Insecurity can sneak up on you at the strangest times. I recently became a BookPal: a volunteer who reads to children at schools in neighborhoods that have a low median income. The idea is to expose children to a variety of interesting and educational books that will, hopefully, spark a lifelong love of reading. I [...]
What not to ask a professional actor (a rant for the ignorant).
Apparently some folks haven’t been told, so I’m telling you. Retire this ENTIRE line of questioning, post-haste: 1.) Are you working? No, I sit at home and watch TV all day. Casting directors call me and offer me jobs on the shows that I like. 2.) How long are you going to do this? Until [...]
Getting Lost.
In my life, I’ve found that when I want change, I need to change something. Like Einstein said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” Sometimes I’m moved to be still (oxymoron. i know.), and sometimes I’m moved to re-jigger the status quo. This past weekend, I realized that it’s time to do the latter. Actually, the [...]
Triage.
Lotta diagnosis and treatment going on around here these days. A software update broke this site. I built it, I maintain it, and, by trial and error, I’ve gotten pretty good at trouble-shooting, but this was beyond my skill-set, and beyond the bounds of my patience. After about a week and a half of hearing [...]
Your “Big Break”
The notion of a “big break” is neither one that I entertain for myself, nor encourage for others. In this business, we are responsible for making our breaks every single day. ” Luck” is certainly to be welcomed when she shows up at our door, but she is not a reliable visitor, and can neither [...]
So…
I’ve been pretty friggin’ bummed out about my friend passing away. You’re probably thinking ” well, YEAH,” but even though she battled cancer (small “c” because I refuse to give it power) for 3 years, it still hit me full-force because I just assumed prayer, positive thinking, support, and her own iron will would beat [...]
Death & Life
A very dear friend of mine passed away today. We have (had??) been friends for almost 20 years. Right now, I feel the loss, and will miss her presence even more than I have missed her during her brief convalescence (which followed a long slugfest with cancer). The grief will pass, however, and what stands [...]
Not Enough.
As I begin this post, it is 5 minutes ’til midnight. I’ve been looking back over the past year, taking stock of my life, comparing my actual achievements with the goals I set for myself a year or so ago, and giving myself a little nod. Not too shabby. I won’t bore you with the [...]
Serve Yourself.
Gather ’round, chickadees, I’m gonna tell you a story: Once upon a time (because that’s how all memorable stories must begin, you know), there was a man named Paolo (no particular reason other than the name just stuck in my head). Paolo wasn’t particularly young, and he wasn’t particularly old. He wasn’t particularly handsome, and he [...]
This Is How You Fly.
Yesterday was the 13th anniversary of my arrival in Los Angeles, and I took a little time to reflect. When I arrived, I wasn’t even 30 yet, and here I am, knocking on 40s door. By Hollywood standards, I was too old to just be starting out. Never mind that I had been doing theatre [...]
“One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show”
I grew up hearing this phrase. It meant that one person, one hitch, one snag or one problem was not sufficient to stop or stall your progress. A “no” was just a bump in the road on the way to “yes.” In talking to people recently, I’ve become aware of just how critical ONE SINGLE [...]
Grumpy, Old, Fat, Ugly, & Short.
If we tell the truth, at least one of these adjectives fit most of us: Grumpy Old Fat Ugly Short Yes, I know that all these terms are relative, so don’t send me salty emails. Depending the day on which you encounter me, I fit into 1-3 of these categories, myself. Maybe even 4. [...]
Party of One
My 40th birthday is coming up next week. On my 39th birthday, I declared this “Year 40″ and put together a list of things that I wanted to accomplish this year. I have accomplished a number them, others, not yet, and still others are ongoing projects (if I may call “get to the gym 5x [...]
Looking for a lesson…
So, I’m 40 today. I usually have plans on my birthday, but I didn’t make any this year, so I slept in, am going to make my rounds at stores and restaurants that give away free stuff to birthday girls like me (boys too, maybe), and go paint tonight. Everyone makes such a big deal [...]
Your Agent Rides Shotgun.
Every actor I know has complained about their agent at some point or another. Before I moved to L.A., I went to a seminar that referred to them as the “pimps of the industry,” so initially I was wary… until I met a few and they seemed like, well, like regular people. People with families [...]
