I've coined a new term. An acronym for the next generation…
You're all welcome to use it as long as you attach proper credit, like; "This YANK (as Markus Flanagan calls them) generation of actors…" or " YANK actors , as Markus Flanagan correctly named them, …."
I'm kidding of course. Use at will. Just remember where you heard it first.
Too many actors use the YANK theory with their careers. What is it? YA Never Know…YANK. Here's how it works, 1. Get head shots, 2. Get dressed up and go audition with no regard for whether or not the project suits because, YA Never Know…they might hire you! Why train? Why have a plan and put yourself in the best position to succeed and feed your artist? Ya Never Know! Good things could magically happen! That's how the biz works, right? Magic? The damage you do to your spirit with this theory can be devastating.
I can certainly tell you stories of dumb luck where a person is given an acting job where they had no interest in doing the job, they were just there for the competition of beating other actors out of the job. Once they had it, their incompetence got them fired and angered the producers. Yes, the same silly producers that hired them, saw their mistake and fired them.
And I also endorse the practice of young actors going on auditions they don't necessarily want to do, like dance auditions if you're not a great dancer, or musicals if you don't sing, but that's strategic. You know you're not there to get the job, you're there to gain some experience in a low pressure situation. Yankers are actors that simply throw themselves at everything because… Ya Never Know. The dream being, "If this somehow works out, all my problems will be solved!"
The difference is going on auditions and meeting with the idea that "you don't know where things can lead," because you as the actor can never know what, and who, is working on your behalf unbeknownst to you. But saying Ya NEVER know…that's too erratic for your career and your artist's sanity. Don't do it to yourself. Semantics you say? "You never know," and "you don't know?" I say it's not. One is way too casual and one is a proper understanding.
Consider how you treat your efforts. Are you a Yanker? Or are you someone with a plan that's moving forward with training and an understanding of what you have to offer any potential projects?
Being a Yanker takes a bigger toll on your spirit than you think. It's also a way to hide behind the "the biz is crazy" theory and not confront why your efforts aren't making you happy.