“This is what I tell young women who ask me for career advice. People are going to try to trick you. To make you feel that you are in competition with one another. ‘You’re up for a promotion. If they go with a woman, it’ll be between you and Barbara.’ Don’t be fooled. You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone.” – Tina Fey, Bossypants
“Excellence is not a destination we reach, but is an unending process of constant improvement. Those who pursue excellence aren’t in direct competition with others, for they measure themselves against their own accomplishments. Excellence is deliberate, not an accident that we stumble upon. It is about asking of ourselves more than others do; it is about harboring thoughts of excellence all the time!” – John Ramsey
So are we in competition with everyone? Or no one? I think as far as acting goes, it’s a little of both. There’s only just a few other Caucasian, brown haired, brown eyed girls out there who are also pursuing acting. Just a few. (Okay, if you didn’t catch the sarcasm there, I’ll just tell you straight up. There are likely millions. Okay, now that we got that cleared up!)
But on the other hand, there is only one of me. Nobody else has my unique qualities. Sure some may be able to play the piano, snowboard, or cry on cue. But nobody has each individual and unique trait that I do altogether folded into one… me.
A lot of times in film and television, they will change a role from a man to a woman or vice versa. Sometimes the writers don’t really even know what they want until they see it, so casting directors will bring in actors of varying nationalities, gender, ages, builds, etc.
One day it will be a dude. One day it will be a dog.
Bottom line? I’ll choose to just compete with myself. After all, I am the only thing I can control in this industry. All I can do is be the best actress that I can be (cue “Go Army” commercial) so that I am prepared when opportunities come my way.
