The key to success? Commitment!

Here's a quote from Bryan Cranston after his SAG win on Sunday night:

"When you're an actor just starting out, you never plan for a vacation.  First of all, you can't afford it and second of all you're going to miss something.  So it gets ingrained in your lifestyle that you just go on searching and looking for your next job.  That's what we do forever.  In order to be an actor you need to totally commit.  Absolutely. You can't put your big toe in."

It's a philosophy that is hard for some people to follow once they arrive in Hollywood.  

It's easier to make the commitment when you're only dealing with one child in a family.  It wasn't the ideal situation for The Artist to be separated from his mom (and dog) for eight months last year.  We made it work because we wanted Zach to have a chance to see if this is really what he wants to do with his life.

I've met so many people that have left anywhere from 1-4 other children at home with the other parent.  I've been the odd man in the group because every other parent I've met that moved to Hollywood has been the mother of the child.  I've met some fathers on auditions and film sets but they have always been guys that have lived in Los Angeles for a good part of their lives.

It's tough for those parents to completely focus on acting because they're always thinking about the kid(s) left behind at home.  They plan trips home to see the rest of the family.  They work on getting home for proms, birthdays and school plays.

I get it.  I agree with it.  I understand the need to still be an active part of the family life back home.

It's not that casting directors, agents and managers don't agree with the need to go home on a regular basis.  They just don't have time to deal with it and keep their projects on track.

Which leads us back to the Bryan Cranston quote at the beginning of this post:

"In order to be an actor you need to totally commit.  Absolutely. You can't put your big toe in."

We've made the decision to totally commit.  It's a choice each family has to make but it's never an easy decision.

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