Don't Do Too Much

There's a famous story about the day Jack Lemmon received a master class in acting for the camera by director Billy Wilder. The two were on the set for the classic film, Some Like it Hot starring Marilyn Monroe. At this point, Jack Lemmon had done a considerable amount of theater and television but was still relatively new to the world of feature films.

As the story goes Lemmon was in the middle of a scene when Wilder stopped him. "Less Jack. Less," he said. Lemmon supposedly took the note and resumed the scene. A few minutes go by and Lemmon feels like he's really cooking when once again he's stopped by the Academy Award winning director. "Less Jack. Less." Lemmon scratched his head, took the note again, and continued to plow along. The scene goes on for a while before Wilder stops him for a third time, "Less Jack. Less." At this point Lemmon's had it and screams, "Billy, if I do any less I'll be doing nothing." Wilder supposedly smiled before saying, "Exactly."

Too often we feel we're not enough when the truth is we're infinitely interesting. The key whether on stage or off is to trust we have a voice and something of value to offer without overcompensating for what we mistake to be deficiencies. 

It's Just As Important to Know Who You Don't Want to Become

I've been very lucky throughout my life. I had the great fortune of being raised by two terrific parents, growing in an open-minded community, making great friends, and seeing much of the world. The remarkable people in my life have really made my life worth living. I could go on and on about all the qualities I admire about them. They're trustworthy, ambitious, kind, funny, resilient, and have lots of integrity.

But I've also learned how they, like all of us, can get in their own way. We're all deeply flawed people living a flawed life. Our job is to try and be better than we were the day before. And I say this respectfully, but you can learn a great deal from your inner circle about the qualities and tendencies you'd also like to avoid. 

From watching the people I most love and admire I've learned I want to cultivate a greater sense of patience. I don't want to end each day watching mindless television. I want to continue to work on myself and eat well. I don't want sports to be the only topic of discussion. And I don't want to ever be late for an appointment.

Take a closer look at the people you appreciate and take into consideration both the positive and not so positive qualities you can strive towards and weave around. 

It's just as important to know who you don't want to become as it is who you do. 

Seek the Insight of Non-Artists

Last night I spent about an hour speaking to a good friend from high school who now works as an attorney in Austin. Despite being in a completely different line of work he'd always shown a strong interest in my career as an actor.

We'd often talk about films we'd seen, new and exciting television shows, and actors we admired. At the end of our talks I was convinced he knew more about the industry than I did. I half wondered where he found the time to keep up all the various mediums while juggling a full-time job and the responsibilities of having a family.

Our conversation also reminded me of the importance of reaching out to folks who have nothing to do with your creative pursuits, or even any real knowledge of your medium. His insights on the story I was trying to write were poignant, introspective, intelligent, and unique. It reminded me of the times I'd asked non-actor friends to read over a pair of sides with me as I prepped for an audition. Invariably, non-actor friends would offer a point of view that seemed so obvious, yet frustratingly hidden to my actor sensibilities.

I discovered the longer you're an actor and the more training you have there is a propensity to start looking at the work as just an actor. You think in terms of "objective" and "obstacles," while your friends are simply looking at the work as human beings.

Try and seek feedback beyond your immediate circle of artists. They may surprise you with what they find.

Start by Starting

Admittedly, it took me several years to figure out something that now seems profoundly simple about my acting career: I didn't need to wait for permission to create.

For years, I'd followed the perceived blueprint of many New York actors. I trained at a rigorous conservatory. I graduated and was signed by a great agent. And before I knew it, I was off to the races, auditioning for feature films, television, and commercials. I was living the dream. It was a truly exhilarating time in my young life.

Eventually, the auditions slowly tapered off, the realities of how challenging a career in the arts would be set in, and I began to question my purpose as an actor. I judged my credibility and success as an artist on the number of auditions I received and the length of my IMDB page.

Thankfully, close friends grew weary of my griping and rightly so. At first they nudged, then practically screamed, "Create your own work!" It took a few years, but I finally got the message.

Today, there are countless resources at our disposal to get you on your way. There are free screenwriting tools like Storywriter on Amazon and the feature film, Tangerine, shot entirely on an iPhone was nominated for an Academy Award. So don't wait for your friends to scream at you. You don't need permission to create. The world needs to hear your point of view now. Start by starting.