An "Amazin'" guy responds

Ron Swoboda

Reference date: June 16th





One of the heroes of the 1969 "Amazin'" New York Mets was a young outfielder named Ron Swoboda, best known for making a game saving catch in the 1969 World Series.

He was a good friend of my Dad's, and though I'm not a Mets fan, Swoboda was always one of my favorite players. (He did play for the Yankees at the end of his career.)

After he retired, Swoboda became a broadcaster and was involved in show business, including appearnces on sitcoms like "Everybody Loves Raymond." I wrote to ask him for his thoughts on getting ahead in show business and in life.

This was his response:

Hey Chris,

I will put it to you as straight as I can. You have already adopted a good practice. You are, at least, in search of muses and mentors. I mostly followed my own gut and head, neither of which nor the combination of both was smart enough.

Your father was the most undeterred person I ever met. When he first started.. .his questions were not always the most perceptive or probing... but he persisted and learned more about what he was doing. He was dogged, and despite any misgivings he had...he refused to be defeated.

As I look at the mug you plastered on your letter head, I think...this guy ain't getting the girl unless he writes his own piece and gets it produced. You have the face of a character actor so you need to be a character. You need to know every joke ever told... you need to exude a confidence in who your are. Be comfortable in whatever character you play.

A friend of mine once was a poet. He told me the teacher who was the biggest help to him never told him how to write poetry, but exposed him to the notion of what he needed to know to be able to write poetry. Which is everything. Language, of course, current events and history, of course. Wouldn't it be the same for acting? Learning all you can about the craft...the nuts and bolts of portraying emotions. Understanding gestalt and everything your image is saying and how to control it, how to use all of your gifts to create a CHARACTER. And then having the determination and confidence to put it on display in front of the cold, uncaring eyes at every audition you can make it to.

You need to make as many connections in the business of stage acting, screen acting, anywhere, anytime, anyhow, as you can. You may need to have a fallback job that allows you to continue trying to get the break or the work you're after.

You need to look at failure as an event that moves you closer to your next hit. It's like baseball. If you're afraid of failure, maybe you should try an easier job. . .like bottling nitro glycerin.

That's all that I can think of.

Good luck,

Ron Swoboda

P.S: Tell Dad I said hi.


I sent him a thank you the next day.