Why Actors Should Take a Break
For years I never went on holiday. I was convinced of an immutable law that said that the moment I landed somewhere outside Los Angeles, New York or London the biggest gig of my life was going to present itself. In retrospect, perhaps the inverse was also true, that hanging out across the street from the studios with cell phone in hand meant that the big gig would never materialize.
As the years rolled by, I started to see the error of my strategy. (Not to mention that the years rolled by and I’d barely been north of Burbank). Operating in a state of total availability is nice in theory, but it comes at a heavy price, and ultimately does more harm than good.
The human mind and body require rest in order to perform. We have a basic physical need for down time, and a basic mental need for a change of scenery. Failure to attend to these things means burn-out, which means you’ll be playing at half-speed, or worse, just crash altogether.
There’s a sinister feeling amongst actors that we’re always at the industry’s beck and call. It can feel undignified at best, humiliating at worst. Moreover, by relinquishing too much, we lose the very elements that make us appealing in the first place, those attractive qualities of strength, courage and the desire to make our world and lives something extraordinary.
So take breaks as needed. Go away from time to time. The industry will still be around when you get back.