I recently looked at a photo gallery someone put together of actors laughing in costume on the set of movies between takes. It was interesting to see the dichotomy of the actors in costume (I recognized most of the movies) got a mental picture of those characters and looked at the actors laughing.
Now I like movies, and tv. I like to suspend my disbelief and go along with the story and try to submerse myself in the world they are creating. I also like to glimpse behind the scenes, to see how they do what they do. You see the “between the takes” moments are the real life for these people. Then they get in character and perform.
Life is kind of like that. We perform for those around us, and let some people see the real us, between takes. The real me, is still 18 years old and hopelessly juvenile, and is kind of freaked out by spiders. The performing me, saves my wife from those spiders, and acts like an adult a lot of the time. I try to create a world people will believe, but increasingly, I think I just need to be me, and if I don’t quite fit the mold people expect, well that’s okay. I would like to make my between takes times larger and more prevalent, I want to quit acting and be… for better or worse, me.
Maybe, between takes, I can act like someone else. Wouldn’t that be fun.
Dave Horrocks 
That’s a great philosophy, and a way of living worth pursuing. I spent most of my life “performing” in my role as bumbling husband and goofball for 18 years. It wasn’t until I turned 40, got divorced and was determined to be Me that I finally began living as myself full time. I’m still a goofball, but on my terms. I’m also a firefighter and a father of four in a blended family that appreciates my silly side but knows there’s more to me than that. In today’s mentality of instant size-ups and people branding, being your true self can be a challenge — but worth the effort.