Starting from a very young age, we're asked what we want to be when we grow up. Some say, princess, cowboy, and other quite unrealistic professions, while others mention doctor, lawyer, or entertainer. Then, as we grow up, we either actually end up where we dreamt as we were little, or we find new dreams that we decide to pursue.
Today, we're going to talk about one of the most dreamt about professions both by children and adults -- acting. To be more specific, we’re going to take a closer look at the ins and outs of the job with the help of actress Sarah Pribis, who posts videos about her profession on social media. So, without further ado, let's jump in!
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While acting might seem like a fun, glamorous job, the reality is not always so sweet
Image credits: sarahpribis
Actress Sarah Pribis makes videos on social media showing ins and outs of her job
Being an actor or an actress is a dream job for many. Here, in this top 20 list of dream professions, it is in 9th place. Getting on the list is already a pretty good sign of its desirability, but being among the top 10 professions is even more of a sign.
While the profession is typically viewed as fun, the reality is way more complicated—having a successful career in acting isn’t as easy as one might think.
Image credits: sarahpribis
The actress Sarah Pribis doesn’t shy away from spilling her guts about the truth of this profession. On her social media, she posts various videos about it, from audition processes to landing a job and working in it. Today, she agreed to share some additional insight in an interview with Bored Panda.
She said that one of the biggest misconceptions people have about actors is that they're either rich and famous or starving artists, and there is no in-between. Reality isn’t black or white. “I make my living from acting, but most people have never heard of me.”
One of the videos she made was showing the processes of some auditions
Image credits: sarahpribis
She also mentioned another misconception is that acting is simply memorizing and delivering the lines while having a natural talent for it.
In practice, it is way more complex: “While talent is important, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Success in acting also relies heavily on discipline, work ethic, and the ability to handle rejection. Networking, self-promotion, and understanding the business side of the industry are equally crucial.”
Image credits: sarahpribis
One of her videos illustrates this complexity perfectly. In it, she describes one of her audition processes for a lead role in a non-union film for which she would get $300 a day. To be considered for the job, she had 2 days to learn 10 pages of text, find a reader, set all her equipment, record, edit, and send out the tape.
People online didn’t hesitate to express how stressful all of this sounds. Well, even the seemingly glamorous jobs require hard work.
She had 2 days to memorize 10 pages, find someone, who would read lines with her, film, edit and send the tape
Image credits: sarahpribis
Even though the actress' job can be challenging, Sarah doesn’t lose motivation, as she still loves it. Instead of resisting less fun parts of it, she learned to embrace and even enjoy it, which then brings great outcomes: “When I finally do book a job and I get to be on set, it feels like such a rewarding experience and I can really treasure it.”
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Sadly, due to the job’s unpredictability, not all actors can do it full-time. Sarah herself worked in hospitality as her “survival job” before leaving in 2020, as social media started to supplement her income. “I think it's very smart for actors to keep track of their finances, save as much as possible, and create monthly budgets.”
She mentioned that the fact that she chose to do this job herself and that she loves it helps to deal with the stress of it all
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
So, for anyone dreaming of making it in this profession, Sarah Pribis emphasizes that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It takes hard work and a long time to build a successful career, but if it’s really something they want to do, they shouldn’t give up.
There are plenty of ways a person can improve themselves as an actor (and accordingly their career). For instance, going to acting school, getting headshots, not shying away from filming yourself acting, even working unpaid for some time, and many other things our interviewee mentioned in another one of her videos. It’s always nice to get advice from someone experienced, isn’t it?
Image credits: Jakob Owens / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Plus, it also doesn’t hurt that videos, like Sarah’s, opens people's eyes who idolize the life of an actor. It might even help some to realize that maybe this kind of job isn’t what they actually want, and it saves them from disappointment and misery. Or vice versa – proves to them that it is what they have been made for.
You can find similar videos giving an inside look into this job on Sarah’s TikTok or Instagram accounts.
Watch the video here
People online were outraged that auditions could come with such tight deadlines and praised the actress for dealing with it without quitting
