It Was a Very Good Year …….

Looking back over my first full year of attempting to break into the movie or television business, I have to say that it was a good year. Not that I reached my goal of saying a line in a movie or a TV show, but over all - a good year. I auditioned for a part of a car salesman in the movie “Bringing Up Bobby” (see July 1 blog “Famke Janssen”) and how odd – they didn’t think I looked like a car salesman – gee I only was a car dealer for about 40 years! I guess I’m just too adorable. I focused on a specific role for that movie. I applied for other movies, but alas they weren’t astute enough to see my star quality, and I wasn’t even invited to audition.

But, I was up and center big time in a movie that was an Oklahoma City University student film directed by Bryan Cook (see the previous blog). Bryan was doing this to get his Master’s in Film. Gosh, but I learned a lot about filming. I learned how a movie is made and found it very informative, instructive, interesting and see Bryan to be very focused on the result he wanted. It is now in the editing process and will be ready in several months.

I did become a regular on the casino commercial circuit in 2010 – and never even spent a dime! I was involved as an extra in a number of Chickasaw casino shoots. Perhaps there is some Indian blood in my heritage – and by now it is Chickasaw.

Each shoot introduces me to very interesting, nice, and talented people. I have made a whole new group of friends and have even joined the Facebook crowd. Come on and join me there. I had to do it – people kept telling me what my adult kids and their children were doing – before I knew – so I joined the team. My brother and sisters are on there also along with various nieces and nephews and their spouses.

Just before Christmas, I was involved in a commercial that was filmed at the casino in Newcastle that was also a Chickasaw owned establishment. And, as with my other shoots, the new friends I made had some wonderful stories.

During the time before and after the various action sequences, we extras have time to get to know each other and find out the buzz in the acting world. Most have regular jobs and do this for the fun and a little bit of spending money. I had known two of the actors from previous classes I had taken. Robin Garner, a delightful young lady, was one of the people I had met when I began my first acting class at Chris Friehofer’s The Actor Factory. She starred (well maybe co-starred since I am the star of my own writings) in my blogs dated 11-06-09 and 12-29-09. Robyn Bondeson, a cute petite blond who rides big honkin' Harley’s, is in my class with Michelle De Long at Actors Casting and Talent. One new actor I met was La Tasha Hartley who has been in a number of films in New Mexico, and is a PRN at Mercy and OU Medical Center. She has been in some movies in New Mexico and is familiar with some of the agents in Santa Fe. I told her I thought I would give a Santa Fe talent agency a chance to have a real shot a having a future star on their role so I sent them my information, but they must not recognize talent as I have never heard from them. Sounds like the plight of most actors, as that is common.

La Tasha Hartley and me

All had stories of various movies they had been in - or tried to be in. Doug Zweiacher laughed when he told about his role in the Brooks Douglas’ movie “Heaven’s Rain”. Doug was playing a Big Mac prisoner while the filming was taking place at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, OK. He was dressed in full prison garb and from what I gather, very much looked the part. After his scene, he started walking out the gate with the other actors. One of the guards stopped him with a yank on his collar and said, “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” “On a break with the others” he replied. “OF COURSE YOU ARE", he answered. And with that, the guard marched him to a holding cell. The guard had to find Paul Brown, the director, to get him released from the cell. And, that took about 45 minutes. Doug asked for something to eat while he was in lockup and the guard got a bologna sandwich for him. The director did show and eventually got jail-bird Doug released. However, when the filming was done for the day he almost got caught again. Another guard, who had seen him earlier in his prison costume, almost called for a prison lock down because Doug was leaving in civilian clothes – the man almost has a “record”. This newer guard was not around when he was released earlier. The life of an actor is never dull.

I wonder what Doug Zweiacher does look like in black and white stripes?


Another actor in the commercial, David Hanson, played a prison guard in our joint “Bringing Up Bobby” scene I was in. Oh, that vixen Gwen Blaylock! She laughingly told about her previous five husbands. She said she is not looking for number six. Her resume lists several movies including “Bringing Up Bobby” where she played a bartender when they filmed at the Round Barn in Arcadia, OK. Erin Brickman is getting her master’s in Sociology at OU and is a former college soccer player at New York University. Unfortunately, I did not spend much time with Seth Ervin, but hope we have a chance to work together. One gentleman I have heard of for years but had never met was John Ferguson. Those of you who have been around Oklahoma City know that he is Count Gregore and has been for 50 years. What a delightful person he is to be around. And, that rounded out the cast.

Not yet being the big star I hope to be, I was surprised to find all the actors I met to be outgoing, inclusive, friendly, helpful, and encouraging. They seemed genuinely happy for a fellow actor getting a role. I saw no one upset if some else got a part – but I must admit to some inner growling when I was not cast as the car salesman and of all things, with a movie filmed in Oklahoma, the role went to someone from Texas. But, they were all kind to an old geezer like me.

I am now looking forward to see what 2011 brings and have to make sure my shoes are polished and my tux pressed for my red carpet stroll – you just never know what’s around the corner. Will that elusive Academy Award role show up? However, (hint hint to you casting directors) a speaking part will suffice just fine.

‘Touching the Sun”..……. It’s a wrap

------


Bryan Cook, Randall Hunter

After several months of filming, Bryan Cook, a talented OCU film student has wrapped his movie “Touching the Sun”. He brilliantly cast two adults and one adorable seven year old boy in this movie. Of course, one of the adults was me as co-star “Steve”. I would like to claim starring role status, but that goes to Randall Hunter and Landon Simms.

The movie tells the story of two commercial airline pilots who are retired in a company wide downsizing. Dale (Randall) is upset about this and does not know what to do with his life. Steve (me) is happy about this and looking forward to what the next phase of his life holds. Ryan (Landon) is a young boy who lives close to Dale and is the catalyst that gets Dale out of his funk and gives him a vision to what life has to offer. They do this by building an airplane together. Not the flying kind, but a push car. Steve attempts to get him out of his melancholy, but Ryan succeeds. Landon Simms

All scenes had been filmed with the exception of one in which I was involved. Bryan’s proposed scene required a rock climbing wall. In an earlier scene, described in an earlier blog, I went to Dale’s house and tried to get him to go rock climbing with me. Dale declined. In this last scene, I am at the gym to play tennis when I see Dale coming down a rock wall. Bryan’s problem was finding a rock wall location whose owners were willing to let him film. He contacted Westminster school in Oklahoma City and they gave him permission to film their wall.


Last Friday, we assembled at the school since they were out for the day and began filming. I brought my 13 year-old granddaughter along so she could watch the filming and to see what actually goes on in making a movie. This scene, when seen in the film, is about 3–4 minutes long and it took a little over three hours to film. She found this very interesting.

