When did this happen? I went from somebody who talked a whole lot about acting, film and whatnot, to actually referring to myself as a bonafide member of the acting ilk. First, I guess a little bit about me would help prime the pump so to speak and give this first blog some context.

My name is Josh McHugh. I am a 30-something artist living in Watertown, USA. I work for a computer game company. I have just celebrated the sixth anniversary of my marriage and we have our first child due for a late summer appearance.

When we first got married, things were fine. Great job, blissful home life. Then, it hit. A good friend of mine, through some strange confluence of events and a couple turns of a conversation let it slip that he thought I might not be half-bad as an actor. Now, he is a budding film maker with tremendous talents at his disposal, he must know what he is talking about. Needless to say, it appealed to my ego and my curiosity was instantly piqued.

The mere thought of it became something of a ridiculous obsession. I started reading voraciously on the subject: David Mamet, Stanislavsky, Uta Hagen. I could quote the very best of them. You might even have mistaken me for someone who actually KNEW what he was talking about, such was my devotion.
I tirelessly assaulted my wife with my ideas, my dreams, my plans. Of course, she needed only point out one fact to me, one I was painfully aware of: I hadn't taken a single CLASS in my newfound future profession...

She finally made me put my money where my mouth resided. Behind my back, disguised as a "Birthday present", she enrolled me in a one-day beginner's acting class.

"You what?!!" I whimpered.
"Your class is Saturday, enjoy." she replied breathily.

This was the moment I dreaded. Talking was over. At the end of the day, you can either do it, or you can't.

I show up for class that serene summer morning. This little man in a T-shirt and jeans greets the class of seven or eight other nervous weekend-thespians, and it is on. A handful of theater games and some discourse later...it is done. The seeds planted.

I had a freakin' blast.
I started taking all the courses I could. Some good, and some questionable. I even went to an audtion. I sucked, but by Zeus I went. The real breakthrough for me was an advanced acting class I took at Harvard Extension school in the evenings. Suddenly I had something that resembled a technique! I also got the attention of one of my classmates who was starting a production company. The rest was history.

We have now come full circle back to the original question posited in this blog. When did I go from being a guy taking classes, reading books, and getting involved in productions to being a bonafide actor?
I realized the error of my thinking almost as soon as I asked the question to myself. I kept waiting for this miraculous moment where you go from being a student to being a full-fledged member of the dramatic arts.

I now realize that I began my acting career the very moment the idea didn't seem crazy.