Religion and career choices

LovesHashem

Mon, Nov 27 2017, 9:50 am

yo'ma wrote:

I'm not saying that's how he got the job, but his father also works in the industry. My point is the difficulty in getting anywhere in that business atop of being shomer everything.

Actually I read that is how he got the job.

mommy3b2c

Mon, Nov 27 2017, 9:56 am

animeme wrote:

Mayim and Steven Hill have something very important in common- they became frum AFTER they had put a lot of years into the business. They had established themselves as names, so they were better able to make requests and select jobs. I don't know how you could do that at the beginning- I imagine it would be difficult to impossible to get and keep an agent or manager with all the restrictions and no name recognition.

This.

SpottedBanana

Mon, Nov 27 2017, 10:56 am

mommy3b2c wrote:

Mayim Bialik is frum as far as I know, and she always wears skirts in her role as far as I can tell.

And to op, if I could be an actress and be frum- Hollywood here I come! It’s always been my dream to act. But no, it wouldn’t fit with the lifestyle I have chosen.

To her credit, Mayim does not identify as frum (especially since to her, vegan = kosher; she has posted pictures of drinking treif wine, besides all the kissing Jim Parsons). In various articles she has identified herself as Conservadox or "aspiring Modern Orthodox."

http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-.....ywood

Q: How would you describe yourself at this point of your life Jewishly?

A: I’m supposed to say that I’m “aspiring Modern Orthodox” — meaning I identify most strongly with the Modern Orthodox community. That’s the community I daven in; that’s the community that most fits my sensibilities. The reason that I don’t take that moniker on is because of my unusual work situation. I’m not able to say that I completely do it the way that I want to.

amother

Maroon

Mon, Nov 27 2017, 1:15 pm

When we lived in LA a member of our shul did a lot of voice acting. He had to leave the theater/film world as he became more observant and didn’t have the name recognition to get the accommodations Mayim can.

The voice work could be done from home more or less according to his schedule.

amother

Scarlet

Mon, Nov 27 2017, 1:44 pm

I know a couple of frum Jews who had unusual talents in areas that aren't really compatible with religious life. (Sports, dance, stuff like that.) The ones who pursued their talents are no longer observant.

There are more options in Israel to use your talents, so if I met someone today who just HAD to follow a certain path, I'd say to do it in Israel. Not that there are any guarantees, but some options do exist, and there's a better chance of keeping mitzvos.

The underlying issue, though, is one of identity. How do you define yourself - as a Jew who loves to act, or as an actor who loves to be Jewish?

shanie5

Tue, Nov 28 2017, 11:05 pm

Dudu Fisher

From wikipedia;

After being mesmerised by the London performance of the 1980s hit musical, Fisher, despite no prior acting experience, requested the part in a Hebrew production of Les Misérables. He played its leading role, Jean Valjean, in Israel from 1987 to 1990, and made local fame.

He played the role on New York City's Broadway during the winter of 1993-1994, and later at London's West End, where he was invited to perform before Queen Elizabeth II. At both venues, Fisher was the first performer excused from Friday night and Saturday performances, as he is an Orthodox Jew and was not able to perform because of the Sabbath.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu_Fisher