Journey of an Actor's Success

I was not an overnight success.

I struggled for about fifteen years, going from

acting job to carpentry and back to acting

until I finally got a part in a

wildly successful film.

In my third year of college, I was

a little lost.

I was failing at school.

I felt isolated, alone.

And then

I found, uh, the company of people

putting on plays,

storytellers.

People I once thought were

misfits and geeks turned out to be

my people.

I found a calling,

a life in storytelling.

Ours is a tough business to get into.

In my case, it's been a tough business to get out of,

thank

God.

'Cause I love what I do.

As actors,

we get to live many lives. We get to explore ideas

that affirm and elevate our shared experience.

The stories we tell have a

unique capacity to create moments of emotional

connection.

They bring us together.

We all share something fundamental.

We share the privilege

of working in the world of ideas,

of empathy,

of imagination.

Sometimes we make entertainment,

sometimes we make art.

Sometimes, if we're lucky, we make them both at the same time.

And if we're really fortunate,

we also get to make a living doing it.

Success in this business brings a certain freedom that comes with

responsibility

to support each other,

to lift

others up when we can,

to keep the door open for the next kid,

the next lost boy who's looking for a place to belong.

I'm indeed a lucky guy.

Lucky to have found my people,

lucky to have work that challenges me,

lucky to still be doing it.

And I don't take that for granted.

This is very encouraging.