5 Funny Feel-Facts About the Business of Acting
They feel good to say, so I said it! And now they are facts!
(By Carmichael Phillips)
(Photo by Ben White on Unsplash)
The dictionary defines a fact as:
“Fact (noun): A thing that is known or proved to be true”
A “feel-fact” is slightly different. A feel-fact has not been proven to be true, because it doesn’t have to be proven. A feel-fact can be true as long as it feels like it’s true.
That’s right! In the world of feel-facts, a fact needs only to feel good to say, in order for it to be true!
In the acting world, there are many feel-facts. For example, if I said that the definition of an acting teacher is:
“A failed actor whose ego won’t allow them to admit they can’t act”
That would be a feel-fact. It’s certainly not true, in most cases. There are many great acting teachers out there. But it feels good to say it, especially if you have had a bad experience with an acting teacher who takes your money, but who talks more than they teach.
Anyways…
Here are 5 funny feel-facts I’ve discovered about the craft and business of acting. I can’t prove any of these to be true. But, damn it, they just feel good to say out loud sometimes, so they must be true!
Funny Feel-Fact #1:
Acting is Productively Unproductive
(Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash)
Acting is the only profession where you can spend the week running around the city doing auditions, make no money, get rejected a whole bunch of times…and STILL feel like you’ve had an incredibly productive week!
Funny Feel-Fact #2:
Actors Hardly Ever Act
Acting is quite a unique profession. Actors spend most of their time NOT working as actors. Between training, auditioning and working survival jobs, who the heck has time to act?!?!
Funny Feel-Fact #3:
God Frowns on Craft Services
(Photo: Mike Meeks on Unsplash)
When you’re trying to lose weight or stay in shape, Craft Service is the devil! The devil tempted Adam and Eve with a delicious, juicy apple.
So, imagine how tempted Adam and Eve would have been if they had walked past a well-put-together craft services table. Oh, the temptation!
Funny Feel-Fact #4:
“In-perpetuity” is Legalized Robbery
The phrase, “In perpetuity”, in an actor’s contract, is just a fancy way of saying, “We’re gonna rob your ass blind!” The same is true for buyout clauses.
By the way, apropos to this subject, thank God for actor unions and good agents who can negotiate proper contracts!
Funny Feel-Fact #5:
Headshots Are Usually Better Actors Than the Actors
(Photo: Damir Spanic/Unsplash)
If you bury your face in makeup before your headshot photoshoot, or your headshot has been touched and retouched to the point of creating a false image of you, then your headshot is not being truthful. It’s only pretending. It’s acting. Your headshot should not be a better actor than you!
If any of these funny feel-facts make you, um, feel some type of way, then lighten up! They’re not necessarily true for everybody. You can argue that they’re not true at all.
But they feel good to say, so damn it, I said it! And now they are facts!
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