G'day! Can I Have A Job?

So recently my dear mother has developed something of an obsession with a certain famous film actor from Australia - Hugh Jackman. This has become so great that she has bought quite a lot of DVDs of his work, including a lot of the stuff he did for Australia and, lets face it, some very, very bad b-movies that he had to be in before he was "discovered".

It's interesting to me how long it takes for us to realise an actor or actresses' potential to be a star. I got nothing against Jackman, I think he's a very talented wallaby. But the first I heard of him was when he was in Oklahoma! over here in Blighty almost a decade ago, and then he turned up in Swordfish which is, at times, an okay film (and I don't say that because Halle Berry gets out her Ayres Rocks). Of course after that he went from strength to strength, including the X-Men trilogy, Kate & Leopold, and The Prestige which is in my view his bet performance.

But looking at all the work he did before breaking through to the big time makes you realise just how much work is needed for a actor to do before he gets noticed. I've met a few professional actors in my life, including one who turned into a drama teacher because it paid better money then he was getting as an actor. My experience with Ash Green Youth Theatre and knowing the irrepressible director of that has also giving me a realisation that, lets face it, the world of performing arts, in whatever field, is not the big-money, LA mansion world that many people dream of. For a hell of lot of people the reality is a long hard slog through life tyring to get a job.

Which brings me to A Chorus Line - didn't plan to get here when I started writing this, but my brain doesn't always act rationally at 8:37 in the morning. I watched the film of this legendary musical recently. Admittedly the film is very dated, but the urgency hidden underneath it, the motive of practically every character in it, is: "God, I hope I get it/I hope I get it...I need this job/Oh God, I need this show." That's what 9/10 professional actors go through every single day. Going into this profession is a brave, risky step - and I salute all of you who decide to take that step. After all, who knows? You might be the next Hugh Jackman, and then some middle-aged woman will obsessively buy all of your work, good and bad, on DVD!

Laters.