Tomorrow Never Dies

Today I worked on the show "Parks & Recreation." It was on-location in Hollywood at some popular club. The day went by fast, good people made for good times, that didn't mean I didn't have my usual encounters of what I call "Lifestyles of the bizarre and dramatic." Because it was a club scene, I was paired up with girl who seemed pretty normal. So she asked me how long I have been doing background work. I told her it had been doing it for 4 years and it has been a great way to be in the business, meet the right people, and go to auditions in between. She went on to tell me that she takes acting very serious. So I asked her what she meant by that. Her reply was, "I go on auditions and do a lot of reading." So I told her "Wow, that is serious." I couldn't tell if she thought I was a dick for saying that, or if she didn't know how to keep carrying on the conversation.

The whole interaction cracked me up for a few reasons. It's always nice seeing other people take acting/entertainment serious. But it's another thing when they act as if doing background work is a joke and think they should be working as a waitress and ONLY going to auditions. I will admit, background work can be viewed as a joke. The way I see it is, where else can you get the opportunity to be on a movie set and learn so much? You get paid to watch famous actors "act" in front of your eyes and watch how they get prepared, and how they deliver their lines. With that comes watching the director give direction.

Probably one of my favorite memories to date would be the time I got to be on set for the film "INCEPTION" last Fall. I got to watch director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) give notes to Leonardo DiCaprio. That is cool all across the board. When people were told to go back to the holding area for a break, I stayed back and watched the two titans talk about the scene. So while people are so focused on which head shot makes them look "attractive" or how do they get a SAG voucher, I'm taking advantage of something you can't learn in an acting class, read in a book, or on a DVD.

I chose to make background work my only source of income (besides voice over work) because all my focus is on finding the work, getting the work, and going to work. If I had another side job, acting wouldn't have my full attention. I am also always in the know as to what is going on, on different sets, and what new projects are in development. Slow and steady wins the race.

"I started with the firm conviction that when I came to the end, I wanted to be regretting the things that I had done, not the things I hadn't." - Michael Caine