“I started performing in high school. There was a pretty great drama department at my school, and that's when I started doing plays and musicals.” PlaySchoolDramaHigh SchoolPerformingDepartment Author:Missi Pyle
“Quite honestly I never had a desire to be an actor. I tell people, I did not choose acting; acting chose me. I never grew up wanting to be an actor. I wanted to play football. In about 9th grade an English teacher told me I had a talent to act. He said I should audition for a performing arts high school so I did on a whim. I got accepted.” PeopleShouldArtSaidPlayWantedSchoolDesireActorsActingTeacherTalentFootballGrewGrew UpHigh SchoolAcceptedHonestlyPerformingGradesAuditionsWhimPerforming ArtsEnglish Teacher Author:Ving Rhames
“I didn't go to a normal high school. It was for people in the performing arts.” PeopleArtSchoolNormalHigh SchoolPerformingPerforming Arts Author:Marla Sokoloff
“I went to really good New York City public schools that had arts programs. So in junior high, I got into the drama department. From there, I went to a performing arts high school in New York City called Laguardia and I just kind of fell into the professional side by happenstance.” KindArtSchoolSidesCitiesNew YorkDramaHigh SchoolProgramPerformingDepartmentNew York CityPublic SchoolJuniorsJunior HighPerforming ArtsHappenstance Author:Merritt Wever
“Although I performed in high school, my first real experience with theater was performing with a student-run organization at Vanderbilt University called The Original Cast where I learned that I loved performing and especially loved theater people.” PeopleFirstsRealRunningSchoolStudentsHigh SchoolOrganizationTheaterOriginalsUniversityCastsPerformingVanderbilt Author:Nancy Allen
“My first time performing was in the black box theater of my high school's basement as a member of 'Clownaz,' the school's improv team. We charged money for tickets, saying the proceeds went to our school's recycling program. Then, immediately after the show, we divided up all the money and kept it.” FirstsShowsSchoolBlackTeamMembersHigh SchoolFirst TimeProgramTheaterBoxesPerformingDividedTicketsBasementsRecyclingBlack Boxes Author:Joe Mande
“I’m very much half-American - my mom is American. I grew up in Australia until I was 16 then I finished high school over here because I got into this performing arts high school.” ArtSchoolHalfGrewMomGrew UpHigh SchoolMy MomFinishedPerformingAustraliaPerforming Arts Author:Betty Who
“I went to a high school for the performing arts and I lived and breathed music. It kept me focused; it kept me sane.” ArtSchoolHigh SchoolFocusedPerformingSanePerforming Arts Author:Beyonce Knowles
“I am not one to generalize, but cartoonists, as a group, exhibit a level of social sophistication generally associated with pie fights. In high school, when the future lawyers were campaigning for class president, the future cartoonists were painstakingly altering illustrations in their history books so that Robert E. Lee appeared to be performing an illegal act with his horse.” BookSchoolFightingSocialPresidentLevelsClassGroupsHigh SchoolHorseLawyerPerformingIllegalPieExhibitsIllustrationSophisticationCartoonistHistory BooksCampaigningClass President Author:Dave Barry
“I would have been a visual artist. When I was in high school, that was one of the things... I had to make a decision what I was going to go to college for, and at the time, I also painted and sculpted. I got more attention for my performing, so I thought that was a better idea.” Has BeensIdeasSchoolArtistDecisionAttentionCollegeHigh SchoolPerformingVisualsVisual ArtVisual Artist Author:Josh Young
“I went to the High School for Performing Arts in New York for acting. I've studied it on and off for years and have done some theater and film.” YearsArtDoneSchoolFilmActingNew YorkHigh SchoolTheaterPerformingAnd OffPerforming Arts Author:Carole King
“I guess I've done a lot of different kinds of performing at various times - opera singing, poetry reading, not least high school teaching - and I do enjoy it, at least sometimes. But I find it incredibly anxiety-producing and exhausting. Privacy is more congenial, and I go a little crazy if I can't spend a big chunk of every day, or almost every day, alone. Certainly I have to be alone to write.” IfsWritingKindLittlesI CanDifferentSometimesDoneBigsSchoolReadingEnjoyCrazyTeachingAnxietySingingHigh SchoolVariousPerformingPrivacyOperaDifferent KindsExhaustingChunksPoetry ReadingOpera Singing Author:Garth Greenwell
“In high school, I was performing "forensics." You take a section of a play and portray all the characters. I even went to camp for forensics.” PlayCharacterSchoolHigh SchoolPerformingCampsSectionsForensics Author:Allison Silverman
“I barely slept during high school because I was too busy dancing and acting all the time. The plan was to go to my dream college that had one of the best performing arts programs, and then go to LA to follow my dream of being an actress.” ArtDreamSchoolActingPlansCollegeHigh SchoolProgramDancingBusyActressesPerformingToo BusyPerforming Arts Author:Rachele Brooke Smith
