I Wish Actors Weren't So Insecure

It seems to be the trait that most actors share, and, yet, it's the one trait NO actor should possess.

Actors should be *fearless*. If they don't possess such courage and a willingness to push and expose themselves (I don't mean physically, although occasionally that may be necessary) then, quite frankly, they're in the wrong business, and should do a job that is better-suited to their limits.

Of course, NO actor should be subjected to abuse and exploitation. That is unacceptable under all circumstances, and not what I'm referring to here. But they shouldn't be embarrassed about 'looking foolish' or taking on roles that are 'unrepresentative' of themselves. That doesn't mean they should be required to do nudity (and IMHO most nude scenes/shots are wholly unnecessary, and are usually gratuitous and exploitative; once agsin, that's not what I'm referring to), but it does mean that they shouldn't be so high-and-mighty when it comes to playing characters they dislike or require them to play evil and/or stupid. Like I say, anyone who's not willing to 'lower' themselves to playing an unsympathetic and/or absurd character, *shouldn't* be acting in the first place.

To give an example, I can think of one actor who declined a great role in an excellent recent movie, which would have required him to play a fat character. This actor is still regarded/known as a fat actor, although I believe they have recently lost weight. I understand they suffer from insecurity etc, but, once again, if that's their problem, maybe they should question whether acting is for them.

Like Arnold said "If you've got lemons, make lemonade." In other words, STOP being so precious about typecasting or pigeonholing, and SERVE the damn material. You AREN'T bigger than the industry in which you work.