In a 🌎 where 99.9% of people only share their
#wins
on social media, I want to start sharing my
#losses
too.
Not for sympathy, but for
#transparency
. As
#actors
, it can often feel like EVERYONE else in the industry is working but u.
If u’ve been feeling like that, read on. 👇🏻
I hope sharing this loss makes you feel less alone.
Pursuing an acting career means inevitable rejection - often LOTS of it.
#Rejection
ISN’T the opposite of
#success
, it’s a VERY necessary part of it.
Think of every rejection as a medal, proving you tried!
#KeepTrying
😀 X
GUTTED! And I’ve been mega-careful folks.
I’m fully vaxxed, always wear a mask, sanitise etc… be careful out there!
Christmas dinner for one AGAIN! 🙈🤣🙈
Have to respectfully disagree with Olivia on this.
👉
How is it ‘disrespectful’ or ‘really rude’ for a casting director to offer an actor an opportunity to land a job, often worth £thousands (or hundreds of £thousands in Olivia’s case) in their own time,
Had your little
#sister
on the vlog this week
@DannyBMiller
!
You’ve got a little shout out in there too! 🙌🏻🎬🙌🏻
Drop me a text and we’ll grab a brew soon mate! 👍☕️👍
Full ep here: 👉🏻
A little thread about
#rejection
…
I received 2 emails, from actors over the weekend, both struggling to deal with rejection from auditions that they cared A LOT about.
I think social media amplifies the pain of rejection at times - as we don’t talk about it… so let’s talk!
✅ EVERY ‘no’ is one step closer to a ‘YES’ - seriously this is a numbers game.
✅ Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been, in order to stand up taller and stronger than you have ever been before.
✅ Dwelling on what you cannot
#change
, will NEVER bring you anything
#positive
.
✅ Rejection ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT YOU!
✅ Look at the rejection FOR WHAT IT IS. Nothing more, nothing less - just what it is.
Ultimately, I just lost out on a job - nothing more than that.
Made a decision today, to write one of the best sitcoms of the last 20 years...
... quite a lofty
#goal
... BUT... I reckon I can do it.
Most of my life has been a joke (in a good way) - so how hard can it be? 🤣🤣🤣
Will keep you posted! 🙌🏻😀🎬🚀
✅ Look for what you GAINED...
I lost a job, but I gained a great relationship with 3 casting directors, an all-expenses paid trip to
#Canada
, and some wonderful memories.
✅ Realise that rejection is evidence you are pushing your limits.
Rejection is proof you are...
Think my most recent episode of
@itvcorrie
airs tonight!
I’ll have the director - Kevin Boyle - joining me LIVE on our next
@ActOnThisTV
member Zoom call next Thursday night too!
We’re gonna play out my self-tape, compare it to the actual scene in the show - and Kev will be
I had the misfortune of attending the funerals of 2 great friends last week - both actors.
Both would no doubt give anything to be here, having another crack at landing that next job - big or small.
ENJOY the journey.
151,000 people who woke up yesterday, didn’t today.
... living OUTSIDE of your
#comfortzone
.
✅ Rejection is a great teacher.
I’ve learnt that an acting career in the US/ Canada is a genuine possibility, that I’d never fully considered before.
FINALLY...
✅ Your past DOES NOT equal your future.
More opportunities will arise.
It’s been amazing watching
@jonnyweldon
’s journey over the past 3 years!
A guy who embodies everything I try & instil in
@ActOnThisTV
members!
✅ Focus on YOUR career (not the competition).
✅ Put out GOOD work into the world.
✅ Be CONSISTENT.
✅ Deploy PATIENCE!
If you do
#ACTORS
- got a quick QUESTION for you! 👇
I’ve been lucky enough to book 5 TV jobs from self-tapes in 2023…
Obviously the
#1
thing is that you’re deeply connected to the text… BUT…
@Petch_ActOnThis
and I have really upped our game when it comes to lighting & colour grading.
***IMPORTANT*** - before we start the new week, I just wanted to say...
#thankyou
🙌🏻😀❤️
If you’re following me anywhere on
#socialmedia
- it means the 🌎!
Don’t think I’ve ever said it, so thought it was time!
