roles because it results in degradation of artistic merit, in return for the fiscal gain.

I dont mean this in any form pertaining to a struggling actor, or even a somewhat developed one. They need any work they can get, and should most likely take it. You must work to further your career. A good example to my point would be Brad Pitt taking a role for Snakes on a Plane. Obviously this didn't happen, but if it did you'd know hes only doing if for money, there is virtually no artistic merit in such a film, and it would be a big step back from his potential. Now nothing this drastic has occurred, but the example stands and things like this do in fact happen.


As an actor I feel that my profession has been abused by these people, because it isn't just a profession, it is a social grouping. Actors, in my opinion, will always be grouped together by the public. I doubt the public has a very good opinion of us, and if they do, then I am afraid it will be annihilated in time. The American people are our customers and we do them a disservice to continue producing the material that we do. Society as a whole has degraded morally and ethically, and I have no doubt the media has expedited the process, if not being the catalyst.

The only question now is where my professional integrity starts to become damaged. Once I no longer believe in my work, once it no longer has artistic value, will I be done? Will I see it coming and how long will it take? Will it sneak up and become just another paycheck? Or will I continue to sell both my soul and America's moral core to the highest bidder? Hollywood, you used to be so much more.

WAREAGLE on 23/4/2009 at 16:57

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Never seen it, but I got the gist of it, so no. This is just something I've always believed and thought on when relating screen and stage actors and our attitudes towards our own work. Although what I wrote deals almost entirely with sreen actors, I do hold stage actors in somewhat of the same contempt, but on a much smaller scale. They have much less of the egotistical over confidence that ruins film actors, or hampers them from even starting.

A few things happened last night that really made me want to journal out most of my feelings towards the community of actors here. I am unsure what the common local individual feeling towards the craft is, but from my own personal experiences, it doesn't seem anyone give two bits about anything but cash flow, which makes me sick

rachel on 23/4/2009 at 17:12

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Some people have the coin, but they'll never have the kwan, man

fett on 23/4/2009 at 17:44

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holyshit I'm not reading all that. Good luck tho. :thumb:

june gloom on 23/4/2009 at 20:08

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I read the entirety of this thing and I have to say, he brings up some valid points. The problem is that most of it really isn't exactly news. We've always known about the whole Hollywood mentality going on that destroys the part of an actor's brain that says "maybe you should stop sucking dick and hold on to your dignity for once."