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.