Bryan asked Randall and me go through some drills prior to starting to film. He directed us to read the scene without putting any emotion into the reading. We just read it blandly . Then he asked us read it again by emphasizing loudly each adjective and then to read it again emphasizing loudly all verbs. Harder than it sounds. Not having studied English in the 50 years since I attended high school, I stumbled some.

Last but not least during the read-through he had us SING the lines. I told my granddaughter to hold her ears because I have a terrible voice. So we sang the lines and I sounded like a wild warbling wounded walrus. Randall on the other hand, has a pretty good voice. When finished, I asked my granddaughter what she thought and she laughed and said she recorded it with her cell phone and sent it to my son, her father. I used to like her.

The last exercise was to study the other person. I looked at Randall and commented on his mannerisms, hair, eyes, clothes, posture so forth and so on. Each time I might say something like “you have gray hair”, he had to repeat it virtually word for word. If I mentioned him moving a finger, he would repeat what I said and then he did the same reverse exercise with me. The thinking behind this drill was to get us to be more in touch with the other person when we started saying our lines. Interesting what you get to know about another person when you study someone that closely.

Bryan Cook

The filming went smoothly. At least, from my standpoint. I am sure that Bryan wanted to pull his hair out a few times or chew his arm off to his elbow. I don’t remember Randall blowing a line the entire session, but I did a good job of it. However, only once did I flat forget a line. About half way through one part, I just drew a blank. Could not remember what came next. I have practiced this scene for several weeks and I could not believe I forgot words. I have been pretty proud of my memorization skills. A few times, I put words at the front of a sentence instead of at the end where they belonged. Bryan also had me say some lines different ways. Minor mistakes were corrected on the next take. He had close-ups of us, wide shots of us and all together we were there a little over three hours. And, then we were done. Steve has been a part of my life for the last several months and I was sad our filming had come to an end. But, I am anxious to see the finished product and see my masterful performance.

If the movie is less than 30 minutes, there are a number of film festivals Bryan can enter and other festivals if it is over an hour long. The period between 30 and 60 minutes is a limbo area. He will try to make it an hour movie and then it can be called a feature film. This actor hopes it makes that length. I wanna’ be a co-star in a feature film! As a new actor, I need to have a reel. This is a series of shots that show you in various roles which can be sent to casting directors so they can see how you perform. With two productions behind me, I will now have several choices to place in my reel

Two words that made my granddaughter think I might be partially cool

MILEY CYRUS – Yep! Those two words did the trick. At my last acting class, my instructor, Michelle De Long, told the class that a movie starring Miley Cyrus was going to be filmed in New Orleans. What fun to film in New Orleans! She suggested that we, the members of the class, contact our agents to submit our headshots and resumes to the casting director, Ryan Glorioso.

I met Ryan several weeks ago at a seminar he gave in Oklahoma City and auditioned in front of him. He is out of Shreveport and does a lot of casting in the Louisiana area. I have become aware, since I started this acting route, that a number of movies are filmed down there. Michelle passed out “sides” to the class for the part that she thought each of us should try. I was given sides for one of two older detectives. Each of us read through our lines during the class.

I did notice that there were parts for two doctors that were older and I thought I might be well suited for those roles also. One, Dr. Jennings, a handsome, well connected, high society doctor in his 50’s (okay so I fudged a little here) who routinely cheats on his wife. Tailor made for me. The handsome part not the cheating part. The other doctor, Dr. Millson, was a pre-med professor having an affair with one of his young female students. You know you have to stretch yourself for art. What is it about these doctors? Any way, this movie must be a “coming out” film for Miley Cyrus as it is in a more serious vain than her others. Of course, I’ve seen them all (NOT)!

Back to my beautiful 13 year old granddaughter. I texted her after class and told her that I had a chance to audition for a Miley Cyrus film. Well, she thought I was really cool to have an opportunity like that. It takes me half an hour to text a short sentence and in a matter of seconds she had texted me back asking about it. The first thing was I was going to get to meet Miley. I assured her that we’d be “BFF’s – but I had to get the part first. The auditions were going to be Monday and Tuesday and that they would be videotaped and sent to the casting director on Wednesday.

I emailed my agent that evening and asked her to submit me. Michelle had told me which headshot to send and I relayed that to my agent and she sent that one into the casting director. I told her to submit me for both of the detectives hoping I would be picked for one, and to submit me for one of the doctor’s parts of her choosing.

I checked the email the next morning to see what I was going to get. Nothing. I checked that afternoon. Nothing. I checked that evening, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, and finally realized, “Jerry, you are not what they are looking for in casting for those roles.” What a disappointment to have to tell my granddaughter that I did not even get a chance to audition for the movie. Since I now will not pass muster for coolness for my granddaughter, I plan to get a tattoo.

My learning curve covers the depressing fact that when auditioning for a movie, you are never told if you do not get it. You have to find out by chance or you just assume that you are not wanted for one reason or another. This is a very humbling business. Anyway, Mardi Gras does not look like it is in my future.

I recently auditioned for the part of a television station owner for an OCU student film. And, I never heard on that one either, but later did find out they thought I was too old for the part. OUCH!! Doesn’t that student director realize that my chance for an Academy Award could have hinged on whether I got the television manager role? Need to add to my reel.

And, speaking of student films, I will finish filming one I started several weeks ago this coming Friday. At least the director, Bryan Cook, knows talent when he sees it. I expect he will do well in Hollywood.

My wife and I have started building a new house so I have been lax in my blog writing so stay tuned to see what other parts I don’t get. I may not be adding to my acting resume, but I’ve grown another layer of skin – really really thick skin.

“I’d like to thank the Academy”

While sudsing myself in the shower this morning, I was preparing my acceptance speech. Last night I walked (beside) the red carpet at the premiere of the first movie I have been in since I started this acting journey. Stardom is soon to follow. I most specifically would like to thank Brooks Douglass who gave me my start. He is the one who placed me in the position to get great face time. The movie “Heaven’s Rain” will open this weekend at the Harkin’s Theatre in Bricktown in Oklahoma City.

I don’t think a cigar has been better smoked or a water martini, with one olive, better drunk than what I did on camera. They may well have to come up with a new category for my talented performance.

The premiere last night showed the audience what very talented film makers Brooks Douglass and his partner, Paul Brown, are. The cast is amazing with such a high level of skill, and the movie holds everything you want to see on the screen. The talented actors they assembled made for a marvelous movie. The film is the true story of Brooks, his sister Leslie and their parents. Their parents were killed by two scum buckets in their family home outside Okarche, OK in 1979. Brooks and his sister, even though they were shot, survived and this is their story. It is told exceptionally well. The last 30 minutes the audience sat riveted in their seats as Taryn Manning (who played Leslie) and Mike Vogel (who was Brooks) played their hearts out in the most sensitive of scenes. It is a must see.

