Monthly Archive for April, 2004

I’m not Biff Grimes

Fawn and I performed our scene for Tom tonight and received a lot of notes. Basically, my major critique is that I am not Biff. Currently, my portrayal of Biff Grimes is too modern, too confident, too romantic, too refined and nothing like Biff Grimes. In other words, I don’t have a good grasp of my character. His compliment to me was that although my current performance is emotional and talented, I need to find Biff Grimes. He also said not to get frustrated because in reality, I would never be cast as this type of character. The character is too much of a stretch of who I am in real life, but is a good exercise for me as an actor and leading man.

I do feel frustrated that I can’t embody this character. I’m also frustrated that the past couple of classes and coachings that I have had, the other teachers didn’t work with me more in finding my character. Tom had a lot of very good points in his critique (as he always does) and wants to work on the scene outside of class to help me and my partner really nail the characters down. This is a good thing but I just wish I had been working more on this before…

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Agency Contact Information

For booking information,

Theatrical: Shelley Pang @ Ann Waugh Agency - 818.980.0141

Commercial: Hugh Leon @ Coast to Coast Talent Group - 323.845.9200

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Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind

Tonight I saw Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind. Great movie. Jim Carey does a great job portraying a shy, quirky, insecure dreamer opposite of Kate Winslet who gives a great performance as a searching, quirky, spontaneous free spirit. The film had a very art-house feel to it mixing in some very interesting elements of psychology and science fiction. If you get a chance, you should check it out.

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Evisu jeans?

Today I was introduced to the Evisu brand at a hip-hop clothing store on Melrose Ave. I had first heard about the brand from the controversial Details magazine article and was curious to see what it was all about. I picked up a pair and looked at the price tag - $365. Ouch! Who would pay $365 for a pair of jeans? Celebrities? Definitely not me. Not even if I had a lot of money to spend. The salesperson then showed me a couple graphic t-shirts by Evisu as well. I looked at the price tag - $140. Would you really pay $140 for a t-shirt?

I need to start my own clothing line…




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Jumpstart Your Commercial Acting “Career” (or at least try)

Leave work at noon to go pickup your proofsheets at your commercial agency.

Check your voicemail while driving and find that your acting partner called.

Realize that it’s Friday, you have acting class tomorrow, and you forgot to schedule a rehearsal with your partner.

Call your acting partner back and apologize for missing rehearsal. Schedule a rehearsal for tomorrow morning before class.

Get stuck in LA traffic for 30 minutes, two miles before your exit.

When you arrive at your agency, see that there is no receptionist at the desk so check the “client pick-up box” only to find that your proofsheets are not there.

When the receptionist arrives back at the desk and asks you what your are looking for, tell her “proofsheets”.

The receptionist will then call your agent in his office and will tell you to “go on up”.

Be a little nervous because of yesterday’s email and that you are being called into his office.

When you arrive in your agents office, listen to him say that there are a couple of photos he would like to see larger, but for the most part the photos are not good for commercial casting. Also hear him re-emphasize that although your old “cool, hip” headshot got you a lot of auditions, the “cool, hip” thing is not in high demand right now.

Feel disappointed but ask him exactly what he would like to see from you.

Listen as he basically says that you need another photoshoot which shows you as different “characters” full of personality - a professional, a scientist, an athlete, a young dad and a blue collar worker.

Ask, and receive a new list of commercial photographers.

As you are leaving his office, try to emphasize that you are willing to do anything to get your commercial “career” going. Say this in order to prevent getting dropped from your agency.

On your way back to your job, call your manager (aka wife) to discuss the impromptu meeting you just had with your agent.

Listen as your manager breaks it down and tells you that you really need to relax and be your true self in your pictures because no photos have ever captured your true goofy but charming personality. Try not to be defensive or argumentative when she says that the “cool, hip, guy” is not who you really are. Also listen as she tells you that you always need to look your best when you visit any of your agents.

Realize that you have the most beautiful, supportive, intuitive and intelligent wife - and how could you not achieve your dreams with her at your side.

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How to live as a struggling actor in Hollywood

Go to sleep at 5am because you were up working on various projects and having problems digitizing video.

Get up at 9.15am because your beautiful wife took care of the dogs and let you sleep in.

Weigh yourself and find that you are now 168lbs at 15.6% bodyfat. Realize that a few months ago you were 155lbs at 12% bodyfat. Make a strong mental note that you need to get back on a nutrition/fitness plan.

Grab a brownie, vitamin packet and bottled tea on your way out the door while thinking of the slogan “Breakfast of Champions”

Make several phone calls on the drive to work trying to sort out issues connected to losing your wallet 2 weeks ago.