“I only auditioned at four schools. I started performing and studying when I was in middle school, and then as I got into high school, it just got more serious. I feel like it became more of a vocation. It became clear to me at that point that I wanted to pursue it.” FeelsWantedSchoolStudyClearFourMiddleSeriousHigh SchoolPursuePerformingVocationMiddle School Author:Zachary Quinto
“I went away to this summer program after my junior year of high school. They used to have this thing called the Governor's School, and they had it for different disciplines - science, math, performing arts. I auditioned and I got accepted, and it was an eight-week program away from home. I went for acting. I was 15, and I turned 16 while I was there, so that was a seminal moment for me. It made me realize the life of it, the discipline of it, and the joy of that discipline, where it was all we did.” YearsArtMadeDifferentMomentsHomeSchoolUsedJoyRealizingActingWeekDisciplineSummerHigh SchoolProgramEightMathAcceptedPerformingGovernorsJuniorsAway From HomePerforming ArtsJunior YearJunior Year Of High School Author:Zachary Quinto
“It was also incredibly serendipitous that I would later learn I shared a birthday with Whoop [Goldberg ]. I went on to be inspired by many other artists and forms of art, and was soon directed to a place that would help harness my experiences and develop my voice within the craft, LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in New York City.” ArtHelpingSchoolFormArtistVoiceCitiesNew YorkHigh SchoolInspiredCraftsPerformingNew York CityHarnessBe InspiredPerforming Arts Author:Aisha Hinds
“[Larry Laurenzano] gave me a junior high school saxophone to take to high school, because I was always taking one of our school horns home to practice and I couldn't afford to buy one. He gave my friend, Tyrone, a tuba and he gave me a junior high saxophone for each of us to use at Performing Arts High School with. My audition piece was selections from Rocky. We were not sophisticated. But we had some spirit about it. We enjoyed it, and it was a way out.” WayArtUseHomeSchoolSpiritPracticePiecesHigh SchoolMy FriendsEnjoyedPerformingSophisticatedAuditionsSelectionHornsJuniorsLarrySaxophoneJunior HighPerforming ArtsHigh School JuniorTubas Author:Jon Gordon
“Families that I lived with a little bit in junior high and quite a bit in high school and college. Just to have a safe, sane space with food and things like that. That's what I needed. And people were really kind and really generous. So I think the world kind of opened up my first years of performing arts, studying classical saxophone with Caesar DiMauro.” PeopleThinkingWorldYearsFirstsKindLittlesArtSchoolBitsSpaceStudyCollegeNeededSafeLittle BitHigh SchoolPerformingGenerousSaneJuniorsSaxophoneJunior HighPerforming Arts Author:Jon Gordon
“I was finishing up at High School of Performing Arts and finally, by the end of junior year and start of senior year, made some progress as a 16 year-old classical saxophone player. But not really... not like how the legit cats do. But I love the [Jacques] Ibert, love [Alexander] Glazunov, love the [Paul] Creston.” YearsArtMadeEndsSchoolPlayerProgressHigh SchoolCatPerformingSeniorJuniorsFinishingSaxophonePerforming ArtsSenior YearJunior YearLegitFinishing Up Author:Jon Gordon
“I loved to make people laugh in high school, and then I found I loved being on stage in front of people. I'm sure that's some kind of ego trip or a way to overcome shyness. I was very kind of shy and reserved, so there's a way to be on stage and be performing and balance your life out.” PeopleWayKindSchoolFoundLaughingStageFrontsBalanceEgoHigh SchoolOvercomingPerformingShyReservedMaking People LaughShynessEgo Trip Author:Steve Martin
“I was raised with "Laurel and Hardy" and "I Love Lucy" and Jerry Lewis, and I just loved it. And I had a friend in high school and we would just laugh all day and put on skits. You know, it's the Andy Kaufman thing or the Marty Short thing where you're performing in your bedroom for yourself.” KnowsSchoolLaughingHigh SchoolRaisedPerformingBedroomJerryLucyHardyLaurelsMartySkitLaurel And Hardy Author:Steve Martin
“I went to performing arts high school, and I took dance and acting every day. Then, I went to Marymount Manhattan College and I have a B.A. in acting, with a concentration in theater performance and a minor in musical theater. I studied there for three years.” YearsArtSchoolThreeActingCollegeHigh SchoolPerformancesTheaterMusicalPerformingConcentrationThree YearsMinorsManhattanPerforming ArtsMusical Theater Author:Jenna Ushkowitz
“I knew when I was in high school that I wanted a job where they'd applaud if I showed up.” IfsWantedSchoolJobsHigh SchoolPerforming Author:Cheryl Wheeler
“I went to a performing arts high school, we learned Shakespeare, I did 'Fences.' When you train, you can do anything.” ArtSchoolCan DoHigh SchoolTrainPerformingFencePerforming Arts Author:Marlon Wayans