Aloha, and thanks for checking out my website. As an actor for many years, a good part of my education, like many of us, has come through the “school of hard knocks”. When I was a young actor in training, I had an acting teacher, a mentor if you will, who once asked me if I knew what the MOST important trait an actor needed to be successful?

 

Certain that at twenty I had all the answers, I blurted out knowingly, “Talent!” “No,” he said quietly. A little surprised I then asked: “Is it Training?” “No,” again he replied. A little shaken, I muttered: “Then it has to be Luck?” “No,” he said disappointedly.

 

After a rather pregnant pause, I finally asked him sheepishly: “What IS the most important thing an actor needs to be successful?”

 

What he shared with me then has stuck with me to this very day: “The most important thing an actor can possess to survive and thrive is a THICK SKIN.”

 

Little did I realize the magnitude of the wisdom he imparted to me that day. Over the years, I have learned that “when life gives you lemons”, like failing an important audition, a brutal critique, or numerous rejections, a successful actor needs to push forward and “make lemonade!” Time has taught me that in an actor’s career, much like in life itself, we will likely face hundreds of “Nos’”. This is when we need to put our egos aside, be kinder to ourselves, and move forward until we find and embrace our next “YES!”

 

Living in Hawai’i, arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth, has taught me to
appreciate the blessings of family or ohana, great friends, and the wonderful opportunities I
have had to explore the craft of acting……Oh, and the “THICK SKIN” has come in handy, too!