full circle.

"the wheel is come full circle, i am here."

shakespeare's king lear

act v,  scene iii

we've all heard the stories of "normal" people being catapulted into fame just by being in the right place at the right time:

rosario dawson - discovered while sitting on her front stoop in NY

pamela anderson - discovered after appearing on the jumbotron at a CFL game

johnny depp - attended an audition with a friend out of sheer boredum; asked to read for a part in the film by wes craven himself; nailed it; booked it

charlize theron - discovered by an agent after throwing a fit at a LA bank

natalie portman - discovered while eating pizza in long island

jennifer lawrence - discovered while walking through the streets of NY with her mother

david boreanaz - was out walking his dog in LA; a talent manager spotted him and thought he'd be perfect for the role of "angel" in "buffy the vampire slayer"...

and, my personal favorite: 

harrison ford - while building cabinets for george lucas, he was asked to read lines for absent actors starring in his upcoming film, star wars; steven spielberg overheard these readings, loved them and hired him for the part of han solo...

i think you get the picture.
now, i am in no way demeaning the success of these actors/actresses but their respective "big break" stories is something most actors dream of.
that is why i find it so refreshing when i hear stories of successful actors whose rise to fame didn't come so easily.

one of my favorite examples of hard work and persistence is bradley cooper.
a few months ago, i watched his episode of "inside the actor's studio" and i was enamored.
he talked about being a student at the actor's studio drama school and asking robert de niro a question to starring alongside him in "limitless" (and now, silver linings playbook).
it was such an awesome feeling to watch him get emotional at the realization that he had just come around full circle.
the entire interview had me inspired and now has me longing for the moment when i realize that i, too, have come around full circle :)

enjoy the clip below!

xoxo TA

words of wisdom...

why, hello there :)

like i mentioned in one of my previous posts, i am obsessed with quotes.

so, i've decided to start sharing some of my favorite ones with you!
i'd like to call this segment of the blog 'words of wisdom'.

*corny, i know.

so, without further ado, i present to you today's 'words of wisdom' from the one and only, mark twain:

now, i don't believe that you should keep all your ambitions and goals a secret (which may be apparent by my previous post...)

i think that telling some people these things will give you the drive and determination to follow them through.

however, i do wholeheartedly agree with mr. twain  in that you should select those individuals you choose to confide in very selectively because, like another one of my favorite quote says : "few people actually care, the rest are just curious."

xoxo TA

goals are dreams...with deadlines.

"our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must

feverently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act."

- stephen a. brennan

(you'll quickly realize that i, "toronto actress", LOVE quotes!)

this particular blog post is pretty much self-explanatory - my goals for 2013.

i think it's important to write down any goals one may have as it gives you a clear focus on what you want to achieve. it is only then that you can then formulate a plan of attack as to how you're going to go about achieving said goals.

so, with all that being said, here are my GOALS for 2013:

i) book union gigs - an actor or SOC role on degrassi, la complex (*this list was written before the show was (unjustly) cancelled), hannibal, port hope, beauty and the beast, saving hope, rookie blue, cracked, MOW, feature film, etc.

ii) obtain FULL ACTRA MEMBERSHIP - i've come to realize that if one wants to be taken seriously in this industry, union status is a must!

iii) join YEAA - network! network! network!

iv) self-tape for projects in the US - i need to start taking advantage of my dual-citizenship...ness.

v) immerse yourself in the acting world!

vi) keep training! 

vii) diversify your special skills.

now, on to the HOWs:

i) coaching prior to auditions, isolating myself for an hour before auditions, arrive at least 30 mins early;  relaxation exercises, use nerves to benefit (ex. practice lines after doing jumping jacks so you're used to increase heart beat, etc.)

ii) goes back to #1 - don't forget about ACTRA classes for additional credits!

iii) as soon as you get (i) and (ii) under control, THIS!

iv) movies at the TIFF lightbox, film festivals, watching inside the actor's studios, etc.

v) classes and privates at lewis baumander's, john riven (*keep emailing), second city...

vi) keep horseback riding, sign up for silks class, take dance classes, etc.

hopefully writing down these goals and the creation of my vision board (i will post it in a later entry) will help me remain focused on my goals and the steps i need to take to achieve them.

xoxo

TA

allow me to introduce myself...

why hello there...

let me take a moment to (quasi)introduce myself - my name is “toronto actress”. clearly, that’s not the name my mother gave me but it’s the alias i’m choosing to use...for now. basically, i’ve taken a page out of backstage’s “secret agent man” and have chosen to keep my true alias a secret. perhaps, one day i will reveal myself.

i’ve been wanting to start a blog for a very long time but never really knew exactly what i wanted to blog about. then it dawned on me - why not blog about the struggles of being an up and coming actress in toronto? through acting classes and various other blogs of similar natures, i’ve come to realize that there a lot of us in the exact same boat. so, i’ve decided to start documenting my experiences as i navigate through this crazy, crazy world.

if anything, this could be a way to document the strides i’m making as an actress and will be a great resource for the days i’m feeling down and out...

thank you for coming on this journey with me.

...and, away we go!

xoxo TA

ps. the title of this blog - "it's a long shot but i say why not" - comes from one of my favorite kelly clarkson songs, long shot.
the words of this particular song really resonate with me and i often play it when i'm feeling discouraged.
take a listen :)