Ultimately, realise that Twitter/ Instagram etc. are often just highlight reels of our wins, achievements and humble brags.
I’ve been guilty of that too - & I often receive messages from actors who aren’t feeling enough.
Please know YOU ARE ENOUGH, with or without a flashy job.
CALLING ALL
#creatives
... just some observations on the echo-chamber of
#negativity
on Twitter recently! 👇🏻
Who’s up for making
#POSITIVITY
in our industry LOUDER?
C’mon - share a win you’ve had this week! 🙌🏻😀🙌🏻
Always ❤️ it when those BIG, FAT royalty checks come flying in - & you can go all out and buy...
Erm... a third of a
@CostaCoffee
! 🤣
BUT... in all seriousness, isn’t it amazing that
@EquityUK
ensure actors receive literally every penny they’re owed?
I’ll drink to that! ☕️😀☕️
It’s been a tough day, but 12 hours later, I’m all good again.
I’ve been lucky enough to have some AMAZING people around me this last decade, and I’ve learnt an awful lot about human
#psychology
&
#emotionalmastery
.
Let me quickly share what I’ve learnt with you. Hope it helps!
The feelings I felt in 2014 came rushing back to me.
“How has this happened again?”
“How can I feel so perfect for a role and not land it?”
“Will I ever be good enough?”
I’m used to rejection, but when you feel so very connected to a role, it’s wayyy harder to deflect.
Had a lot of emails from actors struggling with confidence this week.
Please stop letting
#potential
go to waste because u don’t feel ‘ready’ enough.
People with half ur talent are making waves, whilst you’re sat there waiting for some fictional ‘right’ time.
You’re ready NOW!
Truly honoured to be asked to be patron of such an incredible charity!
I’ve seen the marvellous work OUAS do, first hand, over the last couple of years, and I can’t wait to help them have an even greater impact throughout 2020 & beyond!
Big ❤️
@DannyBMiller
@djillings
!
🙌🏻😀🙌🏻
Over the coming weeks we are doing to introduce you to our new PATRONS & AMBASSADORS. Here’s our first 💫
We are really excited to announce our BRAND NEW Patron of Once Upon a Smile is....
Actor, Voiceover Artist and Creator of
@ActOnThisTV
Mr
@rossagrant
An absolutely 🔥🔥🔥
#podcast
with
@DannyBMiller
now edited!
Should be able to get it up on MONDAY NIGHT!
Honestly - you’ll frickin ❤️ the openness and
#honesty
in this one.
MUCH more than just a chat about
#acting
!
SUPER-excited to have the AWESOME casting director
@DanHubbard
back on
@ActOnThisTV
next TUESDAY night!
👉 🔥
Dan’s latest credits include BBC's The Famous Five, BRAND NEW Jason Statham movie The Beekeeper and upcoming Guy Ritchie TV series The
Anyway, 7 days of waiting ended today, with a really lovely email from casting, telling me that the job had gone to their ‘other choice’.
The casting director’s email was incredibly
#kind
, but no less disappointing to receive.
I’m only human, and it really stung.
... led to me being flown out to
#Toronto
last week for a chemistry read with the show’s lead actress.
I was looked after INCREDIBLY well, had the time of my life, and gave it my all.
It was one of those
#castings
where you walk out knowing you couldn’t have done any more.
Fully stand by what I’m saying here! 👇🏻😀👇🏻
If you’re living with a
#disability
, don’t hide away - go out and ASK for what you want. You’ll be surprised by how much
#support
you’ll receive.
#DisabilityFocus2019
"Life will pay price you ask of it, but what are you asking for?"
@rossagrant
gives his advice for a young person with a disability looking to get into the media.
#DisabilityFocus2019
#IDPWD19
Today I found out I’d lost out on the biggest opportunity of my 21 year
#actingcareer
.
I was up for a career-changing role in an awesome CBS/
#WarnerBros
TV show, produced by a guy who’s pretty much
#Hollywood
royalty.
5 weeks of hustle, self-tapes, & 56 emails...
Giving my condition a voice, and getting to use my adversity as
#advantage
has always been a dream of mine.
Y’see, I often have to ‘fake’ being sighted when filming ‘normal’ roles - playing a visually-impaired character would allow me to remove that layer of stress.
