DR. WALLACE: I'm in the 12th grade and considered to be very attractive. Mother Nature has been good to me. A lot of my friends are encouraging me to head out west and do the Hollywood scene. I'm told that a lot of actors were discovered working as waiters and waitresses in Hollywood. I'm considering doing just that.
My mom said that she would go with me and be my agent. Your input will be appreciated. — Starstruck, Fayetteville, Arkansas
STARSTRUCK: There is much more to becoming a screen actor than just being beautiful or having a certain "look." At one time, beauty was the No. 1 factor, but not anymore. For some films, physical beauty can actually be a handicap.
Forget about being "discovered" in Hollywood. That's a myth rather than a fact. If you are serious about your goal, plan on attending a university (or a community college). Take courses in English, speech, drama, voice, modern dance and vocal music. Your counselor would be a good person to speak with; he or she can guide your program.
Next, join a local amateur theater group and preform as often as possible. Try out for college plays, community productions and other performance groups that will provide you the opportunity to perform in front of live audiences.
After getting acting experience, your next challenge will be to get a screen test. That's when you take mom to California as your talent agent and put her to work.
YOUR SISTER IS A WELL-ADJUSTED WOMAN
DR. WALLACE: I feel my sister is too old to still be considered a tomboy by our family. My sister is 18, and all she seems to enjoy is competing athletically with her boyfriend and his buddies. Her boyfriend was a starter on our high school boys basketball team, and my sister was the high school girls basketball team's best player. Every weekend my sister and her boyfriend play basketball one on one in our driveway. My sister usually wins.
During football season, my sister plays flag football, again with her boyfriend and his friends. She can run, throw and catch the football better than most of the guys.
Our family would like my sister to dress up and look more like the beautiful young lady she really is. My mom doesn't like my sister being a tomboy. She already has been awarded a college scholarship to play basketball next year.
My mom thinks my sister is not feminine. Help! — Sister to "Tomboy," Detroit
SISTER: Your sister might be considered a tomboy, but there is nothing "unfeminine" about tomboys.
Unfortunately, your parents see being a tomboy as a negative trait. Tell them not to fear! I think it's wonderful your sister enjoys sports so much and obviously has so much talent.
Janet Hyde, a psychologist at Bowling Green University in Ohio, points out that research shows that most tomboys have strong leadership qualities. When they mature into women, they often enter into exciting careers such as space exploration and scientific research. Most tomboys become self-assured, well-adjusted women. I'm confident your sister will successfully find her calling and grow into a wonderful, successful woman very soon.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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