Shooting “Criminal Minds” in Hawthorne. Hurry up and wait was in full effect. I don’t usually have a problem with it because I understand it, but I missed a director session for a lead in a film. That’s the way it goes, but I will definitely try to get rescheduled because I think I’m really right for it.

I arrived on set, which is an old shopping mall that has been closed to the public. I check-in and get to my trailer. I smile when I see my cop uniform wardrobe, lol! Me, as a cop?

Anyway, the waiting begins. After a while we move to the second location where my scene is to be filmed. It is in a hospital in Torrance. On the way there I drove past the location where I shot the “Wrigley’s” commercial on December 7th 2001. That was a good commercial! They split it into two spots and even ran it on the Wrigley’s Jumbotron in New York’s Times Square. I smiled when I thought about that.

My character was a police tech shooting photos of a victim. The lead actors I worked with; Matthew Gray Gubler, Lola Glaudini and Thomas Gibson were very nice and personable. I had a couple of lines and took a lot of photos. I wish I could have kept that camera; it was really nice. I even got to take photos of my friend, fellow actress Tuffet Schmelzle, in another scene.

Me and Tuffet Schmelzle

This was pretty funny. We were shooting in a hospital room and while I was taking photos of the victim the important people (series regulars) enter and talk to the victim. Me and my fellow worker, who was a background artist, leave the room to wait until they are finished. We were just outside of the window, so you could still see us in the shot. Of course we needed to keep it real and whisper things, show her the photos in the viewfinder of the camera or whatever, ya know, make it seem like we are discussing whatever. On one take I leaned over really, really close to her and said, in my best Barry White voice, "What time do you get off". OMG!!!! You should have seen the look on her face. It was priceless! Babygirl was shook!! I don't think it was so much that I said it, it was more that I said it then, in middle of the scene - we were in the background of the scene.I could see that she was a little confused after we cut so I just let it ride for a while. Then, after a couple of more takes, I told her I was just making conversation "within the scene". She just laughed and got a big kick out of that. She was cool to work with.

As usual, they fed us really well. If I was a series regular and ate like that everyday even I would probably gain. I plan to find out one day. So that was it, another great day on-set. I’m a little saddened about missing the film audition, but I guess having a job is a pretty good reason. I’ve been bugging my agents, which is really unlike me, but I really want to go in on this film.

Last week I was preparing to leave the apartment to do some drops and a friend called to chat. I told her where I was going and she told me about a film being cast in the same building; so I dropped both of our photos off. Today I got a call for a director session for one of the leads of the film; the audition is tomorrow. Problem is I won’t be able to make it because I’m working on “Criminal Minds”. Hopefully, I can get rescheduled.

INT. STEPHON’S APARTMENT – LATE NIGHT

Stephon, sitting at his desk, is in the middle of a spirited conversation. He is all smiles, laughing and joking. He senses a very slight disturbance at his feet. He looks down, but can’t really see because of the bright light on his desk. Phone call continues…

Stephon (laughing):…You’ve got to be kidding.

Caller (laughing): I’m serious!

Stephon senses something isn’t quite right and wheels around in his swivel desk chair.

Stephon: Oh sh*t!

Caller: What?

His earpiece falls out and he hits the deck. There is a bat flying around in his apartment. He grabs the earpiece and puts it back in his ear. Trying to be cool, he isn’t sure whether to let the other party in on what is really going on. He can’t contain himself.

Stephon: uhh…ooh….sh*t!

Caller: What are you doing?

Stephon: uhh, can I call you back?

Caller: Yeah.

Stephon: There is a ^&(*$% bat flying around my apartment. I’ll call you back.

Stephon drops the phone and grabs a pair of pajama bottoms to wrap around his neck to prevent being bitten and turned into Dracula or Blacula. He gets another pair of pants to try to knock the flying rat silly. He swings – misses. He swings – misses again. He swings and misses a third time.

The flying rat goes for the corner where I first noticed something weird. He is out of view.

Stephon: Sh*t.

Stephon can’t seem to find him and goes around the other side to get a better look. Right then the little POS starts flying again; this time circling the spinning ceiling fan. Stephon, standing with the trusty pajamas protecting his neck, is determined to open a can of whup ass on this intruder.

He swing – misses. He swings – BINGO! He knocks that SOB clear into the kitchen. Stephon cautiously looks at him to make sure he isn’t going to fly away again. He notices that this one is bigger than the previous ones. He then sneaks past him to get a pair of pliers from the kitchen to get rid of him, but not before a headshot session. The proof.

Crazy!

Can you believe that!?!?! I have lived in this building for 8 years and this is the 5th time this has happened. The first time was in ’99, then in June ’02, then sometime in ’03. I didn’t mention it, but it happened about 4 nights ago and then tonight. I have no idea how they get in. Yes, I have screens in all of my windows. The one the other night escaped by going through the little space under my front door. Maybe he got in that way. I’ll have to plug that up. There is an old hood ventilation thingy over my stove that isn’t hooked up, but I think it leads to the outside of my building. I’m gonna have to plug that too. Looks like it’s time for another trip to the rental office. It’s official, I hate this old ass building.

About 4 years ago when this “bat thing” happened the second time, my left arm mysteriously became swollen. I could never figure out why, but it was swollen from my shoulder all the way down to my fingers. I went to the doctor and they sent me to a specialist, but they could come up with anything. I always thought that maybe I had been bitten by a spider or something, but it happened the same night that I had a bat in my apartment. Maybe I am Blacula and I just don’t know it.

Dag! In New York I had rats - LA I got bats! WHAT!!!

Drops, drops baby! It never seems to stop, but at least gas prices are going down a little – just a little.

I had my fitting for “Criminal Minds” this afternoon. I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. I gotta tell ya, I love working on projects. I can’t believe that I actually have two jobs that I’ve booked but haven’t filmed yet. Hopefully, I can book at least another job before I shoot “Ocean’s Thirteen”. A half-hour, live audience, multi-camera comedy or a commercial would be nice. How about another trip out of the country? THAT would be nice – shoot, I’d gladly settle for New York right now.

So I get home, thinking I’m done for the day and my friend Yoko calls to tell me about an open call from Actor Access for “Sony PlayStation” way out in Glendale until 8pm. Glendale!? I just got gas today; I don’t wanna drive to Glendale. So I check the listing and it says they are looking for 5 males aged 18-25, hip, contemporary, college students. Huh? 18-25? Can I play 25? I don’t know, maybe. Yoko was certain I could play 25. I think I was making excuses not to go – not very smart.

Well, after a moment I figured if I don’t go I definitely won’t book. If I go, maybe I’ll book and I’ll buy Yoko dinner. So I decided to drive to Glendale, but not before I checked my database to see who I needed to drop-off to. I had to figure out the places I could drop after hours. I ended up making a huge loop from Silverlake to Glendale to Encino to Studio City, etc. I definitely pays to know this city like the back of my hand, now I can sleep in tomorrow! That’s good because I know I’ll be up until 4am – at least.

Audition: “Sony PlayStation” @ Michael Silberman/Jennifer Perry Casting, POC.

So I get to the audition and I first got thank Yoko for the tip. The guy running it was just super nice to me. I don’t know why, the girls in attendance were way, way more fun to look at than me. So I’m going over the material and I was just a wreck. For some reason, when I get to a commercial audition and they have TV/Film-like sides I get all weird. In the end it went great!! I used props and my all of my nervous energy and by their reaction to it seemed like I brought something fresh they hadn’t seen before. Oh yeah and one the women running the show asked me about “Ocean’s Thirteen”. Who knows, maybe I’ll get a callback.

Audition/Tape: “’Til Death” @ Tammara Billik Casting. Audition/Tape: “’Til Death” @ Tammara Billik Casting. This didn't go so great...at least I don't think it did. I mean it wasn't terrible; it just wasn't one of those where you feel great no matter the outcome. I can honestly say it had nothing to do with the show being under an AFTRA contract. That in itself is a step forward for me. Maybe my apathetic attitude towards AFTRA is waning...maybe not. I just don’t know what AFTRA is doing for me besides competing with SAG for lower contracts…gee thanks guys.

All was not lost because I had a fantastic interview with her; ya know the 60 or so seconds before and after the read. Tammara actually looked at my resume and made the comment, "Wow, you've worked with some great directors and you've worked with Arlene Sanford!" Arlene was the director of the episode of "Love, Inc." that I did. Before working on "Love, Inc." I did research on her and found that she is quite unique in television directing.

What makes her so special isn't that she's a woman director, although I think that's pretty freakin' special; it's that she directs one hour dramas, half hour multi-camera comedies, one hour dramadies AND single-camera comedies. That is a rarity in Hollywood. Arlene and I actually had a conversation about it. I think Tammara was a little surprised I knew that about Arlene and it just so happens that they are friends too. If nothing else maybe she’ll remember me for that.

Confession: Here is the real reason the audition didn't go so great.....Tammara has some insanely, beautiful brown eyes. I was mesmerized by them…no really, you should see them.

Today was good day; I was pretty productive in the streets – which, trust me, is NOT always the case. The heat in the valley caught me by surprise and promptly delivered me a nice headache, but I soldiered through and got the job done.

This was a good new development. There is a really important office in town that used to be on a studio lot. The studio couriers were horrible in getting them their submissions/drop-offs from the mail room in a timely fashion. They recently moved to another studio in town and I went there today and the guard just let me walk on and go straight to the office. I didn’t expect that for me, maybe if I was a female, but I’m not. So I got to hand deliver a general submission to the office. Cool.

