A Grammy/Oscar winning legend replies

Phil Collins

Reference Date: May 3rd



I was thrilled to get a letter in the mail (with an autographed picture) from one of my favorite musicians, Phil Collins.

In addition to his work as a singer/songwriter with Genesis, and then as a solo act, Phil Collins has worked as an actor and composer for films. He won an Oscar for Disney's film "Tarzan" which was adapted and premiered on Broadway this year. I wrote to him after I saw the show, and this was his response:

Dear Chris,

I am sorry but advice is not an easy thing to give, especially for someone in your situation.

You are already a rung or two up the ladder compared to many new actors and you have a positive attitude, which most do not seem to have these days. Try to get as many parts as you can, so that you gain experience working on different types of characters.

The saying "being in the right place at the right time" still applies: just try to be there!

I really don't envy anybody starting out nowadays, as people are a lot more cynical than they were when I started over 45 years ago. It is now a very competitive industry and there are a lot of people trying to get on board.

Keep focused and enjoy what you do both help!

My best wishes for the future.

Phil Collins

I sent him a thank you the next day