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Damn straight. Acting in L.A. is one of those "dream jobs" that everyone thinks they'd love to have, but the truth is it's a job. If you're passionate about acting, and really, really REALLY lucky, it can be paradise. But for the vast majority of actors, as Peter says, it's bread and butter, not caviar and champagne. Those spells of limitless possibility are ringed and padded and surrounded by plain ol' ordinary time, just like downtime at any job. And also like he says, not even particularly interesting or pleasant time, either. And there's only so long that most people can keep going at something so uncertain, that brings only a modicum of reward.
Back in '95, I moved back to Los Angeles (my childhood home) with dreams of acting. I figured if I didn't at least give it a rousing try, I'd regret it the rest of my life. It only took about a year before my starry-eyed-ness began to wear off, and I realized that if I wanted to make a living acting in Hollywood, I would be required to do things I simply am not willing to do. And I'm not even talking about the casting couch. Since I'm not a skinny blonde with fake boobs and the mind of a turnip, getting work was very difficult. I got the "you're great" crap too, but the truth was they really didn't see me at all. And you know, the work may be wonderful, but I've yet to come across a job that was worth making myself physically ill, distorting every positive thought I might have about myself, and kissing all kinds of ass just to get a few lines. As Whoopi would say, Hell, no!
The beautiful unreality of films is lovely; I've been a film fan all my life, and my experiences in Hollywood won't change that. But as for the reality...well, as Abraham Lincoln once said, For those that like that sort of thing, I think it is just the sort of thing that they would like.
