Adapt to Survive.

I don't trust actors. Mostly because I am one; I know how they work, I know how they MAKE it work, and I know what they DO in order to make it work.

Actors are psychopaths. We are also exceptionally good mimics.

Darwin introduced the revolutionary theory of "Survival of the Fittest", in which conveys the message that only the best adapted creatures will survive natural selection. Over the years, I have learnt to mimic certain human traits to perfection. A walk, a smile, a nervous tick, hopes, dreams, fears, that sort of thing. I can become anybody I like, and I probably should respect this talent. But I don't.

It starts off with a white lie. Actors have the ability to lie through their teeth, having had the practice of doing it through hundreds of characters' eyes beforehand. Pace your speech, don't raise your voice, and for god's sake, look them in the eye. That is the first step to spotting an actor.

Then, it's how they act under pressure. A very awkward meeting with very important people is the perfect scenario, particularly if the actor does not want to be there in the first place. They will be confident. Too confident. A smooth handshake, a forced smile that doesn't look forced at all, and they are all set to go. That is the second step to spotting an actor.

The third step is seeing them when they are alone. An actor spends so much of their day pretending to be other people, that when the last of the masks come tumbling down, they can find it difficult to react. The wringing of the hands, the waver in their voice, the slightly hitched breathing. All point towards an actor. It is very rare that any of the outside community can see this fragile state. We actors have to adapt to survive; we can't let the world see how vulnerable we are. That is the burden of wearing more faces than one. We don't know what our face looks like without a mask on.

So the next time you spot an actor, smile at them. We are dangerous, fragile, manipulative members of society, that can break you in a heartbeat.

We have to survive after all.

Reviews

[Jacob Clifford]

"I don't trust actors." Who does?!
Interesting collection of thoughts here, Ribhy, and from what I can tell, accurate. I can't really claim to have thought about this topic very much, but it does lend to some ponderous thoughts about actors I know or used to know. It ends quite well, too.

[RibhyMay]

Thank you ever so much! Hope things are OK down your end :)