Sarah Greene has admitted that she has been on the dole for most of her life as an actress.
The Cork native may have a successful acting career now with regular theatre work and a role in Sky Atlantic’s Penny Dreadful – but the riches didn’t come easy.
The TV star has issued a warning to aspiring actors that they shouldn’t expect the business to make them rich.
Down and out: Sarah has warned that acting wont make you rich | BRIAN MCEVOY
“Lots of people are trying to get into the industry for the wrong reasons,” she said.
“They get a little bit lost. It’s an awful business to get into if you want to be famous – you are going to get hurt, going to suffer massive depression.”
“It’s the wrong road to go down – if you think you are going to be rich in this job, you’re not.”
Hard work: Sarah has to be very careful with money | BRIAN MCEVOY
“You have to be careful with your money. Often, you’re completely broke. I’ve been on the dole a lot of my life,” she admitted.
Being in the industry has made Sarah more self-aware and she can now see through the “bulls**t” of some industry bosses.
“When you’re a little bit older, you can see through the bulls**t. I’m lucky – I know when someone is just bigging you up,” she told The Irish Examiner.
Careful: Sarah is cautious when dealing with people in the industry
“After I met Harvey, the next day I rang someone and said, ‘Is he full of s**t or what?’ And they were like, ‘No, it’s real – you just got an offer'”
“You do have to have your wits about you – especially as a woman. People will tell you exactly what you want to hear.”
“If you aren’t aware of that, you will get taken in and you will get hurt.”
