I’ve been acting for two decades. I’ve played leads, memorised mountains of dialogue, kept my cool through chaos. And yet, on set with an Oscar-nominated director, I went completely blank. Like—nothing. Nada. Brain empty.

I could blame the flu my toddler gave me or the fact that it was day one of my period (cheers, body). But let’s be real—nobody cares about your excuses on set.

So I looked at the sides, took a breath, told that little voice in my head to f** off*, and got back to work.

Because here’s the truth, actors: even after 20 years, you can still forget your lines. What matters is how you handle it when you do.