I saw several of my actor friends in the movie, although some for just a glimpse. Others had more screen time. Megan Richardson (no kin, but pretty like the Richardson girls) played a Brazilian mother who received glasses and saw her baby clearly for the first time. Jody Moore played a McAlester prison guard along with Rebecca McCauley (my improv instructor). Ashlee Webster was a reporter in several scenes. Joe Gilliliand was a senator in several scenes including my scene with Mike Vogel at Junior’s bar. (Sad to say, but as good as Joe is, the audience’s collective eyes will just be fixed on me, in all my splendor as an “extra”.)

I wrote in an earlier blog about Mike Vogel when I originally filmed the scene. Once the movie was over last night, at the reception I talked with this very talented up-and-coming actor. A Cheshire cat grin spread across my face when he told me he remembered me. Mike starred in the television drama “Miami Medical” and he told me he had to go to doctor school to learn medical dialogue. He is currently filming the movie, “The Help” in Mississippi. I have read this book and it should make a great film. You’ll be seeing a lot of Mike, and I look forward to watching him as he progresses in his career.

Now I need to start making my list of those to thank. My wife (notice I put her first), my mother, my father, my agent, my sommelier, the editor who did not cut my scene, my hair dresser, my agent, my cleaners, my acting coach, the barista, my first grade teacher, the casting director, the sound man, my orthodontist, the cameraman, the best boy, the foley artist, the gaffer, the martini maker, my high school drama teacher, the writers, snack people, our plumber, the grip, my children, my grandchildren, my two cats, my old girlfriend, my new girlfriend, my marriage counselor, my attorney, my accountant, my .......

Touching the Sun

Out of sight – Out of mind. How fickle are women? I wrote about Milla Jovovich in my last blog. ---- Thought we had a sensual connection when she put her hand on my shoulder during our scene together in the movie “Bringing Up Bobby”. Alas, she was just toying with me. I tweeted her (my new cool skill), but no reply. In the last few weeks since leaving Oklahoma City, she has traveled to Los Angeles, Munich, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and back to Los Angels. I feel sure she will get back to me though.

In past blogs, you loyal readers (both of you) read that I am involved with a young man, Bryan Cook, who is filming a movie for his master’s thesis from Oklahoma City University’s School of Film. This is a moving and well written film calculated to be 35 minutes long. In one of my acting classes, Chris Friehofer, told us that a page of script takes about a minute to be seen on the screen. So a 90 page script would be 90 minutes on the screen. This particular script is 35 pages.

Bryan, as a film major, has to both write and direct a film as part of his thesis. This is his second film. Bryan has a degree in engineering from Oklahoma State University but decided he would rather be in the movie industry. Balance the fun – Engineering? or Film?

The story centers around two airline pilots who have been released from their jobs because of the economy. One of the retired pilots (Steve) is very happy to have his freedom, but the other (Dale) is a curmudgeon who is very upset about leaving the company where he has worked for a long time. His future looks dim until he happens to meet a bright and energetic seven year old boy (Ryan) who lives down the street. As the story moves along, Ryan and Dale decide to make an airplane starting Dale on his journey of discovery about himself.

I play the part of Steve, the happy-go-lucky pilot. This character is having a lot of fun in retirement. I get into rock climbing and barnstorming and try to convince Dale to come along with me on some of these adventures. Dale’s a drag but because of his involvement with Ryan starts coming out of his apathy. At one point, Steve encounters Dale with a rock climbing harness on at the gym. So we see he is starting to come around. Steve is headed to play tennis and tells Dale that his new found fun is barnstorming.

A few days before we started filming, we all met each other at OCU and read through the script. I met my co-stars Randall Hunter who plays Dale, and Landon Simms our seven year old Ryan. I had earlier met Bryan when I auditioned for the part and he had his assistant director Kyle Keegan with him. Randall is a fixture in the Oklahoma City theatre scene. His is currently directing The Diary of Anne Frank for the Poteet Theatre. Ryan’s mother Kasee Simms and his sister Madeline were also there. We all read our individual parts and Kyle read all the various actions that were happening in the script. Filming was to start the next Saturday morning.

We filmed at Bryan’s girl friend’s house in Edmond. His girlfriend and her parents are on an extended trip to Norway and gave him use of their home. The first Saturday we started shooting Bryan had his crew with him. The crew consisted of Kyle Keegan, Larry Elisalde, Tommy Bond, Jeff Dowing, and Ilea Shutler. All of them are students at OCU in the film studies school. The students do a marvelous job of helping each other with the arrangements.

Can you say sweat? Oklahoma had a number of 100º days during the filming, much of which is filmed outside. My first scene involved driving Dale home from a retirement party. While I was in the front seat driving telling Dale he has the wrong attitude about this, Bryan and Kyle were in the back seat filming the exchange. I started driving about two blocks from the house and Bryan told me when to begin speaking. The guy has great timing. The scene says that I pull up to the front of the house and park and sure enough, when I finished our conversation I was in front of the house. He knew exactly when to have me start. We shot that scene a few more times and I always arrived on time and in my spot.

We then shot several scenes as Dale was getting out of the car. Some scenes were shot through my car window towards Dale, others from in front, and others from Dale’s point of view to me. I say we shot several scenes, it was actually one scene shot from many different angles. I now realize how long it takes to film a movie. Even though one page may be a minute on the screen, it can take several hours to film that one minute. Consider the crew had to move the camera, lighting, and sound equipment. During one outside scene that Dale and Ryan were shooting, the noon siren went off and lasted for what seemed 10 minutes and of course, that had to be redone.

In another scene, I came to Dale’s house and attempted to get him to go rock climbing with me. I looked like a major dork as I went to the door dressed in my rock climbing harness and helmet. Again that scene was shot from many different angles. Bryan pulled each of us aside and told us to change the dialogue a little and not necessarily go by the script word for word. I enjoyed doing it this way. It seemed to me that it made our conversations go more naturally.


There were other shooting days where I was not involved. Dale and Ryan actually built, in the movie, a push car with wings resembling an airplane. I watched Dale do a lot of sawing and measuring in one scene. Bryan’s dad actually built the plane. He is a talented man.

Stay tuned for my next encounter with Dale…. at the rock climbing wall.

“YOU ARE TOO SOPHISTICATED LOOKING. . . “

Milla Jovovich and me

So said Milla Jovovich last Sunday. Though the rest of the sentence was, “for a car salesman”. I was fortunate enough to meet her at a brunch honoring the cast and crew of the movie “Bringing up Bobby”. The brunch was held at Joy Reed Belt’s wonderful art gallery JRB Art at the Elms.

