Searching for an honest answer
I recently took part in a mentorship program for actors. Among the many questions that came up, one stayed with me long after the session ended:
“Why do you want to be an actor?”
At first glance, it felt like a simple question — almost routine. But when I sat down to think about it honestly, the answer wasn’t easy.
That’s when I realised that this question has three operative words: Why, Want, and Actor. And each of them deserved to be examined on its own.
Why
I’ve grown up as a movie buff — mesmerised by the magic unfolding on the screen. Films were never just entertainment for me; they were windows into other lives, other emotions, other worlds.
Much later, during my corporate career, I discovered something else — the quiet power of empathy. Empathy towards colleagues. Empathy towards customers. Empathy towards situations that didn’t always have clear right or wrong answers.
That ability to feel, understand, and respond stayed with me. And somewhere along the way, it began looking for an outlet.
Want
This is the trickiest part of the question.
What do I really want? Money? Fame? Power?
I’ve known long enough that these aren’t my drivers. Not because they are wrong — but because they don’t sustain me.
My wants are simpler. To be kind. To meet good people. To keep learning. To grow — slowly and honestly — as a human being.
Acting, at its best, places you in spaces where all of this is possible.
Actor
I enjoy giving.
If I can make someone feel something — joy, discomfort, recognition, or even silence — isn’t that a form of giving?
Actors are uniquely placed to do that. We borrow lives, inhabit emotions, and return them to the audience with something altered — sometimes subtly, sometimes profoundly.
And perhaps most importantly, acting is something I can do for as long as I live. There is no retirement age for curiosity, observation, or feeling.
This is what I believe today.
It may change with time. Experience has a way of refining answers — or questioning them all over again.
For now, this is enough. Let’s wait and watch.
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