I have a personal victory to share with you. At the ripe age of 46, I decided to finally join SAG. I’d qualified back in 2005 but then did not join. I should have. The initiation fees just about doubled since then! There is a movie that both Jacqui and I are in. Jacqui actually makes her feature film debut in it. The vast majority of my work has been non-union or SAG waiver. But SAG, to many actors, including myself, is a fundamental mark of professionalism as an actor. One of the effects of going back through “The 7 Habits” had me start focusing more on what is really important, what I will stand for, what sort of legacy beyond father and husband will I leave behind?
It had been 5 years I would say, at least, since I’d last worked. I’d become ambivalent since I just had a commercial agent and was not getting any feature or TV work. And the commercial work was not coming or just not really acting work. But that it also the nature of commercials, it’s all about the product, not the character. As a stage trained actor, this became a great source of discouragement. When I found TKC, I was ready to focus my passion on something else. And you got it. TKC got it. And life has been good ever since.
But when I finished up the Black Belt, I knew two things. One I wanted to keep training at TKC. Two, I wanted to tackle another challenge. In addition to the marathon. Something creative. First, I thought, “I’ll play the drums!” You know, I had a set when I was a kid. I could see it know. Maybe start a band. But then, my kids kept telling me to go back and do another play or movie. They also say I talk too much so maybe that was it. And I admit I was also missing it.
Like the Law of Attraction, a friend of our extended family, and one who had become a friend of mine, asked me to do a role in his next film. That has set a series of other events in place and my career is picking up a little steam. Out of nowhere. So, that brought me back to thinking about SAG.
I felt like it was time to make a bold move. One of the things I want to leave behind is a body of work. The stage is wonderful but film lives forever. If I am going to live in this town, I am not going to let myself down by ignoring this gift God gave me. Why he gave it to me and not someone else, I have no idea. But I am learning to be more grateful for the gift and to honor it. So that is what I did today. That is my victory.
Thank You!