I saw Milla and her young daughter in the main room and went over to visit with her. During our conversation, I mentioned that I had auditioned in front of Famke Janssen for the part of the car salesman but did not get the role. And, then she said the above sentence. YES, I know I wrote it once, but I like to keep trying it on for size. “Well, you are much too sophisticated looking to be a car salesman”. I think she wants me. Good thing there was a cloud nine above me or I would have broken my neck on the ceiling. Joy had a hard time bringing me down to earth.

I also saw Famke Janssen there and told her I had auditioned in front of her for the car salesman part. And, she said she was sorry. Again, just like after my audition, she was being very nice. To support that opinion, in talking to several of my friends who have met her in the past during her trips here, they say she is a really wonderful person.

On Monday, I had been cast as an extra in the movie. All the major stars were going to be in this particular scene. Our meeting place was at the old John Marshall High School in one of their small meeting rooms. Call time was 9:00am and I was there in plenty of time. I was directed to a special trailer to have the wardrobe lady check the clothes I had brought. Usually we extras have to bring three changes of clothing. The wardrobe person will then pick out what you are to wear. As luck would have it, she approved of what I wore. My dresser, Joy, had picked out a pink polo shirt with jeans. The wardrobe lady did ask me if I had a belt. Fortunately, I did bring one to wear with a pair of slacks I thought they might ask me to wear. She said it looked classier in a prison if I wore the belt. So on went the belt even though I never wear a belt with jeans. I did feel sorry for the guards and the inmates. The guards had to wear long sleeve dark polyester shirts with a holster and the inmates had to wear orange jump suits. And, it was really hot that day.

I was to play the part of a visitor to a ladies’ prison, and my wife and I were visiting our incarcerated daughter. There were several extras for this scene. We filled in roles for visitors, inmates, and guards. Several of the extras were friends I had made during my trek to stardom and I made others that day. I was to play a father of a young girl who was in the prison and Laurie Cummings was to play my wife. Kassidy Cornelison, a lovely young McGuinness student, was our daughter. In fleshing out our background story (the “motivation” to you who are not in the ‘biz), we made up a story about her being locked up because she got hooked up with a good for nothing young man who got her into drugs. I was the unforgiving father and Laurie was the sweet and sensitive mother consoling our daughter. We were to have silent conversations with natural gestures. My wife and I were sitting together at a small table and daughter Kassidy sat opposite. They shot several takes this way.

Then Milla Jovovich came in with a guard and sat directly behind me. Several takes were made of her walking in. Once when she got up she looked over at me, placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled. See, I told you she wanted me. Since I had obviously made an impression on her, I assumed we had become BFF. So the next time she sat down I decided to talk to her. How to start a conversation? Since John Marshall school had been closed there was no air conditioning and it was extremely hot in this small room. She was fanning herself with a piece of paper and so I laughingly asked her to please fan a little larger so the wind could get to me. She obliged by giving me a piece of paper. Wow!! Was that ever wrong. The AD (assistant director) came over to me and told me not to speak to the actor. My bad.

Well, after the filming, I understand the intensity of her part, and I am sorry I even spoke to her. Once the camera started rolling and she was talking to Bill Pullman and Marsha Cross, I was to get up from the table and leave. My wife and daughter were to stay behind. I took a position behind the camera and watched the filming. This was a very intense scene and she was crying. Hell! I was crying. I now realize that I could easily have broken her concentration as she was preparing for that scene. She was magic! I really learned something there. More reason for me TO GET a speaking part. Do not want to screw up any more scenes in a movie by being an extra.

Friends I had met in previous shoots or classes as well as new friends were – Visitors: Shawana Shafer, Marc Brown, Inmates: Dorothy Shaw, Charlotte Hess, Guards: Tony Williams, David Hanson, Kevin McCormack.

The shooting will in all probability end this week. I am currently filming the movie “Touching the Sun”. Bryan Cook, an OCU graduate student, has written this movie and is now in the process of filming. He is doing this to complete his Master’s thesis in film. I play a retired commercial airline pilot. Once filming is wrapped, I will write about that. I am very impressed with Bryan’s vision, talent and expertise.

Discovery Channel - Storm Chasers

me, Joel Taylor, Chris Chittick, Reed Timmer


The email I received was a little misleading – or maybe I’m just anxious for stardom. I was asked if I could be available for a filming that was to be in Norman one morning last week. I read it as a nationwide Bud Light commercial. Gleefully, I thought to myself, “I am getting ready to hit the big time – my talent has been noticed and I’m going nationwide in a popular beer commercial.” Maybe the Norman pub should have been my first clue: Bison Witches. I could just see those of us who were to be filmed imbibing in this glorious liquid while the shoot was progressing. Falling off our barstools might be a deterring factor. In my joy, I probably read the now erased email incorrectly. It was probably worded Nationwide / Bud light.

All slicked up and smelling good, with my three changes of clothing in tow, when I reached Norman I realized that both Nationwide Insurance and Bud Light were sponsors of the television series “Storm Chasers”. This was to be a promotional spot for the upcoming series on the Discovery Channel. Still it is going to run nationwide – but there was no foamy Bud Light on hand.

The three men, who are heavily involved in the show, were filmed telling about their experiences. Chris Chittick, Reed Timmer, and Joel Taylor all live in Norman and travel the country following hurricanes and tornadoes. Their photos are next to “WACKO” in the dictionary! What a fascinating avocation they have. Chris is the lead videographer for the team and tour director of Extreme Tornado Tours. Reed is in the process of finishing his PhD in Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma this year. Joel is owns two real estate companies in the area and spends his spare time chasing these tornadoes. Both Reed and Joel chased the F5 tornadoes that hit Oklahoma City, Moore, and Midwest City on May 3, 1999 - the strongest one ever recorded. Those of us who were extras in the filming sat in booths close to the three of them. We had to move our mouths in silent talking as WE were to be seen and not heard. Their stories were vivid and fascinating, and I can’t wait to see the show.

These young men chase the tornadoes in a specially converted 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. They have named their Storm Research Vehicle (SRV) the Dominator. Macho, intimidating, and tough - a very strange looking automobile. It has bulletproof sheet metal and transparent lexan armor. I assume that is to protect them from wayward rocks or cows. It even has radar and air cannons that shoot data-collecting probes directly in a funnel. You can read more about this interesting vehicle on their website http://tornadovideos.net.

My fellow thespians (are we considered thespians if we do not talk?) were Tom Stephenson, Josh Bonzei, Yazzie Barve, and Emily Tabb. Emily Tabb is a buddy from a Winstar Casino shoot earlier this year. It was good to see Emily again. My favorite Assistant Director, Lance McDaniel was there.

PS – I can change the “?” in my last blog title to a 1. I was awarded the part of “Steve” in Bryan Cook’s movie, “Touching the Sun.” I will be writing about that soon.

Score - Famke 0, DHS 1, Bryan ?

