When I first started acting, I was so grateful to have a job that I never spoke up when I felt uncomfortable. When I was asked to perform stunts without a stunt coordinator present to ensure my safety, I said nothing. When I was soaking wet in an air-conditioned room with no warming jacket, I said nothing. When a director sent me into the bathroom three times to stuff my bra for a blockbuster movie, I said sure, okay, whatever makes you happy, sir.
A lot of actors I know have this same problem. We don’t want to be seen as divas or demanding or hard to work with. We don’t want to cause a fuss. I’ve been luckier than my friends: some have had to go to the hospital for injuries they didn’t speak up about while filming, and others have fought legal battles with directors over whether or not nude footage of them could be used (don’t listen when they say they won’t use it; always get mutual approval in writing).
I quickly learned that I had to stand up for myself because no one else was going to. Ignore the voice in your head telling you that you’re being annoying. Know that you’re there to do a job, but no job should leave you injured, humiliated, or unreasonably uncomfortable. There are people in the entertainment industry who believe that you should “suffer for your art.” They glorify the idea of an artist as a genius who is so broken and creative that they will stop at nothing to achieve success, no matter what the physical, mental, or emotional cost.
This is bullshit.
We do what we do because it’s our dream, not a nightmare. It won’t all be comfortable, of course. There are times when you have to push through crappy weather to get the shot, or hold an uncomfortable position for it to read on camera. There are times when we will all inevitably suffer for our art. But that should be the exception, not the rule.