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It All Comes Down to This…

October 5, 2012 at 11:18 AM 2 comments

It is obvious to most of us that people in general want to be successful.  For some, that means becoming a CEO of a major Fortune 500 company.  For others, it means being the best educator around.  Still for others, being in a very famous rock band means success.  Whether a person simply wants to excel in their chosen career path, or whether they see themselves as a star of stage and screen, people in general want the success that often comes with arriving at the apex in their chosen area of expertise.

With the experience of watching the filming of The Big Bang Theory fresh in my mind from this past Tuesday, October 2nd, I am reminded that for some, success means fame and fortune.  Consider the fact that with each new series pilot, ten to twenty or more did not make the cut.  It’s a real crap shoot based on so many variables.

The Big Bang Theory not only made it to pilot stage, but made the cut.  That is largely due to the tenacity of executive producer, Chuck Lorre.  His name has clout in Hollywood and he has just signed an extension with Warner Bros. to be on the lot for an additional two years providing more comedies and even venturing into drama.  Having been with Warner Bros. since 2000, he has paid his dues and success has come his way.  He is worth an estimated $600 million, certainly nothing to sneeze at, not only in today’s world, but in nearly any world.

Because of the success of Lorre (and co-executive producer, Bill Prady), those connected to him also become successful.  The Big Bang Theory boasts of a cast of very talented actors.  Johnny Galecki, who portrays Leonard, is worth approximately $12 million and receives $300,000 per episode.  Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard), and Kunal Nayyar (Raj) also receive $300,000 per episode.

They certainly work hard, though some would counter that they live a fairy tale life.  That may be true, but still, they put in long hours on the set each week (for 26-weeks per year) and must be professional.  Should they cease to be professional, think Charlie Sheen and you come to understand what can happen to a person who has a falling out with a top-rated TV sitcom and its producer.  Sure, Sheen landed on his feet somewhat with another series on FX, but that doesn’t always happen.

Because of the large paychecks the cast of The Big Bang Theory receive, they are in positions to have things that the average person cannot have.  All of them have expensive homes in areas of Los Angeles.  They receive the perks that go with being a celebrity.  The fact that they are household names opens doors for them. In short, they live lives that most people only dream of living.  They really lack for nothing.

When we were ushered onto the set of The Big Bang Theory to watch the live taping, we walked past numerous cars that were very expensive.  Mercedes, BMWs, and the like were parked out front in spots designated “Big Bang Cast” or in the case of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, their names were painted on the curb markers in front of each spot.

If these highly paid individuals have children, sending them to college is certainly not a problem.  There are no such thing as “student loans.”  Going to Ivy League colleges is likely not a problem either.  In short, doors open for them that do not necessarily open for the rest of us.

I don’t hold them in contempt.  They have made their success legitimately and enjoy the fruits of that success.  The tragedy of Hollywood is that for every person who succeeds, thousands fail.  Most never even get their foot in the door, try as they might.

But for the actors who make it, their celebrity is clearly delineated on what is called IMDB.com – the international movie database.  If you are an actor, or work in Hollywood’s film industry in some form, you generally have an IMDB page.  There, all of your credits are listed for the world to see.  The more network credits you have, the better chance you have of obtaining more work.  You can have credits that are not network – meaning, you’ve not yet done work on series television or SAG movies – which isn’t really a good thing.  Sure, it’s a start, but the idea is to get some of those actual network credits where you will be noticed by people who are the movers and shakers of Hollywood.

At the same time, an actor endeavors to become eligible for SAG, the Screen Actor’s Guild.  If you can join SAG, that’s a huge step, but it is very difficult to become eligible.  There are only a few ways to do it and one that is kind of open to everyone is to work on SAG projects.  This does not guarantee that you will receive a SAG “voucher” for the day, but it might mean that.  If you are fortunate enough to receive three SAG vouchers, you can then join SAG.

When I was acting, I was fortunate enough to receive three SAG vouchers, but as yet, have not joined SAG.  Since I’m not acting, I see no reason to do so.

So success for actors means lots of network credits, a prime-time, highly acclaimed TV series, a fat paycheck, and the fame that comes with all of that.  To the actor, that is success.

The problem is of course, that there are no guarantees in acting.  Kaley Cuoco has been working in film and TV since the early 80s.  She was the eldest daughter on the now-defunct 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter that starred John Ritter.  After his death, the show was eventually cancelled and she was able to move onto other things, eventually landing a meaty role in The Big Bang Theory.  For Cuoco, lightning struck twice.

