Now, more than ever, I believe we need actors, creators and storytellers to accept the burden and joy of vocation - the drive to create, and insist on creating what AI can’t compete with.

That starts with a desire to put the old rulebook of “good enough” to the side and joining a community dedicated to creating living characters that you can’t look away from, in scenes that you remember for years. Nothing less. 

Because in a world increasingly beguiled by AI synthesis our job is to beat AI by becoming more human,

The casting was like any other video game audition. Two scenes and a note: "Feel free to use the environment." The part was for Hondo Ohnaka, a much-loved Star Wars character already established in the animated series Clone Wars. Fans knew him. They knew his voice, his swagger, his particular brand of pirate charm. It had to be done right. There was a problem.

What is an actor to do, then, to not just survive this current period of change, but transcend it and thrive as an individual and artist, and still have a meaningful role in society?

What follows is a list of principles and axioms I have learned over the years, and a few I am still working on now, which I hope you find useful. Many of these have been solidified by my work with Luke Chao - who is the closest thing to a practical philosopher I have ever met.