I Know I Know

I know it's been a millenium since I've updated my blog but I'm really busy and lazy at the same time. Hold tight for another day or two!

At Least It's Nice and Sunny

I guess one thing about phasing out background is that my posts can be a little shorter and to the point now (and more frequent, kind of......sort of......hopefully, lol). I've still been working over night so I've been able to enjoy our sunny and 80 degree weather here. Don't hate! A portion of the Hollywood Hills caught on fire last week in case anyone didn't know. Right behind the Hollywood Sign. I live at the base of the Hollywood Hills, about 2 miles from where the fire was. Some apartment complexes had to be evacuated, but no residential areas were damaged. They got it under control. Scary.

So, I was working at the gym the other night. You would be surprised at the number of people that come in all through the night. It still amazes me. The regulars come in every night, and they know me know, so it's cool. Anyways, the other night I was at the front desk and it was about 3:30 am. I see this car park in the parking lot and this guy gets out and is walking towards the door. He has a huge bag on his back, coats in one arm, miscellaneous stuff in the other arm, and a cigarette in his mouth. He is dropping things because he has so much stuff. It was pretty funny. He comes right up to the front door and then throws his cigarette butt on the ground and steps on it. Now, I know smokers work out too, but I was thinking, "This guy is crazy. Who not only smokes a cigarette right before they work out, but literally right up to the front door?" I mean, it's like he wanted to smoke for as along as he possibly could until he got into the gym. He then walks through the door. I glance at my computer screen, and then at him, and guess who it is? It's Danny Bonaduce!!! LOL From the Vh1 reality show Breaking Bonaduce (and from The Partridge Family of course). He looks just like he does on the tv. He's short. However, he was REALLY cool. He was a nice guy. You know I keep it real and wouldn't lie. He also came back the next night looking for some punching bags, but we didn't have any. You never know who you're going to bump into in Hollywood. Now, I just need Mariah Carey to waltz in one night.

Also, I was at the grocery store the other day and I ran into Christine Taylor, better known as Ben Stiller's wife. She is pretty and thing, just like any other actress. I didn't talk to her though. I wantedd to, but like I said, I'm not that kind of person. I did want to say something though because I used to watch this show she was on years ago when I was kid. It was a show on Nickelodeon called Hey Dude! Is there anyone my age reading this that rememebers that show? I never missed it.

That's it. Positive quote:

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

~Harriet Tubman

I really hope everyone (in America at least) knows who Harriet Tubman is. As soon as I saw this quote, I had to use it here. It really puts things into perspective. When I think about what hardships people have gone through in the past, whether it be the slaves during the Atlantic Slave Trade, the Jews during the Holocaust, the Native Americans, the first settlers who set up camp at Jamestown, Virginia, or even my own grandmother who moved 7 young children from Jamaica to the United States, BY HERSELF, it makes me think the things I whine about now are nothing! I have no right to be tired or inconvenienced. I have goals damnit and I'm not stopping until I achieve them! Who's with me??

It's Time For A YouTube

Anyone on the Sanjaya bandwagon? I'm not, because I don't watch American Idol, but here is a funny video that has been going around the net. It was shot right here in LA and in the video you can see a portion of the LA Film School. I've had many auditions there, lol.


Sanjaya Anthem

Add to My Profile More Videos

I Actually Have Something To Write About

My new task is to find some interesting things to write about since I can no longer write about all of the interesting sets that I've been on. I haven't found interesting things yet, but I think I can muster up a few things. For starters, I think working at the gym is going to provide me with enough "crazies" to write about, so that shouldn't be a problem, haha. For instance, last week the manager at one of our other gyms called me and asked me if I could work the overnight shift for a few days because the regular person got the pink slip and she needed a temporary fill in until she trained her new person. I reluctantly agreed. I needed the money, but I wasn't too thrilled about working from 10pm-6am, being the only person working and basically being bored out of my mind! For anyone who doesn't know me, I have a very short attention span. (My biggest fear before moving to LA had nothing to do with money. I was afraid of being bored to death since I didn't know anyone). Anyways, I worked 3 overnight shifts last week, and I loved it! It surprised the hell out of me. I liked it for a few reasons. First, there isn't much to do, but enough that I wasn't bored all night. Second, this is LA, so people come in all through the night and they talk to me and stuff. Third, since I'm the only one working, I can eat whenever I want and do whatever I want. Not to mention, on the first night, some young guy high on some kind of drug was starting fights in the basketball court and he got punched in the face and I had to call security and the police and he was escorted out. So, I was certainly entertained all through the night!

I'm also looking for another job because obviously the gym isn't going to cut it here in LA. It's really hard to find a good paying job as an actor. You need your days free (or a job that will let you out for auditions), you need flexibility and you need more than minimum wage. I've filled out so many applications that I don't ever want to see another one again. I haven't really found anything worthwhile until I saw a posting on the internet for a really good paying job that actually said "actors and artists welcome". That's pretty much unheard of. Most jobs other than restaurants (which I'm so desperately trying NOT to work at) don't like hiring actors because of auditions and stuff. So, I submitted for this job, but I knew that a thousand other people probably did too. Here's a sample of the message I got today:

Kris,

Your name has helped you with this interview. I have received an overwhelming response and would not have opened your email, had it not been for your name. I like your name.

LOLOL. Isn't that cool? I never would have expected a message like that. I guess I have to thank my parents for that one, huh? Thanks Mom and Dad. Now, this is just for the interview. I haven't gotten the job yet, but we'll see. Funny how things happen though.

Lastly, I have to mention a thing or two about the power of the mind. I'm sure everyone has heard about "The Secret". The thought that if you think positive things, good things will happen to you? I haven't read that book, but I have read 2 that are similar. Some of my positive quotes come from them. One is called The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity and the other is Think and Grow Rich. I'm mentioning these because they all talk about the Law of Attraction. I believe it and I have proven. If you think positive, then you will attract positive people and positive things (although I still attract the crazies, but that's how it's always going to be. I'm not complaining...I need to laugh). I moved here in July, and basically from July to December, NOTHING happened for me. As you can see from my very first blog entry in 2007, I wrote about how I was only going to think positive, use what I learned in 2006 and go from there. In January I was contacted by 5 talent agencies and I signed with one. In February I was booked in my first 2 film roles. In March I became SAG eligible. Today is April 1st and I just got an e-mail that I am being called back for another independent film (wish me luck and think positive for me!). I did have a bad week last week in terms of being a bit down, but today I got 2 e-mails: 1 about the job, the other about the call back. Is that not proof??? How could I not believe? I believe in pre-destiny, but I think it has to start with the mind. It's more powerful than we think. And if something is working for you, I think you should share it with others, so I'm sharing. That's just my two sense (or is it cents? hell, I don't know, you get what I'm saying).

