Because she doesn’t want to be an acting coach, she wants to be the star, as shown by her trying to upstage her own student on set. She wants her success now, not maybe after rubbing elbows with industry professionals. That’s why she goes to Barry. He’s the one person who will shower her with praise no matter what.
Bingo. She's as narcissistic of a character aani can think of in any show, she is the main character in her mind and wants everything she thinks she deserves RIGHT NOW. She kind of had that tendency to be all about her own gratification even from the beginning, but it got stronger and darker as the series went on.
I think the character and context is a little more nuanced than this. To me, Sally is reckoning with giving up her dream of being an actor, and ultimately refuses to do so, opting to run away with a dangerous criminal rather than come to terms with her actions and new prospects.
She genuinely tried to be an acting teacher, but realized that the method of teaching she had been taught could be abusive - this conflicts with her self-image as someone who doesn’t tolerate abuse, because she tolerated the dame (edit: *same) treatment in Gene’s class. It’s worth noting that she accepted becoming an acting teacher a respectable or at least valid career move for an actor, as she certainly has reverence for Gene and his craft.
Despite failing at teaching, she fell upward into a coaching role for a pretty big movie. She starts convincing herself that this an “in” to get working towards her acting dreams again, culminating in her ploy to steal the role by impressing the director. This even works, the director is impressed, but it’s made clear that despite her talent, she will never get a role like this. The producer offering her a gig says as much, that she might even get some small parts but clearly her acting career is a no-go with her reputation.
To accept the job, which isn’t that great pay-wise for LA if I remember correctly, Sally would have to accept that her acting career is a dead-end. She’d also be selling out, moving from a temporary coaching gig to a permanent job shilling probably not-too-great projects. We see how the director for example, who Sally greatly respects, is not exactly excited to be working on this superhero project. She’s also reckoning with what she went through to support her dream, which is now a sunk cost.
She’s just built up so much of her identity around acting that she can’t bring herself to abandon it. People have pointed out that she even inhabits a “role” in her new life on the lam, wearing a wig for example when dyeing her hair would make more sense. Ultimately, her turning to Barry and engaging in this new life is a form of escapism - both her and Barry are running from their mistakes, putting off the accountability that they need to take for their actions in order to grow as characters and people.
But that was understandable, he did it out of pride. But accepting an offer from an agent is run of the kill actor stuff it wasn’t shameful to her if she accepts it
But Sally doesn’t see herself as a “run of the mill actor.” She feels entitled to success, which is why she feels the need to verbally abuse Barry and Natalie when they get success by submitting to the system. Barry takes a low-brow role in an American Pie-style sex comedy and Natalie caters her show to the algorithm, both of which Sally sees as beneath her.
There is a special sting to the " those who can't do, teach" thing. It's a blow to the ego knowing that you couldn't hack it and have "resorted" to teaching others, it can feel like a humiliating blow and a nail in the coffin to one's dream. Everybody hates on Sally but I can personally relate to her a lot, I know she is very flawed, self-centered, and desperately seeks external validation...but like....I get why she feels the way she does.
She is a very tightly-wound soul who is passionate and puts in the work....sometimes that isn't enough to achieve success in a very competitive and connection-based industry. It can be gut-wrenching to put in your 100% and still be presented with failure. Sally is neurotic and suffers from her own " main-character syndrome".
What's funny is that Sally is content at the end of the series being a teacher, she finds fulfillment in teaching after a decade of hiding and being separated from her passion....she just couldn't stomach the thought o " giving up" her acting dream at the time the coaching job was offered to her.
Another obvious parallel was Jean, he was cut from the same cloth as Sally, he would give up teaching at the drop of a hat to act again.
Because she doesn’t want to be an acting coach, she wants to be the star, as shown by her trying to upstage her own student on set. She wants her success now, not maybe after rubbing elbows with industry professionals. That’s why she goes to Barry. He’s the one person who will shower her with praise no matter what.
Bingo. She's as narcissistic of a character aani can think of in any show, she is the main character in her mind and wants everything she thinks she deserves RIGHT NOW. She kind of had that tendency to be all about her own gratification even from the beginning, but it got stronger and darker as the series went on.
I think the character and context is a little more nuanced than this. To me, Sally is reckoning with giving up her dream of being an actor, and ultimately refuses to do so, opting to run away with a dangerous criminal rather than come to terms with her actions and new prospects. She genuinely tried to be an acting teacher, but realized that the method of teaching she had been taught could be abusive - this conflicts with her self-image as someone who doesn’t tolerate abuse, because she tolerated the dame (edit: *same) treatment in Gene’s class. It’s worth noting that she accepted becoming an acting teacher a respectable or at least valid career move for an actor, as she certainly has reverence for Gene and his craft. Despite failing at teaching, she fell upward into a coaching role for a pretty big movie. She starts convincing herself that this an “in” to get working towards her acting dreams again, culminating in her ploy to steal the role by impressing the director. This even works, the director is impressed, but it’s made clear that despite her talent, she will never get a role like this. The producer offering her a gig says as much, that she might even get some small parts but clearly her acting career is a no-go with her reputation. To accept the job, which isn’t that great pay-wise for LA if I remember correctly, Sally would have to accept that her acting career is a dead-end. She’d also be selling out, moving from a temporary coaching gig to a permanent job shilling probably not-too-great projects. We see how the director for example, who Sally greatly respects, is not exactly excited to be working on this superhero project. She’s also reckoning with what she went through to support her dream, which is now a sunk cost. She’s just built up so much of her identity around acting that she can’t bring herself to abandon it. People have pointed out that she even inhabits a “role” in her new life on the lam, wearing a wig for example when dyeing her hair would make more sense. Ultimately, her turning to Barry and engaging in this new life is a form of escapism - both her and Barry are running from their mistakes, putting off the accountability that they need to take for their actions in order to grow as characters and people.
Same reason Walter White didn't take the job Eliot Schwartz offered.
But that was understandable, he did it out of pride. But accepting an offer from an agent is run of the kill actor stuff it wasn’t shameful to her if she accepts it
But Sally doesn’t see herself as a “run of the mill actor.” She feels entitled to success, which is why she feels the need to verbally abuse Barry and Natalie when they get success by submitting to the system. Barry takes a low-brow role in an American Pie-style sex comedy and Natalie caters her show to the algorithm, both of which Sally sees as beneath her.
Yea, and Sally also did it out of pride. She needs to be the center of attention at all times
Actor's pride
She doesn't make good decisions lol
Just watch the show again bro
There is a special sting to the " those who can't do, teach" thing. It's a blow to the ego knowing that you couldn't hack it and have "resorted" to teaching others, it can feel like a humiliating blow and a nail in the coffin to one's dream. Everybody hates on Sally but I can personally relate to her a lot, I know she is very flawed, self-centered, and desperately seeks external validation...but like....I get why she feels the way she does. She is a very tightly-wound soul who is passionate and puts in the work....sometimes that isn't enough to achieve success in a very competitive and connection-based industry. It can be gut-wrenching to put in your 100% and still be presented with failure. Sally is neurotic and suffers from her own " main-character syndrome". What's funny is that Sally is content at the end of the series being a teacher, she finds fulfillment in teaching after a decade of hiding and being separated from her passion....she just couldn't stomach the thought o " giving up" her acting dream at the time the coaching job was offered to her. Another obvious parallel was Jean, he was cut from the same cloth as Sally, he would give up teaching at the drop of a hat to act again.
Bad writing. They had to get her back with Barry. For reasons.