Just Goes To SHOW Ya...

Remember how I said I was "ambivalent" about not booking the Microsoft commercial with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates (The one where Bill's trying on shoes at "Shoe Circus"), because even though I thought it was a terrible commercial, they were going to run the hell out of it, and I would have made a lot of money?

Microsoft's pulling the ad.

Scrapping the whole campaign, actually (Three different Gates/Seinfeld ads have aired to date; I don't know if more were planned or not).

Apparently, no one involved ever asked themselves what I asked myself when I went in for the spot (and before I knew the spot was to star Gates and Seinfeld): "How exactly does this sell computers...?".
_________________________
Had a workshop last night, with Arlie Rachwal and Farrah West - casting associates from the offices that cast Lost and Brothers and Sisters (Amongst other things).

What happened when I did the scene I was given once again proved that, as an actor, you can't really gauge the effect you're having on an audience (This actor can't, anyway). And, more to the point, how you feel about your work doesn't mean much.

I was paired with an actress I don't like personally - but who's a decent-enough actor - for a dramatic scene from Brothers and Sisters (I was Danny Glover to my scene partner's Sally Fields).

We worked on the scene outside, and were one of the last people up when the time came to perform.

Now typically, I'm pretty close to having a scene memorized in the 10-15 minutes we're given to work on it.

But not this time.

When we did the scene in front of the casting people, and our fellow actors, I went through the whole thing by the seat of my pants, feeling like I was "chasing the lines"...and at any second, they were going to completely get away from me; I definitely paraphrased a couple, and created some pauses you could drive a semi through while I groped for the next thing I was going to say.

I felt like all anyone could possibly be seeing onstage was an actor groping for his lines.

(Yes, I had the script in my hand But I was rattled, and afraid that if I started looking at the script, I'd be looking at it on every line, security-blanket style. And I've seen enough bad scenes at these things to know that the worst scenes happen when an actor can't relate to their scene partner at all because they're totally stuck in their script.)

Anyway, when we were done, it was all I could do not to blurt out an apology, to the casting people, and to my fellow actors - "God, I'm sorry, Guys - I was having a really hard time with the lines...!" - and I fully expected we'd get a re-direct, since, like I said before, I couldn't imagine the scene had come across the way it was supposed to.

But the casting people were quite happy with the scene (One of them gave us a very enthusiastic "Nice Job!"). We got a good hand from our fellow actors, I got a "thumbs up" from the "regulars" who were there...and there was no re-direct.

I'm sure I didn't do a very good job hiding my surprise; clearly, people had had more fun watching the scene than I'd had performing it (And I could go into why I think that was, but I've got a lot of ground to cover, so I'll save it for another time).

(At evening's end, I could tell my partner was still not thrilled with me...but in terms of "People I Wanted To Impress" that night, she was way down the list, so who cares?)
_________________________
Got a call from my manager today, with an audition for me on Monday.

For My Name Is Earl, the show I recently described as a "Universe I fit into".

I'm going in for the part of "Boss", who fires a guy on Earl's list - Just two lines, but a fun little scene.

I really want this - for all the usual reasons, plus it's a show I actually watch, which is a fantasy of mine (To be cast on a show I currently watch).

And it would be great to have a half-hour comedy credit on my resume - Getting your second half-hour credit is probably a lot easier than getting your first.

And I want to win one.

It's time.

Anyway, that's going to be 2:00 on Monday, so cross your collective fingers.
_________________________
Well, the SAG election results were announced, and it looks like the "Unite for Strength" people won the majority.

I wasn't 100% sold on "Membership First", but felt like they were, for the most part, more in line with my own feelings on the issues in question.

So I can't exactly say my first response is to be happy with the results. But that said, I want things to work out - I want to work, I want to make money, and I want a viable career.

So I'm going to make a choice to "hope for the best"...until and unless circumstances dictate otherwise.

(Well, now I am tempted to go back and theorize on why/how my workshop scene went better than I'd realized. But I've gone on long enough, and it'll keep.)