Previously, if asked why I wanted to be an actor, I'd say I didn't know. I just loved to act. Of course, there's the obvious fame and fortune but that's not enough when choosing a career, because if you don't attain that fame and fortune, you have to love it enough to keep doing it. What makes an actor want to act? More importantly, what makes someone an actor, and what makes that actor "good."
             Merriam-Webster defines an actor as, "a-one who represents a character in a dramatic production; b-a theatrical performer; c-one that behaves as if acting a part, " but I think there's more to it than that. Just because you represent a character in a product doesn't necessarily mean you are an actor. If you want to be called an "actor," I believe you have to master the art of acting. Not simply pretending to be, or behaving like the your character, but becoming your character. A good actor simply does this very well.
             I don't think anyone knows what makes every actor want to act, but I can tell you my reasons. I love becoming another person on stage and having the power, along with the other cast members, to make my audience laugh or cry. Ever since I can remember I've engaged in some form of acting, from kindergarten Christmas shows right up to High School. I believe I have always had a subconscious love for acting, beyond what I could explain. I started to understand more about the art, and my interest in it, as I grew older. What enhanced my respect for drama and awakened in me a passion for theatre was a class in theatre critique called the "Young Critics Institute." There, I attended and analyzed performances and got to work with very accomplished people like Ben Brantley and Frank Rich, of the New York Times; Joan Acocella, of The New Yorker; Gordon Cox, of Newsday, and Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Angels in America." Taking that class also helped me as an aspiring performer to see what the audience sees.
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