NYTimes.com: WHEN Reed Birney’s big break finally came, after 30 years as a journeyman actor in New York, he nearly let it pass him by. Like many performers who had seen dream role after dream role go to bigger stars, Mr. Birney had lost faith in himself. Supporting parts and forgettable guests spots on “Law & Order” were cold comfort as he watched, at home in pajamas, as former classmates like Sigourney Weaver and Mercedes Ruehl walked Hollywood red carpets. Mr. Birney even started to believe what an anonymous poster once wrote on a blog about his performances in countless nice-guy parts. That he was a lightweight.
1 comment:
This article was a well-needed perspective on life as an artist. Most of us only know the super successful/famous actors because they're the ones we see and hear about all the time. But there are a lot of talented actors out there who never make it big, but you keep going. You keep auditioning. You perserve. And sometimes it's not the way you thought it might be, but success and fulfillment find you. You can't be above small roles, nor can you be above new players in the game. Reed Birney adapted himself to work with each new person he encountered and he gained a reputation and a following. It's an example for all of us to look upon and see that unconventional success can be just as fulfilling as traditional broadway stardom, albeit in a very different way.
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