One would almost think that this was a picture of Sean William Scott and Josh Hartnett at first glance, wouldn’t you? Well, you’d be wrong on both counts since the guy on the left is actually David Anthony Marshall, an actor that dates back to the 80s and was acting alongside some of the biggest names in the industry when Scott was still just a kid. If you don’t remember the guy it could be due to the fact that while he’s fairly prominent in some roles he’s usually an extra or someone that comes and goes within the span of an episode in the TV shows he guest stars on or because the movies he’s been in haven’t received a lot of attention. Marshall is one of those that a lot of people might recall seeing once they’ve been reminded since he has played a few sinister and otherwise threatening characters over the course of his career, and some of his characters have left an impression on people. Apart from this, he’s been one of those that people might forget fairly easily since he doesn’t stick around that long to really become known. It does sound like kind of a hit and miss career for those that bounce around from job to job, but in some way, they’ve made it possible to do what they enjoy while having to prep for one different role after another.
One easy argument to make is that even the A-listers have to live like this when it comes to the job since taking on new personas and new roles and sometimes going against their own natural grain is the name of the game and the way that they earn their paycheck. But the big difference between a lot of actors is that those such as Marshall who exist on the lower end of the spectrum tend to need to find as many roles as possible in order to keep themselves financially stable and relevant, while a lot of famous actors are seeking to keep their reputation solid, or barring that are simply trying to make it clear that they do what they want when they want, and that getting one job after another is more about building status than maintaining a fortune and popularity. One could argue over who loves the business more and is truly dedicated to the craft, but that might be a pointless argument since each and every actor might stand up and say they care, but their actions are going to say more than their words ever could. At this point, it would appear that Marshall still loves what he does considering that he’s still around, but it’s easy to think that he needs some way to pay the bills as well. There’s no cynicism needed to explain this point since a lot of us take on, or have taken on, jobs that we don’t care about simply because we know how to do them and they pay well enough to maintain the lifestyle we’re used to or at least keep us financially secure.
The fact that he’s still acting and likely still making his music speaks highly of his love for both since let’s be honest, we don’t always engage in things that we don’t like and we usually don’t do them for years on end unless there’s nothing else we can turn to for a living. Given the demands of acting and what it can put a person through, especially if they become little more than a glorified extra that might get a few moments of glory here and there, it feels safe to say that if a person was really tired of the job that they would walk away and find something else. There’s no need to be miserable in a profession when there are multiple chances out there to do something positive that can build one up and make them feel valuable to their employers, but when it comes to acting it does feel as though no matter what pitfalls an actor encounters, those that love the job are going to stick around and make the best of it, and while there are a lot of credits that show that he’s made his way around, Marshall must have a good deal of passion left for the profession since he’s still there. That’s admirable, to say the least since being a part of the entertainment industry for so long has worn down a lot of people and made a few so cynical that the impression left on them has been kind of obvious.
But sticking around for close to a few decades is impressive since it means that he found a groove that he could fit into and has been able to make it work for a while now.
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