Picketing: @ Paramount Studios. I did a lot of marching today and my legs got a serious workout. I can’t compare to the people who are truly out there everyday, especially in New York, but I’m doing my part. If nothing else, in honor of the ones who bargained and marched before me so that I have the collective bargaining agreement that I current work under. Actors didn’t start getting residuals until the early 60’s.
I’m sure there’s a lot of networking going on out there in the strike zone, but I hate “networking”. Well, maybe “hate” is too strong a word. Better yet, maybe I’m just jealous of those who do it well. Nah, that’s not it either. I don’t do it well, never have. I don’t go out to the strike lines to see how many writers and/or showrunners I can meet – maybe I should. I don’t know, it just wouldn’t be natural for me and it wouldn’t feel right. Actually, often times I have headphones on listening to different podcasts from iTunes. Not because I’m anti-social or anything like that; I’m just an information junkie and various podcasts have been my drug of choice lately. I haven’t listened to the radio in my car for 5 months or so and I’m hooked on podcasts. Truthfully, I’m very low-key and pretty quiet so I don’t have a need to be socializing all the time. I’m a master of observation and speculation; I much prefer to watch others than to be seen.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve run into writers and I handled myself well because I’m prepared and I am great at recognizing and seizing opportunities that arise in a very natural, organic way. That is the key for me; it needs to feel honest. I’m not going to be pushing my business card on everybody I meet, but I usually have one ready in case it’s appropriate.
Today I did several laps around the entire Paramount Studios Lot and Hollywood Cemetery; all the way from Melrose Ave. to Santa Monica Blvd. and back. I was deeply embroiled in some really good podcasts about politics, finance, real estate the economy, etc. Generally, I prefer being anonymous with my hat pulled low; but I can feel if someone is trying to get my attention through body language – I’m an actor!
So I’m walking, acknowledging fellow marchers and cars honking in support and I saw this African-American guy walking in the opposite direction who I vaguely thought I recognized, but I couldn’t place him. He kinda looked at me the same way. Neither of us said anything and kept it moving.
About 20 minutes later we saw each other again and looked a little harder at each other; he was with other people – I was alone as usual. He gave me the “head nod” and sorta waved me over. I stopped, trying to figure out where we might have known each other from. He sorta remembered my name and I couldn’t remember his, but I knew it started with an “S”. The funny thing is that I normally know his name because I’ve kept up with his career, but I was drawing a blank. It was writer/producer Saladin Patterson.
Saladin wrote the first of the two episodes of “Frasier” that I appeared in and was responsible for me getting the job. It was great to see him and cool that he remembered me. I got to tell him how special that job was to me and ironically it was at Paramount that I booked and shot it; the very studio we were picketing more than 6 years later. I told him it was one of those jobs that actors dream about. I went straight from the callback to Stage 25, where Cheers was filmed before Frasier, to rehearse with Kelsey Grammar. Kelsey, at the time was the highest paid actor in the history of television – $1.6 million an episode. It’s only one of the many cool experiences that I can claim during my career. Saladin also said that he had seen me in some drama stuff recently. He said he’d look me up after all this strike stuff is over and with that I gave him my card. That encounter felt natural and organic at its best.
I’m going to work on this networking thing and trying to be out there a little more. The thing is that I like talking about a lot of things outside of acting, but on the strike lines it’s kinda hard not to discuss the times we are in.
A little while after that I and some fellow actors were interviewed for what I think was the NAACP. They wanted us to speak why we were there in support of the WGA. The reasons are simple; our fight is their fight. Of course when they asked me to speak I was nervous, but I did okay. It’s funny because I have a lot to say on the matter, but it takes me a minute to warm up to being the center of attention.
