When she accepted her much-deserved Golden Globe, überhottie Charlize Theron thanked the director of Monster, and said, “There’s only so much you can do, but if somebody doesn’t give you a chance there is nothing you can do.”
. . . if somebody doesn’t give you a chance there is nothing you can do.
That sums up — perfectly — why it’s so goddamned hard to be a working actor.
74 thoughts on “passion chokes the flower”
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I see Wil’s point. You don’t get acting jobs on seniority, or even necessarily skill. There are all sorts of other silly things that go into it, and it comes down to someone being willing to open the door so you can show your stuff. It’s like you’re constantly going through job interviews all your life, but there are often many other considerations before they even consider your qualifications. It’s a bit of a crap shoot.
Well.. although when people do give you oportunities it is nice and it certinaly will help those who can shine to do so… I also am a firm believer in making things happen yourself.
I know it isn’t acting.. but..I am in a the type of band that without our own constant vigilance and determination, would go absolutly no where. If/When said band does goes anywhere, it won’t be because “someone gave us a chance” but because we busted our asses to get there and knew when to take whatever opportunities come our way.
In the end, though she may be thankful for her own oportunity, it was she who took it ans it is her decisions that make or break her career.. We are all at the helm of our own destiny’s. Set a coarse.. and engange!
First time posting here, so if I step on any toes, I apologize upfront!
The rather lively discussion had me thinking about the way different groups view different ways of living. I too am in that process of ‘fighting for my living’, and am only now just starting to show benefits from that work.
I think we can all agree that regardless of what job you find yourself doing, or how much you’re getting paid for it, achieving that ‘dream’ that you have worked so hard for is a rather powerful moment. Regardless of what we may think of Theron, award ceremonies or the entertainment industry as a whole, what we saw there was that dream coming real for her.
It also makes you wonder where the character of Wesley could have gone given a bit more a chance. Having recently re-watched most of those episodes, things that I found irritating well over 10 years ago not only seem not so bad now, but seem to be the foundation for what could have made a real character, something we could have identified with as we all went after those ‘dreams’.
Sorry for the ramble 🙂
It can be applied to anyone, Wil, not just artistic types.
I could be the best accountant on the planet, but if I don’t meet the quote the firm is looking for, I’m not hired.
It’s all about who hires you, giving you the chance.
It all depends on the prejudices of the hirer.
I’ve always thought typecasting sucks. I mean, someone sees you, and their first thought is, “It’s that guy from ‘Mr. Stitch’!”
In doing a little reading on “blogging,” I came across a link to this site. Nicely done. As for C. Theron’s comment, I would have this to say: Sometimes, when others don’t seem to be giving us a chance, we have to give ourselves that chance–the opportunity, if you will, to grow in a different direction and see that we have remarkable gifts to share with others.
Darth Moby is a dick.
98% of an actor’s life is rejection. I work as a tv host in the UK. I’m not famous. Some years I’ve had loads of work and made decent money, some years I’ve gone into debt. I get people writing me fan letters, still I don’t always know when I’m going to work again.
This is what it’s like:
People tell you that you
you make an excellent point on the difficulities of being an actor…though I know nothing of it, it sems to make sense. And yes, she is cute.
From what I understand about acting as a profession (which is admittedly next to nada–only what a friend of a friend, who IS a working actor in NYC says)…”working actors” aren’t generally in it for the fame, are they? If it happens, that’s great. But is that the real goal? Just to be famous? Just to be recognized? Just to win an Oscar or a Golden Globe or whatever? Isn’t this one of those professions where there’s a “calling” of some sort?
Re: Darth Moby’s comments–like Elvis Costello said, I used to be disgusted, but now I’m just amused, specifically at people who think that you don’t deserve sympathy unless you exist at their personal economic/social level. I’m hazarding a guess here that DM doesn’t live in a country or region where starvation, contagious diseases, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and/or lack of good Thai restaurants is/are endemic. Well, maybe the last one. The bare fact that he has access to a computer with Internet access–even if it belongs to someone else, or is a library public access computer–puts him head and shoulders above most of the world’s population. After all, if he has the time and energy to write several posts criticizing what someone else wrote on a blog, how bad can things be?
