In this short video, the director of the Montreal School of Performing Arts, talks about the different types of people who are interested in studying acting, and their motives.

Video Transcription

Interviewer: What kind of peoples do you see coming through our door here in SOPA? Interviewee: We have the young eager childhood decided like you know, I really want to do that, starting at the age of six, and where the parents is like. You know what I think he got something and you have the teenager who wants to do this or our parents were doing it for them get out the shyness. Then we have the not so cute anymore, stage I call them because when they were younger they were cute and everybody is telling “Yeah! You can do this”, and then they are like “you know what? Maybe I should do this!” You have people who want to do it professionally, and then you will have, a what, in the past five years. Our people in their late 30’s, and 40’s, and 50’s, and 60’s and 70’s, and 80’s, and even 90’s. You know what, I always want to do this. This was something, I was in High School and I enjoyed and I dropped out because my parents wanted and I have to, and or you have those people who are pursuing at a younger age. And then they got married and became mommies and daddies and so they come and pursue this again. So I have professionals, I have housewives, teachers, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, broadcaster, all different kinds of people from different nationalities, from different income that is probably not the right word to use but from all wall walks of the life of the states. Interviewer: Why do you think it is so appealing this type of business and why do you get so many different types of people? Interviewee: It is appealing because people, thinks it is very glamorous, it is not glamorous. We get a lot of people wanting to come in when they understand the reality of the business, they are running out. You know, I mean, I had the students on sat and they are like”Why? I want” so long and “oh my goodness, oh I hate this! I hate this! I hate this!” This was like your in the wrong business you know and you watch entertainment tonight, and you watch the award shows, and they read the inquirer, and you see, all this glamour. Interviewer: Yes. Interviewee: When, and the beauty and the good looking, and everything like that so everybody wants to be a part of that. They want to be one of the beautiful people but the thing is, is that they are part of the beautiful people who—because we are thin. Interviewer: Right. Interviewee: But it is sort of like you want to be royalty because you see everything that is being done for you; everybody wants to be rich, right? I mean like hey, I like to have people come and clean my house everyday. But, so that is a lot of people getting to it for the wrong reasons and some people do not stick with it because it is not what they wanted. It is not what they expected, they were expecting “whoa geez! I am taking the acting class” so come how agents not coming calling me? Why am I not on TV yet? You know, and then when the real voice it is like hey! It’s not as easy. Think about how many scams have they have been over the years and still existing today. All right, capitalizing on people’s dreams and ignorance, all right, and people spending thousands, hundreds and thousands of dollars because they are told “yeah, we are going to have some people on the panel, and your going to be an actor. People jump in to this not knowing what they are getting themselves into. Interviewer: Yes. Interviewee: And then when it does in, it happen, you know, I have a student, he is like “Why I cannot go to L.A.?” ‘This was the second week of the class. Interviewer: Wow. Interviewee: When can I go to L.A.? I want to go to L.A, and he was like. He was not even paying attention to what is going on to the class, you know, it is a very delusional business.