Advice for college students from actors at the College Television Awards
Last night my roommate asked me if she should make sure I woke up on time. I thanked her for her kindness, but insisted that it’s impossible to oversleep three days in a row.
Today, well, I ate my words.
Burnout feels endemic when finals are less than two weeks away, dorm check-out is looming and summer internship supervisors are calling.
For me, it’s easy to forget why I brought all this upon myself. Why are any of us dealing with so many term papers, hard conversations with graduating friends and late caffeinated nights?
If I remember my September mindset correctly, it’s because after one, four or eight more years in the library, we want incredible careers.
And according to the TV stars I spoke to at The College Television Awards last month, enduring the next few weeks will pay off in a few short years.
Russel Hornsby, “Grimm” -- Go for it.
"You’ve got to be true to yourself… then hone your skills, and everything else will come as you grow as a human being. When I was about 15, a friend of mine said, listen to me, be an actor – they don’t do anything! And I believed it. And I ended up in a school production and I obviously didn’t know anything, but I was in it, so I couldn’t turn back. And then I got to New York is realized I didn’t have any transferrable skills – all I could do better than anybody was like dress up like a pilgrim or Santa Claus or something, and put on a furry hat and scare kids and make them laugh or something. And I was like, well, now I have to stay. I’m stuck now."
Rex Lee, “Entourage” -- Evolve.
"Well, number one, never, ever, ever give up, especially in my industry. Never feel like you are done growing; always do everything you can to try to deepen yourself as a human and mature and have life experiences that are going to help you in your heart. Go forward and never feel like you’re done living, and do everything you can to continue living. Also, study abroad. I basically ran away from our country to decide what I wanted to do, and while I was in France I figured it out."
Studied music at Oberlin College
Lamorne Morris, “New Girl” -- Leave when you’re ready.
"Just learn as much as you can, and leave when you can. Leave for an opportunity. Some people want to stay and do well and get good grades, but learn what you need to learn, because nobody can really teach you acting and filmmaking, the creative process. I feel like you go to school for the tools that you need, but then you use your own talent."
Paul Blackthorne, “River” -- Travel.
“Go and see the world. Get an idea of humanity, get an idea of people, and listen to them. I went wandering to see how people lived, you know, outside of our western circles. And then I ended up studying the psychology of acting for a couple years in London, and then here we are.”
Tony Hale, “Arrested Development” -- Relax.
“There is so much pressure put on college students to figure it out, right up until they graduate. Take that pressure out. Because no one has that figured out, and life will unfold itself in time. I mean, I studied journalism and now I’m an actor. You have no idea where your life is going to go, but really try not to give into that pressure of figuring it out. Take it one step at a time and it will unfold.”
Studied journalism at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
See the full list of winners from the 2012 College Television Awards right here.
Rosalie Murphy is a Spring 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.