In light of the Covid-19 lock-down, I changed my plan for today’s post. I thought I’d do E is for Employment, because that’s a hot topic for actors, but projects are shut down. Actors, writers, filmmakers, and everyone else are in isolation. That’s not a news flash, we’re all in this together, so writing about employment, or lack thereof, isn’t interesting.
So I opted for Ego. There are people who think it takes a raging ego to be a public figure, to believe people want to see your face on the screen or television or stage. And sure, we’ve all heard stories about privileged actors who take themselves too seriously, those who think they’re entitled to this or that because 1) they have talent and 2) they have throngs of adoring fans.
I’m happy to report that I haven’t seen much of that, and I’ve been on set with truly impressive actors. Sure, there are egos of varying degrees on set, just like everywhere else, but for the most part, storytelling is a collaborative effort. Everyone wants the same thing, a good final product. So it’s our jobs to make one another look good.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen the stories about the leading lady in a Broadway show that makes a habit of upstaging everyone, or the temperamental actor on set who yells at the production assistants, but it’s not a common thing. You hear about those incidents because bad news travels fast.
If you have any interest in seeing ‘celebrities’ being their real, stripped down, natural selves, social media is full of that right now. Many of our favorite actors are posting photos and videos of themselves in isolation; no special lights, no fancy cameras, no filters, no hair and no makeup. Bravo!
A worldwide contagion is quite an equalizer.