Around the world young women and girls from all walks of life are evaluating their options for future careers; trying to establish what they’re good at educationally and extra-curricularly, and what they’re passionate about. Sometimes you get an instinct early on that you want to follow a specific career path while on other occasions you reach your calling later in life yet there is one industry that seems to attract people more than any other.
The entertainment industry, and particularly acting, is one that is filled with opportunities for people from all backgrounds and has proven to be a great leveller between the rich and the poor and those with qualifications as well as those with fewer educational achievements. Acting is the kind of thing that some children are encouraged to get into at a young age with parents taking them to classes after school or sending them to ‘camps’ in the holidays. For those who are given the chance to study drama at school it is a chance to really flourish in a lesson that gets you out of the typical classroom environment where they may not be as interested or talented and into a lesson where they can show their true talents.
Following in the footsteps of celebrities and idols is one reason for pursuing a career in acting, as it is in a lot of industries it must be said. Actresses like Angelina Jolie and Sandra Bullock have inspired a number of youngsters to follow a career in acting with the aim of making it to Hollywood; while the likes of Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor have had a similar role in inspiring young girls to become stars in Indian and Hindi movies at some point in the future.
Young people are easily influenced, especially while they’re between the ages of 8 and 13 when they start to look up to their elders and realise the power that some individuals have on the rest of the world – a bit like every young boy with a passion for football wanting to be “the next David Beckham” for example.
There are then the attractions of fashion and fame, with a lot of young girls drawn to the opportunity to wear some amazing outfits on screen and at the premieres. Being presented with dresses and shoes from the biggest names in the fashion industry is something that no woman could turn down, and when youngsters see their idols walking down the red carpet in the latest creation from a big-name designer, they’re even more likely to want to pursue their career in acting.
Being famous is another perk, being able to walk around with bodyguards because so many people want to have their photographs taken with you or get autographs – who wouldn’t want that? Also there are the endless television appearances and magazine photo shoots, the millions of Twitter followers and – of course – the money that comes with fame…
Having saved arguably the best for last, there are the various options in the industry. Just because you don’t make it to the very top with a Hollywood or Bollywood leading role, doesn’t mean that you have failed. There are smaller roles and even television roles available around the world giving you the chance to travel if that’s an option you’re interested in, or to audition for all kinds of parts which will test your talents and reward you for your persistence and will to succeed.
So it’s pretty easy to see why so many young women see acting as a genuine career option.