Afterwards I went to a spot on Ventura that I hadn’t been to in a while and then I started feeling like I wanted to go home for some reason. I was tired; this staying up until 4-5am was catching up with me. I needed some rest – and some water – and something to eat – and gas for my car, but I wasn’t hungry. I’m starting to think I’m anorexic. Not really; I haven’t vomited since I was 9 years old. Yeah, I played 2nd base for the Plaza Little League Minor Dodgers and guess who the coach was? My DADDY!!!! Yeah!!! LOL!! “Corn pops” (as my brother’s and I affectionately referred to him as) coached baseball, football and basketball and ALWAYS had winning teams. That year the Dodgers were sponsored by the local Pizza Hut. When we won our games, which was most of the time, we would have a pizza party. One time I ate 3 slices of pizza and vomited; it was not a very good experience. That was the last time I threw up and part of the reason I’ve never had alcohol in my life. I associate alcohol with throwing up. I know, weird.

So I just parked for a bit and took a deep breath. I knew I couldn’t go back home without doing more drop-offs; gas is too expensive for that. So I pulled out my PDA, searched “Ventura” and made a quick route to hit some spots.

I was talking to a friend on the phone about how I have targeted certain shows, the “blue-chip shows” and what that has meant. Also, that I’m to the point where I almost avoid shows that are under AFTRA contracts or “SAG at AFTRA terms”. It’s not “the show” itself, it’s AFTRA; I don’t wanna join another guild to do the same work. I mean if my agent calls with an appointment for an AFTRA show I’ll go of course, but I don’t pursue them like I do SAG shows. So up and down Ventura Blvd I go.

When I get back to my apartment more new pages from the “Criminal Minds” script are at my door. No changes for me. Yesterday when I was at the table read I thanked Casting Director Scott David for bringing me in to audition and he made it seem like such a no brainer that I was gonna get on the show eventually. He said, “Yeah, we tried last season and it didn’t work and now here you are”. I mean, I’ve met Scott a couple of times in the past, but I didn’t take it for granted that he knew who I was; especially since last time I read for him it just went okay. They have sooo many actors to choose from, but to be honest, I have done my part to stay fresh in their minds so it makes sense. Maybe I’m underestimating the progress that I’ve made. Something to think about I guess.

Right around 7pm my agent calls with an appointment for tomorrow. Get this; it’s at one of the offices I dropped off at just hours earlier. I slid it under the door, I wouldn’t have remembered that address if I hadn’t search it in my PDA. Just goes to show, there is an unbelievable amount of work here in Los Angeles. In theory, we should ALL be auditioning quite frequently, but I think 20% of the actors get 80% of the opportunities and work – gotta get and stay in that 20%. I pulled that figure of 20% out of my a**. 20%? Do you think that’s accurate or even close?

I forgot to mention that the show is AFTRA!!! I wanna freakin scream! Not really, it’s cool. It’s a funny a scene on a new FOX comedy Starring Brad Garrett from “Everybody Loves Raymond” called “Til Death” and I just so happened to see the pilot last week at the Museum of Television and Radio. I know I’ll eventually have to join AFTRA, but I’ll go kicking and screaming – then maybe I’ll pursue soap work too.

Table read: "Criminal Minds" @ Century Studios. It’s always great to be invited to a table read. It usually means you’ve booked a job and that is a good thing.

I arrived at the studio and found my name card on the huge table where the actors and the production team was to assemble. There was at least 45-50 people in attendance; it was like it was a table read for a pilot. That caught me by surprise; I didn’t expect to see so many people; including from the studio.

So I was seated next to Casting Director Scott David and associate Gina Garcia and once everyone was settled we all introduced ourselves – yup all 400 of us; which was cool to see who everyone was behind the scenes. I was about person number 17 and by time it got to me things needed to be shaken up a little – at least I thought so. I was gonna take a risk and be that example of what NOT to do while at a table read for a major network show. I figured hey, this ain’t my first time at the rodeo; I didn’t have to walk around scared to be myself. When the introduction got to me, instead of saying “Stephon Fuller, “Tech” I said “Stephon Fuller, “Single Black Male” and “Tech”…the entire room went silent for a split second followed by a roar of laughter - it really broke the ice. It could’ve went really bad, but sometimes you just take the risk. Then, person #24, another black actor, said the same thing – funny again – it was like a residual.

So we started reading the script and in the begininng there was a little jab at Shemar Moore’s character and he responds “What the &^% does that mean?”, then he said something about being a “single black male” – another residual!

Something that was interesting was that you could barely hear the series regulars read their dialogue. I think, us, the guest cast, knew our jobs are a little less secure - you could hear us loud and clear.

About ¾ of the way through the script “Garcia” appears, she is played by Kirsten Vangsness. “Garcia” receives a phone call from “Morgan” requesting a bit of information; Morgan is played by Shemar Moore. They had very little dialogue, but let me tell you, the sexual tension/chemistry between those two was absolutely off the chain. I don’t know who said in order for a woman to be sexy in Hollywood she needs to be size zero or something close to it. I also don’t know if Ms. Vangsness used to be a phone sex operator or maybe she still is, I don’t know, but THAT is one sexy woman. They brought the room to a stand still.

Anyway, another cool thing was seeing fellow actor Tuffet Schmelzle; I know her from networking at Actorsite. It’s great to see others you know at auditions and on set. On the way out one of the producers stopped me and laughed about the “Single Black Male” comment; he thought it was really funny. …hmmm maybe he could produce a pilot…I’m just sayin….

You know, I often talk about other things that interest me in life. Make no mistake, I love being in this business and I appreciate everything it has brought to me. I’ve had some great experiences and met some great people along the way. I say that because it was a wonderful feeling being in the room for the table read and I don’t want it to seem like I could care less about being in this business. Do I think parts of this business are laughable and absurd? Yes, absolutely. Do I want to be a series regular on a great show? Yes absolutely.

Audition: "Toys-R-Us" @ Craig Colvin Casting. This audition went really well. My character was a father with a wife, a son and a daughter. My “wife” – HOT! My “daughter” - CUTE! My “son” – CRAZY! That kid was a damn trip! I thought he was gonna blow the place up for real. He was just like angry or something at 7 years old! What the heck was he angry about? Not like mad like “little kid mad” – ya know tired, hungry and irritable. The dude was pissed like an old ass man going through a divorce. 7 years old! We were all in line to slate our names and he didn’t want to stand next to his sister. I asked him to stand next to his sister to slate and he answered, “how do you know my name?” “And that ain’t my sister”. It was just so funny.

Actually, the little terror probably knew what he was doing. In the spot, me, “the dad”, was supposed to represent a 9 year old kid and he was supposed to be a little more mature. I think it worked. I would LOVE to be on set with him all day; could you imagine the stories I could tell.

What a day today. It started out with a conversation with the lady in the rental office of where I live. I got word that at least one newer tenant in my building is evidently paying lower rent than me, by a significant amount. This tenant has been in the building waaaay less time than me. I wanted to discuss it with the leasing agent. I caught her off guard when I arrived in her office and asked for a price list. She kinda talked around it a bit and tried to be vague, but I was ready for her. It was funny because I’ve lived in this building for 8 years and I’m always nice and polite. Let’s just say that she saw a very different side of me this morning. She saw the firm businessman who had his game face on. The more vague she tried to be the more information she unwittingly gave me. I wasn’t nasty or anything like that and I didn’t make a scene, but I was very, very firm – but respectful. She knew I wasn’t happy when I left. I understand that she doesn’t own the building, but I think she has room to work with. I was livid when I left her office, but I felt so much better. I love it when I get really pissed off about something, it gets the blood flowing.

Anyway, after that the rest of the day continued to be productive. I got quite a bit done mentally and in a business sense. I did some drop-offs and bought some financial software to put myself on a budget; which is difficult for me since I never know how much I’m going to make.

I think this was the highlight of my day; just seeing the numbers. I have no freakin idea how I’ve been able to make my sole living as an actor for 5+ years. No idea. When looked at my expenses and I know that I meet them every month AND I’m able to spend 6 weeks a year on the East Coast and drive a decent car I felt like a rockstar. I mean really and today was the perfect day for it. It’s great to have auditions and all that stuff, but seeing those numbers did it for me today. It was empowering and makes me want to do a lot more.

So right after I got home I received a call from production of “Criminal Minds” saying a new script with revisions is on its way to be delivered. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten revisions on a drama before. Of course you get tons of revisions on comedies, but I’m sure it’s not the first time for a drama.

Then I get another call from production; this time inviting me to the table read tomorrow afternoon at the studio. That’s another first for me I think. Yeah, I’ve never been to a table read for an hour drama. Cool. I have to remember that, for me, “table read” means I’m still auditioning. So I have to keep that in mind; that some of the producers/writers will be seeing me for the first time.

Wow. I'm in over my head I think. Nothing alarming. I'm just trying to get so much done right now. To be honest, I think I’m kidding myself. I just don’t see these things adding up. So I have to go on faith; which is what I do often. If I look at the big picture it’s daunting, but if I take things day-by-day it’s manageable, at least in my head. Maybe that’s why I’m getting these headaches lately, not as often as before though. It’s really exciting; I feel like I have the world by the tail.

