One area in my life where I needed a little fine tuning was as an actor. When I graduated from drama school I was chomping at the bit to take Broadway by storm. I was so earnest in my desire to grace the stages of the Barrymore and Schubert theaters I overlooked what I was willing to tolerate in order to get there.
In time, my relationship to the industry evolved. I started to place greater emphasis on living a well-rounded life than finding the perfect agent. To me this also meant traveling, volunteering, reading widely, taking bold risks, and honoring my core values.
By the time I arrived in Los Angeles I was quite comfortable in my own skin. I took things less personally and realized there was more to life than getting the perfect headshot. Though it was still my goal to be a professional storyteller, I realized you can want something without needing it. This all led to a healthy outlook on the types of roles I was willing to audition for and what I wasn't willing to compromise on en route to a dream I'd had since I was 11 years old. So when my new agent in Tinsel Town asked me in a rather lengthy questionnaire what I was not willing to do for a role, here's what I said:
I won’t
compromise my personal ethics, morals, or core principles. I also will not perpetuate what I perceive to
be ethnic stereotypes, or undermine my ethnic heritage. (i.e. the butt of a one-liner Asian joke in a
sitcom, etc.) Also happy to elaborate if there any questions. Fortunately, it’s never really been an issue. I really appreciate you asking!
Figure out what you stand for and protect it all costs. You get what you tolerate.
