I recently got chatting to Julie, a friend of a friend, at a wedding and it turns out that she’s an actress, not in Hollywood blockbusters nor the next cool indie flick, but an actress working in theatre and TV.

During our conversation, one of the things she said that intrigued me was that sometimes other people can’t believe she’s an actress in that it isn’t a ‘proper’ job. And yet, she is doing a job that she has always wanted to do and she is happy doing it, so what’s not ‘proper’ about that? She also has a fiance who is a sound engineer which is something he has always wanted to do and is happy doing it. Every time, I’ve seen them, they seem happy to me.

So, what’s the secret?

What does Julie have that others don’t? Of course I don’t know the full story but from what I’ve seen on her showreel (see below), she is a really good actress and yet, many people are good at their jobs but just see them as jobs or a means to an end. One key thing I can see that’s different is that she is passionate about what she does. She also first believed that what she wanted was possible, took control of her life and said to herself ‘OK I’m going to be an actress. What do I have to do?’ And then went out and did it.

I’m sure it hasn’t been easy and that there have been some challenging moments on the way, but ultimately she is doing what she wants to do and how many people can say that? And what’s stopping the people who can’t believe that Julie is an actress from doing what they want to do? They may not be able to get what they want immediately or in its entirety, but having the courage to take steps, however small, in that direction can only be a good thing.

Perhaps Julie isn’t the most famous actress in the world (yet!) but the person I met is enjoying the opportunities and challenges of her job and is happy with what she was doing. And however cheesy it may sound, isn’t that a real measure of success?

And for those who want to see Julie Rose Smith acting, visit Spotlight which includes her showreel