I’m not an actor. However, I picked up a thing or two over the years that the youth of today desperately need.

Step One: Are you a thespian or a regurgitator? What’s the difference? One just recites lines and the other gets deeply into the skin of another and helps “sell the lie that tells the truth”-George Carlin

It’s fine to just read lines and collect a paycheck. I mean, that’s really all acting is good for. However, I’m understood that some people out there genuinely enjoy acting. I could never understand why, but whatever. Regardless, the pool of applicants is plagued by just so-so acting and nothing really stands out anymore. At least in the 1980s and 1990s, you had different teir acting and really good actors stood out. In today’s word, especially Hollywood, everything is ultra sterile. No B movies with acting so bad that it would make Tommy Lee Jones time as Two Face seem like Aaron. Eckhearts.

To be fair, about 15 years ago, I would have said actors jumped the shark with too much method acting. I mean, even 50 cents was looking emaciated for a role. Just too much of it going around.

Look, not everyone is going to get an academy award and that’s ok, you need a slew of actors to make up the world. Even bad ones are necessary to the machine. Micheal Jordon wouldn’t be MJ if everyone played like him. Some mutha fuckers gotta get they asses whooped. just like pro wrestling, you got to have a bad guy to cheer for the good guy.

Much like the NHL, acting is really a gamble more than ever. Back in the day, if you had a sturdy sense of self, you knew who you could do better than. that’s gone, as I’ve stated. So what makes good acting in today’s world? Character acting! We’re talking Gary Oldman character acting. Robert Downy Jr in Tropic Thunder character acting,

Why is this difficult? Good question! Something I’ve been pondering since my early 20s. I’ve, thankfully, done very little acting in my life. However, of the acting I’ve done, I know I can’t play a character worth a good goddamn. I don’t think it’s self consciousness either, as it’s just me seeing myself doing a painfully transparent rouse. I don’t like doing this. As i got older, I appreciate some of the tools of acting and find they can be useful outside of acting, but I have to do it the old fashioned cliche way of adding a bit of myself to the character in order to even attempt such.

If you can, find a way to get a character so unique, different and quirky that it’s impossible to say “no” for Hollywood. I know it seems entitled to have the idea in your head that you have “Kate Winslet” clout in your youth, and in my 20s I would have said you’re going to sabotage your career. However, in my 40s, it’s really the only way to do it. You’re competing with AI, you’re competing with a sterilized environment. You got YouTube and half a dozen of them are mentally ill. social pariahs, so you can really beat them if you can bring to light the plight of an otherwise interesting character and do it well.

I’m personally glad I never wanted to be an entertainer in my youth. Everything I ever wanted to do, I have no competition for. However, if your the type that wants to do this, then that’s something to look at. Especially because I’m getting bored with my reviews and the whole “decent” acting part that’s becoming as sterile as Hollywood. So get out there and either be really bad at acting or stand out.

As always, stay metal! 🤘