Positive quote of the day:

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew."

~Saint Frances De Sales

Normal Happenings

Ok, I know I have been slacking on posting. I'm not even going to lie, I've just been lazy! Thanks for getting me in line Danni, haha. It's weird because it takes the biggest effort for me to start a post, but when I do actually start, I get really into it and then it ends up being 8 million pages long. I'm slowly phasing out doing background, so who knows what I will talk about in my blog in the future! It's been the "interesting" part of my blog I think. We'll see.

So, I worked on the show ER last week and here is an amusing story. Back in August, I met this girl. She is 18. I don't even know her real name because I have a nickname for her. I call her "mischievous". I started out as a joke, but the name stuck, so that's what I call her. I had seen her a few times on some other sets back in November and December. But, until last week, I hadn' t seen her since then. I think it will be funnier if I post our conversation, rather than describe it:

me: Hey mischievous, it's been a while. Isn't this where I met you?

her: (hugs me) Yeah! Wait a minute, did you just call me "promiscuous"?

me: No, no. I would never call you that. I called you "mischievous", like always.

her: Oh, ok. I don't even know what "promiscuous" means. I just know that song by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland.

me: haha....well, ask one of these ladies around you.

her: I don't know what "mischievous" means either.

me: All this time and you never knew?? It means you're bad, you start trouble, etc.

her: Oh, well what does promiscuous mean?

me: Ask someone.

(I start to walk away)

her: (yelling) CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT PROMISCUOUS MEANS?!?!?!

random lady: SLUTTY! IT MEANS SLUTTY!

I have to admit, it was pretty funny. Nothing else terribly exciting happened that day except for one of the PA's telling us to walk briskly through the scene and a guy asked me if that means fast or slow. Hey, you can't know everything all the time, right? lol

Later in this week I was on a new pilot called Supreme Courtships. The only person I recognized there was Shane West, who ironically played a doctor on ER. This was being shot in downtown LA and I had to drive right through skid row to get there. Has anyone heard of "skid row" in Los Angeles? It's an area of downtown that is basically really run down. There are so many homeless people and there is garbage everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE! Like all over the ground. It's a sad sight to see. I was also on Close to Home again this same week. Typical day except I got to drive my car through a scene. Fun.

Working at the gym has been kind of fun. For the first time since I moved here, I can go to a job, make friends and see the same people everytime I work. Some people that have come into the gym while I've been working there include Hugh Laurie (House), Guy Pearce, Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) and some others that I can't remember right now, haha.

Positive quote:

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."

~Helen Keller

And this one is dedicated to Jill, my blog buddy:

"To do something, however small, to make others happier and better, is the highest ambition, the most elevating hope, which can inspire a human being."

--John Lubbock

**Although what Jill has done, and is doing for me, is HUGE! More than I can explain.**

Criminal Minds: Honor Among Thieves, Part 2

As for the rest of my day on Honor Among Thieves, I spotted someone sitting in one of the producer's chairs on the set, and I thought it would be good to introduce myself. So, inbetween one of the takes, I did just that. I told him my name and that I was Jill's friend, the lady who runs the Criminal Minds Fanatic blog. His eyes lit up and he goes, "Oh yeah, what a neat lady". This guy turned out to be Aaron Zelman. He is one of the writers for the show and a producer. Jill also mentioned her time talking with Aaron on her blog. He was a really cool guy and I talked to him for a few minutes. He had a coke in one hand and his writing pad in the other. I imagine Aaron would be able to empathize with me as a medical student. I mean, both of us have probably spent many nights in a small room, with a bunch of papers and a caffeine product to stay awake.

At around lunch time, I had a little conversation (actually rather lengthy) with Trish. Remember I mentioned her in my last post. I just wanted to mention her here again because she said some really nice things to me. I told her my story about leaving med school, coming to LA, blah blah blah. Most, actually the vast majority, of adults that I tell this to give me an adverse reaction ranging from a face that says, "are you stupid?", to flat out telling me, "ohhhh no, you gotta go back, you gotta go back" as they sigh and shake their head. This is why I don't share this story in person much anymore? I mean, what is the BIG DEAL??? They act as though acting is not a legitimate profession. I know that the chances of succeeding here are microscopic. I probably have a better chance of getting struck by lightening. That's not negative thinking, it's just the cold, hard facts. It's reality, from a statistical point of view. But how will I ever know if I don't TRY?!?!?!? Geez.....I've gotten so mad at one point that I really almost cussed someone out one time (I actually was in my head), but luckily my parents raised me to always respect my elders, and I do. So I kindly bite my tongue and just walk away. Look, I'm young, I don't have a wife or kids. I have no responsibilities. My goal is to have no regrets when this (meaning life) is all said and done. Now, back to Trish. She told me that I should keep up what I was doing here because she could tell that I was not happy in med school. She was very supportive and told me how her family kind of shot down her dreams when she was younger and it had a devastating effect on her. It's not right. Parents need to let go of their children when they become adults and let them explore the world. There is so much out there, and I just want to say that I feel I am where I am supposed to be here in LA. Thanks to Trish for her positive words and advice!

Toward the end of the day on set I was still trying to squeeze in a "Hello" to Thomas Gibson (Hotch) and Paget Brewster (Prentiss). Didn't happen! As Jill mentioned in her blog, Thomas had been having some long days and was really tired and stressed and I wasn't even going to go there. I mean, when he finished his last scene, it was like he vanished into thin air he was out of there so fast. I don't blame him. Paget was a different story. Inbetween almost every take, she would leave the set and go to her trailer. So, I couldn't really catch her to say "Hi". It's ok, hopefully I will get the chance to work on the set again!

