Michael Flatley has shared his words of wisdom with young people who are keen to succeed.
Chatting with BBC Breakfast he said that he himself was told by many people that he would never make it in the acting world as the jump from actor to dancer was ‘impossible’.
Now, Michael is promoting his new movie Blackbird, which he wrote, directed, and also stars in.
The film features Lord of the Dance legend Michael Flatley as a secret agent turned nightclub owner. Flatley plays Victor Blackley, aka Blackbird, a retired M16 spy who tries to escape his troubled past by opening a nightclub in the Caribbean.
Now, chatting about how young people can channel some of that positive energy, he said:
“Young people are remarkably talented, and I love the young minds”
“And I’ll tell you what, the big motivation for me making Blackbird is all the people that said ‘Impossible. You can’t do it. You can’t be an actor – you’re a dancer’. I mean, I’ve heard it ’til I’m blue in the face and you just have to go for it.”
Continuing on, he added that following your dreams is important.
“And there’s so many people out there that have a dream to do something or be somebody or do something great, and they’re paralysed by fear. ‘What’s everybody gonna think? What are other people gonna say?”
“Especially the young people, go for it. Don’t listen to other people. You have to just go for it. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.”
“There’s no shame in failure, the shame is not getting up and trying. That’s the way I look at life.”