I haven’t always been the way I am today. I used to be quite shy and very self-conscious. The thing that progressively changed my personality for the better is my lifelong involvement in acting.
When I was three, my parents signed me up with a talent agency downtown. The calls for auditions were few and far between, but the ones that did come were extremely exciting. When I was little, I was very nervous at auditions. Telling some strange adults about myself was very hard to do, and to get the part, I had to do it well. After each audition, though, it became easier to express myself and auditions were no longer viewed with apprehension.
During the early part of my life I got a number of jobs doing commercials, modelling, and T.V. shows. These jobs, aside from being very enjoyable to do, had little part in shaping my present personality. The older I became, the less I could rely on my attractive looks, and the more I had to rely on acting skills. This forced me to learn how to act. This made auditions hard again, because I could no longer just smile and look cute. I had to show I could play the part. The first part I got where I had to act was on a Raffi T.V. show. I had to sing and dance, which I couldn’t do, but I tried as hard as I could to pretend that I could, and I got the part. That Raffi show is probably the most fun I’ve had in acting. I was able to sing and dance and express myself in ways I had never ventured. This opened many door for me because when I blended some of my acting into my real personality, life became more enjoyable and less restricted.
When it came time to choose a high school, I chose Lord Byng because of its drama program. The older I got, the fewer parts I was getting outside of school, and since I loved acting so much, Lord Byng was the ideal school for me. Instantly, I noticed how many other people were involved in acting, and how hard I had to work if I wanted to make it into Theatre Company.
One thing high school did to me was make me very self-conscious, about the way I talked, walked, dressed, and even about the things I said. I was having to censor my real personality just to try and fit in. it didn’t work because for the first three years at Byng, I was really only friends with a few guys.
The turning point in my high school career and possibly my life was my involvement Acting 11/12. In this class, I learned how to play characters that were so different from myself, it made me do things as other people that I wouldn’t have the courage to do as myself. In a way this showed me how I should be able to do what I want, how I want, and when I want, without worrying what other people wanted. I realized that when I changed views, I lost a couple of friends, but the ones I gained are also real people like myself. I’ve also found it easier to talk to girls, and I consider many of them good friends. No matter what I do in life, I feel acting will always help me.
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