That folks, was my time on Criminal Minds. I had a good time. I hope to see them all again and I hope Jill gets to come back for a visit.

This quote is not "positive" per se, so much as it is a true statement, which fits rather nicely with my rant from above:

"Countless numbers of men and women, both young and old, permit relatives to wreck their lives in the name of duty because they fear criticism. People refuse to take chances in business because they fear the criticism that may follow if they fail. The fear of criticism in such cases is stronger than the desire for success.
Too many people refuse to set high goals for themselves, or even neglect selecting a career, because they fear the criticism of relatives and 'friends' who may say, 'Don't aim so high, people will think you are crazy.'"

--Napolean Hill, Think and Grow Rich

Ahhhhh......where do I start? I know this quote is long but I relate soooo much to it. I literally had to read this quote at least once a day for 30 days leading up to my move from Ohio to Los Angeles. I was scared, but I did it. I know it was hard for my mom, and I know it must be hard for any parent. But if you are a parent reading this, please acknowledge it and at least think about. After all, what you want most for your child is for them to be happy, right?

The Letter Every Actor Waits For

I finally got my letter in the mail the other day and I thought I would share it with everyone. It really is a milestone in an acting career and I thank all who have shown support for me! Click on the letter to view it full size.

Criminal Minds: Honor Among Thieves

Ok, I have a little spare time to talk about my time on the set of Criminal Minds on March 1st and 2nd, 2007. It all started off on Wednesday, February 28th when I received a call from the casting agency that I had been requested by the producers to work on Criminal Minds for the next day on a SAG voucher. I was so happy, and I immediately thought, "Wow, Jill must've talked to someone over there". She works fast. I knew that this was going to be my 3rd voucher and that I had was finally going to be eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild, something that EVERY actor is trying to do. It makes sense to note here that SAG vouchers pay more than double what the non-union rate is. It also is worthy to note that, at this time, this was the first week I started my job at 24 Hour Fitness. I ended up asking for a total of 5 days off within the first 2 weeks. Two days for Criminal Minds and 3 days for the short film, lol.

Anyways, I had to arrive to the set super early at 7 am. Luckily the show has great catering service and I gorged myself on breakfast burritos and pancakes. I was sitting there talking to a nice lady, Trish, that I had met when all of a sudden I hear, "Good morning!". I look up, and it's Jill! She was on the set the day before, but had come back to meet Mandy Patinkin (Gideon). Jill was with her CBS benefactor, who took some pictures of us, including the one on the left. Jill was then whisked off to the set and I went to the props department to get my badge and my gun, haha. After I had gotten to the set, I talked to Jill for a little bit and then I had to listen to what we were going to be doing for the day. I saw Jill talking to cast members, crew members, producers, etc. I am not going to lie, I had the biggest urge to politely barge in on their conversations and introduce myself as her friend, but I had to hold back! As an actor, to meet people with power on a personal level is a to-die-for event. I have manners though, so I didn't do that. Jill met with and talked to Mandy Patinkin in between one of the takes, she came out of the office, kissed me on the cheek and then was taken to the airport. I really wish she could have stayed longer.

Now it was up to me to meet some of the people on the set, especially the ones who played a part in getting me my 3rd voucher. I knew I needed to meet Scott David and Gina, the casting directors. I didn't know who they were obviously, so I asked one of the production assistants who Gina was, and he pointed her out to me after basically interrogating me as to why. I explained how I was Jill's friend, etc., and he was like, "oohhhh, ok". Everyone on that set knows who Jill is and they know her blog. I introduced myself to Gina and couldn't thank her enough. She was very nice, but she told me that Scott David had left for the day. Bummer. The crazy thing is that when Jill posted the picture of Scott David and Gina on her blog, I realized that I had in fact walked right past Scott David early that day, but I didn't know it was him. Maybe he didn't recognize me, if he even saw me. So, I sent him a postcard thanking him for everything he had done.

A little later on, I met Matthew Gray Gubler (Reid) at craft services. I introduced myself and then said I was Jill's friend, and he's like, "oh yeah!! How's it goin?" I'm glad I could be associated with Jill on this set. I talked to him for a few minutes and then he had to get back to the set. I wasn't able to talk to Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson (Hotch) or Shemar Moore (Morgan) because they were really busy and I didn't want to interrupt. I was NOT trying to get yelled at or make a bad impression that day, lol. I told myself I'd try to talk to them the next day, but little did I know none of them were coming back the next day. I screwed that up! Oh well.

Before I end this, did I mention that as soon as I walked onto the set, one of the first people I was Kate Jackson......from the original Charlie's Angels. Charlie's Angels was before my time, but I still knew who she was. It was crazy to be standing there next to someone who has done so much in this business and had such a successful career. Now, I will talk about the rest of this day and the next day on my next post. No, I'm not trying to drag it out. Yes, I'm going to finish it all on my next post. I've just been working crazy hours this week and I'm beat! Plus, I hate it when my posts get too long. I know no one wants to sit there and read for 20 minutes.

A Little Overdue?

I seemed to have gotten a little busy this week and slacked off on posting on this blog. It happens. Not much happened this week except work, so I'll get to it. My week started of on Grey's Anatomy. What's with me working on this show so much this year? I don't know. Anyways, a few days prior to this day, it was announced that all the stars of Grey's renegotiated their contracts and had all gotten pay raises. It just so happens that the day I was there, they were all in such a great mood. Coincidence? I think not! I would be too. They're getting some hefty checks each week over there. Ellen Pompeo was all smiles and running around and laughing. It was funny. They deserve it though. It's a great show and they've been in the news so much over the past few months that I'm sure that they are glad they have something to smile about now. I went from Grey's to Close To Home the next day. They love me on that show. They always have long days, which means $$$, and their craft service table is exceptional! No complaints there.

