Last Saturday night a film I appeared in, "The Terminal", aired on ABC; I hadn't seen the film since the cast & screening in June ’04 and I don't own a copy of it. I recorded it because I might want to add my scene with Tom Hanks to my demo reel. I don't think I actually will because I look quite a bit different these days. I don't have dreads anymore and I think I looked younger then. I want my reel to point toward where I can go versus where I've been.
I get a warm feeling every time I think about my experience with that film. I booked it from a drop-off to a casting director I had never met - a major casting office that was on my target list. I later learned that it was the casting associate who I'd met 3 years prior who was responsible for bringing me in for the audition. She had never brought me in before, but I'd been postcarding and dropping off to her for years.
I auditioned on Tuesday July 29th 2003. The tapes were FedEx'd to New York that evening and 2 days later I got the news that I'd been booked. One week of work; one line of dialogue, amongst several scenes - oh yeah, my scene was with Tom Hanks & directed by Steven Spielberg.
This part was, without question, one of highlights of the experience. What did I do?
I doubled my dialogue.
Yup I turned one entire line into TWO entire lines. I think it was one of the smoothest things I've ever done - in the presence of two multi-time Academy Awards winners no less. Trust me, I did it in a fail-safe way that did not respect the rehearsal process. After adding the line Mr. Spielberg actually thanked me directly…and it even made it to the final edit of the film.
Anyway, moving forward, when I was looking for a VHS tape to record "The Terminal" on I put one in and the first thing that came on was a show I recurred on years ago - "Good Morning, Miami" - mid-scene, was the enormously talented Suzanne Pleshette being her normal, funny self. I forwarded the tape to the end of episode so that I could watch it again later.
I remember, years ago, at the table read for the pilot of “GMM”. Ya know when they sit the entire cast around the huge table set up and they have your name card in front of your place at the table? Well I had Ms. Pleshette on my left and the legendary, iconic sit-com director, James Burrows on my right. I asked myself, "how in the heck did I get here?" That's how I met Suzanne; she was always funny, sweet and a pleasure to share the stage with.
Less than an hour after fast-forwarding that tape it was reported that she'd passed on. I knew that she had been in treatment for cancer so her passing wasn't a total surprise to me. She lost her husband, Tom Poston, in '07. Mr. Poston, ironically, played her boyfriend on the show. RIP Suzanne.
I get a warm feeling every time I think about my experience with that film. I booked it from a drop-off to a casting director I had never met - a major casting office that was on my target list. I later learned that it was the casting associate who I'd met 3 years prior who was responsible for bringing me in for the audition. She had never brought me in before, but I'd been postcarding and dropping off to her for years.
I auditioned on Tuesday July 29th 2003. The tapes were FedEx'd to New York that evening and 2 days later I got the news that I'd been booked. One week of work; one line of dialogue, amongst several scenes - oh yeah, my scene was with Tom Hanks & directed by Steven Spielberg.
This part was, without question, one of highlights of the experience. What did I do?
I doubled my dialogue.
Yup I turned one entire line into TWO entire lines. I think it was one of the smoothest things I've ever done - in the presence of two multi-time Academy Awards winners no less. Trust me, I did it in a fail-safe way that did not respect the rehearsal process. After adding the line Mr. Spielberg actually thanked me directly…and it even made it to the final edit of the film.
Anyway, moving forward, when I was looking for a VHS tape to record "The Terminal" on I put one in and the first thing that came on was a show I recurred on years ago - "Good Morning, Miami" - mid-scene, was the enormously talented Suzanne Pleshette being her normal, funny self. I forwarded the tape to the end of episode so that I could watch it again later.
I remember, years ago, at the table read for the pilot of “GMM”. Ya know when they sit the entire cast around the huge table set up and they have your name card in front of your place at the table? Well I had Ms. Pleshette on my left and the legendary, iconic sit-com director, James Burrows on my right. I asked myself, "how in the heck did I get here?" That's how I met Suzanne; she was always funny, sweet and a pleasure to share the stage with.
Less than an hour after fast-forwarding that tape it was reported that she'd passed on. I knew that she had been in treatment for cancer so her passing wasn't a total surprise to me. She lost her husband, Tom Poston, in '07. Mr. Poston, ironically, played her boyfriend on the show. RIP Suzanne.
Front - Constance Zimmer, Suzanne Pleshette, Myself & Ashley Williams
Back - Mark Feuerstein, Marilyn Bagley, Jere Burns & Matt Letscher
As I was driving North on the 101 Freeway I received a text message from a friend informing me that Heath Ledger had just been found dead in his apartment in New York. I couldn’t believe it. I used to talk to Heath quite a bit back when I worked at The Hollywood Standard. He seemed like a super-nice, kind gentleman – not at all someone that would intentionally take his life. Who knows, it was a long time ago that I had my encounters with him, but I know others that had much more recent dealings with him and they don’t think he was the type either.
I’m not saying that he wasn’t a guy that enjoyed his status and liked to have a good time, but my gut tells me that his death was an accident. I’m sure many versions of speculations into what happened will come out in the coming days, months and years. It really saddened me to hear the news and knowing that he leaves a loving family and young daughter. I remember him telling me his story of having no money after starring in “10 Things I Hate About You” because he was turning down all the teen roles that followed. When I dealt with him he was working on “The Patriot” in South Carolina and staying in LA hotels. He told me to hang in there.
I have a strong feeling that he will still be talked about decades from now. Heath Ledger was extremely talented and will be sorely missed by many.
As I was driving North on the 101 Freeway I received a text message from a friend informing me that Heath Ledger had just been found dead in his apartment in New York. I couldn’t believe it. I used to talk to Heath quite a bit back when I worked at The Hollywood Standard. He seemed like a super-nice, kind gentleman – not at all someone that would intentionally take his life. Who knows, it was a long time ago that I had my encounters with him, but I know others that had much more recent dealings with him and they don’t think he was the type either.
I’m not saying that he wasn’t a guy that enjoyed his status and liked to have a good time, but my gut tells me that his death was an accident. I’m sure many versions of speculations into what happened will come out in the coming days, months and years. It really saddened me to hear the news and knowing that he leaves a loving family and young daughter. I remember him telling me his story of having no money after starring in “10 Things I Hate About You” because he was turning down all the teen roles that followed. When I dealt with him he was working on “The Patriot” in South Carolina and staying in LA hotels. He told me to hang in there.
I have a strong feeling that he will still be talked about decades from now. Heath Ledger was extremely talented and will be sorely missed by many.
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