HOW THE PODCAST WAS BORN
When I was 18, I decided to move to the United Kingdom to follow my dreams and make it big as an actor. Little did I know at this point in my life that "Becoming an actor” isn’t as easy as it appears and doesn’t just happen overnight.
I was young, very naive and had absolutely NO idea what it took to make it. After turning down so many auditions because I had shifts at work, eventually my agent said they were letting me go because I was never available. But I had work... what was I supposed to do?
I tried another tact, a performing arts degree at a university in Manchester. One and a half years into that, I knew it wasn't for me. I quit.
I asked an industry professional who was a writer and helped with casting for a long running UK Television show "What do I need to do to make it as an actor?." His response was sobering... "You'll never make it. You're too big to be an actor. You could do extra work as a bouncer or a police officer but you'll never be an actor." This shook me to my core. All I ever wanted was to act. Following this conversation I stopped. My dream was dead.
Now, this was over a decade ago and obviously I have rediscovered my joy and passion for performance. Though all of this did get me thinking about what we as actors go through on our quest to "Make It".
Every year, dreamers and creatives make the exciting decision to embark on the journey of becoming and actor with dreams of making it in TV, Film or on Stage. What many don’t realise is that behind every overnight success is years of blood, sweat & tears, incredible endurance and sometimes a lot of working for free with the payment being the promise of “exposure.”
I created the Actors Making It podcast as I wanted to open up a conversation on the sacrifices, the graft, the grit and the resilience it takes to make it as a working actor in the industry.
I am asking my guests to open up about their mental health struggles, how they keep themselves focused and on track and personal stories around diversity and inclusion. My guests are sharing stories about how their sexuality or the colour of their skin has affected choices they have made in their career and it’s inspiring to hear how they motivate themselves when everything feels like it’s going against them.
Guests on the podcast so far have included Harry Cook who starred alongside Geena Davis in Accidents Happen: he shares his journey to coming out after finding success in the industry. Nick Hardcastle from Home & Away has also shared his thoughts on Financial Planning as an actor. Tim Pocock who’s very first role was as a young Cyclops in X Men Origins – Wolverine also dropped in for an episode to share the story of landing that gig with no agent.
I wanted to share stories that are relatable so that all those actors out there trying to make it can resonate with it and hopefully provide some insight into how they can do something a little differently as they strive for success.