Karin van der Laag

Respect is arguably the most important quality that an actor can have. Respect for herself, her craft, fellow actors and crew.
There is no substitue for a fundamentally internalised understanding of respect when it comes to the performing arts.
A common misconception about actors is that they are narcissistic ego-maniacs who think only of themselves, but the truth is: to be a successful and mindful actor, you need to have an intense awareness of yourself and your surroundings.
Respect for yourself is paramount, but this has nothing to do with grandiosity or ego. Respect for yourself is an understanding of who you are with all your strengths and weaknesses and still have a fundamental respect for yourself and your life. If you have this – if you have done the emotional work and the emotional reflection – to be able to achieve this, then you will almost by default have respect for your fellow actors and crew.
Living according to a constructed reality of what you “think” an actor is, is very dangerous. It is a kind of Picasso puzzle of things you have read, dreamed of, seen acted out on films and television, read on social media.
In order to really discover respect you need to ask yourself some hard questions. Go inside. Reflect. Ask. Respect.