Mena Massoud Quotes

'Home And Away' was my first big break. I was already a fan of the show, so to suddenly be on it was really good.

I took acting classes in college, and once I graduated, I decided to give acting a shot when I couldn't really think of anything else to do. It took me a couple of years to get an agent, and my first big break was The Fanelli Boys, which was a sitcom on NBC. Then I did a few television movies.

I had done a couple of plays, but I was a clueless boob. 'Cosby' allowed me to have something on my resume that was real and then the producers of 'Guiding Light' let me play a preppy killer just the following month. Suddenly I had two gigs on my resume that made me look like a real actor, although I was far from it.

I made a sort-of living in the beginning of my acting career as a reporter. I think my very first job was 'Early Edition' as reporter no. 1, and for 'Light It Up,' I was reporter no. 2.

It's not an understatement to say that I owe everything as an actor to 'Merlin.' It was pretty much my first job, and I didn't know what I was doing for many years on it. It wasn't until the third and fourth series - the fourth series especially - that I really found my feet with the character, and as an actress.

I started auditioning when I was about 10 and I didn't get my first job until I was 12, and two years at that age is really hard.

I was 12 years old, so auditioning for a TV show was something I didn't even think really happened. The next thing you know, I ended up booking the gig and I did four seasons on 'Emily of New Moon.' I got to learn on the job and kept going from there.

With 'Nip/Tuck,' I had never even done anything before I got on that show. They created that character for me. I was reading for something else.

I carried on acting during school holidays and was all set to go to drama school when I was offered my first professional job appearing in 'King David' with Richard Gere.

I was a complete unknown when I did 'Karate Kid.' I'd just done a pilot for a TV show called 'Call to Glory.' And I sat down with John Avildsen and brought still pictures from the show. I brought pictures! At that point, I would've been happy to be in a dog-food commercial.

My first job on the screen was 'Sea Patrol,' and that was quite intense, but I guess my first big break was 'SLiDE.'

People were confused by me, and at first I was auditioning a lot for the crazy characters or the victim, someone who'd been attacked. Which is great, because usually those are the best acting roles.

When actors first come up, you're auditioning for everything - you're trying to sniff it out like a pig with a truffle and you would do anything!

I took the role of Rochelle in 'Everybody Hates Chris,' and that was it. I was going to play mother roles all the time. Once you do one mother role, it's always a trickle down effect.

Mara Casey gave me my first job. I saw something online, and it was for a part in a 'Gilmore Girls' episode, and I thought I was right for it.

Six months after I moved to L.A., I booked the ABC pilot 'Commander-in-Chief' with Geena Davis. I played her son.

I was, like, 28 or 29 when I finally was on camera for the first time.

I've been an actor for 20 years, and I think the first 14 years, it was all struggling. At first, it was all gangsters.

I'm a working actress in Hollywood. You unfortunately don't get the pick of the litter when it comes to auditions and jobs.

I have been quite lucky as an actor to have managed to play different kinds of roles.

Eventually, it slowly built up, a small job to a slightly bigger job to a slightly bigger job to the third season of NBC's 'This is Us.'

About a year after leaving drama school or a year and a half - and I was working solidly ever since leaving drama school - I picked up 'Game of Thrones.'

Ninety percent of my roles, I've had to fight for. It's only a really small percentage of people who get handed roles. But that can be quite scary. The good thing about auditioning is that you get to test yourself and see if you can play this character - you're also auditioning yourself. I enjoy seeing what the chemistry is between the people you might be working with.

'Zubaan' is the first film I had signed as a lead. It was an opportunity I was waiting for, coming at a time when I was getting shortlisted for roles but was unable to make the final cut.

It's hard; this business of acting is hard.