The purchase of my first car, an older Renault Six, was one my proudest moments as an actor. Just a few weeks after I passed my test, the AA London office was open to help me get insurance. There were only a few forms I needed to fill out and a quick cheque that was written. The world was my oyster.
It was hard. While everyone enjoys speaking to actors, it is not easy to provide us with mortgages or bank loans. We are among the most desirable clients, somewhere between stunt men, serial killers and stunt women. Many people believe that we are hard-drinking, reckless hell-raisers who will do anything to get behind the wheel after a night of drinking and drugging. Usually, there is an international celebrity as a passenger whose insurance claim, if it goes through the windscreen, will bankrupt the western economy.
This was something I didn’t realize when I walked up to the counter. I expected to only have to answer a few simple questions. For the first few minutes, everything went well. I was already feeling that the young man behind me was becoming a good friend. We then reached the item marked “occupation”.
“Actor,” I answered anticipating a smile and a few requests of theatrical tittle-tattle. He replied, “Aah!” He was not smiling. He was actually staring at his notes anxiously. “I’m afraid, I’ll need to refer it to head office. “Just a moment,” He grabbed a nearby telephone and waited for a supervisor’s response.
The supervisor asked the youth behind the desk a series subsidiary questions. I answered them all and relayed my answers back to the supervisor. “Are your interests in theatre or television?” I answered theatre, but forgot to mention that this was by necessity and not choice. That would have been the end.
“What was the last role you played?” Through gritted teeth, I said “The role of Hickory Wood” in One For the Pot. This had anything to do with my driving abilities. This answer was relayed to the supervisor in a way that seemed to be a mistake. The supervisor asked me to spell Hickory. I didn’t know how long it took, so I waited another minute while the other person on the phone wrote it down.
“Would it be a leading role or a smaller role?” – “Is this really necessary?” I snapped. I shook my head and the youth looked at me blankly. I assured him that it was, as there were 51 different entrances to the play. It could therefore be counted as a major part. After a few seconds, we had a whispered conversation and he turned to me once more. “Er… Could you give me an idea of what it was that you did in it?” My temper snapped. “I had the nerve to pull out a Scotsman’s Kilt and squirt the soda contents into it,” I mumbled. “Are they going to give me car insurance?”
“I’m sorry sir. To communicate with his supervisor, he turned again and retreated. I hoped the supervisor wasn’t from Glasgow. He spoke again, and he continued to speak. His brows were covered in a thin sweaty film.
“Would it be a drama? Or a comedy?” I roared, “It is a bloody farce!” I marched out from the office.
Three days later, I returned. I was wearing a jacket and shirt with ties and corduroy trousers. Another employee was also on duty. It was now time to support my hunch. I was embarrassed to admit that I wanted to get car insurance. Ten questions later I gave my occupation as drama teacher. I was back out on the street five days later with a full year of comp; the word teacher had done my trick.
Insurance is an integral part of your life. Car Insurance provides protection in case of accidents on the roads. Life Insurance offers protection for our families in case we are unfortunate enough to die.
Many debts such as credit card, mortgage, car, and loan payments are left unpaid when someone dies. Life Insurance can be a great idea because it preserves your assets for your loved ones.
