65-پدر

Dad

Robin and I felt that the best thing we could do for our daughter was to let her figure things out and even get into trouble now and then. So long as she always knew we would be there.

When something moderately bad happened to my daughter, outwardly I was always saying: “Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” Inwardly I was shouting: Yes!

You’ve got to fail, or risk failure, to learn, to succeed. You’ve got to be hungry. It seems to me the job for parents is to console the failure but nurture the hunger. That’s how you create independence in children, give them the tools they need to be functioning adults. Our goal, Robin’s and mine, wasn’t to raise a well-adjusted child; it was to raise a well-adjusted adult.

And she’s become just that. Taylor is an actor. And, thank God, she’s good. And she’s refining her craft daily. She just received a major break in her young career, a co-lead role in a TV series. Her modesty and desire for privacy stop me from boasting further. Taylor is fully aware that this is just one job—albeit a good one on a well-written show—and no one can predict its success. Her work ethic and sensibility fill me with pride. After she learned she got the part, she kept her survival job up until the last minute. That’s my girl.

We talk often about acting and storytelling, but we rarely talk about each other’s work. My number one role is to be her father—not her acting coach. All I want to do is support her passion. When we discuss acting, it’s usually about someone else’s work, a play’s merits.

But I suppose some of what I’ve tried to share with my daughter about life has applications in acting. I always encouraged Taylor to wander, to feel it’s okay not to know exactly where you are. Figuring it out builds confidence. Of course I don’t want her to be risky to the point of being dangerous. But go ahead, get lost. It’s okay to be afraid. Being afraid can actually be a sign you’re doing something worthwhile. If I’m considering a role and it makes me nervous, but I can’t stop thinking about it—that’s often a good indication I’m onto something important.

Fatherhood has been such a part.

And it’s been my favorite one.