Never Too Old

This week we lost a very talented character actor, Kathryn Joosten.  I didn't know her personally, but she always had a place in my heart as Mrs. Landingham in "The West Wing." 

Here are a couple facts about Ms. Joosten:

• She chose to follow her dream to become an actor at age 42.
• The first role you probably remember her in, "The West Wing," she booked when she was 59.
• She won two Emmy Awards for "Desperate Housewives" and the first one when she was 65.

People think Hollywood is only for the young and that as an actor you have some kid of expiration date stamped on you.  Many actors say that if they don't "make it" by 30 or some other completely arbitrary number that they will pack it in and go home. 

The truth is that there are a lot more than just young people in movies and on television.

Don't use your age an as excuse to give up, because the wonderful thing about acting is that you can do it no matter how old you are.  This isn't a sport that requires youth.  The acting muscle actually gets better with age and life experience certainly makes you a better actor.

There is no age limit on following your dreams.  Sometimes when we are young we take the easy path or path that was right at the time, but we come to realize we wish we were on a different path.  Many people might just look wistfully at the path they wish they had chosen without realizing that it's never to late to change things. 

It's never too late to start over, or try something new, or reach for something you never thought possible.  It just takes a little bravery and a willingness to take that first step.