Giancarlo Esposito Quotes

I first felt successful when I was 13 and in a show called Seesaw. I came offstage and heard the applause of the theater audience and felt a sense of accomplishment. Around that time my role model for success was Burt Lancaster. He was one of the first actors In Hollywood to start his own production company, and I respected him because he created something he believed in. Nowadays I look to spiritual people, such as Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama, since I`m always asking myself, `What do I have to give?`

Accumulating money has never been a real goal for me. Rather, I think about how to make every moment of my life mean something. What`s been my barometer for success is my creative and spiritual growth - I measure my success by the quality of my work. Last year I sat down and re-examined things. I asked myself if I wanted to do anything and everything just to get a lot of money. I decided I`d rather work and collaborate with people at the top of their craft. And my dream has come true. This year I`m doing a picture with four Academy Award winners: Director Robert Benton, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, and Paul Newman. - 1997.

I started in the acting business at age 8, so I feel it`s my experience and social skills for example, how to be charismatic, how not to lose your temper - that have helped me the most to succeed. But I did develop a plan: I wanted to work with good people who had a passion for what they did. Still, at age 17, I made the decision to study the technical part of the business as well. I got a two year degree in radio and television communication at Elizabeth Seton College in Yonkers, New York. I figured if I never made It as an actor, I could go to Alaska, be a cameraman, and collect a paycheck. It would be something to fall back on, but something I still enjoyed.

My advice for achieving success is to make a career choice that reflects your passion. Then work your craft a little bit each day-even if someone`s not paying you to do It. Try to balance your social life with your educational (or professional) life, and have patience.