When I grow up...

Standing alone on the coast of Wisconsin seems an appropriate moment to write this blog.
One of the standard questions that reporters pose to movie stars is the ever-popular, "If you weren't an actor, what would you do?" Answers that I've heard range from the ordinary (English teacher, James van der Beek), sarcastic (pumping gas, Sam Rockwell), and the strangely honest (I don't know, Paul Rudd.) But I think it's certainly a crisis of faith that every actor goes through. So I've been thinking about it. Now of course the first few answers will be "director, writer, musician, critic" but since those are also in the entertainment industry, I'll move on to other answers.

I think I would make a pretty good high school or college English teacher. Not only do I really enjoy the literature, but the best teachers are the ones who are eager to pass that love along to their students. If I had it to do again, I would have gotten my college degree with a teaching certificate as well as an English degree. I think I would also enjoy working in the field of publishing. Whether it is proofreading and editing manuscripts or magazines, or being that scout who is always trying to find the "next big thing," I would respond well to both the corporate atmosphere as well as the creative subjects. Or if I somehow fell into the profession, I bet I could be a fantastic owner of a used book store. It would combine my love of books, my love of working on my own, and my love of working regular hours.

But let's face it, no matter what other jobs I might find, there is no other job that I would rather have than actor. Long days, low pay, and a rush that I don't get from anything else in the world.