It’s sad, really, because the feeling that I get from DM’s posts is not so much anger at celebrities as it is self-pity. No one cares about poor DM because they’re too caught up in the travails of Wil and Charlize, sitting on the deck of a giant yacht in the South Pacific, sipping bloodies and bemoaning the fact that they have to do their own flossing because it’s so hard to find good help these days. Some of us actually find it comforting to know that the attainment of celebrityhood, past or present, doesn’t shield us from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, because it frees us from the unrealistic expectation that reaching some ephemeral level of fame or fortune makes all of our troubles vanish like the morning dew, and we can get on with our lives without wasting time on being bitter.
Still, though, I would have liked to have sat on a starship bridge, even once. But I’ll live, no worries.
I think it’s so strange how willing people are to attack an actor for transforming themselves for a role. The fact that Charlize Theron got her start as the “beautiful girl” – which in itself generated criticism of the “all she is is eye candy” ilk – and made herself into something almost unrecognizable in order to properly play Aileen Wuornos should be entirely incidental to how well she played the part. Every review I’ve read has harped on the physical aspects of the role and has said precious little about whether Theron is emotionally convincing, and I think that’s kind of sad. Something similar happened when Nicole Kidman wore a prosthetic nose to play Virginia Woolf. It’s like people want to point at something relatively trivial as if to say “That actor couldn’t have done it without all the makeup” – which is ridiculous.
And I also don’t understand the people who think that being an actor (or a writer, or an artist, or anything that doesn’t involve heavy lifting in the traditional sense) is “easy.” I’m a writer, and yeah, I’m not going to throw out my back if I stay up all night working on a story – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t work. It may use a different set of muscles, but it’s still work.
I like the quote, though. I think it’s true of anything. On a personal level, too – it’s important to walk into things eyes-open, without preconceptions about what you can and can’t do.
THEY CALL ME PASTABAGEL
You should create your own opportunity. How many actors got started in films that they wrote? (Rocky, Good Will Hunting, etc).
That said there needs to be a better outlet for independent filmmakers to make money. The hollywood production machine is almost a closed shop designed to concentrate all of the business and the money in a few production companies.
THEY CALL ME PASTABAGEL
She was very excited that she won. Just because she is from a farm in South Africa doesn’t mean she can’t grow up to win a golden globe.
First, I just want to mention I like the title you gave this particular piece – good one from “Silence”. Next, I saw Ms. Theron on Bravo’s “Inside the Actors Studio”, and yes, she is not just an “uberhottie” as you put it, but she is by far a woman of substance. I was amazed to learn of her life as a young girl and the fact that her father was murdered in front of her when she was only 15 I believe. (I’m not certain because she wouldn’t say, but it sounded as though her own mother killed him while defending Charlize from his attack) She is outstanding and truly talented…deserving of every bit of admiration that she receives. It isn’t all about the looks.
I don’t agree with that. I have heard it’s very difficult in Hollywood to get places. You have to sell your soul or something, I think. If no one is giving you the break into the biz, go out and do something not affiliated with Hollywood. Become an outsider, an independent. Hollywood eats that shit up because they think it’s novel. I guess my point is, don’t wait for someone else to give you the chance. Go out and create something.
Yeah, you get acting jobs by looking good. Keneau can’t act his way out of a traffic ticket and neither can Ben Affleck, but they look good, so they work. Talent has little to do with resume.
Wil got work because he had the genes that made him a cute kid and because he could do the work. If he could do the work but wasn’t a cute kid, he probably wouldn’t have gotten the jobs. (Of course Jerry O’Connel wasn’t a cute little kid, but turned into a male
I agree with you Wil, it is hard to be a working actor in Hollywood. Only a very small percentage actually can make a living off of acting. Most struggle all their lives making ends meet. I know, because I have some actor/actress friends who work their hardest at selling themselves, but still find it hard to get regular work.
