Should I be an actress or something else?

Question:Hello! I'm 17 years old (about to graduate from High School). I lived in Sweden (in Scandinavia) from the time I was 8 until I turned 14, and there I was in different school plays. I always played the main roles and did rather well, however, in High School I constantly tried to be in drama class but the classes were always full (moved around a lot & started different schools in the middle of semesters so that's why). I feel like I don't have as much experience anymore but I am very passionate about becoming an actress. I also have an interest in journalism, music, photography, AND the medical field (but I am still most passionate about acting). I am bilingual, soon multilingual if that helps in one of the fields. I am also very good at English (writing especially), or so I was told, and I am very friendly and social.

What do you think would work best for me? Any ideas? Even if it's something different from what I wrote about above? Thanks!

P.S. I'm planning on going to college.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hello! I'm 17 years old (about to graduate from High School). I lived in Sweden (in Scandinavia) from the time I was 8 until I turned 14, and there I was in different school plays. I always played the main roles and did rather well, however, in High School I constantly tried to be in drama class but the classes were always full (moved around a lot & started different schools in the middle of semesters so that's why). I feel like I don't have as much experience anymore but I am very passionate about becoming an actress. I also have an interest in journalism, music, photography, AND the medical field (but I am still most passionate about acting). I am bilingual, soon multilingual if that helps in one of the fields. I am also very good at English (writing especially), or so I was told, and I am very friendly and social.

What do you think would work best for me? Any ideas? Even if it's something different from what I wrote about above? Thanks!

P.S. I'm planning on going to college.

Well first off, you're fine with the experience you've got. People definitely study theatre in college with no prior experience at all, so it won't be a problem. In fact, a lot of people who made it big didn't even take an interest in acting until high school or college. It sounds like you have many talents, and decisions like these can be really, really hard. I'm not going to try and make this decision for you, because it's your life. If you don't agree with what I'm saying, don't listen, because again, it's your life. You may have to just dabble in everything for a year or two before you decide what you want to really focus on. If acting is what you want the most, then go for it, but it's a tough job. I read a quote from a Broadway star once that said, "Only go into acting if you can't picture yourself doing anything else at all for a career, because it's an uphill battle from the start." Not exactly in those words, but pretty close. You get the point.
If you want to live comfortably and help people, go into the medical field. That's intense too, but in a different way than the arts. But sometimes (at least in my experience) you start to focus on other things that are more practical, and try to get into other hobbies and future plans - and you really do enjoy those other hobbies - but you always have that little acting bug nagging at you in the back of your head. Sometimes you can never truly get away from acting, because it's your passion and it's who you are. Sometimes when you want it that bad and can't get it out of your system, you have to go for it - it's not a question of whether you want to - you HAVE to do it, it's this passion inside of you and you just need to do it, there's no other way. And if you HAVE to go into acting, you'll know because you'll feel it.

But remember this: you can always change careers later in life or double major in college (but double majoring with theatre is very, very difficult). But this is life, it's constantly changing, so whatever you plan on doing isn't necessarily going to set your future in stone. Good luck! And don't worry so much, I think if you just relax and do what you like the answer will come to you.

It's up to you.

Liv Ullmann will tell you an actors life is not easy.

You have to decide for yourself.

if you truly love it than pursue acting, life is to short to not love everything that you do. also have a fall back in case acting does not work out. my friend started acting when he was 19 and he moved to L.A. he is now playing extras in a few TV shows! its never to late.

GO TO COLLEGE AND TAKE ACTING CLASSES AND TRY AND GET INTO AS MANY PLAYS AS POSSIBLE . ALSO IF YOUR COLLEGE HAS A FILM SCHOOL MAKE SURE YOU LET THE FILM STUDENTS KNOW YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO BE IN THEIR STUDENT FILMS. IN ADDITION TO THIS - TAKE CLASSES IN ALL THE SUBJECTS YOU MENTION THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN - JOURNALISM, MUSIC, PHOTOGRAPHY, THE SCIENCES ETC.... THE BEAUTY OF GOING TO COLLEGE IS THAT YOU CAN GET CREDIT ( AND A DEGREE ) LEARNING ABOUT THINGS THAT REALLY INTEREST YOU. I LOVED COLLEGE AND TOOK TONS OF COOL CLASSES I JUST LOVED ( OF COURSE YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE REQUIRED COURSES AS WELL) BY THE TIME YOU GRADUATE YOU SHOULD HAVE A MUCH BETTER IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, YOU WILL HAVE LEARNED A LOT, AND YOU WILL NOT BE TOO OLD TO PURSUE YOUR CAREER.
GOOD LUCK - STUDY HARD AND -
FOLLOW YOUR HEART!

it is never to late to follow your dreams. Many actors didn't start until they were much older then you! Danny Glover didn't start acting until he was about 30. James Woods was in college to be a lawyer when he decided to start acting. Follow your heart and you will have no regrets.