Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Update
For those of you unaware, as of Thursday, I will again be unemployed. It is a long story that may make its way onto these pages, but for now I will just say I am relieved. It has been a bad fit for me, but I have been blessed to lead a good team of people and wish them all the best. There are about 15 different directions I could go in, so I am praying for a little guidance in my judgement.
Part 77 - a new direction or perspective or something
So, with 1995 rolling in, I was still engaged in casting director workshops, regular (or semi-regular) auditions and in January, I began looking for a job. My brother had become the GM at Broadway Deli and told me that one of the owners' (Michel Richard, famous chef) brother-in-law, Jean-Jacques had taken over as a GM at a big club on the other side of the Promenade. JJ (Jean-Jacques is just too long to write every time) took me in as a server and I immediately loved it. The club was jumping for both dining and as a late night popular west-side night club. It was a place to be seen and many celebrities came there. One of the owners, Philip, allowed me to stage my showcase there and about 200 people attended, including managers, producers and reps from some of the biggest agencies. As the producer, director and the person who wrote most of the material we performed, one would think it would go well for me. It certainly was a successful showcase. Of the 8 actors involved, 7 received roles directly due to their performance that night. Only one performer received no offers, me.
That was really the beginning of the end for me as an actor. I had gained some success regionally as an actor and did fairly well in auditions, but it just wasn't in the cards as they say. Being unsuccessful as I headed rapidly toward my 30's seemed like a recipe for bitterness. Though I received a great many kudos for my performances over the years, in the end, I just did not have the stamina to continue trying to be a working actor. If I am honest, and I like to think I am, I have to admit that my desire was never to be a working actor. My desire was to be a star. I am very average in appearance and there are not many Hollywood roles for that guy who looks like every other man on the street. Though I was a good actor, I don't think I was great, and good is not enough.
JJ left the company by the time of my showcase in late March, and the club closed for a few weeks to renovate and re-brand. During that time, my friend Paul and his wife moved to Westwood and both my car and Cathy's broke down. Cathy's Mom gave us her old car and we bought a Saturn. In Late May, the club re-opened and was kicking once again. Some of the staff had moved on and I was picked to be a floor supervisor by the new GM, Jerry. Jerry lasted about 5 weeks and instead of getting a new GM, the company hired a consulting group and I was promoted to dining room manager (paid a weekly rate). I had a great summer, hanging out with a bunch of friends I had met through the club, many of whom were very talented people from Florida including my buddy Damon Jones (Now a regular performing member of the Groundlings and recently seen on an episode of Top Chef as a guest judge). It was really nice to be in a group of artists, and I really began to show who I was there. Things were once again looking up!
That was really the beginning of the end for me as an actor. I had gained some success regionally as an actor and did fairly well in auditions, but it just wasn't in the cards as they say. Being unsuccessful as I headed rapidly toward my 30's seemed like a recipe for bitterness. Though I received a great many kudos for my performances over the years, in the end, I just did not have the stamina to continue trying to be a working actor. If I am honest, and I like to think I am, I have to admit that my desire was never to be a working actor. My desire was to be a star. I am very average in appearance and there are not many Hollywood roles for that guy who looks like every other man on the street. Though I was a good actor, I don't think I was great, and good is not enough.
JJ left the company by the time of my showcase in late March, and the club closed for a few weeks to renovate and re-brand. During that time, my friend Paul and his wife moved to Westwood and both my car and Cathy's broke down. Cathy's Mom gave us her old car and we bought a Saturn. In Late May, the club re-opened and was kicking once again. Some of the staff had moved on and I was picked to be a floor supervisor by the new GM, Jerry. Jerry lasted about 5 weeks and instead of getting a new GM, the company hired a consulting group and I was promoted to dining room manager (paid a weekly rate). I had a great summer, hanging out with a bunch of friends I had met through the club, many of whom were very talented people from Florida including my buddy Damon Jones (Now a regular performing member of the Groundlings and recently seen on an episode of Top Chef as a guest judge). It was really nice to be in a group of artists, and I really began to show who I was there. Things were once again looking up!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Part 76
The summer of 1994 was pretty fun, all in all. Most days, I would get a page (yes, back before everyone had cell phones, we had little beepers we wore on our belts)from one of the extra agencies and head off to what I hoped would be 16 hours of work. On off days, I would walk down to Venice Beach and hang out. My friend Cristos and I had a "martial arts show" we did as a street performance on both Venice Beach and 3rd St Promenade. It was fun! I was not anywhere in Cristos' league when it came to my abilities in Karate, but being associated with him made me feel better about those abilities.
As the summer wore on, I began to get really tired of extra work. I had gathered together enough vouchers (long story) to get my union card and after a particularly disastrous day spent on a set in Ojai California, I decided to move on. I still kept doing the Casting Director Workshops and was still seeking my fame and fortune as an actor, but I only did one extra or action extra gig after that point. In October of that year, I took a seasonal job as a store manager for Hickory Farms. It was a bizarre choice and to be honest, I hated it. I played poker occasionally with the guy who owned the Sheepskin store in the mall, hired some friends from the dojo I worked out at and pretty much set my own schedule. However, retail is really not for me and when asked later, I declined to be considered for any further employment with the company.
In December of that year, I saw a difference in my Dad that took my breath away. In 1983, when I had run away from home, my Dad had cleared out my savings account and for a couple of years it stood between us. After finding redemption through Christ, I decided the only way to go forward was to forgive him and move on. That happened in 1987, and the very few times he ever brought it up, I would dismiss it as unimportant and change the subject. In December of that year, my Dad sent me a letter with a check. He not only repaid all the money, but also sent compounded interest for the previous 11 years. This type of character just surprized the hell out of me, I still try to live up to that moment in everything I do.
Unfortunately, I took the money and joined the union (which I had earned the right to do through extra work). It took all the money he had sent and I never again worked in a union production. It still remains one of the worst uses of money I have ever engaged in...and that is saying something.
As the summer wore on, I began to get really tired of extra work. I had gathered together enough vouchers (long story) to get my union card and after a particularly disastrous day spent on a set in Ojai California, I decided to move on. I still kept doing the Casting Director Workshops and was still seeking my fame and fortune as an actor, but I only did one extra or action extra gig after that point. In October of that year, I took a seasonal job as a store manager for Hickory Farms. It was a bizarre choice and to be honest, I hated it. I played poker occasionally with the guy who owned the Sheepskin store in the mall, hired some friends from the dojo I worked out at and pretty much set my own schedule. However, retail is really not for me and when asked later, I declined to be considered for any further employment with the company.
In December of that year, I saw a difference in my Dad that took my breath away. In 1983, when I had run away from home, my Dad had cleared out my savings account and for a couple of years it stood between us. After finding redemption through Christ, I decided the only way to go forward was to forgive him and move on. That happened in 1987, and the very few times he ever brought it up, I would dismiss it as unimportant and change the subject. In December of that year, my Dad sent me a letter with a check. He not only repaid all the money, but also sent compounded interest for the previous 11 years. This type of character just surprized the hell out of me, I still try to live up to that moment in everything I do.
Unfortunately, I took the money and joined the union (which I had earned the right to do through extra work). It took all the money he had sent and I never again worked in a union production. It still remains one of the worst uses of money I have ever engaged in...and that is saying something.
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