Helping Out A Friend (or Getting To Act)

I didn’t get to do as much acting as I would have liked in 2015. I had some really great auditions and got to take class, but there weren’t any bookings. And as much as I love the brief moments that I get to act in the audition room or in my classes, I missed working on a fun project. There’s something special about working on a project that you don’t get in auditions or in class. It’s like how being on a studio lot feels magical somehow. I don’t know how to explain it, but it just is that way for me.

I had been really excited about an audition that I got the first week of January, but right after I got the audition notice I got an email from my agents that the audition was now for a non-union project. And as a union actor I agree to not work any non-union things. I was so excited for a second and then felt really sad that the audition wasn’t something I could go to. I don’t blame my agents at all because they don’t always find out something is non-union until the audition is scheduled. I’ve even had to leave auditions in the past because they lied about the union status. But that’s just the way it is sometimes.

So I was feeling like my year wasn’t getting off to a great start for my acting career. But then a friend of mine asked me if I’d like to play a small part in a new media project that he was doing. And of course I said yes! He sent me the script right away and I got prepared to work with him.

We shot the project this past Monday (I’m so glad that it was on my day off from my day job!) and it was really fun. My part wasn’t too big so it was a pretty easy shoot for me. I got to where we were all meeting at 8am and it was my turn to film at about 8:30, so I didn’t have to wait that long (sometimes you are on set for hours before it’s time for your scene).

My scene took place in my car and my character had been pulled over by a cop. It was really funny and I had a great time performing. We did each setup maybe 2 or 3 times and there were a couple of different shots that they needed to get. But after it was all said and done, I maybe only worked for an hour. Easy peasy.

It was so wonderful to be in front of a camera again. I love getting direction from the director and knowing that my work is being captured and others will be able to see it (in auditions, the directors might get to see it but it’s not seen by that many people). I got some really great feedback from everyone working on the project and that was a nice little confidence boost for me.

This wasn’t a paying project, but that doesn’t matter to me. It was a union project (my friend made sure of that so I could be a part of it), I got to act, and eventually once it’s edited it will be out in the world for people to see. That’s all I really need (getting paid occasionally would be great too). And that hour of acting made me crave acting even more.

That’s how I know that this is the right career path for me. I love getting to audition, I love ever second I get to act, and I love anything I get to do that feels like I’m furthering my career. Nothing feels like a chore or a task. It always feels like a reward and a benefit.

Hopefully this project will be the start of an amazing year for my acting career. I haven’t had my first audition of the year yet, but the regular start of pilot season is coming up quickly and hopefully I’ll have at least one pilot audition. And of course now that tv is back there are all those co-star and guest star parts I could potentially audition for. While there aren’t as many opportunities for someone of my type as there might be for a super skinny hot blonde girl, I know those opportunities are out there and it’s my job to be prepared for when they come my way.

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Making My Acting Bold (or Feeling Great From An Audition) Figuring Out The Next Step (or I Need To Keep Acting) Being Proactive (or Bringing Acting To Me) Doubling Up On Friend Time (or It Feels Like We Just Saw Each Other) Working On A New Plan (or Self-Producing) Another Day Another Audition (or This Is The Life I Love)