My first job

　　Paperboy

　　If you work hard and behave like a pro, it will pay off, and you will be offered more and better roles.--Adian Quinn

　　When I was about 11, I inherited my older brother's paper route. It was a good job, though it meant waking up at the crack of dawn and hopping on my bike in Rock-ford, Ill., to deliver papers.

　　Punctuality was critical. People expected the paper on their front porch by 6 a.m. If I ran late, they would be standing in their doorways and I would definitely hear about it. On the other hand, doing the job professionally often resulted in much-appreciated tips.

　　Ever since, I have tried to do as professional a job as possible-whether it be bagging groceries, painting houses or tarring roofs. Acting is no different. I believe if you work hard and behave like a pro, it will pay off, and you will be offered more and better roles.

　　This means giving your all. If a scene requires another character to react to my jumping into the water, I will jump in as many times as it takes to help him and the director gets the shot. Several years ago, while filming a movie in the mountains of Brazi, my fellow actors and I all pitched in to help the crew move heavy equipment through rugged jungle.

　　Acting is a job like any other, and you can't let it go to your head. The things that made a difference delivering papers--being thorough, punctual, doing your best-also count on the movie set. And I still have to wake up at the crack of dawn.

　　Actor Aidan Quinn has appeared in over 20 films, in cluding Music of the Heart and Michael Collin.(英语周报 邮发代 号：21-101)