I’ve been seriously wondering why I don’t eat normally. It’s amazing that I can go most of the day without eating. I have to force myself to eat before I leave the house. I usually eat because I know I need to eat something; not because I’m hungry. I’m sure nutrition and hydration are an issue for me. I’m doing a lot better with eating and drinking thing than I was a year ago. The weird thing is that I love food; it’s that I have a small appetite and I eat very, very slow. If I eat too fast I’ll get sick.

I attended a first-time home buyers seminar today; for 8 hours! It was to get a certificate for the program, if I even qualify as low-income. Can you believe that? That I may not qualify? That’s unbelievable. It was a really long day, but it was kinda cool to be in learning atmosphere. I’ve been thinking lately about taking a class at one of the local colleges. I think I’d like to take a class in ceramics, woodworking, metals or maybe a basic electronics class. Funny, they are all classes I took while in junior high and high school. Being an auto mechanic really interest me too. I just really like working on things. I could take another class in photography; that might be interesting or maybe typing. Now THAT would really help me.

Anyway, after the seminar I spoke to my older sister in Alabama for two hours; that was great. I’m really proud of my sister; she’s a great wife and mother. We don’t talk as often as I talk to my younger brother’s, but we really get deep when we do talk. Today’s conversation was very necessary – trust me.

Audition/Producers: “Standoff” @ Stordahl/Terry Casting.

Surprise!! This morning @ 10:14 I’m sitting at my desk going over material for the producer session this afternoon and my agent calls to inform me that they “changed the concept of the character” and the appointment has been cancelled. Okay. Well, it comes and goes. I’ll get ‘em next time. That makes this a really slow week, but last week was really busy so it all works out.

Then @ 10:33, funny enough, while still looking over that same material (I don’t know why, it was only two pages); my agent calls back. No, she didn’t say “Stephon, they just have to have you on the show and they are going to find something else for you”. No, she didn’t say that. What she did say is that “Criminal Minds” just called to check my one hour quote. She wanted to confirm that her records of previous quotes were correct. They were and she said “Thanks honey, I’ll try to get you more money”.

I guess that’s a good sign. Hopefully, they won’t also “change the concept of the character” and I will actually get the booking. Quotes and bookings are two totally different things and quotes don’t go on the resumes and they definitely don’t pay the bills. I guess I’ll know something soon - one way or another.

So @ 2:39 Erin leaves a voicemail letting me know that I have, in fact, been booked for “Criminal Minds”. So when I called back one of my other agents, Caleigh, answered the phone and knew I booked. It’s always great when the news spreads through the office. So Caleigh transfers me to Erin and Erin says, “Stephon, I have the “Criminal Minds” booking and some other news for you. I’m thinking, did they hire me and fire me in the same phone call?” She gives me the details of the booking: it’s a day of work next week AND she was able to raise my quote! I gotta tell ya, Erin is no joke when it comes to fighting for her clients. It’s so exciting to hear her on the phone to casting offices. Oh yeah, and I love when she does this. The last thing she always asks after giving all the details is, “do you wanna do it?” I LOVE THAT!! Something else I really like is that this booking came from a drop-off on a day that I really didn’t want to do drop-offs, at least I’m convinced it did.

So what was the other news? Remember that producer session this morning for “Standoff” that was cancelled @ 10:14 because they “changed the concept of the character”? Well for some reason they decided they wanted to see me – NOW! So I pulled my sides out of the trash, warmed them up and made my way to Fox Studios. I wasn’t sure what I was going to wear. I didn’t want my wardrobe to overshadow the work and character, but I did want to walk in the room and have everything flow. The character is a resident in a hospital and I have a set of scrubs and decided to wear the top. It felt like it was the right thing to do.

Of course once I get to Stordahl/Terry Casting it’s “hurry up and wait” which is how it goes sometimes – no problem. There were quite a few actors waiting in a fairly tight area and I saw this one dude who didn’t look like he was there to audition. At first, I thought one of the hot girls there was his girlfriend and he was just, I don’t know, waiting for her to finish. He kept like fidgeting, pacing; just seeming real, real nervous and again it was in pretty close quarters. One by one the girls were leaving, but he was still there. He didn’t have sides, a headshot a backpack – nothing that I saw. He just really seemed out of place; like he was super claustrophobic. I tried to ignore him, but he kept drawing me in with his odd behavior. He wasn’t making a scene or anything like that; he was just like a fish out of water it seemed. It almost seemed that any minute he was going to yell “ALL YA’LL muth$^*(%^& ON THE FLOOR – NOW!! and take us hostage. I was like, “yo, this kid is trippin’” or maybe I’m trippin’.

Anyway, after a while people were thinning out and they called his name to audition! My man went in the room and killed it…..I could feel it through the walls. Now get this; his character DID have hostages!!! Ain’t that some sh*t? Dude walked past me on the way out and I was like oh snap!! That was crazy; I won’t forget him and his commitment to his character anytime soon. So he left and I swear to you three minutes later that casting associates came out looking for him, but he was gone. She called his agent and 6 minutes later he was back. Evidently, the production team saw something that they wanted to see more of. I checked his name on the sign-in sheet so I could look him up and he is Charles Duckworth. Funny enough, the character I was reading for ends up being a hostage of his. I would like to work with this kid; so here’s to both of us booking.

After a while longer I finally got my chance to audition and it went great!! It wasn’t a lot, but it sure felt good. The director seemed to be really happy with what he saw.

As soon as I returned home from the audition the messenger arrived with my package from “Criminal Minds” – script, paperwork; it even included a “day out of days” schedule. I’d never gotten one of those before in the package; it’s cool to see how the entire 8-day shooting schedule is laid out.

Tonight I went to the Museum of Television and Radio to see the new pilots from FOX and “Standoff” was one of them. I’ll just say this, Gina Torres’ lips had me mesmerized – completely. Those lips are not of this world. They should change the name of the show to “lips” – Crazy!

I have to say, blogs are really funny things. Lisa, thank you for your offer I really appreciate it.

I hate this, I hate this, I hate this. The mother of a dear friend in New York passed away last night. I knew Genine’s mom and she always treated me like family when I lived in New York or would visit. I met Genine in a chance meeting back in Virginia Beach in the early 90’s. My family, she and her friends had a lot of fun together going skiing in the Poconos Mountains several years in a row.

Her mother had been ill of late and it wasn’t totally unexpected that she passed, but having been through it it’s nothing you can really, truly prepare for. I don’t know what to say to her. There just aren’t words to express; just like there weren’t words to express when I lost my mom. I wish I could go to New York for the funeral, but I can’t really afford to do it.

Of course, this makes me think of my father. I haven’t spoken to him in 3 years and sometimes wonder if I’ve already spoken to him for the last time. I’m fully aware that I am taking a big risk and that could be a reality, but he is taking the same risk in having spoken to me for the last time. Truthfully, I don’t think I ever cross his mind. I can’t imagine why I would.

Sometimes I wonder how I would really react if something was to happen to him. What if he got sick; would I make special trips to go see him like I did my mom? I really don’t know. I can’t be sure that he would even want me to see him. It’s amazing that I was just home for a month and I didn’t see him once – by choice. At the same time I knew at any moment all that could change. We just don’t get along; he has no respect for me at all – never has. I don’t even think he likes me; now or ever. Fortunately, I have other family members I can turn to for support. It would be nice to have a connection with my dad – in theory; especially since we’re just a phone call or a plane flight away. It’s tragic; it’s sad and really stupid. I don’t know what else to do other than stay out of his way.

Audition/Producers: @ April Webster Casting/Scott David. This is great. Why? Because I’m pretty sure it came from a drop-off that I really didn't want to do on Friday. The audition went well I felt. It’s funny because I was reading the material one way, thinking I was interpreting it correctly but then decided to change up the pacing of the scene and a whole new thing came out of it. All of the sudden it made way more sense. It took a while before the producer session started so I had time to change my take on it. I also saw fellow actor Angel Oquendo at the audition as well.

I met Angel about a year ago when he was on a scouting trip from the East coast. I have to say I knew instantly he would have an immediate impact I this town. There is a specific set of things I feel helps greatly in getting things moving and he has them. It’s the right amount of business acumen, talent, a look, an attitude, a hustle, being patient while at the same time being impatient, etc. Miss any one of those things listed and the picture can be totally different. I can think of someone else I had the same feeling about too. Of course what I think doesn’t mean a whole lot – I thought I would have booked something by now, lol!!!

When I finally got in the room, I read it once, the director gave me some direction and I did it his way. I felt great about it and was on my way.

I gotta tell ya, I didn't want to do drops today; I didn't want to leave the apartment at all. My printer was acting up and I was in kind of in a sour mood; not for any real reason though. Maybe I was just tired from a busy week.

Anyway, I forced myself to get out there, in the street, with a mean look on my face to prove I had a bad attitude. Traffic, gas prices, my printer, parking, etc. it just wasn’t my day. And you know what? It’s okay.

So I arrive at my first address and lo and behold I had the wrong place. The address was correct, but I went to the wrong place thinking I just knew where I was going. Great! I then remembered where the correct place was and I didn’t want to go to that studio lot because last time I was there the security guard, thinking he was doing me a favor, called the casting office to say I had something for them. There are situations where that would have been cool, but not that particular day. So I didn’t want to go there – I just wasn’t in the mood. So I didn’t go, but I couldn’t just go home. Gas is too expensive to not even try to get something done.

I pulled out my PDA and logged in the zip code of the area I was in. I couldn’t imagine doing what I do without my PDA; it’s such a big part of keeping things straight. Even though I know most of the addresses around town in my head my PDA is a major part of the whole operation.

