Whatever we are, whoever we are, life is certainly tough

"You Look Like That Girl..."

by Lisa Jakub

I started reading this book by Lisa Jakub and I couldn't put it down...until I was too exhausted and need to get to bed and sleep. 

It gives a peek into the lives of actors and the entertainment industry and these portions of her writing caught me, making me see how different their lives may be from what we see. 

We actors had always come into homes in an intimate way, showing up in the living room at the appointed time every week and making ourselves part of the family. But something was shifting. This ownership of celebrities, this stalkerish pseudo-journalism and entitlement was becoming standard. This was no longer an era in which the film industry could keep Rock Hudson’s sexuality or Marilyn Monroe’s addictions private. Now, every time a celebrity took her kids to the park or ordered a latte, there was a stealth photo of the event, complete with commentary that took a decidedly disparaging bent. Actors’ very souls belonged to the public, becoming their very own communal puppy to adore and then kick when they got bored.

However, like many actors I knew, I failed miserably at feeling successful. When we signed autographs we worried we would be failures if we never signed another one. When we were auditioning, we worried we would never work again. When we were working, we worried that the film might be terrible and could ruin our careers. When the film came out, we worried about publicity and what our next move should be and wondered if the public was getting tired of us. Then, we’d start auditioning again and the whole vicious cycle would repeat.

The number of possible fatal missteps is endless, because the industry really is that fickle and the desire for money and fame is a bottomless pit. The poverty mindset becomes ingrained—never working enough, famous enough, paid enough, perked enough.

Whoever we are, wherever we are, life is tough. 

pearlie