Today is my shoot for the "California Lottery" commercial. When I arrived at the location, to my surprise, I saw everyone that was in my callback session. WHAT!!! Needless to say we were shocked that we all had booked after having, what we thought, was such a horrible callback. We figured that maybe he really liked us at the audition and was making sure he could get us to the place he needed us for the shoot.

It was a short day, call time 9am and I'm wrapped @ noon. Yeah, only 3 hours. It almost killed me and I mean DEAD!!!!!! I was one of a group of "spinners" and one "spin instructor". This spin instructor was no joke. Was she, in fact, trying to kill us? Or maybe she was just trying killing me. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I am so out of shape. Anyway, nice people, and I had worked with the DP on the last "Pizza Hut" spot. It felt good to be working again.

Tonight is the first night of my dance classes. OMIGOD!!!! Keilana bought me gift certificates for several classes. They were getting ready to expire so I had to jump in. I have 2 left feet. I mean seriously. I have been known to go out and "shake a leg", but I don't dance for money. It is a Modern Jazz class and I am so far away from being graceful. I'll keep trying though.

Okay, big surprise. I booked the "California Lottery" commercial. WHAT!!! How they heck did that happen? I don't know and I don't care I'm just glad to be working!!

I just got back from an "audition" even though I didn't actually get to read. My 4th Saturday audition in 6 weeks. No, I wasn't turned away because I do workshops. It was because the damn building caught on fire! Yeah, it was Lien/Cowan Casting on Beverly and we were waiting to go in and the joint starts billowing with black smoke & flames right below the casting office on the 2nd floor. I mean crazy fire trucks, chainsaws, an ax and a lot of water. It was really sad to see people stuff go up in flames, but more importantly everyone got out safely. Firefighters have always been really high on my list and it was cool to see them @ work. Remember, check those smoke detector batteries!!

Today is the BSW roundtable discussion. It was interesting, to say the least. I got a chance to hear several sides of the debate. I don't feel like a lot was accomplished as far as changing anyone's position on the subject. If anything it gave me more information on workshops that I haven't been to. Go figure.

Callback: "California Lottery" @ Cathi Carlton Casting. Okay this HAD to be the worst callback I've ever had. The spot has me and a few others on stationary bikes in a spinning class. First, I don't spin in my real life and I think I looked like a complete loser in my acting life.
Typically, in a spin class the instructor is in front, facing the class. That wasn't the case for audition; the instuctor was beside me. I was sneaking glances at the instuctor to see what the next move was. I wasn't stopping and going into full profile or anything like that I was just trying to see what was going on.

Here is where it got interesting for me. The director, Brian Aldrich, was relentless with giving me direction and asking me questions, and I don't feel like I delivered at all. He said to me, "if you were in a real spin-class would you be looking over at the instuctor?" Okay, I wanted to answer honestly, but I also wanted this job and didn't want to embarrass the CD Cathi Carlton and become an example of "how actors talk themselves out of jobs". I decided to split the difference. I kinda answered by giving him the look that he was right, but not saying so verbally. The director seemed to be trying to embarrass me.
When I left the room, myself and the 3 others, felt like it was the worst callback of our careers. I was thinking that Cathi wouldn't ever call me in again. NEXT!!!

Steve Julian, of KPCC 89.3 radio, sends me an e-mail message asking if I was willing to be interviewed for a story he is doing on paid CD Workshops. "Ugh, ugh, well I guess so. What do you want me to say?" I agree and we proceed. Basically, we just had a conversation on the phone that was taped. Ninety minutes later Back Stage West calls and asks me to participate in a roundtable discussion on paid Casting Director Workshops. What!!!! Why in the heck are they calling me?!?! "Ugh, ugh, well I guess so. What do you want me to say?"

Me, My ADR Session & Carmen Electra............I gotta say it is pretty cool to have Carmen Electra inquire about me. Even if it is just in a commercial. I was able to see a cut of the "Pizza Hut" spot yesterday while doing ADR. I had to re-record one word, and a short word at that. In and out in 14 minutes including waiting for the NYC people to get set up. Of course I wasn't getting paid what Ms. Electra was getting for 2 days work. Let me tell ya she got PAID!! It should break in about 10 days.

One potential strike averted, one more to go!! Thankfully, there wasn't a WGA work stoppage. Now I'm hoping that the SAG/AFTRA negotiations are settled without a work stoppage. Last fall was very busy for me as a result of beefed up productions among other things.

I have an audition today for "Pizza Hut" @ Deborah Kurtz Casting. That is an office that I don't get into that often, but since doing a lot of commercial drop-offs I have gotten into a lot of offices that I have never been to or haven't in a while. Anyway I have a callback Friday, avail Friday night and am booked Sunday afternoon. Now I had done two other "Pizza Hut" spots for another director. I didn't think this one was connected to the other creative people. There are so many people in the room that it is hard to really focus on anyone. I go to the fitting Monday afternoon and I am thinking I'm anonymous, and then they tell me that the art director has my photo on his wall from the first spot. These are some of the same creative people as before. The spot stars Carmen Electra and is directed by Bob Dylan's son Jesse Dylan. It felt really good to be on somebody's list.

This is a moment of truth for me. It is my last night waiting tables, hopefully forever. It put in for a 3-month leave of absence; I am due back June 29. I don't plan on coming back, time will tell.

It was my second night working on "The District" and I am learning a lot. I am one of 3 reporters. It isn't a tremendous amount of dialogue, but they do have us around a lot. Of course the dialogue wasn't as it was scripted. We did a quick rehearsal and the director just split the lines between us all. Those cold-reading-think-on-your-feet-skills really came into play.

