Dear Roy,
When do I know I should pack it up as an actor?
Young Man
Dear Young Man,
The day you get an acting job and they want you to pack it up (your clothes in your bags) and fly to where ever they want you to be.
Or the day you think life isn't worth it. Or when you think to yourself "I'm not good enough."
Or you think you don't have to train to be good enough and get years of experience until you're good enough. That's definitely the time to pack it up and quick doing something you really don't like doing because if you did like doing it you would work your tale off in every way to do it, including getting training and keeping training going all your life.
TALENT - EVERYONE HAS TALENT - It's not how much talent you have, it's how many skills have you developed, including, determination, perseverance and knowledge.
The day you say to yourself, it isn't worth spending my entire life at it, that is definitely the day you should PACK IT UP and do something you really would like to do the rest of your life.
I suspect what you are really asking is when should I stop trying to be a movie star, famous and rich? If this is what you want, being rich, famous and a movie star, then you are not asking when you should pack it up as an actor. You are really asking when should I quit trying to be a movie star. Well Eddie Murphy told his friend, "I'll live on the street before I give it up." Johnny Carson tried everything else and then came back to what he loved and said, "I'll die a bum or I'll die a star." Both of these people live and die by their word. But I will say many more don't.
The difference between the ones who do and those who don't is that those who don't do not want to do what is required to be a star.
Some of the best actors I know are not famous, nor are they movie stars and although they may be rich, they never got rich through being an actor. They act in little theatres, they teach acting in schools and they work in community theatres and Equity Waiver Theatres and Summer Stock Theatres all over America. They also make their videos and do commercials in their home towns and cities. I was just with one yesterday and he is an excellent actor, dancer, singer, director and producer. He works in Oakland and San Francisco Bay Area. He is having a wonderful career and is in many ways much more successful and happy than many of the stars I know in Hollywood. His name is Dennis Kholles. And I can name a slew of others in the business who are fantastic and they are having wonderful careers in the show business of community theatres, summer stock theatres, Equity Waiver Theatre, and college, university and high school theatre programs as they teach, act, direct, sing dance and design sets. These people, these artist are the real life of acting writing directing and producing. They are where all of the actors on Broadway and Hollywood movies came from.
So, first decide if you want to be a star or if you want to act. Then follow the footsteps of those I have described above. They have been successful. Their ways work or they wouldn't be where they are now.
If all of this is too difficult for you, then pack it up and go to the job where you really want to work. Remember - good luck is when you are prepared mentally and physically for the opportunities you meet.
Good Luck,
Roy
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