For the last month I have been a reader for Henderson/Zuckerman Casting. This has been one of the best opportunities I have had as an actor. I was getting to see and hear everything. It really showed me where I need to be to even be considered for a film or TV project. THIS JUST IN!! I am abruptly dropped by my manager!!! Yeah, what the F!&#$!! He had been working on becoming a producer and now was the time. So he only kept a couple of clients that were really moving along well. Totally caught me by surprise, I thought some good things were going to happen for the both of us.

Meanwhile I have to say that the new position at my night job is working out well. It accomplished 2 things: I made more money in less time and I didn't have to get another job and "act" like I really wanted to be there. I was just trying to make my situation better, I had been doing this overnight thing for over 2 years and it was killing me. I knew I had to continue because it was my ticket out of doing it. So, I guess I was "doing it so I wouldn't have to do it". There are times when I fall asleep in my car after getting home from work at 6 or 7 in the morning. Not good.

On the other hand October was heating up nicely. We were still on strike, but the end "had" to be near I thought. I was getting theatrical auditions. WHAT!!! I don't get that many TV/Film auditions, but I was getting them now.

Being a reader it was an eye-opening experience, I highly recommend it. The first project I worked on was "Bluehill Ave" it shot in Canada. The leads are William Forsythe, Clarence Williams III and Allen Payne. There was some talk of me possibly landing a role, but the director could only take so many to Canada for budget reasons. In all honesty I didn't think I was really right for anything in the film. I was just happy to be there and be part of the process and hear the business talk. I really got a chance to know the director and he asked my opinion on some things. The project that I am working on now with them is called "Smash" it is a VH-1 comedy pilot. It is kinda like Fox's "Action" set to the music industry. There is a small role in the pilot that I have my eye on, that is possibly recurring if the series is picked up.

After reading hundreds of actors I really can now understand when a casting director says do not touch them or break that circle of their space. Some of the material that I've been reading has been pretty provocative, and the young women that are coming in are like "WHAT!!!" let's just say some of "Hollywood's Finest". Anyway, I have been touched, groped even kissed smack on the mouth (yes, by a woman); and there was no kiss in the scene!! That's cool whatever works, I am there for them. The actors have really been great; they really appreciate having another actor to read with. Some I have read with 2 or 3 times and they have made comments to the producers/director that "they should hire this guy" meaning me. We'll see about that. It really has shown me what it takes to light up the room, especially in comedy. In most cases you can really tell the people who have worked.

After being in there over a dozen times, I can tell you at least at that office that they call people in without representation, from workshops and without extensive credits. At the same time there are a lot of people who have worked a lot and are with top agencies. As an actor who has to beg, borrow and steal to get a theatrical audition the chance to be a reader is a way to stay in and be around the game.

Usually when I am a reader I start to get appointments. So this one time I am scheduled for a short producer/director session, just from 11am-12:30pm, of course I get a call for an audition @12 noon. I tried to reschedule, but they were only going until noon. After thinking long and hard I tell my agent that I won't be able to make it.

My agents know that I have been reading for them, but they don't really know to what extent. My agent trusted that I was making the right decision and left it at that. I know it sounds crazy that I would turn down a pre-read for "Sabrina" with Rick Millikan for a co-star to be a reader. I kinda feel like I have a lot invested now in this project, I have been reading with the producers/director, I am right for the role, it is possibly recurring and Cathy & Dori will push hard for me after the leads are set. After telling my agent that I cannot make the audition I figured I would call Henderson/Zuckerman just to make sure that everything was on schedule and that I indeed could not make it. Cathy & Dori heard in the background that I had an audition and were adamant about me not missing it; they would find a replacement for me. I told them my angle on the whole thing and they agreed, but then they offered to call Rick Millikan and see what they could do. They were able to get me rescheduled. I had a really good read and got a callback to producers and found out today that I have been booked for Wednesday of next week. Nothing huge and that's fine with me, it's a co-star about 4 lines and believe it or not my quote inched up a little higher. (I can't believe I have a quote). Oh, and it's directed by Melissa Joan Hart. Back at the job, I waited on Martin Lawrence and he left me $185 on an $85 check. He was very, very cool and low-key.