So a couple of other offices in the immediate area came up and I decided to drop-off my photo. The first office I stopped in had just finished casting their last episode of the cable show they were doing and only had a couple of more days before the office closed. I’d met the casting associate before and I think she remembered me. She was very friendly and told me not to leave a photo because nothing was going to be saved when they close up shop. I appreciated that and I felt that I got something accomplished even though I didn’t actually leave a photo.

On to the next, and most definitely, last stop before heading back to my apartment. I’ve been to this place before and know the drill, but went into the wrong door. I think I was actually trying to avoid the security guard, but he came out steered me in the right direction – which I knew, but for some reason I tried to avoid him. The older gentleman was so nice and polite that he totally disarmed me. It made me think about why I wasn’t having such a great day. I couldn’t come up with a good reason; so I released whatever it was – if anything at all. So, even today, I reluctantly got something accomplished.

Print go-see: “IBM” @ Ben Sealy Casting. I think this took a whole two minutes including the paperwork – in and out in a jiffy. When I was signing in, the young lady running the session asked if I would consider doing background – I left it blank on the size card. I sorta said said “no”, but only sorta. Then I asked how much, she said “$300 - $500 a day”. I said, “ahh, well”. She then said I’ll write “ask” on your card, I said “okay, thanks”.

Audition: “Delsym” @ Gabrielle Schary Casting. Man, this was a little crazy. Why? Well, the product is a cough suppressant and in the spot, myself and 3 others were in an elevator with one of the people coughing… like for real, nasty, “I should slap the s&*t out of you” offensive coughing. I wish I could’ve seen the look on my face. Man, this other actor was right over my shoulder doing his best actor cough. It was pretty disgusting. Fortunately, I don’t get sick often. I should get a callback just for being a sport about it, but then I guess all of the ther actors deserve the same huh?

Anyway, on the way back to my car I saw this stunning woman approaching from the opposite direction. The closer she got more unbelievable she looked. As she got even closer I saw that she looked familiar. It was Ion Overman that I worked with on “Love, Inc.” last year. We chatted briefly; she was heading to an audition as well. THAT is a very nice young lady. I hope she isn’t going to the same coughing audition I went to. Nobody should cough on Ion – it’s just not right. Actually, nobody should cough on any woman that is as nice as she is.

Wow, today had me running around a bit and everything went smoothly. One great thing was, for the first time in a while, I didn’t get a headache. I was going to go to the doctor and get checked out, but I am trying to rest more, eat more and drink more water. Like any normal person I love to sleep, but I think I love to work even more. 8 hours of sleep is usually waaaay too much for me, but I think it’s smart and healthier to sleep more than I currently do. I love food, but my stomach must be the size of a grape, I eat very little and very slow. I have to make it a point to eat before I leave my apartment in the morning – and I have to kinda force that. It’s nothing for me to not eat anything until the afternoon. I just don’t really think about it. I don’t understand it, although I think I gained some weight while I was on vacation. Imagine that!!

Audition: “Wal-Mart” @ Ross Lacy Casting. Okay, this audition requested that we wear pajamas to it. Okay, I have pajamas. So I’m trying to figure out what to wear to the audition so I could easily change into my pajamas and I just didn’t want to do it. Maybe it was because I live really close to this particular place I was going to the audition. I didn’t want to get out of the shower, get dressed, change 20 minutes later into pajamas at the audition and then change back into my street clothes.

So, I decided to just wear my pajamas and skateboard to the audition. That way I wouldn’t have to change clothes. So if you saw a thin brotha, skateboarding down La Brea Ave around 10:30 this morning, wearing flip-flops and white socks with a headshot/resume in his hand it might have been me. Matter of fact it WAS me.


Yup...

Yesterday, while leaving the same audition facility I saw a man pushing a shopping cart, that included probably everything he owned, wearing nothing but a black T-shirt and tennis shoes. Nothing else…except his blonde, sun-bleached hair. NOTHING ELSE. His ass was chillin’ like it was Monday morning; and you know what? It was Monday morning. I had never seen that before; his butt was just hanging out there for everyone to see. I’m much too shy for that, but I was willing to do the pajamas thing. It was pretty sad to see somewhere so down on their luck. I hope he finds something to wear. Anyway, the audition went well; I felt really free.

Audition/Producers: “The Other Mall” @ Ross/Silverberg Casting. This is an ABC Family Half Hour Pilot Presentation. Based on my decision to pass on the producer session for “Without a Trace” Why am I going in for this co-star on this show? Good question.

“Without a Trace” is a show that is going to be around, I would guess, at least 2 more seasons if not more. Obviously I’m on the radar of that casting office and didn’t want to possibly book the particular role I had an appointment for. I figured I’d take a risk, pass on the audition, and hopefully, I’ll get a chance to book something a little more substantial in the future. The season is young. It’s one of my “blue-chip” shows and I treat them a little different than others.

The audition goes okay. I read it once, got direction (which I though was a good sign) and read it better the second time. Truthfully, I thought there was another role I was more right for, but I didn’t get to read for it. I didn’t ask either. A plus was that this is an AFTRA show and I didn’t have my usual nasty attitude towards AFTRA shows, that is a sign of moving forward, because I do not like AFTRA very much. Well, it’s not that I don’t like AFTRA, it’s just that I would rather not have to join AFTRA.

Audition: “Verizon” @ Kathy Knowles Casting. This one went great and I believe it shoots in Vancouver next week. Callbacks are Thursday; I hope to be there.

Me jumping over my VW bug back in the BACK in the day!! This isn't when I fell on my head. Norfolk, VA.

This is me taking care of business on the half pipe back in da 80's!! Skills baby! Virginia Beach, VA.

Audition: “American Standard” @ Jeff Rosenman Casting. I’m not sure how this one went – I didn’t have a great feeling when I left or even a good one really. The session runner seemed happy with the performance, but I think he was pulling my chain. Or maybe…well…maybe not.

Audition: “The Game” @ Suzanne Goddard-Smythe. “The Game” is a spin-off of UPN’s “Girlfriend’s”. Both shows will be on the new CW Network this Fall. When I studied at Amy Lyndon’s Cold Reading Technique Class last Fall, one the guys in that class is one of the leads on the show, Hosea Chanchez.

...hmm...I'm not sure how this went. It wasn't a whole lot of dialogue, but I missed a major beat in the scene that I shouldn't have missed. It was right there on the page, but I didn't get it. Danielle Diller, the casting associate, pointed it out and I got it right the second time around...on to the next.

Okay, so one of my agents, Erin, calls this afternoon with a producer session appointment for "Without A Trace" - a show I really want to be on. Funny enough, I was doing drops yesterday in the building where this casting office is located. I stopped, looked at the door, pondered for a bit and decided against going inside and dropping a photo. Why? Well, my friend Denice dropped one for me a couple of weeks ago and I sent a postcard not too long ago as well. I didn’t want to be a nuisance, so I let it ride.

I'm glad I didn't drop a photo yesterday because, of course, I would've thought the call today was at least a semi-direct result of it. Thankfully, I’m certain my agent did not submit me for this particular role; so it tells me that I am on the mind of this office without too much prodding - THAT is the place to be! Actually, I'm glad my agent didn't submit for this role. Why? It's a very small co-star; that doesn't seem to have any chance of recurring. The exact type of roles I should do my best to not do anymore.

What to do, what to do. Well, me, like most other “professional auditioners” aka “actors” know how important it is to have an ample amount of appointments. On that level I wanted to attend the producer session tomorrow. I could tell by the message that Erin left I was being requested for this. She said she’d e-mail the sides and to take a look it and see if it was something I wanted to go in on. A little while later I viewed the sides and was real iffy about going in; which probably meant I shouldn’t go in. This is where I got a little sneaky and tried to prevent my agent from “saving me from myself”. What did I do? Instead of calling Erin back to confirm, I replied to the e-mail saying I was going to attend the producer session. I did call because deep down I knew I shouldn’t be going in and I probably didn’t wanna face that – I just wanted to have an appointment.

I guess Erin didn’t get my return e-mail because an hour later she called again to see if I wanted to go in. I try really hard to be a great client and don’t them to have to make unnecessary phones calls to me. So I called her back and told her I thought I was going to go to the session. She didn’t put me under pressure one way or the other, but said, “Why don’t you think about it and call me in the morning; the appointment isn’t until 4:30pm”? I said, “Well, I’ve seen the material and it is what it is”. THAT is when it hit me that I need to let her do her job. I said, “Yeah, okay I’ll think about it because I do need to draw the line with these types of roles”. She replied, “Okay honey, call me in the morning and we’ll go from there”. Cool.

I thought about it and hated to miss the session for, what I consider a “blue-chip” show. I used the same logic for going in on “The Game” today and decided to pass. 20 minutes later I called Erin back and told her that I would pass on the audition and hopefully they’ll call me for something more substantial in the future. She said “ok” and that if I changed my mind again, just call her in the morning and we’ll get you in. That is a prime example of my agent “saving me from myself”. Thanks Erin.

Audition: “21st Century Insurance” @ Jessica J. Casting. I did a spot for “21st” back in ’02, it never ran though. I did get a year or so of holding fees, a bonus for being a policy holder (I was at the time, but now my car insurance is through Costco) and a penalty payment for some reason I never really understood.

The audition was simple, no dialogue, just some nodding in agreement mostly. It’s amazing how if I’m not careful I can do too much of even that. I think I kept it real – at least I hope I did.

