Frasier Tale Update!

My acting skills absolutely take my own breath away… I’m speechless, utterly speechless. (And it’s a damn good thing because extras aren’t allowed to talk!)

This was one of my very first gigs. Ah Memory Lane. Click here to read more and see more screen captures of my time on Frasier.

I take it all with a grain of salt. I mean, I enjoy just being there. I still remember what it’s like to dream of being in a movie or television show. Now that I’m on the other side of that dream, I know the realities, I know there isn’t much glamour in it…but none of that stops me from dreaming and going out on gigs.

While it appears that I’m an actress, I’m really not. Real actresses go out, audition, hustle work, practice their craft. All I do is wait for a call from my service and then not act like an idiot when I’m on set–unless the part requires it!

Two more Tales!

I posted about my time on The Changeling. But I worked two more gigs, too. Sometimes I get a little behind posting here. But I’m now up to date on the recent ones. There are still a few from years ago that I have yet to write up, but I’m making good progress. I even found screen captures for a couple of them.

Back in December, I got to be a stand-in for Eliza Dushku (Yep! Faith from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer!) on The The Thacker Case and it was everything I could do not to turn into fangirl. She was really great, even thanked me. That was nice.

Earlier this month, I rather surprisingly got booked on October Road as a cancer patient. These being the days of the WGA strike, I really didn’t expect any shows to still be in production let alone me get called to work on it. The casting director called me personally. I was afraid at first because I was busy in the morning and couldn’t avoid it, but the call time wasn’t until late afternoon so all was well. I even snapped a pic of extras holding just ’cause.

I sure do hope the strike gets ironed out soon or I’ll never get to work again. Plus, SAG and the DGA might go on strike this year, too. I really hope we don’t have to. I’m just an extra and want to stay that way!

My time on The Changeling

I was in The Changeling starring Angelina Jolie, directed by Clint Eastwood back in October and December, but afraid to post about it as it was happening in case it jeopardized my chances of being called back. But now that principle photography has completely wrapped, I have written out my amazing experiences on the show.

It was an absolute dream come true.

The exterior shot in October.

December Day 1: Almost made it into frame.

December Day 2: Got a close-up!

December Day 3: Swallowed so many fake pills, I rattled!

December Day 4: A cockatoo named Larry

The movie is supposed to release in November, 2008. I’m definitely going to go see it as soon as it comes out. I have a really great chance at being in frame. I was even given a back story!!!!

Grandma’s Boy Tale Update

Special thanks to my friend Donna for seeing me while watching the movie or I might’ve never grabbed the DVD to get these screen captures from my time on Grandma’s Boy!

I did actually get a pretty good share of screen time and this gig is still one of the better ones. I mean, I haven’t gotten to experience another chocolate fountain since that night. I have, however, eaten sushi, was offered calamari and lobster and had chocolate dipped strawberries on several occasions, but no fountains. It’s been a few years. Perhaps I’m due for another chocolate fountain experience. I sure hope so!

I’ve got several updates to make. There’s a pretty big stack of DVDs on my desk right now. The hard part is finding time to hunt through them between all of the writing and various other activities in which I’ve been partaking. Watching all those shows is definitely a nice break from the variety of other things I do. Plus, it’s fun to see what the finished product turned into versus what it was while shooting the scene. Sometimes I’m in such a short snippet it’s hard to tell what the movie is about or even what the scene is about.

Back in Action

Well, I at least hope to be now that the hubbub of the holidays is over. I’ve got a stack of Tales to add as well as some odd things–such as the cause of the funky scent in my Prowler during one of my Tales…

First up, as half of the Ashleigh Raine writing team, I’m happy to announce that Lover’s Talisman has released from Samhain Publishing as of today. Check it out! Spiffed up and waaaaaaaay sexier, too!

Also, now that I did actually get a miraculous call-back on The Changeling, I’ve posted the Tale. This is a very large budget movie starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Clint Eastwood. It was hard not to be fangirl and even harder to believe that yes, I was on a movie set with Angelina Jolie and Clint Eastwood. OMG! I still get all giddy when I think about it!