Wednesday and Thursday (today) I worked on How I Met Your Mother. What a hectic 2 days. They were doing a big wedding scene, and that means sitting at a table all day long. It was cool though because there were some really funny people at my table including an older lady who reapplied her lipstick no less than twice an hour each time saying gleefully, "Ok, it's lipstick time!". You all know how much I NEED to laugh! The most interesting part about these 2 days, however, was a conversation I overheard. There were 2 kids on the show and their mother was backstage with them, talking to two other people. I'm minding my own business (as always, lol) when she tells these people that she and her husband have a farm with many animals, including 47 horses, some bison, etc., etc. Then she said that a few years ago, she and her husband brought in the pet psychic to talk to her animals!!! Do you guys remember that show on Animal Planet?!?!?! My mom loved that show and used to make me watch it all the time (or maybe it was the other way around, lol). The pet psychic.......Sonya Fitzpatrick was her name. This lady said that Sonya was the real deal and she was blown away. She said her husband was a major skeptic but he was a true believer by the end of the day. Apparently Sonya was on the money with a lot of things that she could not have known, including a story where the bison told Sonya to ask her owners when they were going to build the new pen they had been planning to build for her! The lady said she was blown away because just a few weeks prior, they talked about building a new $5000 pen for the bison!

Hey, I am in no position to judge someone's personal story here. I wasn't sold on Sonya when her show was on. I watched it just to see what kinds of animals she was going to talk to next. And I certainly can't knock psychics either because 2 years ago, I went to see one myself, just for fun, ya know? Little did I know that this psychic was going to be so accurate. Accurate enough to predict details that I have certainly seen come true, including the prediction that I would meet Jill, who you all know as my blogger friend who runs the Criminal Minds Fanatic blog. I am going to end this post here, because a good storyteller is supposed to leave his audience wanting more, right?? hahaha On my next post I'll finally discuss my time on the Criminal Minds set 2 weeks ago!

Positive quote of the day:

"Everything that is created begins in the form of a thought impulse."

--Napolean Hill, Think and Grow Rich

Everyone should really sit and think about this quote, because it's not just talking about material things. It's talking about success, happiness, wealth, health, etc.

I Finished My First Film!!

Today I finished my first film and it was a really good experience. The cast and crew were really cool people and we had a fun time. I'm posting a few picture here of where we shot, but I'll post more later because I'm waiting to get more pictures from some other people. We shot the film in a place that I didn't even know existed anywhere near Los Angeles. We shot on a beach on the far side of Malibu. The film is called Too Little, Too Late and the premise of the film is that the world has just experienced a global catatrophe: hurricanes, firestorms, tornadoes, earthquakes. The whole works. Everything is back to normal, yet everything is destroyed and we've been living on a beach for a while. I play a scientist that is struggling to figure out a way to get us out of this mess. I'm so entranced in my thoughts that I don't even realize my girlfriend is pregnant. It takes place on Thanksgiving and drama ensues! haha

As I said before, the location where we shot was beautiful. There were caves and hills. Waves crashing on the rocks. And on all three days we saw a seal, a bunch if dolphins and even some Gray whales swimming by. (The whales weren't breeching like in the picture on the left). I had no idea those kind of animals lived off the coast of Malibu. The seal was swimming right near the shore where we were filming. At one point, the dolphins and the whales were even pretty close to the shore. I'm talking about literally 100 feet away. If the Pacific was not ICE cold, I would have gotten in the water and tried to swim with the dolphins. I kind of wanted to see a great white shark get the seal, because I know there are great whites off the California coast. Is that morbid?? I better stop before yall start thinking I'm a "crazy". I guess I watch too much discovery channel. Anyway, I think the film is going to be good and I can't wait for it to be all edited together so I can watch. All the actors get a DVD copy of the finished film. That means if/when I ever make it back home for a visit, I'll actually have something to show everyone! Exciting!

Now, on my last post, Lin posed an interesting question. She asked now that I am SAG eligible already, how far ahead of the "normal" schedule am I here in Hollywood. It's difficult to say because there are so many ways to "mae it" here, but I will share this story. Right after the new year, I went into one of the background casting agencies and politley asked them if they could help me get my 3rd voucher. I explained that I had been doing background for 5 months and had 2 vouchers, and I didn't know why it was taking so long to get my 3rd. They looked at my like I was crazy and asked, "You've been doing this for 5 months and you already have two?" I was confused because I had heard so many people saying they got their vouchers within 2 months, are 3 weeks, or that they got all their vouchers all on one show. So it made me think I was really slacking. The people at the agency told me that while that can happen, it is very rare. Most likely those people were lying. Go figure!!! They told me that ON AVERAGE, people get about one SAG voucher every 18 months. That means it takes an average of 4.5 years to become SAG eligible. They told me they knew this one girl who took 7 years to get all her vouchers!!! Well, I knew I didn't have that kind of time. I had to make something happen here before June rolled around. So, my 3rd one came on March 1st which means it took me exactly 7 months to the day to become SAG eligible. Not bad, huh??

Positive quote of the day:

"The Way of all Peace... is to scale the mountain of self. Your journey through life is largely one of self-discovery. Life is designed to test the very mettle of your soul. The largest obstacle is the Self, with all of its doubts, worries, and inhibitions. To truly be yourself, requires breaking through the limitations we have imposed upon ourselves. The best way of doing this is to focus energy outward, toward others. By getting out of yourself, you will indeed find yourself."

--Sylvia Browne, Tenet #1 from Basic Tenets of Novus Spiritus

This is so true but WHHYYYYYY does it have to be so hard? I have certainly already realized that my biggest obstacle is myself. Why do I doubt myself so much? It really is a full time job to keep negativity out of your head and positive in. It literally only takes one neagtive thought (from you or someone else) to destroy the confidence that you've built up for the last couple of months. It sucks, but there is no better feeling than when you work at something and then succeed!

I Didn't Expect This

Here is a picture of my 3rd and final SAG voucher that allowed me to obtain my union eligibility, all thanks to my new blogger friend Jill. For anyone not familiar with what SAG vouchers are and why everyone wants them, I explained a little bit about them in an earlier post. Click here to read about it. With that being said, it is a relief to know that I can cut back on doing background a little bit. Hey, it can get grueling. I only did it full time to maximize my chances of getting the vouchers. I got myself 2, and Jill actually got me 2 as well. When I was on Criminal Minds this past Thursday, they weren't finished shooting some of the scenes, and we got recalled the next day to finish up, which meant another SAG voucher for me. You're probably thinking that I'm going to run to the SAG office and join now. Not so fast. I only wanted my eligibility. I never intended to join right away. I'm not going to get into the details of why I'm not joining right away because it's confusing and not really that important anyway. All that matters is that I am eligible and I can join anytime that I CHOOSE.

