The following Career Dispatches essay was written by actor Dallas Liu, who currently co-stars as Shuji Ishii-Peters on Hulu’s “Pen15,” which streams in full Friday, Feb. 8.
The acting advice I would give my younger self would be to stay focused, remain confident, work hard, and don’t overthink and get distracted by what other actors are doing.
Growing up, I was always extremely competitive in everything I participated in, and acting was no different. I’ve been an actor for about five years, but there is one defining moment that I vividly remember that helped shape me into the actor I am today.
Sometimes, the audition process can be long and grueling, with callbacks that have you waiting around while other people are auditioning. About two years ago, I was at a callback and just waiting around in the lobby. As I was sitting there, I started to look around at the other kids going in for the part, and I began to feel really nervous. I started to overthink and became overwhelmed with thoughts of how well the other actors were auditioning and how great their acting skills were. These factors were completely out of my control, but I couldn’t help but focus on them. By the time I went in for my audition, I was a mess and it was a train wreck. Instead of focusing on having a successful audition, I was beating myself up over what others were doing. And the truth is, I didn’t even know anything about them, what they’ve been through, or how they auditioned.
That experience taught me a lesson: Worrying about others served no positive purpose in my journey. That, coupled with overthinking, threw my focus off, which caused me to ruin the audition for myself. It negatively affected my acting and it could have had adversely affected my budding career. The feeling of utter disappointment for not getting the part because of my own actions, actions that I could control, was an eye-opener.
I had no idea what journey other people were on, what they had to go through, and what the future holds for them. In that moment, because of my competitive nature, I felt that I was not on the same level as them. I always felt a sense of jealousy when I was around other actors because it seemed like they were constantly booking and working with amazing actors on incredible shows, and this prevented me from opening up and making friends. I lost out on making genuine connections and learning from other actors’ experiences because I was too competitive and not confident enough in myself. During auditions, while I was around other actors my age, I was tense and nervous. Instead of trusting the process and enjoying the moment, I was focused on being scared of embarrassing myself. I was so worried about what they would think about me if they got the job and I didn’t.
Because of that failed audition, I realized that I needed to stay focused on myself, be confident in my talent, work hard, and don’t overthink. Everything else didn’t matter. Have trust in the path that you are on. Understand that as long as you work hard toward your goals, opportunities will follow, and everything will fall into place.
READ: How to Stay Present in Auditions
The amount of opportunities in this industry are endless. Make an effort to get to know your fellow actors, ask questions, and be open. You never know who you are going to meet and where a project can take you. Stay focused on yourself and don’t worry about what others are doing and how they are doing it—because ultimately, being yourself is going to be what separates you from the rest.
In this profession, there are so many factors that you can’t be in control of. Not every part will be in your favor; some auditions will be more difficult than others; and sometimes, you may just have an off day. That is all OK. No matter what you do, or how hard you try, some things in life are not going to go your way. Focus on improving your craft as an actor to make yourself distinct from others. Understand your flaws. Don’t beat yourself up if one of your friends is booking more roles than you; it doesn’t do you any good. This is your journey. Sticking to your instincts will take you a long way, no matter how bumpy the road is. You have to learn how to handle rejection gracefully. Don’t harp on if you don’t book a job, there is always another opportunity waiting for you. Be gentle on yourself.
Life is a learning experience. Stay focused, have confidence in your abilities, work hard toward your goals, and don’t overthink it.
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