The same thing happened with Johnny Galecki, who plays neighbor Leonard on The Big Bang Theory.  He want from notable parts in movies, to being cast in the TV series Roseanne.  When that ended, Chuck Lorre developed The Big Bang Theory with Galecki in mind for the role of Leonard.  So, Galecki went from the success of Roseanne to the current success of The Big Bang Theory.

But because nothing is ever really secure in Hollywood, I’m willing to bet that the cast of The Big Bang Theory are looking down the road somewhat, even though there is going to be at least one more season after this current one for the show.  In Hollywood, nothing last forever, and in order to remain on the top of success, projects are constantly needing to be created and/or pursued.  It’s simply the way it is, since the demise of the studio system of years gone by.

So the idea is to have success, lots of success, and more success.  Few attain it and even fewer manage to hold onto it.  Success comes to some and ignores many.

photo by F. DeRuvo

But in the end, it really does not matter how successful a person is with respect to their chosen career path.  It doesn’t matter how many credits they have on their IMDB page.  It doesn’t matter how much money they make over their lifetime.  In the end, everyone dies.  Depressing, I know, but that’s the truth.

Everyone of us leaves this life for the next.  It doesn’t matter how famous a person has been, or how much money they made in this life.  It doesn’t matter how many credits they have on their IMDB page.  It doesn’t matter how much theater they did, or TV sitcoms they starred in.  It doesn’t matter what they produced or wrote.  The only thing that matters is how they lived and who they know.

When we stand before the God of the universe, He won’t be concerned with the things that I have mentioned that we hold near and dear.  It won’t matter to Him that we got on Broadway, or that we were on two highly acclaimed TV sitcoms.  The only thing He is concerned about is what we think of Jesus Christ.  That is the question He will pose to us and He is looking for one specific answer.  Where do you stand on the Person of Jesus Christ?  Is He simply some “great guy” or “wonderful teacher” that lived a few thousand years ago?  Is He God the Son?  Is He a god, but not the God?  Who is Jesus Christ?

It’s not your material success or net worth that provides us with a part of heaven in the next life.  It’s not how well you worked out to get rock-hard abs.  It’s not how many lines you memorized and whether or not you found your “mark” on the set.  Yes, you need to do those things well.  You need to put your all into your work, whatever that work happens to be.  In other words, you need to be honest in your day-to-day affairs.  However, the thing you need the most is to be in a relationship with Jesus.  You need to know Him.  It doesn’t merely work to know about Him, or to know of Him.

It’s not enough to practice being a Christian, like being a Buddhist, or like practicing Yoga.  Being a Christian is not simply following a set of guidelines as a person does when they work out to gain upper body strength/mass.  Being a Christian means you have received the new birth that Jesus speaks about in John 3.  It is that new birth that ushers us into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is a living, breathing, relationship that takes us from death to life.

Nothing else does that.  There are no successes in this life that can adequately compare with the success of knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord.  People constantly make the mistake of thinking that being a Christian is something I can be today, but I can leave tomorrow.  That’s not true.  We can no longer divorce God than we can divorce ourselves.  Once we authentically become a Christian, we are one forever.  There is no going back.  Those who somehow manage to “go back,” likely have never had that real transformation in their lives which actually placed them in a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus in the first place.  They would argue that their Christianity was authentic, even though it is no longer authentic.  They are confusing practicing something, with being something.

I can be a Buddhist today and walk away from Buddhism tomorrow because it is a mindset.  I can be a doctor today and quit to become something else tomorrow.  I cannot be an authentic Christian today and not be one tomorrow.  As an authentic Christian, I have forever bound myself to Jesus in relationship, not simply in practice or in mindset.

Recently, I read that the actress who plays Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory – Mayim Balik – was in a car accident in which she severely injured her hand.  Originally, they thought she might lose at least one finger.  Fortunately, that did not occur and she is on the mend.  We noticed that she was wearing a type of splint during the recent filming and wondered what happened.  They do their best to keep her hand out of direct camera view so they don’t have to explain it in the TV series.

Balik says in an interview that she is a person of faith.  Her Jewish faith has helped her through the accident, especially the Psalms of the Hebrew Bible.  I wonder though if Balik considered that she could have been killed in that accident?  It really doesn’t take much to exit this life, does it.  Driving through Los Angeles traffic this past week reminded me of that truth.

Death does not care how successful we are in this life.  It does not note our credits, successes, or even our failures.  It simply notes that our time is up in this existence and removes us to the next.  I hope that in the midst of all the busyness that is your life, you will take the time to answer the question about who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you.  As weird as it may appear to be, that is the one question that matters out of all of them.  Please take the time to deal with that issue.  Thank you.

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