It's fitting to say here that ever since Jill mentioned me on her blog, I've been getting a lot of responses from people all over the United States, Canada and Europe, and i just got a hit from South America. The power of the internet is incredible. People have contacted me on my blog, through e-mail and through myspace. I think it's great. It is really cool to know that people have an interest in what I'm doing. All the positive comments and energy is such a good thing. It proves that there are great people still out there. Sometimes you start to wonder what the world is coming to and if any good people still exist, haha. I just wanted to say I appreciate all the comments and I do respond to everyone. It is really weird because when I moved to Los Angeles from Ohio, I created this blog for my family and friends to keep up with what I was doing so I wouldn't have to constantly tell the same stories over and over again. I only e-mailed this link to a few select people because I thought to myself, "I don't want everyone all up in my business". Everyone meaning former friends. I had no idea my blog was available to the public, however. Thank God it was. I've been able to come into contact with a lot of cool people and even meet one of them! This is a picture of me smiling because I'm happy. All of my friends have seen this picture, but it is one that I actually LIKE. That's rare!

Positive quote of the day:

I know life can be so tough
And you feel like giving up
But you must be strong
Baby just hold on
You'll never find the answers
if you throw your life away
I used to feel the way you do
Still I have to keep on going
Never knowing if I could take it
If I would make it through the night
I held on to my faith
I struggled and I prayed
And now I've finally found my way

~Mariah Carey, Make It Happen, Mariah Carey, 1990

I'll be the first to say that song lyrics sound cheesy unless they are sung, but it's the message we're after. I know I can relate to the first part of the verse. As for the last sentence, I don't think I'm there yet, but I'm on my way!

Not Yet

I know I was supposed to continue posting about my time on Criminal Minds today, but I forgot that there is a 1 day lapse in time from when my friend, Jill, was on the set and when I was on the set. She is detailing her trip on her blog and she is about half way through Wednesday. I wasn't on the set until Thursday and Friday. In order to not give anything away from Thursday morning (out of respect for the people that read her blog and mine), I'm going to wait until Jill gets to Thursday.

However, I didn't post my positive quote yesrterday, so here it is:

“Have your plans carefully in mind of what you will do when success arrives, because just when it seems least possible, the tide will turn for you"

--Catherine Ponder, "The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity"

While you are waiting for me to continue about Criminal Minds, click here if you want to re-live one of my best "crazy" stories since I started my blog. For the newer readers, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it!

I Met My Blog Buddy!!

The last 2 days have been absolutely great. For anyone not up to speed, I met a really nice person named Jill back in December. We met online because she found my blog, liked it, and contacted me. Jill has her own blog dedicated to the show Criminal Minds. It is a great blog and you can find it by clicking on the link "Criminal Minds Fanatic" on my friends list to the right. Jill's blog is so popular, that it got back to the people who created the show, and she was invited to come to LA and visit the set. How neat is that for her? While planning this trip, she contacted me and said that she wanted to give my picture and resume to the producers of the show!!!!! I was flabbergasted. Any actor would DIE to have a chance to have their face put right in front of the producer of a major show. I didn't know what to do or say, and I couldn't thank her enough. Was she able to do it??? You'll have to wait until the next post to find out. (ok, that was cheesy, but you still have to wait). Anyway, Jill flew in this past Tuesday night and I drove down to meet her at her hotel. I was excited and nervous. I was about to meet this lady who has been saying such nice things about me on her blog. She and her fellow blog followers even say they have "adopted" me as their Criminal Minds future star. What do I say to something like that?? I don't even have the words. Jill, and all the people who leave comments on her blog are all complete strangers, living in various parts of the world. Yes, world.......not counntry!!

So, Jill and I end up meeting each other around 10:45 pm. Of course I forgot my camera because that's just how I am!! (Not to worry, I have a great picture of us for my next post). She was the nicest person. She was very motherly, and she even wanted to take me somewhere and buy me dinner!! We ended up going to the McDonald's next door because it was late, and honestly, I didn't want her to buy me a nice, sit down dinner. It was SO thoughtful of her, but I didn't think she should have to do something like that. She was already going to try to do more for me in one single day than I have managed to do for myself here in 7 months!!

We sat and chatted for a while about a lot of things. I gave her my pictures. She seems to think that I don't owe her anything, even a thank you. How nice? She's got a lot more coming to her in the future than a simple thank you. When I make it (notice the positivity), I am going to do something REALLY great for her. Mark my words....it is here in writing. Because she didn't have to do anything for me. I would have been just fine being able to meet her. But she went the extra mile and did something for me that goes beyond nice. Everyone reading this should stop by her blog and leave a little comment saying how thoughtful she was!

With that being said, it is because of Jill that I got back on the set of Criminal Minds yesterday and today, but I am going to post about that tomorrow. It was a long 2 days, and I don't want this blog to get too long. Moving right along.......in terms of work, I have gotten myself a new job. I wanted to have a job that I had a set schedule at so I could reduce my time doing background. I'm slooooowly trying to phase that out and move up the ladder in Hollywood, ya know?? So, I got a job at 24 Hour Fitness. I love it because the people are cool and it is right down the street from me. I can walk there! Now, originally I thought that by doing a lot less background, I'd be seeing a lot less crazies, which is probably true. Well, on my 2nd day working, a crazy came into the gym. This person actually got their membership revoked because he was doing "inappropriate" things in the hot tub if I ain't being to subtle. haha Remember, I live in West Hollywood and there just so happens to be a large gay population here. When I was being interviewed for this job, the manager told this type of thing is epidemic at their West Hollywood location. And when I say epidemic, I mean they revoke an average of 30 memberships per month!!!! That's like one per day!!! I couldn't believe it was true. I CAN NOT get away from crazies can I?? I'm sure Lin will appreciate this. She posted a comment on my previous entry about a crazy she ran into in the grocery store. Funny stuff. I love it when people share their stories too.

Ok, this post is getting longer than I want it to, so I'm going to continue talking about 24 Hour Fitness at a later time, and tomorrow I'll desribe my day on Criminal Minds.