2007 was a year for that. I mean, I got paid to drive and evaluate Ferraris, Maseratis and OMG, I just realised I didn’t actually post that entry! Doing it now! Click here!

Yes, I really did get paid to drive these!

Seriously, I accepted money for test driving these cars!!! It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it.

Ferrari F430 Coupe, Porsche 911 Turbo, Lamborghini Gallardo and a Ferrari F430 Spider. And yes, Spider is spelled with an ‘i’ for this car. We looked it up on the Owner’s Manual because we were curious.

This gig happened for a little over a week in July 2007 and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I got up at 1:45AM every day, got to work by 3:50 (I live about an hour from the shop) and was driving out the door at 4:00AM. On the mornings when I had trouble dragging myself out the door, I’d wonder why I tortured myself getting up so early and driving so far. Then, the door would roll up and the cars were sitting there and we’d all give each other that ‘pinch me, ’cause I MUST be dreaming’ look.

I’ll admit, though, that driving for 8 hours in any car isn’t fun for some people, but I love it. I also love that it was my job to press every button, turn every knob and then write out my findings, my preferences, my suggestions for improvement.

Told ya it was a tough job, but someone had to do it!

They’re all so freakin’ sexy–except the 911. Sorry Porsche people, but I’m just not a 911 girl. I wanted to like the car, but I just couldn’t find anything about it that turned me on. Nothing. Well, the cup-holders were pretty bitchin’. They fold up and stow away when not in use. That’s all I liked about the car.

I liked the Gallardo. It had some eccentricities, but I liked it.

I loved the Ferraris. OMG did I love them. Everything about them. They could’ve had more torque, but I’m used to driving my Viper, so I expected the Ferrari to be lacking in that regard. The sound, the paddle shifting, the steering, ohhhh… I’m getting all orgasmic just thinking about those cars!

It’s been months and I still only barely believe I got to drive those cars. If it weren’t for the pictures and all the notes I’d scribbled for the job, I don’t think I’d really believe I was fortunate enough to have done the job.

October Road

After getting so much work in December, I was even more surprised to work during the first week of January. While on the set, I overheard other extras saying that this show was the last show still in production and it was supposedly finishing this week. I dunno if that was true or not. I was just glad to be working.

I was playing a cancer patient.

There was less traffic than expected, so I ended up pretty early. I waited around in my car for awhile before going to the wardrobe trailer where were supposed to sign in.

I got to wear my pajamas and slippers with little piggy heads on them and they gave me a robe. From there, I went to hair and make-up which was sort of deja vu for me because of The Changeling. Only this time, they made me look sick, but not completely wrecked. In any case, it was still fun for me.

Being the last out of the trailer, everyone else had already been escorted to the sound stage. When I finally arrived there, I had a 50/50 chance of finding holding once I opened the door. To the left or to the right? I went right and eventually found a holding without knowing I should have gone left to the other holding. Oh well. I couldn’t have been used in the party scene anyway. It didn’t really matter and once they found me, they didn’t tell me to move, so I didn’t worry about it.

The other day, my husband randomly asked what holding looked like, so while everyone was gone, I snapped a pic with my cell phone because this holding was kind of fun. It was apparently in the backyard of a house on the stage.

Holding ranges from a tent, to chairs set up near the set or a block away, to an area without chairs where we can sit on the curb or stairs, to a place out of the way on a sound stage, to another room in a given location. It’s catch as catch can sometimes–one time holding was in the chapel of a hospital!

My scene was the last of the day. It ended up being the martini shot, too. (The “martini shot” is the very last shot of the day. I don’t remember the history of why it’s called that, though.) I’d waited and waited even when they changed the party people over to hospital workers, wondering when they were going to use us three patients. They used the two elderly people mostly.

Then, finally the martini shot rolled around and I was positioned sort of toward the back. If I make it into the finished product, it’ll be for maybe two frames. Oh well. It was still fun for me.

And as I left that second sound stage, I walked over parking spaces that read, “Heroes Cast”. That was sorta fun, too. Maybe someday I’ll get to be on Heroes, too, if the writers strike ever ends.