I assume you gather from the above title that I did not get the car salesman part in the new movie, “Bringing up Bobby”. I mentioned this in my previous blog. It was a long shot in the first place, but what a great chance it was to have the opportunity to audition in front of this marvelous and beautiful actress, Famke Janssen, in the film she is going to shoot in Oklahoma City . I don’t know how many auditioned for the car salesman role, but Oklahoma has plenty of talented actors who could play the character. Alas, that part went to a Texan (let’s BBQ Bevo). D.K. (since I did not ask him if I could use his name I can’t include it) is very friendly and personable. I met him last Friday at a training film shoot for the Department of Human Services for Oklahoma . It is exciting for Oklahoma to have this caliber film being made here and I wish the film great success. However, I explained to Joy the real reason that I did not get chosen. In my last blog article, I alluded to the fact the Famke Janssen wanted me. I believe my handsome and sexy presence on the set would have distracted her so much she’d lose her concentration. And, you’ve got to admit, that could be a problem. The film is the most important thing. Joy then called me a dummy and walked away. Do spouses of other actors have to put up with this?

The Department of Human Services uses training films to teach employees how to handle various situations. I was fortunate enough to be asked to participate in one last week. They asked me to play the father of a young mother who had gone off her bipolar medicine. Because of this, she had threatened to harm herself and her eight month old baby if someone tried to put the child into a foster home. All the people involved were to meet to discuss what should be done with the child. This included the baby’s mother, her husband, her friend, the husband’s sister, my ex-wife and her husband, the foster parents, and the counselors. Those gathered were there to help the mother understand that all we wanted was what was best for the child. A very interesting scenario. However, it was not until I sat down at the table to film the scene that I found out that I was an abusive father. Whoa! Who, me? I’m a pussycat. It would have been nice if I had known that a little earlier. My demeanor would have been very different. Apparently, I wasn’t guilty of sexual abuse, but guilty of not protecting my daughter from her devious and hateful mother. Glad I’m not married to that shrew any longer. This was unscripted and since I had taken improv from Rebecca McCauley at the Actor Factory in Norman, I felt prepared to handle this type of acting.

The above named D.K. played my ex-wife’s current husband. He is a very talented actor from Dallas who had come to the DHS center for the filming. I enjoyed talking to him and found out he too was a Vietnam veteran. He a Marine and I a Navy man. Before we started filming, we talked about the “Bobby” movie to be filmed in OKC and he told me he had auditioned for the car salesman part - the same one for which I had auditioned! I really liked D and enjoyed being around him. That is - until later that day - when I found out he had won the part that I wanted. Grrrr - again let’s BBQ Bevo. He gets to play the scene with the beautiful Milla Jovovich. Of course, jealousy has nothing to do with this. It is fun to think that I might even have known he got the part before he did. But, grrrrrr, he will do a great job with the salesman. See what a big person I am?

This was a busy weekend. I was also asked to audition for a student film to be shot by an Oklahoma City University student who was getting his master’s degree in film from OCU. That casting call was Saturday morning. Bryan Cook, started his university studies in the engineering department, and actually got an engineering degree. He changed to Film, and now is required to write, direct, and film a movie for his master’s thesis. Bryan is a natural storyteller and delights bringing a story to film. For this movie he needed two older men and one young boy about 10 years old for this 30-40 minute production. The movie, “Touching the Sun”, about two retired airline pilots will be shot on weekends late in July and early August. “Dale”, one of the two older men, is a pilot who has been forced into retirement. He is resentful of this, but with the aid of young Ryan has something reignited and a bit of his youthfulness slowly comes back over the course of the story. I auditioned for the part of “Steve”, a pilot and friend of Dale’s, who has also been forced into retirement. He takes retirement differently than his coworker and now that he has free time, he indulges in activities that he dreamed of doing years before. He is daring and adventurous. Many would say that I chose this part because I am that way.

Stay turned and see if I get to turn the “?” in the title to a 1.

FAMKE JANSSEN

--

Now why would I start out a blog with the name of a beautiful famous Dutch actress? Because I met her and give her an audition – Is that reason enough for you? That’s why.

My current acting coach, Michelle De Long of Actors Casting and Talent Service, told our class several weeks ago that a movie would be filmed in Oklahoma City. She was to be the casting director and she specifically had a part in mind for which she wanted me to audition – that of a car salesman. Man – talk about typecasting! I could play that part without even having a script.

I did not hear anymore about it until Thursday evening when I reported to class and Michelle asked me if I had received any sides. I did not know what she was talking about. She told me it was for the movie she had mentioned two weeks prior. She told me the auditions were scheduled for 5:00pm the next day and that after class she would give me the sides. I was a confusion of excitement and anxiety at the same time. Excitement about the audition and anxious that I had to memorize something that fast. Once class was over, she gave each of us in the class a part that she thought would fit us. Scripts were distributed for detectives, nurses, car salesman, driver, teachers, and others. She gave me the sides for two parts. A car salesman and driver. Going through the various parts with all of us and I found out the salesman is in a small town selling Lincolns. Enthusiastically, the class planned wardrobe for each part. One lady in the class, Yazzie Barve, suggested I wear a short sleeve shirt and tie. Sounded perfect, even I know that signaled “ugh”

The movie “Bringing up Bobby” is written and directed by Famke Janssen and stars Bill Pullman (The Killer Inside Me – also filmed in Oklahoma City), Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives), and Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element). Ms Janssen has assembled an all-star cast and they will be in Oklahoma City filming during the month of July. My car salesman interacts with Milla Jovovich and the boy that plays her son. Have you seen that woman? She is beautiful.

I got home that night on a high note and told my wife about it and can hardly get to sleep knowing that I have a lot of learning by the next afternoon. Tossing and turning with scripts in my head, up early I went to my office and spent the day learning the two parts. What I find amazing is that even though I knew the part cold, when I went home to have my wife go through the lines with me, I could not get them down pat with her. In the course I am currently taking, I find that I don’t always remember the scene 100% when giving it in class even though when I walked into the class, I knew the lines cold. Michelle tells me the camera sucks your brain dry. So that’s it – brain rot – that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

My wife’s sister, Francie Ishmael, was visiting from Seattle and she and Joy helped me work through the lines. Francie took the part of the boy, Bobby, and Joy took the Milla Jovovich part. After going through it a number of times, I finally got it down. I am going to have Joy help me from now on. It is different when you say your lines into a recorder versus when you play the part with someone else. I use a recorder to say the other person’s lines and then leave a blank space when my lines appear. The recorder and I get along fine. It is when I add a live person that I get messed up, those live people are unpredictable. So hopefully, I will be able to do better in my acting class now that I have discovered something to help me.