I’m sure there’s a lot of networking going on out there in the strike zone, but I hate “networking”. Well, maybe “hate” is too strong a word. Better yet, maybe I’m just jealous of those who do it well. Nah, that’s not it either. I don’t do it well, never have. I don’t go out to the strike lines to see how many writers and/or showrunners I can meet – maybe I should. I don’t know, it just wouldn’t be natural for me and it wouldn’t feel right. Actually, often times I have headphones on listening to different podcasts from iTunes. Not because I’m anti-social or anything like that; I’m just an information junkie and various podcasts have been my drug of choice lately. I haven’t listened to the radio in my car for 5 months or so and I’m hooked on podcasts. Truthfully, I’m very low-key and pretty quiet so I don’t have a need to be socializing all the time. I’m a master of observation and speculation; I much prefer to watch others than to be seen.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve run into writers and I handled myself well because I’m prepared and I am great at recognizing and seizing opportunities that arise in a very natural, organic way. That is the key for me; it needs to feel honest. I’m not going to be pushing my business card on everybody I meet, but I usually have one ready in case it’s appropriate.
Today I did several laps around the entire Paramount Studios Lot and Hollywood Cemetery; all the way from Melrose Ave. to Santa Monica Blvd. and back. I was deeply embroiled in some really good podcasts about politics, finance, real estate the economy, etc. Generally, I prefer being anonymous with my hat pulled low; but I can feel if someone is trying to get my attention through body language – I’m an actor!
So I’m walking, acknowledging fellow marchers and cars honking in support and I saw this African-American guy walking in the opposite direction who I vaguely thought I recognized, but I couldn’t place him. He kinda looked at me the same way. Neither of us said anything and kept it moving.
About 20 minutes later we saw each other again and looked a little harder at each other; he was with other people – I was alone as usual. He gave me the “head nod” and sorta waved me over. I stopped, trying to figure out where we might have known each other from. He sorta remembered my name and I couldn’t remember his, but I knew it started with an “S”. The funny thing is that I normally know his name because I’ve kept up with his career, but I was drawing a blank. It was writer/producer Saladin Patterson.
Saladin wrote the first of the two episodes of “Frasier” that I appeared in and was responsible for me getting the job. It was great to see him and cool that he remembered me. I got to tell him how special that job was to me and ironically it was at Paramount that I booked and shot it; the very studio we were picketing more than 6 years later. I told him it was one of those jobs that actors dream about. I went straight from the callback to Stage 25, where Cheers was filmed before Frasier, to rehearse with Kelsey Grammar. Kelsey, at the time was the highest paid actor in the history of television – $1.6 million an episode. It’s only one of the many cool experiences that I can claim during my career. Saladin also said that he had seen me in some drama stuff recently. He said he’d look me up after all this strike stuff is over and with that I gave him my card. That encounter felt natural and organic at its best.
I’m going to work on this networking thing and trying to be out there a little more. The thing is that I like talking about a lot of things outside of acting, but on the strike lines it’s kinda hard not to discuss the times we are in.
A little while after that I and some fellow actors were interviewed for what I think was the NAACP. They wanted us to speak why we were there in support of the WGA. The reasons are simple; our fight is their fight. Of course when they asked me to speak I was nervous, but I did okay. It’s funny because I have a lot to say on the matter, but it takes me a minute to warm up to being the center of attention.
4 comments:
I feel the same way as you do about networking. It is foreign to me. It is much easier for me to talk to a total stranger on the subway about her hat than it is for me to talk to someone in my field about projects and similar interests.
I've recently found your blog and enjoy reading it. Thank you for sharing.
YES!!! The hat on the subway.
Don't get me wrong I can talk about the business with the best of them and have zero trouble holding my own. It's just not what I always wanna talk about. Sometimes that hat on the subway is way more interesting.
Thanks for checking out my stuff.
Stephon
Ah! Yvette! We temped together at MCA Records a few years ago. How's things buddy?
Hey Alan,
Things are okay I guess. It's weird because on the one hand I feel way better than I have in a while concerning being in the business, but picketing and having few opportunities start to weigh on you after a while. I know I'm doing the right thing though. I think '08 is going to be really good.
How about yourself?
Stephon
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