The Day I Began my Career

Throwback to 24 year old me.
I had been in LA for only a few months. I had a manager who told me I was too overweight and ugly to ever be an actor.
I wish I could say that I left her immediately, but I stayed for about a year, trying and trying and trying to fit into HER idea of an actor.
One day I had a meeting with the then head of the Academy, the inspirational Hawk Koch. 
He asked me, Why are you in LA? Do you want to be famous? Or do you want to be an actor?
I told him, I want to be an actor.
He said, good, because no one can make you famous, and there's nothing you can do to make yourself famous. That's like saying your dream is to the win the lottery, and unless you win the lottery, you won't consider yourself successful or happy. That's a recipe for a miserable life.
BUT! While no one can make you famous, no one has the power to keep you from acting, no one. So if you want to act, act--write a short film, do a play, arrange a play reading. 
No one can make you famous, but no one can keep you from acting.
This photo is from the day I dumped that manager. This is the day I started my acting career.