Audition/Producers: “The War at Home” @ Susan Vash Casting. It’s straight to producers for a guest–star role. I booked the last time she called me to producers for a guest-star role. Maybe I can start a streak!

I know I sound like a broken record, but I felt really good about this audition. I did what I wanted to do and left it all in room. I took a risk and changed some of the rhythms of the writing. One paid off with a big laugh. The other might have fallen through the cracks. Regardless of what happens – or not – I felt like an artist when I left.

Something interesting happened right before I read the scene. One of the producers/writers/director was looking over my resume and commented on my multiple episodes of "Good Morning, Miami". Someone said ".....and 14 episodes of "Good Morning, Miami!", then the producer said, jokingly, "I thought it was 12". It threw me a little because I don’t know why he said it. Anyway, I made a joke about it we all laughed and got to work. If you count the episodes on my imdb, there are only 12 listed, but I actually filmed more.

So my question is: did he actually look me up online or was he, in some way, associated with “Good Morning, Miami”. I was over there at the show so often that there is no way I wouldn’t have known who he was if he was at “GMM”. So I’m going to go with the notion that he looked me up. Cool. As a result, I’m going to change the 14 episodes to 12; I don’t want anyone to think I’m padding my resume.

Of course after the audition it was time to roam the Warner Bros. lot to see what was going on. Doing that is always a super inspiring thing for me. For one, I get to drop off my photos at various offices, two it brings back great memories of having worked on the lot and three it shows me some of what is in my future.

The first stage I walked passed was where “ER” is filmed; I had fun working on the show back in ’03. After that I wandered my way around dropping photos and just taking it all in. Something I had never noticed before over there was a Berlin wall monument. I would have like to take a photo of it, but I didn’t have my camera.

After a while I came upon this huge…something under construction. I couldn’t tell what is was; it almost looked like a stage that was being built for…say…U2 to perform on or some thing like that. I stared at it for a while and couldn’t come up with anything so I finally asked a nearby security guard. It might seem weird, but what he told me gave me the chills. It was one of the sets for “Ocean’s Thirteen”!!! It was just sorta surreal to look at that set and know that I have been chosen, not once, but twice to be a part of Steven Soderbergh’s productions. Hopefully, this time I’ll stick.

The set being built was a helicopter pad to be on top of one of the hotels – it was massive and there was a ton of guys working on it. I just walked away and shook my head asking myself how I got to be a part of that?

Afterwards, I made my way to Katherine Eckerts office. Katherine, a longtime associate and casting director with Tracy Lilienfield’s office recently opened her own office casting “Old Christine” for CBS. I met Katherine years ago in a workshop and she brought me in for “Good Morning, Miami” which obviously turned out to be a fantastic experience for many, many reasons. I’ll always appreciate her thinking of me because she knew it was going to be a multi-episode gig and it really made a difference in my life.

Anyway, I got to the building and chilled just for a bit; looking at the WBTV production cast photos on the wall and such. Then I spotted a young lady who I thought was Katherine’s assistant. After assessing the situation, I stuck my head in the office and asked if I could leave a photo for Katherine. The assistant was very nice and the photo was literally in Katherine hands 5-10 seconds later. Just as I was making my exit, dragging my feet of course, her assistant, Ana, stopped me and said Katherine had a moment to chat with me. This gave me a chance to congratulate her on her new office and another crazy huge reason I won’t mention. They are starting production next week and she said she’ll try to get me in for something.

Before I left the lot I wanted to check out Stage 16. That is where the “O13” casino set is being built. OMG!!! It blew my mind. They are building a freaking casino on the stage. I don’t know if it will compare to the set of “The Terminal”, but it looked pretty cool nonetheless. On my way there I stopped by where I worked my first TV job after just 4 months of being in Los Angeles – Stage 24 – The Friends Stage. Wow, I really remember that experience; I even remember where I parked. I worked on a pilot over there last season, “Hot Properties”. Yeah, the Warner Bros. lot has been good to me. With that, I made my way back to my car with a sore knee from all the walking with the wrong shoes – Ouch!

Shortly, afterwards one of my agents calls with an appointment for tomorrow. I could tell he didn’t submit me for it because he was like “it’s a small role, look it over and see if you wanna go in on it, if not, don’t worry about it”.

This is great for several reasons:

He wouldn’t submit me for this particular co-star role. They are looking for bigger and better things for me.
I am on this casting director’s mind, in this case, without my agents’ assistance.
My agents didn’t just turn it down unbeknownst to me.
My agent is involved in the situation which helps me protect me from myself.
I have the final say on whether to go in or not.

After getting home I decided that, yes, I would go in on it. Why? Well, I don’t get called for this type of shows too often and who knows how long it might take to get back in this office and it’s always nice to be auditioning. Plus, I really like this casting director and I’d love to book something with her.

Got feet? Got Photos? Gotta get movin! Drop-offs - Make it happen...
...do yourself a favor - don't wait for it to happen.

I am really, officially, OFFICIALLY back in town. How do I know this? I’ll tell you how I know this.

Auditions @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Callbacks @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Avails @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Phone calls from my agency to let me know that I have been released from avails @ Ross Lacy Casting.

Yup, I was released from the “McDonald’s” spot I was on avail for. Yeah, I know shocking.

What is going on? I don’t know. I know I’m doing a lot right, but not enough to get invited to the VIP section/(booking). I’m getting to the party, which is cool, but I’m missing something. I ain’t gonna stress over it, I’m just gonna trust it like I’ve always done. NEXT!!!

The other night I was surfing the net and I came upon a website of an agency in a smaller market. It made me think about how unprepared most actors are when they arrive in the major markets of New York and Los Angeles. To be honest, I think, it makes perfect sense that they would be uninformed. Why? Well, there is so much misinformation going around; information that isn’t based on anything concrete. Wait, maybe “misinformation” isn’t the right word; maybe it’s because I don’t necessarily agree with much of the information that’s out there. I also think there is a lot of very general information out there; kinda one size fits all stuff.

I thank my lucky stars that when I started out I refused to ask anyone for advice; I made my own way – and I still do to this day. The reason for not asking for advice wasn’t because I didn’t trust others; it was because I always wanted to break it down further. Breaking down and understanding the casting process and all of its different scenarios can be your best friend in this business. I describe it as “looking up the skirt” of the business. It helps if you look up the skirt and, most importantly, understand what you see. You have to understand the gears of the engine not just that simply the engine runs.

It’s also important to understand how agents and agencies work. They work extremely hard to get appointments for their clients. It’s up to us to understand the dynamic and help it work for us. Never forget that we get “90% and they only get 10%”. That, in itself, should clear up a ton of questions. Agents have many clients they are trying to get opportunities for, but we only have ourselves – it’s important to really understand that equation and what it means.

I often hear actors say “my agent isn’t sending me out”. Usually the situation is much more complicated than that. The agent may, in fact, not be submitting the client, but the more telling statement might be “I’m not getting appointments”. I think the latter statement is better because it poses the question of “why”, which gives you the opportunity to “look up that skirt” and see how this agent/actor/CD thing works.

Why am I going on this harangue about this? Because I get so frustrated that some of my friends aren’t going out as much I would like, lol!! Who cares what I think? Obviously not this town! Anyway, I ask myself, “why aren’t they getting the appointments?” – I ask quite often actually. I come up with really good answers too. Of course the answers are from my point of view.

Some have a very casual approach; others are really confused. Some don’t have the staying power; others use the “start and stop” method. Notice I didn’t mention talent being a factor; it’s pretty much a given that these are talented people. Matter of fact I am often amazed at the talent I am surrounded by. I once dated a woman who is one of the most talented actors I have encountered – ever. I’m not even sure if she’s still pursuing the business. The rat race of the business in Los Angeles wasn’t really for her. If I ever get the chance to get her an acting opportunity you can believe I will.

I’ve always felt that one day I would write a book on the business of the business. I’ve also felt that I would explore the lecture circuit. Whether or not I actually do it on a larger scale remains to be seen. Who knows?

I see many University grads land in this town without a clue as to how the business really works. I would think that it would make sense that their last 6 weeks or so in school was devoted to the business of the business. I could be a guest speaker!! You got 3-4 hours to spare?

I really feel I have valuable insight into the process to share. I also have the “regular working-class actor” experience. It would be great for them to have a name actor speak, but I think it would be much more useful to have someone who is in the trenches on a daily basis to tell them what they might expect.

I think of when I was first starting out in Virginia Beach there was no one to guide us in any way, shape or form with “current” information on how the business worked. I had a great acting teacher, but I knew I’d have to learn the business on my own. For some reason I knew that a lot of what I was hearing was BS from the more experienced students so I carried my ass to New York in a hurry. They weren’t being malicious or anything like that; they just were repeating baseless information. It was always “they said”. Who the heck is they? I wanna meet “they”. I still haven’t.

Usually, when I go home I sit in on my old acting class and answer questions for a bit. I can tell by the questions where they are in their quest. I’d leave them with a very realistic view of what it’s like out here in the major markets. After 3-4 hours with me they would walk away knowing that they better get their butt in gear or that maybe this business is not what they thought.

You’ll have to excuse my rant; I’m just really irritated right now about some actors I know not getting the appointments they need to realistically move forward. Key word “realistically”, I don’t mean booking a national, a co-star or guest star and thinking everything is freakin’ peachy. It ain’t, trust me. You’ve got to build a “body of work”. I know this first hand; I left my job waiting table 5+ years ago I know what it takes to make this work and I’ve got a long way to go.

