THOUGHTS ON BEING AN 81 YEAR-OLD ACTOR...OR JUST BEING 81.

I’ve had a few months to think about what it was like turning 80, and suddenly I'm 81...so here goes.

I dreaded turning 80. Being 79 is much easier to accept. After all, you’re still in your 70s. However, you realize that while turning 80 does have its own challenges, it can be a very positive time in life.

I have lived through many ups and downs...through tragic events, and through some very difficult times. It has made me resilient to what life throws at me today. I have learned to accept what is and to accept that we are not immune to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Yes, the body has slowed down, but my mind is still sharp. I still enjoy many of the same things I have loved throughout my entire life and still get to enjoy even more. My wife and I still love to travel and have more time to enjoy it. I’m not tied down to a schedule because of a job or the kid’s school.

My family has grown, and I recently became a great grandfather to a beautiful little boy. I treasure the time I spend with my beautiful family. I get to watch my children and grandchildren grow into the amazing people they are today.

While other people desire to never have to work again, I love my profession as an actor. The difference being that I do not consider the vocation of an actor as work. While it is not an easy job, it certainly is fun and energizing for me.

Of course, there are downsides to being an octogenarian. People look at us differently. Some may consider us a burden to society and that we are just sitting around watching TV and waiting for the arrival of the Grim Reaper. Rather than being the same person, some feel that we are to be just tolerated and not to be a source of wisdom due to our life experiences. The truth for me is that I consider it a gift to have lived this long and still able to enjoy life; to enjoy good health and a super family. I find it invigorating to walk the trails in the wetlands near our apartment and spend time in the gym staying fit.

Another downside is the reality of the profession I love. Ageism is alive and well in the acting business. It is a reality that I do not like nor accept, but a reality, nevertheless. As a result, I enjoy every opportunity I get as an actor, whether it’s a student film or major studio production.

Rather than forgetting the elderly actors, I would think that we would be considered a valuable source since we have lived the lives of many of the characters in film and can really be, as Sanford Meisner states, truthful in imaginary circumstances. With all the Boomers still around, one would think more films or TV shows would be made something akin to the old sitcom, “Golden Girls” or films like "Cocoon" and "Grumpy Old Men".

By the way, sometimes someone will attempt to insult me by referring to me as a “Boomer”. What they don’t realize is that I consider it a compliment because I am not a Boomer. I am from the Silent Generation...the one that preceded. So there, you whippersnappers!

Some people expect that at my age, I would join a Senior Center to hang out with other people my age. I do not. Not to offend those my age, but I cannot sit around talking about Medicare, Social Security, and arthritis. I have all three, but they are not my favorite topics of conversation. I prefer the company of people younger. By younger, I don’t always mean people in their 60s and 70s. My favorite people to be with are my children and grandchildren and I have enjoyed hanging around others a half century younger. Unfortunately, many young people think it's not "cool" to socialize with an old person.

Please don’t get me wrong. I have been around people older than me who are, to use the vernacular, an absolute hoot. I have met these people when my wife and I have taken many cruises. Being around people our age who share our enthusiasm for life is another gift. I wish there were more like them.

Another gift I have about growing older is not to worry about expressing how I feel. I do, as the idiom states, wear my heart on my sleeve at times and I don’t give a tinker’s damn. I get that emotion at times around my family. As an example, I experienced much emotion when I met my little great grandson for the first time. Last year, I had the privilege of witnessing my granddaughter being commissioned an Army Second Lieutenant and my eyes were very wet as well. Recently, I welcomed a new grandson when granddaughter #3 was married. My wife and I are truly blessed!

That’s it. I know this writing may seem a bit convoluted, but I don’t care. I will check for grammatical errors, but I certainly will not run it through some damn AI generator to make it appear more like I’m a professional writer. Another idiom I'll use is, what you see is what you get.

Now, if you will excuse me, I will go back to having fun.

TIRED OF REJECTION? NOT GETTING ANY ROLES? THINKING THAT ACTING IS NOT FOR YOU? WELL...QUIT!

 Have you been rejected time and time again by talent agents, Casting Directors, Producers, et al?  Have you watched others succeed while you’re still waiting in the wings? Well, I have some advice. Quit.

Yes, I said quit. Why waste your time when you’re going nowhere?  Why waste your money on headshots, classes, union dues, and all else that comes with the business?

Quit!

Look at John Krasinski.  He was waiting tables and getting nowhere in the business.  He came close to quitting…until his breakout role in the “The Office.”

Or perhaps you could be like Melissa McCarthy.  She was getting nothing but constant rejection and considered quitting…until her role in “Gilmore Girls” and being nominated for an Oscar.

Then we have Michael B. Jordan.  If anyone had a good reason to quit acting, it was him!  Agency after agency rejected him...this was before Time magazine named him among the 100 most influential people in the world.  This was also before several successful productions and being nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

But…by all means, quit!

Have you been fooled into believing you could be an overnight success?  Of course, no one ever told you that an overnight success usually takes about ten years.

But…yes…quit! 

Don’t let these pesky Casting Directors or Talent Agencies get the best of you by their constant rejection.  I would show them who’s boss.  I would quit!

As for me…it has been a dry spell, but I have decided to wait it out and continue persevering.  You see, I am not very smart.

I strongly recommend if you’re a senior citizen actor like me, that you quit. 

I don’t like the competition. 

SAY "NO" TO THE GLAM SCAM!

Many years ago, a friend's daughter received a notice in the mail that a talent agency in Los Angeles was looking for future stars. It included an invitation for her to come to their agency and audition. Excited for the opportunity to be an actor, she talked her parents into taking her to the audition.

When they showed to the "audition", they were joined by a large number of eager young people anxious to get their big break in the business. My friend's daughter posed for photos and was interviewed for the camera.

A few minutes later, the daughter and parents were ushered into a room where they were told the young lady had star potential and the agency could help her by having professional headshots done along with acting classes...both from their agency. Happily, the parents saw the red flags and went no further. Not so happily, too many fall for this glam scam and find themselves thousands of dollars poorer with nothing to show for it except empty promises.

I will repeat what I have stated many times...THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN THIS BUSINESS!

Film Florida has published a pair of "one sheets" for actors and crew members to provide guidance in avoiding scams in our business. I am enclosing the one sheet for actors, since this website is for actors. Crew members can find their one sheet HERE.