The shared realities that shape every actor
Welcome back to another edition of Schreiber Scribes! If you missed last month’s blog on intimacy work and boundaries, catch up here.
As a community, T. Schreiber Studio wants to make sure that the content we share across all our platforms remains meaningful to you. Whether on socials or here on our blog, we strive to engage our community in important conversations about our shared hopes, fears, and experiences.
And with the arrival of June, though nature may be busy blooming, we’ve entered what is historically one of the slowest periods for working actors. So, we thought now would be the perfect time to reflect on some realities that every actor deals with at some point in their acting career: insecurity and rejection.
But we quickly found that just one blog couldn’t contain this discussion. So, to do justice to our community’s nuanced and varied takes on these matters, we’ll continue this discussion next month with a second part of this series! (And don’t forget to give us your own opinions in the comment section. We’d love to hear from you!)
Is Every Actor Insecure In Their Acting Career?
One piece of content we’re still thinking about is something we shared on Instagram way back at the start of the new year (which is already halfway over!). Alongside a clip of Kate Winslet discussing insecurity and rejection on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, we said:
Here’s the truth every working actor knows: your craft isn’t built in spite of these uncertainties – it’s forged through them. As we step into 2025, remember: your insecurities don’t mean you’re not ready. They mean you care enough to want to get it right. And that’s exactly why you belong here.
In the accompanying clip, Winslet suggested that “every actor is insecure” on some level in their acting career, saying, “I don’t know a single actor, no matter how old they are, how many years they’ve been doing it, who says, ‘Yes, I like myself.’”
At first glance, Winslet’s statement may seem self-evident. But we were surprised at the spirited debate Winslet’s statement sparked in our community.
Many of you agreed, and several of you said that Winslet’s comments comforted and encouraged you. One commenter said “every actor needs to hear this,” while another joked, “I’m not a broken, anxious mess . . . I could be an actor? Nice!”
Still others of you pointed out how actors’ insecurities can be heightened in the face of our changing industry and the evolving demands of an acting career. As one commenter put it, insecurity is hard to deal with, “Especially in the current virtual self tape world, as it often can feel like it’s all for nothing, no relationships built etc. But [we] always have to push through and control what we can!”
Insecurity vs. Dedication In Your Acting Career
But some of you disagreed that insecurity is universal among actors, proposing that an actor’s seeming insecurity might emerge from dedication to our craft. As one commenter noted, “Being unsure and insecure are two different things . . . plenty of actors . . . are confident, proud and hard working. Some people just get on with it and just like in any profession they improve over time.”
Another commenter agreed, adding: “I think there’s a big difference between asking all the right questions as an artist and being insecure. Just because you strive for perfection doesn’t mean that your doubts and questions come from insecurity. In fact, the celebrities I know who are at the top of their game know how to reach down and live in vulnerability, but that is not insecurity, that’s just the artistic job of a secure and excellent actor.”
In terms of craft, some members of our community related insecurity to an actor’s preparation throughout their acting career: “Insecurities only surface if the actor is ill-prepared. There’s far less chance of stalling a car’s engine, if that engine is already warm.”
Still others took a middle ground, suggesting that varying levels of insecurity is just a matter of human fact: “I met and worked with many ‘celebrities’ and they are all people just like everyone else, each with their own personality: some shy, some commanding, some nervous and anxious, some confident, and some downright stuck-up and obnoxious, some sweet and generous, and everything in between. The only difference is…everyone sees them work on their job.”
With all the back and forth, we decided to take this conversation to our scene study actors. Here is what Candy Dato from Peter Jensen’s Scene Study had to say:
All in all, our community seems torn on whether insecurity is common in our profession. What do you think? Share your thoughts below in the comments!
Till next time,
The Schreiber Scribe