Feeling confident, I went off to the audition dressed in my dorky outfit and a pair of sunglasses. I mean, what self respecting car salesman does not have a pair of sunglasses! When I entered the audition room, Michelle introduced me to Famke Janssen, her assistant, and her dog, Licorice. Ms. Janssen is very active as a PETA advocate and Licorice has been in some campaigns with her. You have seen Famke Janssen in the James Bond film “Goldeneye”, all the “X-Men” movies, “Taken” and many others. I brilliantly gave my audition and then changed clothes to do the driver role which I had also practiced with Joy and Francie. When I finished, they both told me I had done a good job, but I suspect they say that to everyone to be nice. But, I did feel good about my performance even though I might have sucked.

I called Joy on the way home and asked her to have me a scotch and water when I arrived and she kept asking me how it went. I said to her, “Joy, I am pretty close and you are wasting time in fixing my drink. I will tell you when I get home”. Us actors start to affect an attitude.

All in all it was a great experience. Chris Friehofer, one of my first acting instructors, told us to be glad you get called in for the audition. Even though you might have nailed it, the director may feel that you are not right for the part. And, that is the way I felt. Grateful to have the chance. I may not get the part, but the event was so exciting. To get to audition in front of a major movie star was exhilarating and I think she wants me.

One of my acting friends, Laurie Cummings, said it best when talking to her about our audition. “Look how far we've come in a few short months as totally novice actors. Just the chance to audition for a SAG movie of this level is very cool and rewarding. Shows drive and determination on our part.... As well as a young at heart attitude about life. Most older people I know could never even IMAGINE trying something like this. It takes guts... and lots of it!!

Stay tuned to see if I got the part.

King Kong is coming

Cringing, I drove off for a “shoot” in my makeup, sure hoping I wouldn’t be stopped by a cop. One of my acting instructors, Michelle DeLong, with Actors Casting and Talent Service asked me if I would be interested in working on a short film to help promote an exhibit at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. There was to be a competition among participants to promote the new King Kong exhibit at Universal Studios. The most unique short film would win and it was to be filmed on Memorial Day afternoon, for a couple of hours – hey, I could do that! I was to play a crazy person (good type casting according to my wife) who’d spent several nights on the street. I’d be wearing a hand made cardboard sign that said “King Kong is coming”, and I’d be ringing a bell. My wife insisted that a homeless person would have irritated red eyes and several days growth of beard, and she did magic with her makeup. I make a very credible “wino”.


James Price, an advertising executive with his own company (Grapevine Media) in Oklahoma City, had heard about this promotion and entered the contest. I had not met James, but I have known his father (Bill) and very talented mother (Mary) for many years. James assembled a team of local actors and used Michelle’s office for his filming. Background was a green screen set up for most of his shots. Film makers use a green screen for special background effects. From the video at the bottom of this blog, you can see the effects. All but few very scenes were shot in front of the screen. The director will film the scene with a green or blue (the most common colors) background. These are the common colors since they are not naturally in our skin tones. That is unless Kermit the frog is related to you. Once the actors are filmed, the director will lay in a background with his computer. Pretty neat.

I didn’t work in front of a green screen. James and I went downtown so he could film tall buildings behind me. Since it was Memorial Day, we did not have many people who were going to be in and around the shoot and we finished without anyone asking for autographs. Darn.

Enjoy the video. James is imaginative and professional, and I think his film is the best! But, unfortunately he did not win the contest. In reviewing a few others on the internet, I can attest he blew their socks off.




You will have to click on the below link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM8FsbVRhqM&feature=email

Another Audition

We actor types get all trained, savvy, eager, and practice “attitude” – But then what?

I was advised to subscribe to several services that place casting notices on their websites. I did and found two movies that were to be filmed that intrigued me and I applied to both. One that I thought would be fun specifically asked for -- [REX] male, “a man in mid-50s, sometimes graceful, almost “English” in his style and manners, but he gets sucked into his young executives’ partying ways. And, this next sentence really caught my eye. “If you are a real-life CEO of a small business and wanted to act in movies, guess what, today is your lucky day,” – supporting role.-- Oh, so me! I’m that person and I jumped on it! However, I never heard from them. Crocodile skin is necessary in this profession. Such is the life of a budding actor. The next one was -- [DUTCH] – Male, Caucasian, 55-60 years old, blue collar, gruff, grew up in the country, doesn’t take much crap. Co-leading role. -- I can throw off my pussycat demeanor and be this person. They were also looking to fill the role of -- [REVEREND JAMES] – Male, Caucasian, 50-60 years old, small town preacher.-- Why not go for both roles? This latter movie was to be filmed in Dallas.

I submitted for both parts, but was mostly interested in “Dutch”. I thought I might hear on one, but to my surprise, I was sent sides (lines from a scene in the movie)for both of them. The “Dutch” part had two scenes and the preacher just one.

After my last experience with Joy doing the filming (and mostly getting my stomach on camera) I decided to go for a more professional look. Contacting one of my early instructors to coach me, I met with no return email after my first response. I needed to get something done since I had a deadline for submission. I wasn't sure what to do. I saw a casting notice for a Hibdon Tire commercial to be filmed in Tulsa and they were looking for someone around my age. So I called Michelle De Long, a casting agent in Oklahoma City to place my name in the hopper. She told me I would not work out because I looked too young for my age. (I had a secret crocodile grin on my face over that one!) Some of the women who were auditioning for the female part had gray hair and she needed an equally gray mate. Oh wow! How neat – Too young? Bring on the booties and pacifier! I had just turned 69 (should I change the tag line of my blog?) so I felt pretty good. Reporting that I am just a kid, met with a quizzical eyebrow at home. That woman’s no fun. She told me I was getting a little sold on myself and was getting a little big in the head.

During our conversation, I told Michelle about the audition I needed to make and she said she would coach me for the spot, and said we’d get it done in two hours. Three, if I was really bad. She wanted to make sure I had the lines memorized. I have found memorizing isn’t the beast I had expected it to be (see my earlier blogs) and with a few tricks, learned from the internet, via Anthony Hopkins, and some from Michelle I was doing fine. I had those lines nailed. Wish I had known these shortcuts in high school and college.

Michelle worked with me to develop the part of the father, both as a gruff Dad and as a grieving one. This movie is heavy. A son commits suicide and his older brother joins a crisis hot line and learns a lot about why his brother committed this act. She really helped me examine the character of the father and how to bring him out. Felt like I was acting for the first time and I enjoyed it.

We moved on to the role of the reverend, who was presiding over the funeral service for the young man. Pulling my previously used priest collar out of the handy-dandy costume box, I figured I was prepared – even though he was a preacher I figured they were both religious figures. And the collar should work. And, we finished filming in one and a half hours. Hooray!! Once we finished the auditions, she emailed them to the director in Los Angeles. Now, it is just a waiting game. Also, this is for an independent film and that means it may or may not get filmed. They have to raise the money. I am not inclined invest.

