For many years I fell into the same trap I believe a lot of young actors fall victim to. I devoured the biographies and films of actors like Brando, Dean, and Montgomery Clift. I watched the same interviews over and over hoping to gain greater insight into the aura these actors had created. And though I never tried to emulate them, I believed in order to create great art one needed to suffer, almost immeasurably.
But as I got older I realized that these men also lived profoundly unhappy lives. In many instances, they were held captive by their demons and inability to allow themselves to be who they really were. As as consequence, it seems like deep personal connections and happiness eluded them for most of their years. Great actors yes, but content with life? Not so much it seems.
In time I began to pick up on a few lessons: creative expression is not about martyrdom. It's about bringing our most authentic selves to a stage, a canvas, and film set. It's about expressing who we are at our core without allowing fear to hold us back in telling stories.
I also realized that life would present its own challenges along the way. One didn't need to seek them out. The more life experience one gained the more they'd be able to bring to their artistry. Courage was actually making the effort each day to live a life of fulfillment - a life of good contagion.
I still admire those actors for the work they contributed and their importance to the medium of storytelling. But I've learned to appreciate rather than emulate.
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