Bright Lights, Fame, Celebrity, Acclaim, Riches, Paparrazzi, Glitter, Glamour. All of these adjectives pop into your mind when you think of Hollywood. It has been regarded as “The City of Dreams” the place to go to realize all your hopes and wishes but the question the begs an answer is, is Hollywood really the place for you?
People flock to Hollywood by the droves to pursue acting, directing, music, and modeling dreams. If you go to any one restaurant on the infamous Sunset Strip you are bound to find dozens upon dozens of struggling actors working as waitors and waitresses just trying to earn an income while they await their big break. It is a cutthroat business and not everyone is built for it. Even according to the Screen Actor’s Guild the unemployment rate for SAG members if 85, some feel that number may be higher.
This is not meant to dash your dreams because your Tom Cruises, Brad Pitts, Julia Roberts, and Reese Witherspoons started out a member of the name-less, face-less struggling actor pool but one should not confuse luck, being in the right place at the right time, knowing the right people with talent. Approach Hollywood like the business that it is and consider the odds if you decide to move out there then it will not be such a brutal reality check for you when you arrive.