Monday Myth Debunker – Diversity Cost me the Job

Today’s #MondayMythDebunker felt appropriate. ⁠

This statement is an excuse. Using the push for diversity is an “easy” way for actors to feel like they have a sense of control and explanation as to why a career in acting is hard. ⁠

Acting is hard because the job itself is… pretty dang hard. And because there are a lot of good actors in the world.⁠

But the truth is that the best actor wins the job. And MANY times that is a Black person or person of color. ⁠

Note: This is not about making it harder for white actors, it’s about accurately portraying reality. ⁠

There are a million and two reasons why you might not have gotten a callback or a booking and blaming it on diversity is a tool to help you justify that. But it’s not accurate. ⁠

Seeing more BIPOC on TV isn’t just an HR initiative, it’s a more accurate representation of the world. ⁠

The scary part is, you’re just not used to seeing it. ⁠

It doesn’t feel 100% normal… yet. So to “normalize” it, we might say or think things to help us compartmentalize two noticeable things 1) there are more breakdowns out calling for diversity and 2) I’m not booking as much as I want to. However, one does not lead to the other. ⁠

While yes, we are making an active push to be inclusive & diverse in our casting (and yes, there is still a long way to go), this push is not a slippery slope to you not booking more work. ⁠

Things you can focus on instead: ⁠
☑ Your auditioning skills⁠
☑ Your research skills⁠
☑ Your listening skills⁠
☑ Your commitment ⁠
☑ Your confidence⁠
☑ Your mental health⁠
☑ Your thoughts⁠

Diversity is not taking away white roles. Diversity is balancing the scales. ⁠

And I promise you, your world will be elevated because of it. ⁠

#themoreyouknow#mondaymythdebunkers

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