Michelle sent me a copy of the audition and I promptly emailed it to my family, some friends and a few of my new actor acquaintences. Since they all like me (I hope), the comments were very good. Well, almost all. An old high school friend said, “I think you were really good, but if I were the casting director, you wouldn't make the cut.” Ouch! Working on the crocodile skin again. Can’t let critics dampen my spirits.

While I was at Michelle’s, she asked me if I would want to be a redneck in a short film being shot Memorial Day. This was to publicize the opening of a King Kong exhibit at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Turned out I end up as a "Can you say 'crazy street person'?" Hate this type casting. More about that later.

My Guest Blogger

I was sitting at the computer this past weekend getting ready to write the latest installment of my blog. One of our two cats, Summer (so named because we got her from someone living in the Summerfield addition of OKC), decided she would like to take her favorite spot on the desk nestled up against the computer keyboard. I’m not sure what she did next (probably wanted to go outside since she is always on the wrong side of the door), but somehow she gave me the idea to have a guest columnist. And that is what follows:

My wife, Joy, writes a weekly column for a local newspaper in Oklahoma City. The newspaper is FRIDAY, and she has been writing this social / humor column for 17 years. In her latest column, she named the steps she went through to help me with a movie audition I was to send to a director in Austin. Technology has caught up with the film auditioning world and directors will now accept auditions by DVD or email. This is the process I went through for this particular audition. I could have gone for a live audition, but Austin is six hours away and I opted to go with the DVD. The email I received from the director specifically stated that the DVD did not have to be award winning cinematography. With those words, I decided to do this myself with the help of Joy. And the following is what happened:

EXCURSIONS by JOY RICHARDSON (Friday May 14, 2010)

Even on its finest day, this is a wacky household. Add to it my husband making an acting audition tape, and it escalates to bizarre. Jerry’s been taking acting lessons in Norman for about nine months – he could have had a baby in that time, but NO! He wants stardom.

It’s pretty adorable that a guy in his late 60’s has just now started acting – is there a chance of that working? Apparently so, as he’s been in four commercials and a movie – the guy is good! (I’m married to him, so of course I think that) No, he hasn’t had a principle part yet, but he gets paid as an extra, has made a whole group of new, mostly young, friends – and he’s having such fun.

Holding a script sent to him, he gave Marcel Marceau a run as he could be seen mouthing his audition part, that of a priest. We don’t own a video camera, but I’d purchased a fairly sophisticated camera to take images of my paintings, and it had a video capability. We hadn’t yet even learned how to work the camera, much less the video. Instructions, let’s see, gotta’ be here somewhere. There they are! Dad gum, those are in Spanish. We looked for the instruction booklet, instructional CD, and power cords for two days. I awakened with a jolt, remembering where I’d put them for safekeeping (that safekeeping thing - always a bad idea).

First we needed a Priest-y outfit. Easily acquired at the costume store. We had components: priest, script memorized, church gear, camera-woman, and the other actor, Stephen – the later two being me. Talcum powder to the rescue, as I began graying Father Hayden’s hair. He so looked the part.

Barely able to do one thing at once, two things at once were stretching it. I was the cinematographer PLUS “Stephen’s voice”. In an effort to keep my place in the script, speaking to prompt Jerry, (my voice, a suspiciously too-girly Stephen), I kept letting the video camera slip down, cutting off the priest’s head. But after several “takes”, we’d accomplished something fairly good.

Next scene, formerly nice Stephen has tied up Father Hayden and is being nasty. I know nothing before or after as I only am holding four pages of this script. But, the joy in this is tying the priest/husband to a chair. We filmed, and it was, “a wrap”. I left to put laundry in the dryer, as we camerawomen multi-task. In a rather un-priestly state of sarcastic growl, I heard, “Would you mind un-tying me?” Told him I’d think about it.

After being released from his bonds, Jerry downloaded, minimized, and created a file for his audition. Naturally he didn’t have the correct disk, and of course when he got to Staples, it was closed. But with the dawn all was rectified and he sent his taped audition to Austin, with the dream of getting this part. Some people nap and watch golf on the weekends, please; can I just be “some people”? Now he informs me that he is to send two more video auditions off, oh, the tormented life of a groupie. When you’re awake in the middle of the night and need entertainment, check out his website: http://actingyourage1.blogspot.com --------

Her column continues on, but since the remainder of the column is not about me, I opted to delete the rest of it. You can see this column and many of her others at http://okcfriday.com.
Also, check out her website
http://joyrichardsonart.com



As it turned out I did not get the part. I have been taught not to look at the camera when giving an audition. However, when the person giving you the other lines and is also holding the camera it is hard not to look. I now know how to fix that next time if I opt to do it myself. But, I plan to go to one of my acting instructors and have them guide me next time. I do have to send two auditions before the end of May and that is what I plan to do.

Stay tuned to see how that one turns out

A plan almost came together

I had this great plan last week for me to get to Hollywood. The Los Angeles Lakers were in town to play the Oklahoma City Thunder for the third and fourth games in the NBA playoffs for their division. The Lakers had already won two games in LA and were now in Oklahoma City. It just so happened that these two games coincided with the OKC Arts Festival.

The Arts Festival is one of the largest in the country and lasts for six days. Over 700,000 people normally attend this event. My wife, Joy, is a very talented abstract artist who uses a lot of color in her work and she was showing this year. Check out her website at http://joyrichardsonart.com. This was her second year to be invited. This is a juried show and it is very difficult to get a spot in this event. Over 1000 artists apply in various categories and only 144 are allowed to enter. She has attempted three times to make it and last year she made it to the alternate list and then made into show when someone dropped out. She did quite well so she was invited to return this year without having to be juried again.

So here was my plan. With the Lakers in town for games Thursday and Saturday evening, they had to do something on Friday besides practice. Kobe Bryant, the top player in the game, and Phil Jackson the Lakers coach, would come by the Festival and stop at Joy’s booth. They would both like her paintings and would each purchase a piece and take it to back to Hollywood. Jack Nicholson, a staunch Lakers supporter, would see her art at one of their houses. He would like her art, contact Joy and then buy one himself. That would then get Joy into the Hollywood crowd. She in turn would meet some directors who would certainly want one of her abstracts. That would in turn get me to meet these directors, and therefore that would get me to Hollywood. As Lance McDaniel said, “Jerry, there are easier ways”.

But, neither of them showed up. And, I know the reason. Not the fact that they would be instantly recognizable and be mobbed, or would be twice the height of anyone else at the Festival. No! The reason they did not show was because Oklahoma City Thunder gave them such a whooping on Thursday evening those guys must have sat in their hotel room (only two blocks away) sulking. They just did not feel like crawling out of bed. I am an Oklahoma City Thunder fan, but I bet they did not give Joy’s art or my Hollywood aspirations a second thought. No, they were more interested in winning the game. I’m really glad the Thunder won the fourth game on Saturday and the Lakers went back home.

