Conservative people tend to be very down to earth and pragmatic. What sensible person in their right mind would take a career risk like the ones taken by actors, writers or directors?
Now everyone is going to poo-poo that statement. So, here's the challenge to anyone on this thread: sell your house, pocket the money, move to L.A. into a studio apartment and take acting lessons. Take any job you can find even vaguely related to show business and spend the next five years of your life doing that -- no health insurance, no benefits, no assurances that you will progress in your career in an orderly manner.
Is anybody willing to take that bet?
For acting you have to do that yes. Directors generally have a leg up with formal training. You can really go out and make movie on your own these days. If its really good some festival will play it.