Receive a semi-harsh email from your commercial agent basically stating that you should’ve had a meeting with him to discuss what kind of pictures you need because the “cool, hip, guy” look is not in high demand right now and you’re not 22 years old anymore. Read that you should have gone for the young dad, businesss look. also read that he isn’t thrilled with the photographer.

Try not to feel a little hurt or disappointed after reading the email.

For lunch have one rib, one chicken thigh, some tri-tip roast and a small salad from the catered lunch and mentally try to calculate the protein content of your meal

Force yourself to go to the gym even though you only slept 4 hours.

When you get to the gym, take an ephedra-free “Ripped force” to get some energy.

Force yourself through a heavy chest and tricep routine.

Go back to work, have a protein shake, and continue with the daily grind while doing ab exercises.

On your way home think about what kind of food you want to pickup for dinner. Realize that you are getting sick of eating at all the same places - East India Grill, Koo Koo Roo, Baja Fresh, Johnnie’s Pizza, Wok Master, Versailles, Amalfi’s, nothing sounds good.

Finally decide to stop by Miyako to get sushi for your wife and Bahay Natin to get filipino food for yourself.

Spend time with your wife reluctantly watching Dr Phil on Tivo while stuffing yourself with pancit, chicken adobo, lechon kawali and casava cake.

Re-install your video card drivers on your computer and find that you can now digitize video properly.

Spend time cleaning and re-arranging your house then go to sleep around 2am.

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A Seamless Performance

That was the critique I received from one of my acting coaches tonight. She said my performance was seamless, organic and very connected - the best performance she has seen from me this year.

It feels good to get such positive feedback and know that the training is helping.

…But I know I can go deeper…

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How to live as an actor in Hollywood while working in the dot-com world (the David Chiu remix)

Wake up at 7am after going to bed at 2am because you needed to watch “The Rundown” before returning it to Blockbuster in the morning.

Feed Simon while half awake then climb back into bed.

Wake up at 8am because Simon is clawing the baby gate and needs to use the restroom.

Get ready for work really quickly and forget to take your vitamins - again.

Grab a bottled tea and two Atkins candy bars for breakfast.

While crawling on the freeway to work, realize that the Atkins candy bar only has 140 calories and is not a sufficient meal for a 2500 calorie diet.

Don’t listen to the radio on the drive to work in order to practice focusing on emotions and imagination for acting.

Once you arrive at the parking garage, take your 100k mile ‘93 Ford Taurus to get the rear breaks replaced and wonder how much longer your car will last.

Stay in the office for the weekly catered lunch and have half of a chicken salad, egg salad, and tuna salad gourmet sandwich but don’t eat any of the bread because you’re trying to do the low-carb diet again.

Spend the day working on HTML/JSP code while listening to “Don’t Disturb This Groove” and a bunch of other 80’s and 90’s soft rock tunes 100 times in hopes to stay “emotionally sensitive” and “connected” for acting class.

Lip sync and groove to every song with your headphones on and music turned up - not caring if your co-workers think you’re wierd.

Realize that your co-workers think you’re wierd but don’t care and kinda like it.

Remind yourself that you need to get your proofsheets to your commercial agent and also need to check with your theatrical agent to see if they have made a decision on what photos to use.

Remember that you had a great idea for a unique TV show and do internet research on how to pitch a show to a network.

Receive and read an email from your commercial agent on how to be a good client and worry that you will get dumped from your agency since you have not booked a job in two years and have been on fewer auditions.

Realize that you forgot to call your acting partner about rehearsal and that you have to perform in class tomorrow.

Have the strong desire to go to the gym since it’s been over a week since you’ve last been there, but realize you’re too busy and need to help clean the house with your wife.

Pickup this month’s issue of Men’s Fitness for motivation and inspiration in the gym.

Get too hungry and blow your low-carb diet by eating a Burrito Ultimo w/ sour cream, no rice - from Baja Fresh.

Eventually go to sleep sometime around 2-3am after writing this entry and trying to digitize video for your website.

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Dreaming of Bora Bora…

I need a second honeymoon with my wife to go back to Bora Bora for rest, relaxation and rejuvenating creativity.

As I was going about my day today, this old school song came into my head:

Don’t Disturb This Groove“.

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Everything seems to be waking up…

I had a really good performance in class today. I felt really comfortable and natural and I also felt connected to my partner and the scene. This is the way all performances should go. We didn’t even rehearse before class today and we went first. Maybe that helped. Usually we prepare for our scene during the performance of another scene. This preperation time is usually 20-30min. In that time I think we tend to put pressure on ourselves thinking about our performance and the notes we are suppose to be addressing from the last performance. Since we went first we didn’t have time to really think about it. We just got up on stage and did it. And it worked.

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