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When it comes to the entertainment industry, people on the outside looking in have many fantastical notions of how it must be. As a civilian, it’s easy to imagine that every day is a fun adventure full of excitement and luxurious pampering. Here are a few misconceptions about the industry that most people believe.

It’s a glamorous business to work in all the time, 24/7

Contrary to popular belief, the time spent in front of the camera is a very small percentage of the time that actors spend their days. The rest of the time is spent learning lines, maintaining the proper nutrition and physical regimen required for the role, and going to press junkets to promote the project. If you’re behind the scenes like a producer or director then the only acclaim you get is at award shows or premieres, the rest of the time you are working on the project itself.

If you are lucky enough to be a steadily working actor, producer, director, or writer, that also means you will be traveling constantly. This can be good or bad depending on your energy level and your tolerance for travel in general. Some people get burned out from this type of lifestyle and require a little bit of R&R in-between projects.

We have cushy jobs and work much less than a normal person

Is very easy to look at an actor and think that they only have to show up for work for a few hours a day, recite a few lines while wearing makeup and costumes and then go home. The truth is that people in showbusiness wake up very early in the morning in order to prepare for a role and sometimes endure hours of uncomfortable costuming and makeup and prosthetics. The people who work behind the scenes have physically demanding tasks such as prop moving and equipment dismantling while functioning on very little sleep. They must always be on their toes to avoid having a potentially fatal accident. This can go on for days, leaving only the weekend to play catch up with sleep.

Everyone who works in the entertainment industry is wealthy.

Only a certain percent of the people in the entertainment industry can sustain themselves without needing further jobs or side hustles. There are many actors and actresses who not only start out as waiters and waitresses but who keep a second job handy because of the unpredictability between projects. There is no stability in the entertainment industry because you are only as good as the last thing you did, so it can all go away at any moment. Because of that, you need to be practical and wise with your money.