1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: Buckle up and hold on tight. We got it for you. 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Here it is Strawberry letter, subject show business Isn't for everyone. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Dear Stephen Shirley, I'm a fifty year old devoted wife 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: with a big problem. I've been married to a great 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: man for twenty three years and we have two kids 6 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: in college. He's a great provider and we both have 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: solid careers, but he has always had a big dream. 8 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: He wants to be a big Broadway actor. My husband 9 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: wants badly to be an actor, but he's never been 10 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: able to make it work. He's auditioned for a lot 11 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: of commercials, he's taking act he's taken acting classes, and 12 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: he has wasted our money on hustling his way into 13 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: some big auditions, but each time he was rejected. The 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: most he's achieved is some unpaid adult roles in the 15 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: local children's theater. To put it plainly, he can't act 16 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: worth a darn and he can't sing to save his life. 17 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: I love him, but it's the truth. Our friends and 18 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: family have sat through too many bad productions and local plays, 19 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: and I simply can't do it anymore. We constantly have 20 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: to lie and tell him he's good, and we know 21 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: that we are giving him false encouragement. My biggest problem 22 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 1: is now that our kids are in college, he has 23 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: come up with a crazy idea of moving to New 24 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: York so he can finally make it big as an actor. 25 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: He has no professional experience, but he thinks he just 26 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: needs to be discovered to get his first big break. 27 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: I don't know how to tell him it's not going 28 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: to happen without crushing his spirit. What has a wife 29 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: to do when you know your man's hopes most likely 30 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: will never be a reality. Steve, you're a superstar, So 31 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: what advice do you have for someone who has to 32 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: tell their spouse there definitely not going to make it. 33 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: He can't upgroup my life with a delusion. Please help? Well, 34 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: does he have any talent at all? Nothing? Nothing? Because 35 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: on one hand, you definitely need to stop lying to him, 36 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: you and all your friends, and you all have to 37 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: tell him the truth. If you really love him like 38 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,559 Speaker 1: you say you do, and those are really his friends, 39 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: you guys have to sit him down and tell him 40 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: the truth. Maybe he didn't take enough acting classes sometimes, 41 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: you know, maybe he needs more. You know, sometimes you 42 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: can you know. Maybe on the other hand, you don't 43 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: want to be the one to just kill his dream. 44 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: This is a dream of his. So you know, you 45 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: gotta you have to support him as a wife because 46 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: you know he's going to be crushed to know that 47 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: you really don't believe in him, all right, But obviously 48 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: he believes in himself, which is a good thing, no 49 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: matter how many rejections he's gotten, because I mean, actors 50 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: say this all the time about the rejections they have 51 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: to deal with, and they do have to deal with 52 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: a lot of rejections. And no, I don't think that 53 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: you should uproot your life, but I do think, you know, 54 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: maybe you should have one more good chance for him, 55 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: you know, give him a chance to pursue his dream. 56 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: You know, pick a date, uh, set up some auditions, 57 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: send out some videotapes, video auditions, video auditions, and if 58 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: he gets a bite, if he gets you know, a 59 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: callback or something, maybe then he can go to New York. 60 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: If it's something something permanent. Okay, But I would encourage 61 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,959 Speaker 1: him to keep taking those classes because I don't think 62 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: he should kill his dream. I don't want her to 63 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: crush this time, this time out for this too old, 64 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: for this fifty years old, you've been with this man 65 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: twenty three years. He ain't made it yet. The damn 66 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: kids is gonna have degrees for he made it. He's 67 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: a great provider, that's what he is. Got a solid career, 68 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: that's what That's what he is. He's always had a 69 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: big dream. He wants to be a big Broadway actor. 70 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: My husband wants badly be an actor. But he ain't 71 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: never been able to make it work. He'd an audition 72 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: for commercials. He taking acting classes. He didn't wasted money 73 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: hustling his way into some big auditions, and every time 74 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 1: he rejected because he can't act. Your damn husband can't act. 75 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: But whatever, that's why he always getting That's why he 76 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: got to hustle his way into these auditions. Ain't nobody 77 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: asked him to come down there? They had him at 78 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: the other auditions. He can't act. The most he's achieving 79 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: some unpaid adult roles in a local children's theater. Now 80 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: he old fat ass, And somewhere he did treat the treat. 81 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: You're in the children's theater, Your big ass is the treat. 82 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: To put it plainly, he can't act worth for damn. 83 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: I said this two letters, two sentences in he can't 84 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: act word for damn and can't sing to save his life. 85 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,679 Speaker 1: So if somebody had a gun on him and said, 86 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: if you can sound like any record out today, I 87 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: won't shoot you. His ass to be shot. I love him, 88 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: but it's the truth, and the truth will set you free, 89 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: friends and family to set through. Too many bad productions 90 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: and local plays, and I can't do it, no damn 91 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: more just sending up lying to his old ass, telling 92 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: him he good, and we know we're giving him false encouragement. 