I agree that we are all responsible for creating our own chances, but still only to an extent. everything we do is still at someone elses mercy – you can go out and write, film, produce your own film, it might even be good, but SOMEONE still has to show it in the theatre. even if it’s good, it isn’t always the case that people will pick it up. and this is the case in all industries and walks of life. fact is, we live our lives at the mercy of others, on some level. (and Wil, you did go out and create your own chance – you created this site, started writing your book, found your own way to sell it, and only recently got a book deal, after the book had already become successful on its own. way to go, Wil!!)
I also totally resent the idea that all working actors (or musicians/artists/writers…) are whiney sucks who make too much money. what the hell kind of assumption is that?! as someone already mentioned, most people do this because they couldn’t live with themselves if they didn’t (it’s called a soul) – as a performer myself, I know what it feels like. (and no, I don’t get paid for what I do, most of the time I have to pay my expenses out of pocket).
We need people to do this though. we have always had entertainers. they are a part of society, and we’d be one hell of a miserable society without them. so kudos to ALL hardworking entertainers out there, rich and poor.
here’s to all those who have the opportunity to give others a chance. realize that we may all be in that position at some point.
Hey, Wil, I’ve been watching re-runs of ST:TNG on Spike TV (they play about 500 episodes a day or somethin’) and I have to say — bro, you SUCK. No offense. Christ, why did you leave the show in the first place? Oh my God! I swear, it’s amazing you ever got the job in the first place. When you were acting opposite guys like Stewart, did you ever think to yourself, “Oh man, I suck! I don’t deserve to be getting paid to do this!” LOL. Truly, man, I hope you’ve given up this whole actor thing. You just ain’t got the talent for it, bro. No offense.
Ok, just for the record… yes there is some Seth Effrikins out there who do read this great, amazing, funny, hilarious, “wow that is something I wish I had with my family” blog.
Yes, Charlize is a good actress in my opinion – admittedly I didn’t like her acting much when she started out in the biz. Hell, there are people over here who STILL think she’s a terrible actress, but I will say this… she made it from a suburb of Johannesburg to Hollywood – not many others can say that… Except of course Alice Krige, the ONLY Borg Queen. Yes, she is also South African, who quietly made her name where it counted.
But, again, I have to say that Charlize made things happen for herself, she went out there to get what she wanted, and she got to the top. *insert applause for “
Charlize did put in an amazing performance in “Monster.” The people dissing her because she’s a beautiful woman taking an ugly role obviously haven’t seen the movie. The quality of the acting would have shown through whether or not she had added the weight and makeup.
Would love to see you in a great role again, W. It’s long overdue.
You know, it’s tough all over. I have sympathy for the difficulties of being a ‘working actor’. I also have sympathies for those who have trouble being a working anything. Or working hard and being under compensated because your circumstance has put you on the bottom of the food chain. Or living in a place where there isn’t even enough food.
I personally have a real problem with the disparity of financial compensation that exists in some countries/professions. The rich are rich because they take from the poor. The moment you are paid for hiring someone else to move a box you have taken money from them. It sucks. It wouldn’t be so hard for working actors to make a living if the uber stars weren’t paid so much. Is Patrick Stewart so much better than Joe Neverhardofhim ? His wages aren’t the measure of his talent.
Money is intoxicating. It’s hard to refuse it if you’re offered it. But even in your own country, children are hungry. Does anyone deserve to earn more than a million bucks a year when others will die of hunger?
Sorry if my comments are not received well. My only intention is to encourage people to be sympathic to those around you are truly being cheat in this life.
For some, it’s hard to be a working actor. For others, it’s hard to find food for their children.
why can’t celebs show some understanding of average people now and then?
How the hell does her comment not apply to average people?
And spare me the conservative B.S. about the poor deserving their life’s lot as a punishment for being stupid.
Where the hell do you get off? I’m a feminist pro-choice DYKE, you stupid little nitwit. You want to make assumptions, you’d damned well better make sure they’re justified first.
Wil, in Stand By Me you were way better than most Oscar winning performances.
Don’t worry pal, you’ll get more chances to show people how talented you are.