Well, I only graduated two and a half years ago, which may surprise some of you! In point of fact, though, I have been doing stints in professional acting on-off since the age of 16, and, when you total that up, I've been acting for 12 years or so.
For many years, I looked to earn my living at something else (which I suppose is the issue at hand), although I also earnt money from acting, and performed in some decent productions. In a real sense, there is little difference between my acting life then and now, other than the fact that now, I call myself an actor 24/7. But it was pointed out to me at one time that if I could say I got one or two decent professional gigs a year, whilst doing other things, then I was, in fact, doing as well at acting as some full time professionals. I had to concede that there was a point to that argument, and the sense in which I was non - professional was more a 'semantic' issue than anything else.
Still, going to drama school made me feel like I had finally 'credentialed' my commitment to acting, if you like. But when I say I have over a decade's experience in theatre and film, I'm (also) not lying!
So, it's complicated. I turned to acting 'full-time' when I realised I spent more time and energy committing to the plays/films etc. I was making than to my (supposed) full-time job. I'm sure the majority of us must have travelled that kind of path.
On a completely unrelated note - but apropos of Alan's discussions - the microbudget feature which I am most vociferously backing at the moment (and in which I appear), 'Burlesque Fairytales', is finally reaching a stage of final edit, before it heads to Cannes. Although it will have to be given into the hands of the money men eventually, I have felt all along that this project has been phenomenal - the quality of what has been shot, of the people who have become involved in it, belies totally the fact that *everything* (and I mean that) has been the sheer result of the *goodwill* of all involved. A top flight crew were willing to work on the project in their down time; remarkable actors were happy to put their hand to it; major film stock suppliers were happy to loan equipment; studio spaces was offered in the down seasons for filming. True, the guys behind the film had a great grounding in the cinema industry before they started - which has done immense things to boost their contact base, and the favours they can call in, but I still think the film is a magnificent example of what can be done when enthusiasm for seeing a film through outweighs the actual monies available at its inception. Please see http://www.doublebarrelproductions.co.uk/bc-march-08.html for a little more information on the project, if you're interested.
