Are you thinking of becoming an actor but first want to chat with someone who has been in your shoes? I bet you didn’t know that two Loyola professors you may have taken or seen walking around campus have experienced life on the big screen. Right Brain had the privilege of asking these stars to share their best advice with you!
Ann Joseph Douglas is an art lecturer, theater professor, and the Arts Infusion Initiative Program Coordinator. She’s currently spending her time away from the classroom working on NBC’s Chicago Med. In the past, she was involved in starting one of the first African American Theatre companies.
Dr. Florence Chee (pictured above) is a professor in the School of Mass Communication. Before she worked as a professor, she pursued a career in acting. Her jobs have led her to collaborate with stars that include Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, Jason Statham, Jet Li and THE Ashton Kutcher in movies like War. Chee decided to focus her career on teaching rather than acting because of the job security and stability that comes with working at a university.
Check out their advice below!
- You have to have a thick skin. Some actors can come right out of the gate and book that perfect job, and their career just skyrockets; for some of us, it takes a while. –Ms. Douglas
- There’s never the golden ticket – there’s just the opportunity to do the next work, and the work is what’s important. –Ms. Douglas
- Rejection is always tough, but when you realize it’s part of the job then you learn to view it in a bigger context. You start to look at labor, you start to look at who’s the content, who’s creating the structure. You realize where the power is. –Dr. Chee
- You don’t just put all your eggs in one basket. Especially when it’s such a fickle industry that your success depends on the whims of others. Don’t make yourself too vulnerable to that. That’s why I encourage students to invest in themselves, to hone their skills because that’s what you always have. –Dr. Chee
Have questions for Dr. Chee or Ms. Douglas? Tweet us @RBblog tweets or comment below and we’ll be sure to ask them for you!