[AlwaysRock]

I stopped trying to be a comedian professionally when I found out Second City main stage performers made about 35K per year. The most prestigious comedy job in Chicago paid less than my entry level office job.

I don't regret it but at the time it was fairly depressing. You don't have to love it enough to do it as a career, you have to love it enough to do it as a career while understanding you will very likely never be able to support yourself by doing it. That is a pretty tough reality.

[yboris]

A college professor for "Theater Appreciation" class stressed that "the only reason to become an actor, is if you feel you can't live your life doing anything else". It's such a saturated field, you need a super good reason to enter it as a career.

[AlwaysRock]

100%. I used to think I loved it. I did. I just didnt love it so much that I was willing to be broke my entire life. I had other options. I took one which lead me to a career I enjoy a lot.

I know folks from when I was performing a lot who are still doing it and doing it at a high level. Almost every single one of them didnt have other options. I mean they COULD have done something else but they would jump off a building before going into an office 5 days a week.