It can be beautiful, but d*** it’s a lot of work. I have never though it was rocket science to figure out how to do this, but it has, at least for me, been an overwhelming amount of effort – trust that! I am amazed that I have been able to go home for a month in the Summer for the last 5 years. I was never able to take a vacation before I became an actor – go figure.

Why do I even give a crap? Why I am sweating as I type this? I don’t know. Should I be happy that they aren’t getting seen? More for me, huh? Nah, there is enough out here for those that truly want it and are willing to do what it takes to get it for more than a day or a week at a time. You have to be “patiently, impatient” and “Logically Zen”. Of course you don’t have to be, but it works for me.

So if you see me in “Brother wit an attitude, Ohio” or “This guy thinks he knows-it-all, Texas” conducting a workshop on the business you’ll know that this got the best of me. I feel a lot better now.

A woman in boots always warms my heart...

...but so does a woman waiting for the bus

... a 'lil hip-hop never hurt nobody.

When you drive as much as I do you see

some interesting sites.

Audition: “Dexter” @ UDK Casting. For as busy as this office is I don’t get in here often enough. Actually, I was called in for this show back in May, but I passed on the audition – and it was on a Sunday. I think I was going out of town, plus it was a one line part. I'm thrilled they're bringing me back in for something that's a little more substantial.

I felt the read went well, so now it's up to the producers. Hopefully, they'll view the tape and think I'm the guy.

Happy Anniversary to me! It was 8 years ago today that I moved to Los Angeles from New York. I have survived!!! Not only am I surviving; I feel that I'm thriving and I must say that it feels great. When I landed here I knew very few people; no one that was going to hold my hand through this new part of my journey. Actually, that was probably for the best because I would have driven them crazy. Sadly, I don’t talk to those people all that much these days. They are still in the business, but I don’t really see or hear from them unless I call or stop by. That’s okay, that’s the way it goes sometimes.

I’m so fortunate that my transition to LA was as smooth as it was. I didn’t even have time to get settled before I started getting appointments. The research I did for 3+ years in New York on the LA market paid off for me. I got the exact representation that I wanted - immediately. That, along with postcards, mailings, classes, CD workshops, attending almost every event I could and lots of really late nights greatly helped me get in the game. I left my job at The Hollywood Standard 5+ years ago; which means I’ve supported myself solely as an actor for the majority of the time I’ve been here. That is so surreal to me even to this day.

Los Angeles is the Superbowl of our business - the biggest of the big leagues. I knew from the first day of acting class that I was planning to play in the Superbowl. I also knew that I was going to give an honest effort to move forward. I think I’ve done that; if I left the business now I’d be very happy with my accomplishments. Make no mistake; I have a long way to go, but I feel I’m moving forward everyday. The really cool thing is that I’m enjoying the present time and not waiting for the “big whatever”. 8 years in the can, I’m growing up.

Audition: Cadillac” @ Francene Selkirk Casting. This one came through in a different way. I got an email from LA Casting saying I had been requested. I never got an audition like that before; I guess I better start looking closer at those e-mail messages that look like SPAM. The audition goes really, really well and I think I’m perfect for it. I always seem to say that don’t I? Callbacks are Wednesday, hopefully I’ll be there.

Audition/Producers: “Big Day” @ Megan Branman Casting. This is an ABC single camera comedy. The role is a recurring co-star as a photographer; 2 or 3 episodes. When my agent, Caleigh, called with the appointment she was giving me tips on where I could find a trailer for the show since it’s new and hasn’t aired yet. It’s a great feeling to have agents that are really rooting for you.

Ironically, I dropped off @ Fox Studios just yesterday to the many drop boxes that are there, but the audition is @ Sony Studios which is cool because now I can do drops there. I don’t get on this lot too often.

Props? What to do, what to do. Sometimes it's okay to use them and other times it's a big no, no. It depends on the CD/office and/or situation. I decided to take the risk and run with it – this photographer is going to have a camera.

So I find my way to the Capra Building on the Sony lot and sign in. After a short wait it's my turn. Funny enough, the first thing Megan said was, "Alright, nice camera!" Cool…I guess. The read went well. I flubbed a line a little, but the character was in tact. I felt great about it no matter what happens, but I would love to book.

Alright, so now it’s time to pull out my PDA and see who else is on the Sony Pictures Studio lot. I plot out a route on the studio map I got from security when I came in so I can figure out where I’m going. I don’t want to walk around cooking like some low-fat turkey bacon. It wasn’t as hot as it’s been lately, but still hot enough. I hit about 4 offices. It’s funny how I go about plotting and planning when I’m doing my thing. I love it. I absolutely love business – any kind of business. I think I would have been great in the business world. Who am I kidding I AM in the business world. This is, without a doubt, a business.

My last drop was at Francine Maisler Casting; I’ve auditioned here before, but haven’t booked – yet. So I enter the Jimmy Stewart building with a purpose in my step so I looked like I belonged. The two security guards gave me a look, but I kept it moving. So I get up on the second floor and I’m walking down the long hallway lined with stills from movies that I assume where shot on the lot. In the distance I see a woman walking in my direction. As we get closer I see that I recognize her, it’s Kathy Driscoll-Mohler. Kathy is Francine’s casting associate; I read for her for “Spiderman 3. Kathy greets me warmly and asked how I’ve been. I tell her things are really great and I also booked a role in “Oceans’ Thirteen”. She said she’s been good as well and that their office has been quiet as of late, but I’m sure they will be back in business very soon.

On the way back I didn’t want to run into Kathy again at the elevators so I just hung for a second on the second floor. I know she has “actor stories” and I don’t want to be a weird one – so I gave her some space. The two security guards that were eyeing me on the way in stopped me on the way out. Nothing bad, they thought they recognized me from television or something. I said “probably not, but maybe”.

I’m still shocked that anyone ever sees me in anything and really remembers it, but I guess they do. Ironically, a couple of hours later my friend Jewel Christian informed me that I was on “Frasier” just last night. I guess that, coupled with “Love, Inc.” last week, “Monk” next week and the past shows that I’ve been on that are running in syndication all adds up to getting my face on the map.

Drop it like it’s hot baby!!! That has been the story of my life since returning from Virginia. Drops, drops, drops. Non-stop running around. That’s the way I like it and I don’t plan on stopping until I go back home at the end of the year. So if you see me in the street – watch out!!

I’m kidding, actually this heat is kicking my a** for real. So if you see me in the street I might be asleep on a manhole in an intersection with redlight cameras wearing nothing but a motorcycle helmet and black socks. Yeah, I’ve been getting headaches while I’m out in the field and having to cut it short sometimes. I’m not Superman, so I have to be careful. I’ve been drinking more water, but I have to work on eating more.

Get this, I was driving on the 101 North this morning and I saw a woman next to me driving while rolling a joint. What? Yeah, it was just odd. I mean I think I’ve seen that before, but she was going like 60mph and the flow of traffic was like 75. Just weird. But I gotta tell you, you know what else I think is just as stupid? People who ride in the front passenger seat with their feet up on the dash – on top of the airbag. Do they realize the airbag is basically a bomb that is designed to explode? I wonder if paramedics see evidence of that at accident scenes. That doesn’t sound too good – a knee in the face. Ugh!

My agent calls with a potential “straight to callbacks” audition for me for “Honda”. The kicker was that I had to have my motorcycle and my gear with me. Huh? Yeah, my agents didn’t think I had a bike here in LA, but they wanted to be sure so they called. I have a jersey, pants, gloves and goggles here in LA with me, but my bike, boots and helmet are back in Virginia. It was a last minute role they added, but it didn’t work out for me. I’m glad my agent tried to get me in though. A great example of it paying off that my agents know what some of my interests are outside of the business. I REALLY wanted to get seen for this…oh well.

No news about the avail for “McDonald’s”; so I guess no news is good news.

Audition: “Jack-in-the-Box” @ Alyson Horn Casting. This went well and I think I’m perfect for it; I even said yes when they asked if I would shave for the spot…not a big deal for me, lol! Hopefully the powers that be will bring me into callbacks.

Callback/Avail: “McDonald’s” @ Ross Lacy Casting. I guess this means I’m officially back in town, auditions and callbacks at Ross Lacy are a familiar thing for me…now if I could just book something there….or anywhere else in town for that matter. They placed me on avail so that’s a step closer. This callback flows like butta…well almost. I was paired up with this brown-skinned Canadian beauty who had a smile that made me wanna cook for her. LOL! I don’t know where that came from.

Anyway, so we go in and slate..no problem I can handle that part. Take one: In the spot me and my girl are finding out that it’s not working and we should go our separate ways. We play it really heavy and take our time..like really take our time. We were given the choice to use very little of the scripted dialogue. I ran with that and didn’t say hardly anything at the top…until I stepped on my partners line. Sh*t!! I was out to lunch and messed up. I think it was okay because it kinda shook them out of what was going on in the scene. At least I hope it did.

Take two: BOOM! We nail it…I think. The director gives us a couple of notes and but left the interpretation up to us. Take three: Yeah, right on point. We sit for a second to make sure they saw what they wanted and out the door we were. But wait!!! As I was gathering my personal belongings the session runner says, “Stephon can you hang out for a moment? We want you to go in again if you don’t mind”. Of course I obliged.

