“Mustering up enough self-esteem to say, ‘I want to be an actor,’ was a big turning point.”
Julia Roberts  [Parade mag. Nov 9 2008]
Many creative people report feeling incompetent, inadequate and having low self esteem at times. But there are ways to shift those feelings.
A number of film actors report they don’t watch their own movies. [...]

Brooke Shields: My hope is that my kids won’t want to go into show business, just because of the heartache… I thrive on the experience of working. I don’t know myself any other way. [But] I’m not enamored by [fame]. I don’t covet it, the way someone who’s anonymous wants it, and then their life [...]

Jackie Earle Haley on insecurity
Jackie Earle Haley just achieved an Oscar nom for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Todd Field’s “Little Children.” His reaction was enthusiastic: “Jubilation. Pure unbelievable joy. This is a day of all days.”
Fellow “Children” nominee Kate Winslet recalled his audition for the director: “We read together; [...]

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell (“Veronica Mars”) noted recently how much of an impact acting can have on an actor: “It’s sort of a weird profession.. in that it manipulates your emotions. When you’re crying, you’re really crying. You’re not crying about anything you care about, but you still have the cry inside you, that feeling [...]