“Should acting as a career be encouraged?” Discuss.

Topic: “Should acting as a career be encouraged?” Discuss.

Outline:
1. Describe briefly how acting as a career is rarely encouraged.
2. Give reasons why acting as a career should be encouraged.
- it is exciting and challenging.

3. Give reasons why acting as a career should not be encouraged.

- Being cast in a minor role can be frustrating.
- It requires irregular hours and is a stressful job.
- It is not a stable job.

4. Briefly conclude that acting as a career should only be encouraged if one has a natural talent for it, and has seriously considered the prospects.

Most schools have career and guidance department. Yet, teachers rarely advise young people to pursue a career in acting.

Acting may enable one to achieve fame and success overnight if he or she is talented. It may also provide the means for one to earn “fast cash”. However, this should not be the reason for encouraging young people to take up acting. Life as an actor or actress can be exciting and challenging. A talented actor should be able to portray an entire range of characters and emotions. Ben Kingsley, for example, who is not an Indian, had to take up the challenge of acting as Mahatma Gandhi, and he did it remarkably well.

To act convincingly, the actor has to immerse himself completely in the character he is portraying. Constant practice will gradually help to make the actor more skillful in his performance.

However, a career in acting would bring satisfaction and wealth only if one is successful as an actor or actress. Playing minor roles for a long time can be very frustrating for the unfortunate ones who fail to make it to the top.


Moreover, acting as a career can be highly stressful and demanding. One has to work long and irregular hours. A particular scene may need to be shot countless times if the producers are not satisfied.

Even successful actors and actresses can be frustrated, for they lose their privacy and freedom. Reporters and fans hound them for information and autographs every time they appear in public. Sometimes, even their lives are threatened.

Acting, though exciting, is also a rather unstable job. If there are no contracts available, actors and actresses may find themselves without jobs at a short notice.

In addition, the irregular hours often damage the personal and family lives of many people in the acting business. The divorce rate among people in this line of work is also alarmingly high.

In conclusion, I think that acting is just like any other career. It is to be encouraged only if it is one’s burning ambition. The person concerned must also possess a natural flair for acting. The prospects should also be carefully considered before a person decides to pursue a career in acting.