If you ever listen to "Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast" and I beg of you to do so as any one working in entertainment, you get some true wisdom.
In his last episode, actor Bernie Kopell, better known as Dr. Adam Bricker on "The Love Boat" expunges on his career in Hollywood. His friendships and anecdotes of ol' Hollywood doesn't exist anymore. But his message is much more valuable (as he never even considered what he said, a real message). It is this...his attitude has always been gratitude.
When you work in this business, the hardest thing to do is to stay positive. Not because it isn't common knowledge it comes with hard work. But people you meet and know and know for a long time will come and go. So most people create a bubble around them. To stave off anger, resentment and jealousy. Anyone who says they haven't felt a twinge of it, especially in a creative outlet, is lying. Or faking it, since it's shitty to feel that towards a friend.
The worse people are the people who can't be happy for you. We do this a lot. We don't even know we are. We knock people down because we feel slighted in life. I am guilty. So are people I've met through the years. As you drive through town, everything becomes a strange haze of people who will never understand this. Maybe in a different degree. Like...when your wife comes home from work and says "Becky thinks she's all that!" Same thing.
But it seems to be much more magnified in a creative business, since our business is...us.
The dynamics of this business have changed. I ran into a guy at the gym in the sauna (no homo). He had Ohio State gear on and so I had to ask. Turns out we went to the same college back there. We're both Buckeye fans but went to Bowling Green State. He's out here to be an actor. Young guy, handsome in a very traditional blonde Aryan way. We got talking about how the business has changed to Netflix or Amazon creating content. Supplanting the 3 studios that ruled Hollywood. Actors have caught on to this. NAMED actors. So his stock in even trying to get a toe hold has dropped dramatically. Use to be a person starting their career can get opportunities in television. Or a streaming series. Nope. Named actors have "down shifted" to those roles. And a named actor is going to trump a no-name every time. I felt so terrible that what is left are...really really REALLY terrible pilots.
If you ever have a chance to be a part of one, you know why they are so bad. Most attempt to ape a pre-existing one formula. Since most people have no reputation, a lot of it falls flat. "Friends" was the template when I was first starting out. All the "Friends" knockoffs are bad. "Friends" was bad to begin with. These are downright dumpster fires. BUT, I applaud anyone trying. People think my shit is hot garbage. BUT...BIG BIG BUT...I keep going. My new attitude is gratitude. Gratitude that I have the opportunity to make movies. On film. That I have friends who I can always call and do things with. To be a part of my own production hand is something I am and always will be grateful. The bitching part comes from...most likely NOT showing how much more better we can do.
Which is another thing....
Another part of the podcast, Bernie spoke of an old Jewish tradition. When you have success, no one speaks of it, for fear that they will be cursed by God. I guess in a sense it is like...vanity. To be proud is to fall hard. Most people hate people who have success. Because it means they've failed. Untrue! It means we can all keep trying. I keep trying. You keep trying. We try together. It is unconscionable that ones success means others failed. I have friends who have everything I'd ever wanted. Or think it's what I wanted. I doubt it. We are more alike than we realize. Gratitude. Be grateful. I am. Or at least I'm learning to be more.
Thanks Bernie.
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