This is a good sign right? Well, it’s a sign I’ve seen before and I am not sure what it means, if anything. At the very least, I would speculate that the creative team saw something in me they were interested in. So after a little while I go back with another actress who had a totally different spin on it. We did one take and it was……different. So that was that. I left it all in the room with no regrets. That is a great feeling. It’s funny, because as much I’d like to book this I am prepared for the familiar “Stephon you’ve been released from….” call. I’ve been saying I’m gonna book for a minute and I haven’t, actually much longer than a minute, but I still believe it's gonna happen…I truly believe it.

Callback: "ESPN Promo" @ Skirts Casting. I arrived at the casting office, put 30 minutes in the parking meter and went inside. It didn’t seem to be way, way crowded, but it moved along very, very slowly. I kept an eye on my watch as I waited, then I met someone from back in the day in New York who I hadn’t seen since like ’96-’97…we’re catching on the New York days…Ooops my meter!!! I go outside and &%$#^&!!! It’s too late…LA’s finest parking enforcement officer is already writing me a ticket. I didn’t even cross the street to beg and plead with him, I just went back to the audition. Parking is something that drives me insane about LA. I mean really, I hate the parking situation here. Another $35!!

Back to the audition. Since I hadn’t been to the first call I didn’t know what was really going on in the spot. I finally got an explanation from the session runner and it seemed pretty clear. Sometimes when people explain something that they’ve been repeating over and over they kind of gloss over the finer points; what they don’t really understand is that you’re hearing it for the first time. So my big question was “Do I have any dialogue?” the answer was “no, you’re just concentrating on the bottle of shampoo”. OK, I can do that.

Thirty minutes later we get another explanation from someone else and she also says “no dialogue, you’re just dealing with 2 bottles of shampoo”. Ok, a little while later I am finally paired up with a nice woman and we go into the audition room. We slate and do the usual stuff, I check the board, no dialogue for my character. We finish the first take and the director says, “you gotta say ‘Black’ when the groomer ask what color”. I’m think, dag, I didn’t even know he was talking to me. I couldn’t clearly see who was talking to me because of the lights in my eyes. We do it a second take which went better and he gives me more direction. Then I recognize the director, Brian Aldrich. He’s definitely one of the top commercial directors working today and he's hired me twice before through Cathi Carlton Casting. The first time was for a “California Lottery” spot. The callback for that was the worst callback I think I have ever had……but somehow I got the job. The second time he hired me was for “Wrigley’s” 6 months later…that spot ran really well and they split it into another spot.

The third take went pretty well. So maybe since I had no clue what was going on it will come off as really real. I don’t know, gotta think positive. So after an hour and 15 minutes I was on my way…to get a good look at the parking ticket on my car. Ugh! So I get in my hot car and pull off, then I remember that I didn’t sign out on the audition sheet. Since I was over an hour I should be paid…that could offset getting the parking ticket so I made a U-turn and went back to sign out. I don’t expect to get paid for the audition running over and I don’t expect to book the spot either, but you never know.

The episode of “Love, Inc.” I appeared in is scheduled to re-air tonight/Thursday @ 8:30 on UPN. Unfortunately, since it’s UPN and we actors have such a terrible deal on residuals I will probably owe them money before it’s over – or maybe it’s just me that they pay so little. The first re-air was roughly 10% of my original guest-star rate so for this second one I expect to get a letter asking me to pay them $1,120.33. This situation definitely shapes how I approach my career - it's a snakey situation.

OMG!!! If I see one of the 4 commercials (2 Sprint, KFC, and Comcast) I was on avail for or had callbacks for again I'm gonna..........be even happier for the actors that booked them over me. I mean that too; of course I do. They are running constantly. Make dat money fellas!!

I surely hope that when I went to Japan and Spain that others were genuinely happy for me. It comes and goes.....and hopefully more stuff will come soon.

Okay I was really hoping to get a callback for the "FedEx" spot that shoots in New York. Why? Several reasons.

I would love to book a commercial.
I would love to go to New York to work on a project.
If I went to New York for a project I'd go back to Virginia Beach on the way home and see my family and of course wax my little brothers a** on the dirt bike again!!

IT'S MY FREAKIN' TURN to book a commercial!!!!!
I finally paid my SAG dues of $469.

Those are good reasons, right? I felt it went really well and I thought I was very right for it, but that doesn't usually tell the whole story. I know that callbacks are today and tomorrow and it's 5:20pm and I haven't heard anything. Oh well, I'll get 'em next time. I know I say that all the time, but I truly believe it. I will book again! I'll be back!!!

CUT TO: INT. - STEPHON'S CAR - DAY - 6:18pm.

SFX: Cell phone ringing. It's KSA, my commercial agency. Could it be? A callback for "FedEx"? Maybe...

I call to check the voicemail and it's the familiar voice of Tracy saying....

"Stephon, it's Tracy @ KSA calling to tell you that you have a......."

At this point I'm thinking "YES! I'm one step closer to going to New York for the "FedEx" spot"!

.....the message continues..."callback for the "ESPN Promo" at Skirts Casting" you're going back to 1641....."

What? I didn’t go in on an “ESPN Promo”…hmmm. I wonder what that’s all about. Either it’s a mistake and someone else at the agency has a callback for it or I am going straight to callbacks.

I call Tracy back to get the skinny on what’s going on. Indeed I am going straight to callbacks. Cool! I haven’t given up on “FedEx” though maybe they’ll call tomorrow for a same-day callback.

Driving around today was hot and tiring, but GREAT!! I got a lot done out in the field and that’s always good. It’s funny; when I do drop-offs I never really know “how” I’m going to do it at a given place – on a given day. Am I gonna leave it in the bin, put it in the slot in the door, take it inside, mail it?

This morning I went to a bunch of places to try to hustle up some opportunities. Usually at Valko/Miller I just drop my photo or postcard in the bin outside the door and get on my way. Today, for some reason I felt different. I decided to walk pass the submission bin and give my photo directly to the receptionist. I’ve auditioned at this office many times so maybe that’s why I felt that it was okay to go in, normally I keep it on the downlow and they don’t even know I was there. It’s not that I thought I would get in trouble by going in, especially at this office; it’s just not usually my style.

So I open the door and the first thing I see is two unbelievably beautiful actresses waiting to audition….I don’t why I mentioned that, but these girls were freaking beautiful. So I sat down beside one of them to write some stuff on my resume and she smelled like a beautiful woman should…like all women should - the scent of a woman is a powerful thing – IF I like whatever she’s wearing. Well, I like a lot of women’s fragrances – as long as it’s not Malboro #5 I’m pretty easy to please.

Anyway, a split second later casting associate Peter Pappas walks out of his office into the waiting area. Peter has called me in a lot and I think I’ve gone to producers every time, but haven’t booked. The last and only time I booked at this office was “Ally McBeal” in 2001 when Kara Lipson called me in from a postcard.

Peter greets me warmly, takes my photo and said it’s going straight into his file. I can’t ask for much more than that. Thanks Peter! I’m glad I decided to go in – that time. Who knows what I’ll do next time.

So I take out my trusty PDA, enter Valko/Miller’s zip code (91505) and see who else is in this area of town. Usually I know who is where, but the season is young and things change. Lo and behold, Vicki Huff Casting is literally right next door to Valko/Miller – at least the suite number said so. The thing is there was no sign on the door, no drop box – nothing. What to do, what to do. It’s a new spot so I had no idea if I had the correct address or not. I stood there and looked at the huge, expensive looking black door. Should I stay or should I go now? I decided to not take the risk of walking in on a board meeting or someone getting fired and headed for the elevators.

Then, I did what I do so often. I said to myself, “that’s what most people would do, and if you do what most people do, you will get the results that most people get”. Of course that begs the question, “Do you want the results that most people get?” If there’s a business where you don’t want “most people results” it’s the entertainment business. THAT fueled me to take the chance.

I used to know someone who I’d give that analogy to and they would NEVER believe ANYTHING I said about the business. Not even consider it. Now I don’t know everything about the business by any means, but I have learned a thing or two in my day. The funny thing was that if someone who just got off the boat and had been in Hollywood for 20 days that person would believe EVERYTHING the 20-day veteran said. After a while it was just interesting to watch. By contrast I have seen a tip or two that I have given work out for people in the past.

Alright, back to the huge, expensive looking black door. I make sure all my stuff is ready for whatever I might encounter and put my hand on the knob….but I don’t turn it. Sissy!! I’m being a sissy. I regroup and ask myself “what do I have to lose?” “Nothing”. “What do I have to gain?” “Everything”. BOOM! I twist the knob and open up. ANOTHER hot-a** girl!! Los Angeles is crazy this morning! She’s sitting at a desk with no lights on. I ask in my “best Denzel”; “Good morning…hmmm, is this Vicki Huff’s office?” It didn’t seem like it was; it just didn’t have that casting office feel. She smiled and said “Yes it is”. “Great! Could I leave this photo for her?” “Sure, I’ll take it.” She said. “Thank you so much and have a great day.” With that, I was on my way.

As I walked back to my car I thought about how lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing. I REALLY like what I do and I feel so much like I have a say in my future – it’s a powerful feeling. A crazy feeling at times, but powerful.

On to the next spot. It’s starting to get really hot out and I’m sitting in the car on the phone. As I’m talking, I see a ton of actors coming and going from the building; there must be a lot going on in there today. I don’t know what they were casting, but the Breakdown must have read “female, 23-28, stunning, all ethnicities”. The funniest part was watching the guy who was running the lobby area before the actresses went up the elevator. He was like a kid in a candy store; he even offered them a bottle of water when they came in. WHAT??? I NEVER got a bottle of water when I arrived to an audition – well, I ain’t all that sexy so I guess it makes sense. My man took care of me though, he took my photos upstairs and hand delivered them. No drop boxes for me – at least not yet.