93 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: Your ass ain't nothing but a tree now. He then 94 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: came up with some crazy idea of moving in New York. 95 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: You know how much he costs live in New York. 96 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 1: Ain't i't fitting high his old ass? And he ain't 97 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: been nothing but a treat we come back. I'm gonna 98 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: tell you the rest of it. How about you don't 99 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: want to kill his dream? Ain't no damn dream. Fifty 100 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: old man been married to this fifty year old dude. 101 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: Fifty year old woman. She'd been married to this man 102 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: twenty three years, kids and went off to college. He'd 103 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,799 Speaker 1: been trying to make it as an actor all this time. 104 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: He can't. He hadn't been auditions, he always get rejected, 105 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: and he'd hustle his way into big auditions, he always 106 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: get to rejected. He just he can't act. You know, 107 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: he hadn't been in some unpaid adult roles in a 108 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: local children's theater. We all know what that means. He 109 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: can't act with for damn, he can't saying word for damn. 110 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 1: He's a good provider, but other than that, he's not 111 00:06:54,760 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: worth for damn. Now, let's just speak clear, friends and 112 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: families and set through too many bad productions and local plays, 113 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: and you can't do it no more. Where you think 114 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: you can't do it your friends, is damn show tier. Ah, 115 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: he caut He probably won't the plays where he's selling 116 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: tickets to it. Everybody in the plane gotta sell fifteen tickets. Yeah, 117 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: that's probably what he doing. He can't act. I was 118 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: scared when I first saw this letter, but it but 119 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: because I thought it was about somebody I knew. But 120 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: then it turned on because oh, he do want to 121 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: be a big Broadway actor. Now I was just saying 122 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: it was somebody I know. He auditioned for a lot 123 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: of commercial he took acting classes, but then it started 124 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: going bad because he said, but he can't act one 125 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: for damn, So then I knew it wasn't because Tommy 126 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: asks can act. But at first I was very Oh, 127 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: I was gonna do it, But then you know, it 128 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: said he can't act, work down and that's Tommy can 129 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: really act though, So I had to. I had to 130 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: bang up off. So it's not nobody. I know. He 131 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: has no professoral experience. He just thinks he needs to 132 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: be discovered to get his first big break. I don't 133 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: know how to tell him it's not gonna happen without 134 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: crushing his spirit. We got to get this spirit crushed. 135 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: We have gotten soon for y'all mess around and he 136 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: find a place in Manhattan, and y'all asked, gonna starve 137 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: to death going up there trying to be a starving actor. 138 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: Now listen to me. First of all, here's the truth. 139 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: This is not a dream that you're crushing. This is 140 00:08:54,040 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: his delusion. He's delusional. He's not dreaming. This is a delusion. 141 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: And if you go to night if you go to 142 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: New York, this's gonna become a nightmare. Here's something else. 143 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: We need to come to the realization. All dreams don't 144 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: come true. They don't sixteen years old, I dream of 145 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: Michelle Piers. It's always about because then people can respect 146 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: your transparency and maybe he can see some of him 147 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: being me. Now, I dreamed of Michelle Piers at sixteen. 148 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: What happened? Michelle Pierce been married twice to everybody, but 149 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 1: Michelle Pierce came to one of my shows in Columbus, 150 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: Ohio with her husband. Said, oh my god, that's just handsome. 151 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: I can't believe you've made it. She called me handsome. 152 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: She got you. I knew she was lying. I like 153 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: somebody else, have never really heard that before. And he 154 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: through me. What do you mean like someone else? What? 155 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: He back over here? No, if you throw a rock 156 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: in a pack of dogs, the one that holler is 157 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: the one you hit. Junior. No, he was not attractive. 158 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: Jay knows he's not attractive. See that. I'm not I'm 159 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: not getting this last. This show that got a problem 160 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,079 Speaker 1: with it is the one that's holy. I'm not getting 161 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:01,359 Speaker 1: it in this list. So now, y'all, I'm with you. Yeah, 162 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: all dreams don't come true. I want to be handsome. Now, 163 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: if y'all, if you don't put this out of his head, 164 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: y'all ass gonna be in New y'all, and I can't 165 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: tell you how much that's gonna cost. And these great 166 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: careers y'all got gonna be over because his job don't 167 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: transfer to New yak. He gonna be up there in 168 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:24,599 Speaker 1: the back of something Broadway theater, swipping, sweeping, trying to 169 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: be Evelyn Champagne king that he just gonna bust out 170 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: singing movies all then he gonna get fired from the 171 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:43,079 Speaker 1: mopping job. We need to stop this before it gets started. 172 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: You and your friends need to sit down. It's really 173 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: not your friends. Don't include your friends. You have to 174 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: sit down as the wife and go, honey, listen, Harry 175 00:11:54,360 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: STI you can't you can't act all right, you stop this. 176 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: I will leave you. How's your comments on Today's Strawberry 177 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: Letter and Instagram and Facebook at Steve Harvey Fm. Also 178 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,959 Speaker 1: check out the Strawberry Letter podcast on demand you're listening 179 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: to the Steve Harvey Morning Show.