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“The way to get past a fear is to plainly confront it,” says Jim Dailakis. Jim is an actor, comedian, screenwriter and voice over professional. Jim says a young boy in Perth, Australia, his ambition was to be a comedian and make people laugh. He was good at it, doing great impressions of teachers, family members and friends but always thought that being a comedian was for comedians and he was just a kid from Perth and being a comic was not an ambition he should even consider.
Dailakis reminisces, as a boy he was inspired by the great movie Rocky. The lesson he took away from the movie was that anyone can do anything if they just start with a small step. Another movie called Dog Day Afternoon changed the life of Dailakis. Jim says when the movie was over he remained in the theater and pondered how a guy named Al Pacino could act like that. He did some research and found out what acting school Pacino attended and the wannabe actor/comedian took his first steps toward becoming his dream. At that point all he did was say he WILL attend that acting school in New York. How was not the question, all that mattered is the fact that he had the will.
Jim was inspired by the fact that Pacino himself was scared silly while shooting the original Godfather movie. The now legendary actor recounted in an interview how he felt vulnerable while doing the first shoots. After all, the production house didn’t want the no-name Pacino; only Coppola the director wanted him. Pacino threw caution to the wind and won the production studio execs respect. This little tale made Jim understand that the difference between people who make it and who don’t has a lot to do with self-confidence and patients – it takes a lifetime to master your brain and emotions. Your emotions will throw you under the bus if you let them.
Jim finds that every little step and accomplishment gets you ready and fuels the next step. There are many steps to get to the top of Mount Everest but it all starts with making a decision to go to the top. Even when the hiker slips and takes a step back the climber always looks up toward the top of the mountain. You never see a mountain climber look down, they always look up – they keep their “eye on the tiger.” When the air gets thinner and slope steeper and breathing difficult, those are the signs that you’re about to reach the top.
Now Jim can be seen doing comedy nationwide. In addition he’s currently juggling five different movie roles in front of and behind the camera. I guess whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re correct!
For info on Jim Dailakis visit: www.jimdialakis.com.
