6. Get used to rejection

Rejection is a part of this business. A big part, actually. Many budding artists do not expect this turn of events once they decide they want to be actors, singers, dancers, or other type of performers in this very competitive market. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of show business – everybody gets rejected.

Unlike in other walks of life, you have to accept that Rejection (with capital “R”) is completely normal. It’s not personal and there’s no reason you should ever take it to heart. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a bad actor or that you’ve done something wrong.

Imagine that you’re casting a project. You only have one part, and 100 actors come to audition for that part. 50 of them were good. Can you hire all 50? No, you cannot. You have to pick one, and it’s a tough decision to make as a casting director. Nobody wants you to fail, but due to the nature of this business, you’ll get betting rejected a lot.

“For every successful actor or actress, there are countless numbers who don’t make it. The name of the game is rejection. You go to an audition and you’re told you’re too tall or you’re too Irish or your nose is not quite right. You’re rejected for your education, you’re rejected for this or that and it’s really tough.” – Liam Neeson

What’s the point I’m trying to make? The point is that you should deliberately put yourself in a position to be rejected as soon as you can. Get comfortable with rejection. Trust me, if there’s one “ability” actors need to have, it’s this one. It’s not easy, but it will save you tons of internal battles and keep you on the right path.

“Actors search for rejection. If they don’t get it they reject themselves.” – Charlie Chaplin

At this point, don’t go out there to win. Go out there to FAIL. Do your best, experiment, play and enjoy the process. As an actor, you cannot try to avoid failure, ever.

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