It Was Oscar Weekend.........

............and I was majorly annoyed! They shut down a bunch of streets in Hollywood and West Hollywood and the traffic was crazy. There were so many celebrity parties all over town last night. Yesterday morning I had a job interview over in Hollywood, and on Sunset Blvd, the tow trucks were out in full force. I have never seen so many tow trucks in my entire life! Sunset had to be clear of cars, yet there were about 10 cars parked on the street right in front of where my interview was, and there were 10 tow trucks there hooking up to them ready to take them away. It was insane. In the meantime, I could have cared less about all the Oscar stuff because I had rehearsal for my film that I will be shooting in about a week. It was fun, and we found out that we will be shooting on the beach in Malibu! Not bad huh? I think it will be really fun and I can't wait for it to be put together so I can watch it, and then show everyone else.

As for work this week, I was on CSI: NY on Wednesday. It was pretty much a very long and boring day. Nothing to say there. Thursday I was back on Grey's Anatomy. Yeah I know, I have been on there a lot lately. This day was pretty uneventful as well. However, Friday I was on Close To Home and this is where I met my crazy. First of all, let me start by saying that I still have not met anyone that has ever seen Close to Home. Out of all of us background people, no one had ever seen the show. Does anybody watch it? I don't know how it is still on the air. I mean, you would think at least a few people would say they watch it. Anyway, back to my crazy. It was this guy, he looked like he was 16, but he had to be at least 18 to be working on the set. I was originally going to have to you all that I met a crazy, but that I didn't have a story to go along because he didn't talk, or do anything for that matter. He would just sit there, the whole entire day staring into space. He didn't talk to anybody. At one point, he would look up at the ceiling with his mouth open going "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh", and everyone was looking at him all confused. Then, he started gargling with his own spit. How nasty is that?? Then, we were shooting a scene, and inbetween takes, he started doing this dance that looked a lot like Irish River Dancing!! LOL No joke. He obviously didn't care about looking stupid. Then, later on, he revealed his voice to me. It was really late. By the way, we were there that day from 7 am to 11 pm, so this was around 10. I got up to go get some soup and hot chocolate because it was freezing. As I was leaving, this kid goes, "If you're going to get soup, I'm going with you". How did he know that? So, he followed me there, not saying anything. We got our soup, but then they started filming, so we couldn't go back to the stage the same way we came. I said to him, "Oh, I think we can go this way back to the stage". Well, this crazy flat out ignored me! Didn't even acknowledge what I said. What the hell?? Where do these people come from?

Well, I thought I had more to say, but I guess I don't. So, here is the positive quote of the day:

"At some point we have to stop allowing life to happen to us, instead, we must happen to life - living our lives by design, with deliberate purpose."

--Deya Direct!, EURweb.com

I Am Officially NOT A Crazy!

You all know how I am only trying to stay in a positive frame of my mind, hence my positive quotes at the end of my posts. I believe that positive energy breeds more positive energy, and the same goes for negativity. I didn't even realize, but a friend of mine brought this to my attention the other day. On January 2nd, I did my first post on positivity and demanded that I only think positive thoughts. I don't think that it is a coincidence that in the month of January alone, I was contacted by 4 talent agencies, I signed with one of them, I booked a role on a student film, and I booked a role on an independent short film! More happened in the month of January for me than in the entire first 6 months that I was here! If that isn't full on proof that the mind is a powerful thing and can attract what it puts out, then I don't know what is. It's very hard to stay positive in such a negative world, but you have to force yourself.

So, what's the point of this post? Well, a random person found my blog and thought it was interesting. This person is getting started with an acting career in LA and they contacted me for some advice, particularly for getting into background work. I wrote back with my honest advice, because lets face it, Hollywood is a confusing place and with all the scame artists and creepy people around, it's hard to know who to trust. This is part of the message this person wrote back to me:

"First of all, congratulations on getting an agent and taking the next step! Thanks a million for writing back and giving me a heads up on the agencies -- some good advice from a sane person helps a LOT. I've got to say I admire your drive and ambition, I think you're going to be famous in about 10 minutes".

How nice is that? See, little things like that give me another surge of motivation to last me another few months. So, I had to share. Oh, and notice she said it was nice to hear from a "sane" person. That most likely means she has run into some crazies of her own and I'm NOT one of them!! haha SCORE!!!

Now It All Makes Sense

Remember how on my last post I said that there was all kinds of chaos on the Grey's Anatomy set? Well, I clearly see why now. If anyone watched this past Thursday's episode, the very last scene of the night was the first part of what we filmed just one week prior, with Meredith in the emergency room. Usually, when an episode is taped, it airs 4-6 weeks later. This means that production on Grey's was waaaaaaaaay behind. Everyone was stressed. And when I went in that day, I noticed they were moving at lightening speed. Usually, it takes a few hours and many takes just to do one scene. I've been in scenes where the director did 19 takes!! On this day on Grey's, they were doing 2-3 takes maximum and moving right along. Crazy crazy day. We are approaching the end of the season anyway, with most shows finishing up in April or so, so things do get behind and get hectic. Let me also say here that Ellen Pompeo was nice on this day too. It was funny though, because I remember when she walked onto the set and I though to myself, "Man, is she late or something and not have time for hair or makeup?". But, she didn't need hair and makeup because she was just rescued from the water.

So I guess this is where I'll talk about my token "crazy". On Valentine's Day, I was back on Rush Hour 3. We did an explosion scene and I played a paramedic. There really wasn't much to the day at all. We only worked for about 10 hours. I went through the whole day looking for my crazy, but I was unsuccessful. It made the whole day pretty boring, but then he popped up at the end of the day. It was this older man, he had to be at least 55 years old. I think he played an FBI agent, and so I wasn't near any of them all day, which is why I didn't run into him sooner. Anyways, it's the end of the day and everyone is changing out of their costumes into their regular clothes. Our changing rooms are in these trailers that they have. They are small, and only fit 2 people at most. It was cold since the sun went down, so they had the heat on in the trailer, but it was at maximum. It was burning up in there. So, I'm in there changing, and this man comes in to change too. He starts talking, A LOT, and I have no clue what he's saying because I really didn't care! I mean, I can't even remember what he was saying, I just remember a lot of cuss words, expecially the F word. He was pissed about something. So, I'm minding my own business, changing my clothes, when he FARTS.....loud! Now, I'm a guy, and normally farting is funny. Come on, we all do it!! But when you're in a small trailer, that's literally 12 feet by 5 feet, and it is hot and stuffy in there....it's just GROSS!!! Luckily, I was just about done changing, and I got out of there before my gag reflex went into action! Ugh. Where's the respect people!?!?!? And this guy looked like he just sits around all day and eats hot dogs and farts all day. Seriously!

