REDHarlow Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Hi! I've always wanted to be an actress and because of circumstance had to study something else not related to acting, and now that I'm in my 20's, I'm independent, moving out and going to study what I actually wanted to, I'm not going to an expensive theatre university because I don't have the money or support from my parents instead I'm studying at the meisner center and in stella adler (I fell in love with Meisner acting the first time I went to LA when I was 16, and I've always been interested in the method) but I'm feeling kind of old, everyone I've read about starts studying so young, I was so excited but am feeling overwhelmed, don't know if I'm doing the right thing etc.. So I was curious about other people's life choices and paths they chose and if you could go back to your 20's would you change the path you chose or would you still choose the same one. Thank you Edited by: REDHarlow on Feb 7, 2012 11:21 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprocket_Man Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Ordinarily, I think the lack of photos of the participants here is appropriate; most are from ordinary walks of life and probably don't feel compelled to share their appearance. In your case, though, I'm wondering whether you might care to post a picture of yourself so that, if you should eventually get that professional break, all of us can say (or, at least, think), "she got here start right here..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Go to Art School like I was supposed to do in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValentineXavier Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Derail a Viet Nam era munitions train, and hitchhike around the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brackenhe Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 You must not let the fact that you're starting a little late discourage you. There are parts for actors of all ages and you are still in your 20's. Do what you want to do. Then you won't have regrets if you try, even if you aren't as successful as you'd like to be. But you'll never know unless you go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willbefree25 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 "she got here start right here..." Nooooooooooooooooooo, do my eyes deceive me? Oh, how even the mighty fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willbefree25 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 REDHarlow, you're absolutely positively doing the right thing, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Go for it, and break a leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SansFin Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I applaud your decision to study acting. It is not a field I would ever consider because I have always preferred to remain nearly invisible. If I were to do things differently when I was in my 20s I would not be married and I would have stayed in the military and accepted their offer of schooling so that I could become a doctor even although it meant a ten year commitment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I've thought a lot about this sort of thing over the years, and arrived at one conclusion. I made a lot of wrong turns and mistakes in my 20's (and 30's), but it's clear that each of them led me to where I am right now. And I'm happy where I am right now. So I don't wish to risk anything by making any changes in the past. Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Spend more time getting better at something I really love. For me that would be playing jazz guitar. I didn't really get serious until I was in my late 30s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EugeniaH Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 REDHarlow, maybe you shouldn't consider yourself "too old". I think two big factors that determine success at any age is confidence and persistence. When I was in my 20s I wanted to be a writer. I tried for jobs in the publishing field, I completed a manuscript and sent it around, but I didn't have success in either. I lost confidence gave up much too quickly. My job now is "ordinary" and "safe" (though I'm good at it) but of course there are times where I wonder how my life would have been different if I stuck at trying to make a mark somewhere in the writing field. I'm sure anyone who chooses a career in the arts will have cutthroat competition. If you love acting, stick with it - and even if acting doesn't become a full-time career, you might still be involved in some way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willbefree25 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 and even if acting doesn't become a full-time career, you might still be involved in some way... Good point, EugeniaH. I wanted to be an artist a 100 years ago but was told 'there is no money in it'. Not having the courage of my convictions, I changed majors and life took me down a different path. In hindsight, I could have gone into another avenue of fine arts that would have provided a career and satisfaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 RED, if you might have missed seeing Denzel Washington on Dave Letterman's show last night, I think something Denzel said about "falling forward" might help you put your dreams into perspective, and also may help keep you from becoming someone like me, who at presently 59 years of age, now ocassionally looks back with some regret and wonders how his life might have been today if he would've finished his schooling while in his twenties and had become the automobile designer he had the talent to become, but instead found work in the airline industry from which he's now thankfully retired. (take your cursor and move it to the third break in the video link here, the 28:11 mark, to watch and listen to Denzel's wise words) http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=ijf2o_5vM2t_UV4Vt63pWh4HKkS03O1Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDHarlow Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Hi! thank you so much for the link I loved what he said, it's very true, I've never understanded that term either because every path is difficult there isn't an easy way in life but its very important to always give everything we do in life our best. I remember I saw Denzel and his doughter Katia at the Oscars and he introduced her and said she wanted to be an actress, she looked embarrassed, she's a bit older than me, that must be difficult having a famous father like Denzel Washington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDHarlow Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Eugenia and willbefree25: Thank you for your kind and wise messages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDHarlow Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Thank you so much! I have always prefered to be invisible too I kind of slipped through high school, everyone had this great curiosity because I always prefered to be alone than to hang out with them haha but acting is so strange it's not something that obnoxious people can do they're actually terrible at it, that's why so many actors are so shy in real life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanceroten Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I would choose the same one. I can honestly say i've lived my life the way I have truly wanted to since I turned 18. Given that, and knowing what I know now, no reason to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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