Knighthoods for actors, do you agree with them?

[SecondhandRose]

Why do actors need to be knighted when all they are doing is earning a fortune to read a script? They may be our favourite actors like David Jason but is a knighthood really earned?

People like Elton John and Paul McCartney have the most amazing talents and have absolutely earned their knighthoods but I really do wonder about normal actors.

Any thoughts?

Sometimes Lonelymum. Dh far more than I. I tend to hang out with other mums on the whole. There aren't many actors with loads of kids.

Gosh it sounds glamorous but I bet it isn't at all!

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I'd like to see knighthoods exclusively for ordinary people who have done extraordinary things (I'm thinking selfless charitable work etc)

RnB, Brighton is the most fantastic place to be a student.

I'm not sure if I agreee with the honours system as it stands. However I think anyone who reaches the top of thier profession and then excells beyond that deserves consideration. Remember some of the actors, musicians etc have got thier honours for thier charity work as well as what they are famous for.

Am a bit confused by those who seem to think there is no art in acting. Have you ever been to see a school play or an amateur dramatics performance - many of them if the acting is a bit dodgy can really make you see the amazing jobs actors do!

I went to drama school too and I can tell you its a lot more than learning a few words then turning up and reciting them. To act well you have to go a lot deeper and do a lot of hard work. Its a talent some people just don;t have and it has to be worked at. So yes it is an art and a difficult one too.

Ruty and Spiderwoman - which drama schools did you guys go to? I went to Central myself - am not in the acting game anymore though - I hated the cattle market aspect. I am an artist now - well a bodypainter for films and magazines and the like - far cry from my training!

Emma xxx

went to RADA. think central is better tho. RnB i know actors who went to Poor School who have done well. It is how good you are, not just the course, tho the one in brighton may be great!
And spidermama, kids and acting don't seem to go together, do they? I didn't want to do the whole, take my baby into castings at 3 months old and get back to a size 10 in two weeks, and my agent wasn't happy.

No ruty. I can't imagine how women manage to be actors and mums. They'd have to have loads of support.

I went to Rose Bruford Sharklet and thouroughly enjoyed it. So many life skills learned.

Then became a journalist. (ahem)

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i know a brilliant actor who went to Rose Bruford. Wonder if that is your dh spidermama! Best of luck RnB, I'm sure it can be done. But you have to find an understanding child friendly agent. None of the people in my agency had children and they seemed to resent it.

i don't mean actors in the agency, i mean the agents didn't have children..

I think David Jason is a brilliantly good actor.

My dh's agents office look after one or more of the kids now and again when he goes to castings. There are two broody women in there and they love the kids.

Ruty, My dh is a brilliant actor, as it happens. Naturally I'm biased. He's done a fair bit of theatre over the past three years including two big shows (one Shakespeare).

Otherwise he's doing bits and pieces on telly which is more lucrative, but I think ultimately less satisfying.

nice agents spidermama! And i know about the pencilling thing too - so frustrating.

I think Agents in general are pretty russish when you have kids. Mine (for my commercial art/bodypainting) might as well not have existed when DD was born. They really were useless. I sacked them in the end as they just didn't get it.

Emma

its funny cos in any other job you could probably have a case for unfair dismissal if you were sacked six months after having a baby. But no chance in the acting profession. Anyway. Sorry to hijack!

No power over anyone ever in the acting profession. They click their fingers - you run. That;s if you want to earn any money.