Thursday, July 25, 2013

I'm That Weird Actor …. by Guest Artist/Blogger Patrick Elliot


Patrick Elliot
Who am I? I'm that weird actor on set who no one is quite sure whether or not he's joking or not, but they really, really hope so. (Hint: almost always yes)

I think I'm a pretty good actor, I write pretty well, and I know all about (some people who are experts on) cameras and lighting. I could tell you some pretty useful things about the business and the craft of acting and writing from my training and experience, but honestly there are people with better credentials who will hopefully be blogging about that here in the future.

I'm not here to tell you how to act. I'm here to tell you why I act. First we must go back into flashback land via the squiggles below.


When I was younger I was a fan of a certain series of books that will remain unnamed (The Chronicles of Narnia), but I was certain that if unsaid books ever came to pass as movies, that I would be one of the first to be called up to be in them. Thing is by the time the rumors of the actual films showed up I had never acted. And now I don't know if they'll even finish making those movies, but it's cool...I ain't mad.



But anyway, I decided the time was nigh to get into acting, which I did via an avenue in which I had some experience—singing. So I auditioned for Smokey Joe's Cafe at the local theatre. From the beginning it had many difficulties which culminated in changing directors. The show eventually turned out great, but I discovered something in the midst of those rehearsals and performances—I really loved the people I had worked with. That, in itself, may be what hooked me on acting.



When I moved on to screen acting I discovered the love of those people was no less. In fact, I've met many people who would do anything for me just as I would do anything for them.

These are people like Chad Farmer who I shared a high school with, but we never met until not long ago in some film related venture. All I can think is, how did I miss out on meeting this awesome, kind, and downright hilarious guy. People like Roger Franks Sr. who cast me in one of his projects early in my screen acting career and has since become one of my best friends and collaborators. And, of course, I can't leave out my current acting coach, Kevin Patrick Murphy, who is not only a talented teacher and actor but goes out of his way for me to help advance my career beyond the what is required for a coach. I could go on forever.

Crystal intercepting here: My next blog will be about Kevin Patrick Murphy coming down the mountain and blessing us folks in the Upstate with …. well, you'll have to wait to find out ;) Keep checking back in with JC! Ok, Patrick…Carry On….

All of this carries over into my acting. (Okay, here's an acting tip). I act sacrificially. I do what I can in a scene to make the other person(s) look better and in turn come across as more believable myself. And it carries over into the business aspect as well. I find myself wanting to help everyone advance their careers and projects.

There is plenty competition, squabbling, and heartache involved in the film and television business. And at the end of the day, all we have is the product we create, the experience we've had, and the relationships we've formed. Fame and fortune are fleeting and difficult to grasp. Do what you do sacrificially. Do it for each other. That's why I act.

Patrick Elliott is an actor who will do handyman work for you if you'll like his facebook actor page here--->Patrick Elliot on FB.  He would also request everyone not take up his offer at once.  You may email him at your leisure at 81pelliott@gmail.com



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