His exact words were, “I don’t go to work every day. I go to fun.”
I had worked with the brilliantly talented Gary Marachek when I was a professional actress many years ago. And while I parlayed my acting training and experience into a successful career as a motivational speake r, Gary continued working in theater, television and film, becoming highly sought after in his field. My husband and I had traveled to Miami where he was performing as King Arthur in Spamalot at the Actors Playhouse and after the show I asked him, “How have you been so successful in your career, Gary? There are literally thousands and thousands of extremely talented actors out there who can’t get work. How do YOU do it?”
And that’s when he laid the “fun” thing on me.
Okay, before you say, “We’ll, he’s an actor! That’s a fun job,” let me assure you of something. Being an actor is extremely challenging. Heck, just trying to GET work as an actor sends most people back to Plan B (also known as waiting tables.) And then when you do get an acting job, prepare yourself. Long rehearsals, difficult personalities, other actors who don’t learn their lines fast enough, technical problems, dress rehearsals with missing props, high stress opening nights with cranky critics. Critics who sit in the audience, arms crossed, glaring at you, with a look on their faces that reads, “Okay. Show me. I don’t like you already, but you just go ahead and show me, dog breath.”
Ah, sounds like the real world, right? Same issues, different examples.
Gary Marachek has fun because 1)He picked a career he loves and 2)He decided he wanted to have fun. Yes, he decided he was going to have fun. That is a decision that we make. And make no mistake, when HE is having fun at his job, the producer, the director, the tech people, the other actors – LOVE being around him. And that becomes his brand:
The fun, talented actor who producers love to hire, everyone loves to work with and people love to pay money to see in action.
So. Are you having fun yet? It might very well be the secret to your massive success!
