Now we arrive at the big question. And I want you to be completely honest — nobody will judge you. I will not judge you. But you must be honest with yourself.

The Big Question: WHY do you want to become an actor?

Think about it. Not the first answer that comes to mind. But the REAL reason, underneath everything. What is calling you to this art?

Pssssst… Wait a minute. You’re asking people WHY they want to be actors, but isn’t that obvious? People want fame, recognition, money, a glamorous lifestyle! Why complicate things with existential questions? Just teach them the technique and let them chase their Hollywood dreams!

Besides, if someone wants to be rich and famous through acting, who are we to judge? That’s a perfectly valid motivation, non?

⚖️ Belzébuth raises a question that has divided theatrical theorists for centuries. The tension between art and commerce is as old as theater itself.

However, as Stanislavski observed in My Life in Art (1924), when actors pursue external rewards — fame, money, applause — they inevitably fall into what he called “theatrical clichés” and lose their authenticity. The great Russian master discovered that true artistry requires an inner motivation that transcends material goals.

This doesn’t mean actors shouldn’t earn money or gain recognition. But as Bertolt Brecht noted in his Short Organum for the Theatre (1948), the primary purpose matters. If you act for money, you become a merchant. If you act for truth, money may follow — but that’s not why you do it.

*grrrrreuuuuhhh profond* What Philiboss asks is not to reject success, but to examine the true source of your desire to act.

Now I want you to think about something important. Vahina says we don’t lose ourselves — we FIND ourselves through playing other people.

Have you ever played a character — in a game as a child, in a school play, even in your imagination — and discovered something about yourself you didn’t know before?

📚 The Enneagram is an ancient system of personality typology that has found modern validation through psychology. Helen Palmer’s The Enneagram (1988) and Don Richard Riso’s work have shown how these nine types correspond to distinct patterns of motivation, fear, and desire.

Why is this essential for actors?

Because as Stanislavski taught, every action on stage must have a want (objective). But different personality types want different things in the same situation! A Type 2 (Helper) wants to be needed. A Type 8 (Challenger) wants to be strong. A Type 4 (Individualist) wants to be unique.

When you understand your character’s Enneagram type, you unlock their core motivation — and suddenly every line, every gesture makes sense. This is the bridge between psychology and theater that Stanislavski dreamed of.

Before we work on characters, we must understand ourselves. This is fundamental. You cannot become another person if you don’t know who YOU are first.

Your homework:

1. Go to YouTube or Google and search for “Enneagram test” or “Enneagram introduction”

2. Watch 2-3 videos. Take a free test. Discover your type.

3. Then share with us: What did you discover about yourself? How does your type affect the way you act?

💡 Final reflection: Notice how this lesson has come full circle.

We began asking “Why do YOU want to act?” — your personal motivation.

We end studying the Enneagram — understanding “Why does the CHARACTER act?” — their motivation.

But these two questions are actually ONE. Because when you deeply understand human motivation through your characters, you simultaneously discover your own deepest drives. Theater is self-knowledge through other-knowledge.

This is what Antonin Artaud meant in The Theater and Its Double (1938) when he called theater a “double” — a mirror that reflects our true nature back to us.

*regard profond et intelligent* CQFD with a contemplative howl. 🐺