I burned a bridge that gave me a banana. What would you do?

People say never burn the bridges because you never know ... Hmmm... I seriously disagree with this statement. I personally believe that it heavily depends on the quality and the material of the bridge. As a man who came to this country at age of twenty one with nothing and no one, I learned the value of having bridges quickly. I also learned that some bridges sometimes turn out to be walls or even worse- rusty anchors that pretend to be bridges. I also know that if the bridge is dirty, once you walk on that bridge, it is very hard to keep your feet clean. You might as well find a way to get to your destination by using a different path or just take a chance and swim. Often, it takes you into a better place or at least forces you to become a better swimmer.

Why did I decide to write on this subject? Well, this summer, I got a part in a feature film that seemed to be very promising. I got excited by the part I was given. I committed to the film. A director was extremely enthusiastic about his vision of the film. Although, there were some red flags from the very beginning, I said to myself that nobody is perfect and we all work really hard in this industry. It was not paid. It required a lot of driving. But we all know that as an actor, sometimes you have to do a lot of driving for free before you get paid for acting. Now, two times I drove an hour and a half to the remote locations for the shoot. I did not mind it. I enjoy driving. I use my driving time to get into the creative state. However, we all know that driving and acting takes a lot of energy that needs to be replenished. Well, as a man with Mediterranean genetic code, I also highly appreciate a good meal just as a token of respect. I mentioned a few times to the director that I was hungry and that it would be nice to have a meal. I got a banana as a result. Actually, I've got two of them. The third filming day lasted for six hours with about ten or twelve actors on set. Some of these actors drove even longer distances. Maybe two hour drive. So, we did get an upgrade. Instead of bananas, we got cookies. Very tasty cookies. I had a lot of fun filming that day. The location was nice. The weather was gorgeous. The cookies were sweet. Two days after the shoot, I had a car problem that cost me a thousand dollars to fix. While my car was being fixed, the director asked me to drive another hour to film another scene. I explained to him that I could not afford to do so. I was asked to provide my address for him so he could send an Uber to get me. I was quite pleased to know that he would do such a generous thing for his main antagonist of his feature film that according to him would make a lot of money for all of us since he had the whole distribution lined up. The address was provided. Wait for it... The filming date was rescheduled for another week. I am a patient person when it comes to observations. We already stretched the filming for three months. And at that point, I just could not take it anymore. So we all have to drive, act, be available when he needs us, and starve while his majesty the director gets his footage and disappears till another filming date. Now, we are all a little bit selfish. And I am extremely aware of it. But if you expect to finish your feature without offering gas money or food to the actors that have to be on set more than once, please do not ask them to follow their commitment and do not remind them that in this business burning bridges is a huge mistake. The way I see it I did not burn the bridge. I simply refuse to use it because this bridge is so so so narrow and is made of such cheap materials that it would be very risky to use it for any purpose. I simply explained to the director that my commitment was just that- MY commitment. And unfortunately, I would need to reevaluate it accordingly.

Look, I love bananas. I do enjoy cookies as well. I just know that when the director lives in a nice house; drives a very cool car; and tells you that he receives a nice check from his investments every two weeks; and is retired after working for thirty years for the post office, he definitely can afford feeding his actors that WORK for FREE.

Now, I never heard back from this director. I am sure that I will never hear from him again. And whatever happens in my life professional or personal, every time I eat a banana or a cookie, I will remember the wonderful lesson I learned while shooting this film: not all the bridges are worth your feet. And often, the one who calls himself a bridge, might be in reality a brick. And I am sure we all know that once a brick is always just a brick. Especially, when he assumes that he can be a bridge in the film industry that is built on ONE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH: KEEP YOUR ACTORS HAPPY and FED.

If you are an actor, know the value of your acting services and build the relationships with people that respect that value. The real bridges always will appear as long as you keep your feet active, your focus sharp, and your expectations reasonable.

Phew, writing takes a lot of energy too. I think I will go grab a banana.