I want to ask everyone.....have you ever questioned your own normalcy? I mean, think about it. Crazy, weird, or strange people, don't know that they're crazy, strange, or weird. If they did, they wouldn't do or say the things that they do, right? Sometimes I meet so many weirdos, I think to myself, "Am I the crazy one? Am I normal?'. Because there certainly can't be this many crazies in the world. I mean, what if other people think I'm crazy? haha I am not!! But I did have an embarrassing moment the other day. I can't believe I'm about to tell this to the world. Anyways, we have a window in our bathroom (I just know everyone is jumping to conclusions with just that sentence, lol). The back of our apartment, where the bathroom is, faces another apartment building, so there is a little walk way between the 2 buildings. Our aparment, is just a few feet above ground level since we live on an incline. So I went to go take a leak, and the window was open, but I didn't think anything of it. So I'm peeing, and u know the sound it makes, tinkle tinkle whatever. Well, it was kind of loud, and as I'm MID-STREAM, some lady walks by, and as a reflex to hearing the sound, turns her head toward the window and we make eye contact!! AHHHH She could only see me from the chest up, but still!! NEVER AGAIN!! I hope she doesn't live around here. Geez!!

So that's all I have to say for this post.

Positive quote of the day:

"A good example of the power of persistence is show business. From all over the world, people have come to Hollywood seeking fame, fortune, power, love or whatever it is that human beings call success. Once in a great while someone steps out from the long procession of seekers, and the world hears that another person has mastered Hollywood. But Hollywood is not easily nor quickly conquered. It acknowledges talent, recognizes genius, and pays off in money only after one has refused to quit. The secret is always inseparably attached to one word, persistence!"

--Napolean Hill once again. I can't help it, the book is so good I think everyone should read it!

This quote is one that is important for me to read very frequently. I'm such an impatient person, so that is one of my personal obstacles. One thing that I do know I have, though, is persistence. I'm a fighter, and honestly, I have accomplished everything that I've put an effort into, so I don't know why I worry so much. Oh yeah, it's that damn loan debt that I have!!!

Some New Pictures

At the request of my agent, I got some new pictures taken. When I first moved here back in July, I knew I would have to re-shoot once I got an agent, because they would have an idea how to market me. This new photographer that I went to is amazing and the pictures look much more diverse than my first batch. I'm only putting 2 up on this blog, but there are more with me in some other clothes, including a suit. Maybe I'll some of the other ones in the next post. They are big files, and as you can see they're screwing up the alignment of my blog and that bothers me! Hey, I'm a Type A personality (as most med students are) and I'm a perfectionist. Oh well. As for the pictures, I don't think they're terrible, but as they say, we are our own biggest critic. The photographer did great, but I could have done a little more. But, I won't bore you with my nuances.

Thursday I was on Grey's Anatomy again, and can we say "drama on the set!!". Surprisingly, it had nothing to do with the cast. Isaiah Washington was there, and he seemed happy. He was smiling and cool, but he laid low the whole day. I think that rehab did him some good, lol. Thursday was the first time that Patrick Dempsey was working when I was there. He seems like a really nice guys. It was the first time that McSteamy (I don't know his real name) was there too and he seems cool. Basically everyone was working that day except for Katherine Heigl (Izzie) and T.R. Knight (George). We were there from 9 am to 11 pm! Long day, but I met some cool people there. They were actually normal people, not crazies. Normal is boring huh? I admit, I love my crazies, but there weren't any there that day. The drama came in because at one point, the writers and directors couldn't agree on some shot, or they were moving too slow or something and they were yelling at each and arguing and of course you know I was in the corner cracking up. I just can't help it! Is there something wrong with me?? I laugh at everything! As this was happening, the lady across from me looked all serious and scared. She probably thought I was the most immature person there. You think I cared?? Anyways, the events happening in this episode are "JUICY", and that's all I can say. I was reading the script thinking, "oh my gosh, this is crazy!". The episode I'm in is the 3rd one of this three part trilogy episode they're doing or some crap like that. You'll have to watch and see!

Production on my short film got pushed back to early March. That's the biz though I guess. It was originally supposed to be shot the last weekend in January, so it's been pushed back a lot. I just got the script a few days ago and it seems like an interesting story. I think it will be fun to do.

Ironically, two friends from Ohio are here visiting in LA. I hung out with one all day Friday and the other for a little bit on Saturday. So, the current number I've friends from Ohio I've seen since I moved are up to 3 now. I still haven't seen any family since I moved. That's the longest ever. It's all for the greater good though. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Positive quote of the day:

"But then comes the fear: 'What if I do take responsibility and do go out, and still fail?' Don't worry about that. If you have talent and there is a positive energy about you, you will succeed because others will notice you, want to be around you and want to work with you."

~Lindsay Chag, casting director

RIP Anna Nicole Smith

Normally I probably wouldn't do this, but I liked Anna Nicole. She made me laugh. She was a crazy! I felt sorry for her because she seemed to never have the proper guidance in her life, even as a kid.

I actually think most people liked Anna. I mean, people might have been annoyed by her antics, thought she hung around the wrong people and made stupid decisions, but she was a good person. She meant well, and she was nice to people. My mom loved Anna Nicole too. We used to watch her show on E! lolol

I almost knew it was inevitable that her life would end early and on a tragic note. I hope that doesn't sound morbid, but she lived life in the fast lane, she had a problem with drugs and it all caught up to her. I'm not saying she deserved to die at all, but with all of our actions come consequences. We may get away with most things, but it only takes getting caught once for things to go awry.

My Neighbor Is A Crazy!!