Audition: “Soyjoy” @ Gabrielle Schary Casting. I think this one went well. I might have been a little too serious. We were supposed to be acting like we recorded an entry in a video blog; is there such a thing? the topic was something that irritated me. I was kinda serious and sorta forgot about the "commercial" aspect of it. I guess that could have been really good or really bad. I guess I'll find out if I get a callback or not.

Drops, drops and more drops. It’s amazing how many miles I have driven around this town slinging my photos and postcards. I started doing it from the first week of being in Los Angeles 8 years ago and it was one of smartest things I did. I know this town like the back of my hand – as far as casting offices go. It also helped me understand the casting process; which is so, so important.

Driving around so much is exhausting at times, but I carry on through thick and thin. I have no choice. Well, of course I have a choice, but this is what I signed up for. Nobody is forcing me to stay here or in the business. So I have to do what it takes for me to move forward.

While out in the field today I ran into my friend Denice Sealy; she was doing drops too. I was heading in one direction and she was heading in another so we gave each other some of our own photos and got even more accomplished. It seems like a never ending thing, but I think that is the advantage for me because no sane person would do it for days, weeks, months, and years. I have to say I am really glad to have some of the foundation building behind me because it’s a lot of work – a lot.

Today I attended the SAG Mid-Year Membership Meeting. I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in – the place was packed. I was so happy to see more people turn out and take an interest in union issues. Every dollar we get is hard fought – trust me the opposition is in business to keep as much of the profit as possible. They do a pretty good job of it too. We have to have more informed voters, because our futures in the business depend on it. Again, I am a huge fan of SAG president Alan Rosenberg and his team. They are directly making a difference in my future as a performer.

As I’ve said before, I have great frustrations with some elements of dealing with SAG. Actually it’s probably more about the specific individuals I deal with on some of the claims I’ve had. But there is good news. Drum roll please…we have a new Basic Cable Live Action contract! This is for shows like “The Shield” and “Monk”; live action shows that are produced for basic cable. This is really important news for several reasons.

· the residuals for the first re-run increases from 12 to 17 percent of the performer's minimum.
· the bottom end increasing from 1 to 1.5 percent of the minimum for the 13th and each subsequent run.
· payments for the first, second, third and fourth re-runs will be paid in one lump sum when the first re-run airs-meaning a larger check for actors; even if they never air.
· retroactive to January 1, 2006.

Again, this is great news mainly because it’s a “term deal” that will expire on June 30th 2008 at which point it will be up for renegotiation. Before, there was no deal to expire so us actors kept getting…………you know what I mean. It’s especially timely for me since I recently worked on “Monk”. Even though the contract was finalized just 10 days ago and I worked on “Monk” 6 weeks ago I will get the benefits of the new contract because it’s retroactive to January 1, 2006. So there are a lot of performers, like myself, who will see the benefits immediately. Thank you Alan, Anne-Marie and so many other volunteers at the Guild that work so hard for us. It is appreciated.

Audition: "FedEx" @ Kathy Knowles Casting. My first audition since returning from vacation - yes!!!I had to get to this one early because it was scheduled for 10:50 and my next audition was actually at 10:30, but in talking to my agent the “FedEx” one seemed to have a more rigid time constraint.

So I get there about 10:15, sign in, read the specs of the spot and fill out my size card. After a while “Adam”, the session runner, (I later found out his name is Adam Kaiz) appears and explains what’s going on. They haven’t started yet because they are still figuring out exactly “how” they are going to set up the scenerios in the audition room – we are the first group of the morning. In the meantime Adam would take our Poloroids pictures.

Now I haven’t had an audition in since June 8th because I was on vacation so I was just getting back into the grove of the routine. Plus, when I go on vacation I truly disengage from my “Hollywood Hustle”; so I was little off the pace and still in “Middle America”.

When Adam was gettting ready to take my photo he asked my name.

Adam: What’s your name?

Me: Stephon.

Adam: Stephon what?
Me: Fuller, Stephon Fuller.

Adam: You’re doing “Ocean’s Thirteen” aren’t you?

Me: Uh, Yeah.

Adam: Me too. I saw your name on the IMDB page.

Me: Cool. Congratulations!

He later told me that he checked out my website. It just totally caught me off guard, but the internet is a far reaching tool. I know that and I’m constantly checking up on the people, but I don’t “expect” anyone to be checking up on me.

Anyway, as it turns out, Adam is a really cool guy and we are actually in the same scene in “O13”, so we’ll get to hang out in October on set – with Al Pacino. That makes 5 people I know that booked roles in the film: James Martin Kelly and Michael Miranda; we are with the same theatrical agency. Brian Tee who stars in the lastest “Fast and Furious” installment and Angel Oquendo. Angel is still new to LA and making very, very quick strides up the ladder. I’m proud to be part of this group of performers.

When we finally get in to audition it goes really well, but by the time I leave I am over and hour late for my other audition. So I get in the car, hop back on I-10 to make the trip from Santa Monica to the Casting Studios in Hollywood. I call my agent to let them know I was on my way and I am informed that they need me to go back to Santa Monica to audition again for “FedEx” because the tape got messed up. Really? Yeah really. I decide to go to my other audition first and comeback to this one later. Audition: "McDonald's" @ Ross Lacy Casting. The Casting Studios was a madhouse, but I was in and out in a flash. The audition went really well and I had a great time with my auditioning partner.

So, back to Santa Monica to give “FedEx” another shot. It goes really well again and I think this time the tape was good – at least I hope it was. This spot shoots in New York. Of course, I’m already thinking that if I book this I’m going back to Virginia for another quick visit with my family – and some dirt bike riding too.

I wasn’t in the least bit irritated about having to back a second time. I’m glad they thought I was important enough to have on the tape. They could have just said “let’s just keep moving” we have enough other people coming for the rest of the day. I’m thankful for these opportunites I get.

Drops, drops, drops… gotta make it happen. I’m in the car in a neighborhood near you trying to jump-start this career thing. Matter of fact I was on my way to FMW Casting and while cruising through Hancock Park I saw a lemonade stand. I had to stop and buy a glass for 50 cents. I gave the kid a dollar and said “keep the change champ”. I love that entrepreneurial spirit – especially in young people. The lemonade was good too.

There might be something to this; I stopped at a lemonade stand a couple of months ago in Culver City while scoping out condos. Culver City is somewhere I think I’d like to live and definitely Hancock Park is high on my list. I think maybe, subconsciously, I’m telling these people to get used to this face – I might be your neighbor one day. I love Hancock Park; it seems nice and quiet with wide streets yet you are still really close to everything.

I finally have a cell phone again – it was pretty cool not having it – for for about two days – a weekend. When is the last time you used a pay phone? I felt like I was back in New York in ’96. As Al Pacino said in “Scarface” “I reloaded!” I think I bought this phone 2001 – it’s a brick. At least it works.

I get back to LA at 1:30pm and by 4pm I’m at my theatrical agents office letting them “see me” so that they “really” know I’m back. It’s one thing to get an e-mail or phone call or to just go by book out dates, but it another thing to actually show up in 3D. I like to show up in 3D.

I chatted with all 3 of them about my trip and they said it’s definitely picking up so my timing is perfect. Caleigh and I talked about the “Ocean’s Thirteen” gig. She asked me how I got know Casting directors Debra Zane and Tannis Vallely so well. I told her the whole story going back to meeting Tannis on March 25th 2000 at a workshop to “The Terminal” booking and brought her up to date to now.

Well, my trip is almost over. It’s been great, I could really stay another week or 10 days with no problem but I better get back to LA and the big city hustle. Tonight, I went bowling with my niece and nephew, Jeff and my little sister Avis. Avis has Down’s Syndrome and is as special as they come. She is unbelievably funny and just a great spirit. She’s quite the bowler too.

The moment of truth arrives. Todd, Jeff and myself go to a track to just ride today instead of a sanctioned race. I was feeling good, great actually. I think Jeff knew from the beginning that he had nothing for me or Todd. Todd, on the other hand thought he had something for me. I thought otherwise.

After riding for a couple of hours I was actually growing as a rider, riding better than ever. Todd, thinking he was the man, dared me to say I wanted to race him. There was no way I was gonna back down from that challenge. We were both really tired, but agreed to do two quick two-lap races.

In the first race I screamed out into the lead and didn’t look back. I was riding my own race and feeling good. About half-way through I saw that Todd had fallen and I cruised to victory.

In the second race we both came out of the gate about equal with him having a slight lead into the first turn. There were many places on the track where I thought I could make the pass so I wasn’t too worried, but coming around this muddy right hand sweeper turn one of my contact lenses came out. WHAT!? I was trying to “blink it” back into place on my eye – while still trying to make the pass. It wasn’t to be; I eventually slid out and went down while Todd cruised to victory making it one win a piece.

Of course we had to race once more to make it the best of three. Todd won the blast to the first turn with me right on his back tire. Before too long I put a nice move on him for the lead. Then on the second lap I slipped up in the whoops and he got around me. At this point I was licking my chops because I knew I was going own him in this particular left hand turn. BOOM! I put it on him! Money didn’t know what to do! I’m telling ya! I did my thing and represented! Yeah! I was smiling all the way back to the truck. The ride home was nice AND I didn’t have to drive.