Hey Steve -
@StevenBartlett
- just wanna say a MASSIVE THANKS for going wayyy above and beyond there mate!
Thanks for taking the time out to chat - means the 🌎!
Another video coming soon to
@ActOnThisTV
folks! Looking at what
#success
REALLY MEANS!
In my 20+ years of being an actor, one thing I’ve learnt is that you NEVER set your hopes too high.
I’d been in a similar-ish situation, in 2014, and that role didn’t go my way - so I didn’t want to get too carried away this time!
That’s MUCH easier said than done though!
This role, & the role back in 2014 meant more to me than most acting gigs.
Both opportunities were to play a
#visuallyimpaired
character.
I’m a visually-impaired actor, living with a degenerative eye condition called
#RetinitisPigmentosa
.
Ending the week with MASSIVE
#GRATITUDE
to
@SalfordRoyalNHS
!
Found a dodgy-looking mole, went to the GP, got an urgent referral & had it excised... ALL IN JUST 4 DAYS!
Thankfully it came back clear.
These guys are ANGELS! ❤️
If you notice anything odd - PLEASE GET IT CHECKED!
The only pic I took at
@DannyBMiller
’s wedding last weekend… and it was in the toilets after 8 Jack Daniel’s! 🙈🤣🙈
#mustdobetter
📸
Huge
#congrats
to you and Steph Danny! 👰♀️🤵♂️
Looking a bit drunk here too
@djillings
! 🍻😜🥂
It’s only taken a decade, but the
@ActOnThisTV
YouTube channel passed 1 MILLION VIEWS this week!
Thanks to everyone who’s ever watched a video - I’ll try and add more stuff moving forward too!
If you’re an actor and not subscribed...
Go subscribe 👉 🎬
Maybe I’m just not getting it?
Marking VE Day with
#theconga
is probably bad enough...
But THIS surely isn’t effective
#socialdistancing
?
2 metres can’t mean very much, when you’re all running into each other’s exhaled breath, and everyone is holding the same rope? 🙈
One of the most enjoyable
#voiceovers
I’ve done this year - spitting some sick rhymes as ‘Lil Smudge’, in the new
@PetsatHome
commercial!
If you’ve got a
#dog
or a
#cat
- you’re gonna wanna get on this! 👇🏻🐶🐱
#nomorefleas
👉🏻
Calling all
@ActOnThisTV
members! I’m back in the UK after an INCREDIBLE weekend
@veecon
with the legend that is
@garyvee
!
Got so much to share with u guys on the future of our industry!
If you messaged or emailed me in the last week, bear with me - I’ll reply as soon as I can!
MASSIVE shout out to my man
@DannyBMiller
who’s up for best serial drama performance at this years
#NTAs
! 👏🏻
If u wanna learn how to develop a
#winners
mindset, in order to give your best in front of the camera, don’t miss this 90 MINUTE
#podcast
!
👉🏻 🤯
Hey
@richardbranson
- this is
@AldcroftJosh
and Kelly - the 2 best cabin crew EVER! They couldn’t have done more for me onboard yesterday!
Kelly has worked for
@VirginAtlantic
for 20 YEARS - and it’s her birthday tomorrow!
She SOOO deserves a weekend at Necker! 😃☀️🏝️🥳
I’ve just sent 47 email replies out to
#actors
who aren’t feeling enough right now!
This is just a Friday
#reminder
that NOTHING u EVER achieve on this 🌍- will EVER BE
#GREATER
THAN BEING GIVEN A
#LIFE
IN THE FIRST PLACE!
You’re reading this, you’re here - YOU’VE ALREADY WON!
I’ve been an
#actor
15 years, & I’m not even close to where I aim to be!
That’s the game, and you’ve got to ❤️ the
#process
.
Of course, at times I’ve felt like
#givingup
.
ONE thing I KNOW for sure though, is that EVERYONE feels that.
Struggling yourself? I made you this... 👇🏻
If you scroll down Twitter, in the echo-chamber of the
#acting
industry, you’d be forgiven for thinking EVERYONE is landing auditions, booking jobs and living their best lives… EXCEPT YOU!
And that’s because people only tend to share their WINS… not their REJECTIONS…