Just when I started to go through "crazy" withdrawal, I got my fix from my neighbor and from some girl at work. I'll infuse those stories into my discussion on work, as always. Monday I was on the show Girlfriends. It was a regular, boring day, but the cast members were interesting. Tracee Ellis Ross (daughter of Diana Ross) seemed really nice. She has a lot of energy, that's for sure. She was just all smiley and nice. The girl who plays Lynn on the show basically pissed everyone off. We were all ready to shoot a scene, but the crew was just sitting around not doing anything. We're all like, "what's the hold up"? The director came over to us and said, "We're waiting on an actress. This is not good. Don't ever do this". It was funny. I mean, you hear about this all the time, but I had never seen it happen since I've been doing background. Then again, I haven't worked with Lindsay Lohan yet, haha. The guy who plays William on the show is s-t-r-a-n-g-e! He would walk around inbetween takes staring off into space. And there were other times where he would just stand there, making the weirdest faces. It was so weird. I mean, I've caught myself making faces if I'm in deep thought, but his weren't like that. But it didn't look like he had Huntington's chorea either (if you don't know what that is, google it). He was just weird!

Tuesday I was on Scrubs again. Now, this day would have been a total crapshoot if I hadn't met a crazy toward the end of the day. It was this girl who was 29, but she looked and acted like a 16 year old. Her hair was a mess, but she had beautiful skin and teeth. Anyways, she kept whining all day long, so we finally asked her what her problem was. It was that kind of whining that people do over and over again when they want to tell you something, but they want you to ask first. You know what I mean. So, she promptly tells us that she can't stop thinking about this guy she had sex with. She also made the decision to tell us how great it was. Ugh. So, she tells us they did it first 4 months ago, then she lost his number. It was so good she had to see him again. So, what does she do? She writes him a letter and then goes to his house and slips it under the door! Isn't that a little stalkerish? Why couldn't she just mail it? I thought it was weird, but apparently it worked. Dude called her and they hooked up a second time, but now he hasn't called her since. Then she asked us if we thought it was weird, or freaky that she had a fantasy that involved her, and two gay guys (use your imagination). The purpose of me telling this story is to prove the point that people share TMI!!!! The whole time she was talking, I just kept looking at her and wanting to call hair and make-up over to help her out with her hair! Oh, this was the first time I was on Scrubs that Zach Braff and Donald Faizon were there as well. Both are cool.

So as I'm heading out my door this morning to go work on All of Us, I see my neighbor (an older lady) peeping in the front window of one of my other neighbors. I mean, she was all upin their bushes, right up at the window. It reminded me exactly of Mrs. Kravitz from Bewitched. I said "hi" to her and almost scared her half to death. She explained that she heard the neighbor's dog whimpering and she was trying to see if it wass ok. Keep in mind this is at 7 am. I was trying to hold my laughter in. I talked to her for a few seconds, and as I was leaving, I assumed she would have went back to her apartment (or at least acted like she was until I was out of sight), but she went right back to their window! I was laughing all the way to my car.

It's been a busy week, but I'm just glad to be back to working everyday. I'm still getting things together for my agent, and hopefuly in the weeks to come I'll have more and more great things to tell!

Quote for the day:

"The only way to build confidence is to achieve, with no more but no fewer challenges to doing so than one's peers"

~John McWhorter

2007 Started off OK!

Well, it seems like 2007 came in and things just started happening for me. Small things, but "things" nonetheless. Baby steps. I actually want to take it slow and steady and work my way up. As far as work, it's the same routine. It was pretty cool on Wednesday though. I worked on a new pilot starring David Duchovny. It's not titled yet. We shot at someone's mansion in Malibu. The house was on the side of a hill overlooking the pacific ocean. The whole time, I just kept thinking, "This is someone's life? Someone actually lives here!". We were there shooting a high school house party scene on the back patio until 1 am. It was COLD that night and some of us had to get in the pool. They heated it for us, but coming out of the pool was torture. There was this guy there, and I wouldn't call him a "crazy", but he made a comment that I just don't understand why he didn't keep it to himself. When I fisr saw this guy, I thought he looked a little nerdy. He reminded me of the guy in the American Pie movies with the red hair and freckles. You know who I'm talking about. So, I was talking to this guy and he goes, "I'm playing the nerdy guy at the party that can't get a girl to talk to me. That's not too far from me in real life?" Why do people say things like that?? What am I supposed to say to that? "Yeah, I can totally tell."? I mean, it reminds me of this lady I met on ER. We had just checked in and she busts out her lipstick and says, "Well, I better put on my face before I scare everyone away!". Geez......these people can't think of anything else to say??? Next time I'm going to play along and agree with them and see what they do. Seriously!

This weekend I was back on Rush Hour 3. We were shooting a traffic jam scene at an intersection in Downtown L.A. That means I basically sat in my car for 2 days straight! It was soooo boring, but you get paid extra for using your car in a scene, so that was cool. Chris Tucker was there this time. He is funny, but his high pitched voice is solely for his career. I heard him talking to the director and he sounded normal. Mia Tyler was there too. She is Steven Tyler's daughter, the goth one. They had her made up all pretty though. I don't know if she was just making a cameo or if she has an actual role in the film. Brett Ratner is directing this film. Do you guys know who Brett Ratner is?? If not, let me explain. He's directed many films and many rap videos, but more importantly, he know Mariah Carey personally and has directed several of her videos as well, including We Belong Together. This means I've come in contact with someone who knows Mariah personally! I'm one step closer yall. I just can't wait until she gets her (long overdue) star on the Walk of Fame so I can be there. Gosh.....I'm so sprung!

Now, onto more good news. I was going to wait to tell everyone this, but what the heck. I got the phone call on Thursday that I've been offered a role in an independnt film!! SWEET! I auditioned twice for it and the diretor liked me and wants to use me. This is good because this short film is going to be submitted to film festivals. That's a lot of exposure for an actor. Film festivals are also great for networking. The director actually made a film in 2005 and won the top honor at a film festival. She eventually wants to make this current film into a full length feature film. So, cross your fingers and hope it does really well. We shoot the weekend of February 17th.

Positive quote for the day:

“Have your plans carefully in mind of what you will do when success arrives, because just when it seems least possible, the tide will turn for you."

~Catherine Ponder (The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity).