No matter where you work, it’s impossible to get along with everybody. There’s always that one person who grates at you, and grates at you (hypothetically, let’s make him a dude, and we’ll call him Greg). When Greg starts annoying you, the natural reaction is to walk away, and then ask another co-worker if they also think Greg is annoying. Of course he is. Then you can laugh at Greg behind his back and insult everything about him. That eases the pain for a while, but Greg is still at the workplace. He won’t go away. You start daydreaming about ways to get him fired. You obsess over what a creep he is. Your jokes with your co-workers get meaner and meaner. He haunts your dreams. And then, when it comes time for the yearly review, Greg gets the promotion and you don’t. Your annoyance just evolved into pure, unadulterated hatred.
Now, say you’re a Disney star acting on one of their many hilarious/corny sitcoms. That promotion concept is different though, now promotion means an increase in lines and/or screen time. Or perhaps it’s higher quality lines rather than quantity. If Greg is getting all the laughs, and you’re the set-up guy, that’s not cool. Sounds complicated, right? Acting onstage is such a volatile job, and the tiniest of details, like one line, can set people off, inducing instant jealousy and rage.
And don’t forget the maturity level we’re dealing with here. In this highly chaotic Hollywood job there’s a bunch of over-confident, wannabe teen and tween actors. They are vain, hormonal, and so competitive. They think they’re true artists, all bound to be the next Clooney or Streep, and nothing or no one will stand in the way of their destiny. It’s basically an entire cast full of Gregs. And you can’t walk away because the script demands that you laugh together, hold hands and sometimes even kiss. Torture. That’s why they get paid the big bucks.