At one point, for another scene, the director gave all of the reporters a speech to do; it was a good chunk of dialogue. It was a live report from the shooting that happened in the episode. We ended up not shooting it that night as we wrapped about 1am. So I got to my restaurant job 2 1/2 hours late. OOOOPS!!! They say we'll shoot it next week. This is exciting. I have heard that people come back on that show often. Matter-of-fact one of the actresses was telling me that she did an episode last Fall and they asked her to come back. So she is working this week as well, and as a different character than before. I was surprised that they brought her back in the same season as a different character. She and I are with the same agency as well.

So guys and gals I would say to keep Thom Klohn & Karen Rea at the top of your postcarding list. They were both on set at different times. I got a chance to talk to Karen, who was still casting @ 9pm, and she knew all of us by name. All of the regulars and the rest of the guest cast are really nice. So that's it.

Tomorrow I am shooting a "US Postal Service" spot. Today as I am driving in the rain trying to be careful getting to my fitting for my "USPS" shoot tomorrow my cell phone rings. I don't get many calls on my cell phone, but lately the ones that I have gotten have been "'nuttin but love". It is my Theatrical agent; she is telling me that she has an offer for "The District" for me. I had auditioned a week ago and had thrown the sides out thinking it was over. I was totally shocked, she kinda thought I was hesitating on accepting because...well I was hesitating....because I was shocked. Anyway I shoot the "USPS" commercial tomorrow and start on "The District" Wednesday. It is for 4 days out of 5. I have never had that much time on a Theatrical gig. What a start to the week.

Hey, I did a workshop with Shaunda Jones @ London/Stroud Casting on November 18th and had a great feeling from her. This past November was the busiest month I have ever had and I was also going thru computer Hell. After the workshop I had to explain to Shaunda that my resume looked like crap because I had booked several jobs in a very short amount of time and I had to write in 4 new credits. I never write on my resume. She was cool about it and told me to bring 5 fresh resumes to her office the next day because she knew of some other shows that her friends cast that I was right for. Of course I did that the next morning. She called me in today for "Arli$$". I had a "Burger King" audition scheduled as well for later in the day. Then the "Arli$$" people called and changed the time and it conflicted with the commercial audition. So I am on the phone with both of my agents and it didn't look good. I figured all I could do was the best I could since the "Arli$$" offices are way, way out in...I don't know, way out there.

I got there and since Shaunda had spoken to my agent she made sure I got in and out. I go in and the star of the series, Robert Wuhl, the director John Murray, casting along with 6 or 7 other people AND they taped us. It went perfect. Afterwards I raced back to Hollywood for my commercial audition which went very well also. Two hours later I get the word that I booked. I shoot on the 6th, I have a scene with Sandra Oh and she is the best. I think it airs in June 10th. I also got a callback for the "Burger King" spot. I had worked with one of the producers on a "BK" spot in NYC back in March '97. I didn't book this one though. I'll get 'em next time.

Today a good friend, Jonathan Julian moves to LA from New York. He is a friend from Virginia Beach, and I knew him way before we started acting. I pick him up @ the airport and didn't stop. 12 hours later we were looking at an apartment for him. In the first week he had done 3-4 workshops, had a manager interested in him, had met all of my agents, followed me to 4 auditions and was set to do a staged reading.

Today I had a callback for the "Huntress" and an audition for "The Tick" @ UDK Casting, I think it was the worst audition that I have ever had. All of the partners of the company were there as well. It was bad, really bad.

I'm outta here!! Back to Virginia for the Holidays.

Today I went in for "Angel" - not too cute. I hope I get back in that office to redeem myself.

Today I shoot "Smash" the VH-1 comedy pilot. Within 14 minutes of getting out of the car I was in and out of make-up and shooting. This director was not playing. Background players didn't even have time to put their bags down when they arrived on set.

Today I get into a car accident on my way to an audition. I guess it was my time -195,000 miles without one in my trusty Honda. Anyway, my fault and I became friends with one of the driver's. We now do CD workshops together, only in LA!!

NOVEMBER 21st '00*Today, I participated in my first table read for "Smash" a VH-1 comedy pilot. It was very interesting to watch the process since I was the reader from the beginning of the project. I have had a chance to see the project grow from the first day of casting to today's table read. During the process I saw & heard a lot of stuff. Who likes who (not personally) and why and how the whole package comes together. I must say that Cathy Henderson & Dori Zuckerman did a great job of casting. They brought in lots of interesting choices and all three of the leads were against the prototypes from the producers. Two of the leads were actors that Cathy & Dori did not already know. Matter of fact they even had to change the names of two of the leads because they were so different from what was originally projected. One of those leads is known by the industry and is definitely on the rise. I don't know what the buzz is on the others. All the networks and several production companies are eager to sign the female lead to a development deal. Interestingly enough she has been turning down huge sums of money for these deals, but she really liked this project and they are fortunate to have her.

Today's reading was attended by both of the writers, all of the producers with the exception of Gene Simmons (yes, of KISS), the wardrobe department and all of the cast members with the exception of the celebrity cameos. I was to read my part as a musician and the celebrity cameos. We proceeded to read the entire script just kinda straight thru and it came together really nice. The second read was with more energy, quick changes within the script and also the VH-1 executives listening in on a conference call from New York. Everyone involved seemed very pleased with results. After that the leads were kept for scene work and the rest of us were released.