DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Want a TV Role? Win Olympic Gold.
© NaimaLett.com/blog



© Getty/Reuters – McKayla Maroney, Gabrielle Douglas, Ryan Lochte, Misty May Treanor

Win Olympic Gold. Get a TV Role.

Guest star roles are hard to come by these days, unless you’ve recently won Olympic gold. The 4 USA champions pictured above have vaulted, swam and volleyed their way right into our Fall network line up. No acting experience necessary.

On the red carpet recently, Emmy Award-winner Tina Fey gushed about 11-time Olympian Ryan Lochte’s upcoming guest star on NBC’s hit comedy 30 Rock. He also snagged a role on CW’s 90210 and is publicly lobbying for The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars and Gossip Girl.

History-making, two-time golden girl Gabrielle Douglas traded tweets with SAG Award-winner Ian Somerhalder and his costar girlfriend Nina Dobrev after filming with them on CW’s The Vampire Diaries.

Gabby’s not the only teen gymnast getting in on the action. Famous for her #notimpressed pout on the awards podium, gold & silver medalist McKayla Maroney was impressed to land a guest star on CW’s Hart of Dixie and posted pics of her visit to CBS’ How I Met Your Mother.

Finally, the most successful female beach volleyball player, 3-time Olympic gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor, will spend some of her retirement doing TV. She will play volleyball against SAG Award-winner and Emmy & Golden Globe nominee Matthew Perry on an upcoming episode of NBC’s new hit comedy, Go On. I recently blogged about Go On.

More than One Way

While some actors could get annoyed that athletes (singers, rappers, reality show personalities, etc.) are landing coveted acting roles, I encourage us to instead celebrate that there is more than one way to reach our artistic goals.

Whether you’re an artist or not, you can relate, right? In all of our professional fields, it takes more than just knowing our expertise to move forward. We also have to master networking, (now) social networking, marketing and promotion, on and on. It’s not enough to do a great job. Somebody has to notice that great job and decide to champion your cause.

But more importantly than all of the above, we have to meet a need. I keep encouraging each person that I have the privilege of coaching/counseling to focus on meeting needs. If we continually meet needs, we are called upon to meet more needs. Does that make sense?

Meeting the Need

That’s what Joseph did.
We’ve been journeying through Genesis 37-50 during this wonderful season of dream resuscitation. Joseph’s story is so layered and rich.

In Genesis 41, Joseph is finally called out of prison to Pharaoh. This happens because 2 years prior, Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker in prison. He met their needs. And 2 years later, Joseph finds himself telling Pharaoh, “I cannot do it (interpret), but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” Genesis 41:16

The big picture is that God elevated Joseph and opened the door when the time was right. But Joseph had been faithfully serving for 13 years in hard situations. He just kept meeting the needs in front of him.

Can we do that today? Meet a need?

Fair or not

Whether we think it’s fair or not that non-thespian Olympic gold medalists are nabbing acting roles, the truth is that they are meeting the needs of the networks.

What is the need of the television network?
Olympic gold medalists = Big viewing audience = Big ratings = Big advertising dollars,
i.e. more money, more money, more money.

I’m not mad at Gabby, Ryan, McKayla or Misty. They’re trying to expand their brands, get more endorsements and carve out a legacy that lasts beyond the small window of time that they have as athletes. I do hope that somebody invested in an acting coach, though. Just saying.

In the meantime, let’s get our Joseph on and find a way to meet some needs today.
You with me?
Naima

What needs do you meet?
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