So even though it was a marvelous plan, it did not come together.

I did get to make another commercial for a casino last week. This time it was for Remington Park in Oklahoma City. You have to look really hard and do not blink or you may miss me even though I had the male lead. But, I did have some extemely talented supporting actors: Tony Williams, Lacey Lett, Tara Hood, and Shawana Shafer. You will have to copy and paste the below link onto your browser. If the commercial does not load immediately, the ad is the fourth button from the left. But, just in case you do miss me, I have placed two pictures of me from the ad for you to see.

http://www.am.com/#/home/VideoModule/1570



I am the one on the right with a very pretty Lacey Lett on my left


I'm in the buffet line with talented Tony Wiliams in the background

An out of town shoot

I was pretty excited when I was selected to go on an out of town shoot for a commercial. How many times have I seen television shows or movies being filmed in exotic locals such as Paris, London, Hawaii, or New York? But, Thackerville, OK!!! Be still my heart! Earlier this month my agent (it is still fun to say you have an agent) submitted me for a commercial to be filmed in Tulsa. Alas, I wasn’t what they were looking for at this time. This is a very humbling business. Thackerville is on the border of Oklahoma and Texas and the home of the gigantic Winstar Casino. Gigantic doesn’t even come close to describing the size of this place. From one end to the other it is 1½ miles long and has almost 600,000 sq. ft. I am told it is the third largest casino in the United States by size and number two in the number of slot machines. It is ginormous.

My “call time” was 8:00 in the morning and since it is a two hour trip south I had to leave around 5:00. That road between the state line and OKC is in continuous repair and it really sucks to drive. Especially, when driving while dark. Anyway, I arrived on schedule, but trying to find the correct area to check in was interesting. I drove around back and after asking several employees, finally found the correct door through which we “stars” were to enter.

I was in a very select group for this commercial – only nine of us. I had worked with two other actors before. Tony Williams was in my first commercial for the Riverwind Casino. He had just finished a film where he had played the antagonist. If you know Tony, you know he is definitely not that kind of person. What a great thing acting is because you can be any character. Emily Ward has been in all three casino commercials I have worked and she had just finished a successful run in “Side by Side by Sondheim” at the Sooner Theatre in Norman. (I have a soft spot in my heart for this musical because I was one of the original investors when it first hit Broadway in 1977.) It was good seeing my actor friends again. Ashlee Webster, a new friend, lives just around the corner from me in Oklahoma City and has a son who is in the same class and school as my grandson. Small world. Ginger Lynette, Jodie Moore, Emily Tabb, Jed and Shellie Fox rounded out the extras. Jed, Shellie, and I have been in several classes at the Actor Factory together. Jed is a retired Lawton policeman and he and Shellie have a fun time acting in movies around this part of the US. Cassie Self, from Rogers, AR, was the main spokesperson for the casino. She has had this role for several years, is very pretty, and very professional.

The idea of this filming was to show the various areas of the casino where activities take place. This series of commercials were not to be shown as a television commercial for the public to see. Instead, they were to be shown on in-house hotel room televisions or on tour busses. Our first shot was in an inside restaurant and while Cassie spoke to the camera the rest of us walked around as though we were either entering the restaurant or leaving. Emily Ward and I were in this first spot and we decided she would be my daughter and I was treating her to lunch. In reality, she could easily be my granddaughter. Lance McDaniel was our assistant director and as always he was very professional. I can still hear him calling “Action”.

That was the way it went for the rest of the day. We filmed scenes in around the slot machines and blackjack tables and other areas. During the time we are filming, the casino has our area roped off so casino patrons will not walk into the scenes. One man was insistent that the ropes be put down because they were restricting him from getting to his favorite machine. He crossed the rope in front of Ashlee who promptly grabbed him by the shirt to restrain him. A security guard came over to the man and rescued him from Ashlee. Though she is pretty, she’s tough. The guard asked her if she would like to have a job. I find people are very possessive about their particular slot machines. Some even do strange rituals before pushing the button that will take their money.

The last filming of the day was an outside shot. We were to be seen getting off a tour bus as we arrived at the hotel entrance. It had been quite cold in the casino and poor Emily Ward was freezing so I loaned her my sport coat between scenes. As we went outside, she decided it seemed warm enough so I took my coat back. Actually, it was cold, but I needed my coat for the continuity of the scene. We were to get off the bus and head to the hotel while Cassie spoke to the camera in front of the bus steps. That did not work out the way the director had planned. So all of us went to the other side of the bus, away from the camera while Cassie did her spiel on the steps. The idea was to have us walk toward the hotel when the bus started to pull away and that way those viewing the scene would then see us heading toward the door. While we were waiting, Emily started performing dance steps while trying to keep warm. I told her I took dance lessons years ago as a child and I remember something about shuffle ball step. She said it was shuffle ball change.

She proceeded to teach me how to do that. Unbeknownst to us, the bus pulled away and the other actors started moving toward the hotel. We did not notice and Lance and the other crew members were a little non-plussed to see everyone else walking to the door while Emily and I were practicing dance steps. Blew that take. Next take we did not dance, but forgot about not moving until the bus moved. When we heard “Action”, she and I started moving and were at the door when we looked around to see that the bus had just begun to move, but no one else had. You just can’t take us anywhere. The next take worked and we were allowed to leave for the evening. I went to Ardmore where I had found a room while others went elsewhere.

That night in the hotel room, I studied my lines for an audition I had to film the next week. I was going to audition for the role of a priest. I had been sent sides (sides are the lines of the script they give you to learn for an audition) for a kindly priest who was welcoming a young man back to his office after dropping out of seminary. So, I needed to put on my friendly face. The next set of sides had to do with the priest being tied up by the same young man and being rather upset. So, I had to put on my “po’d” priest face. More about that later. Especially, if I get the part.

Next morning our call was 6:30am. Some had gone to Dallas and others back to Oklahoma City and they really had to get up early to be at the Winstar on time. But, all were there in plenty of time. However, some of the perky actors were not quite as perky at that time of the morning. More scenes were shot in and around the blackjack tables and slots. I can fake talk and fake laugh quietly with the best of them. We had to always act as though we were winning at slots or blackjack and be very excited about it. Jumping up and down, waving arms, clapping hands (quietly). Now that I am a TRAINED CASINO COMMERCIAL ACTOR, I can do this quite easily. At one time or another, I worked with most of the others. Ashlee and I worked together on several slot shots. One would have me walk up to her as a old friend and she would show she me is winning and then asked me join her at the next slot machine. Another time, she and I were walking arm in arm through the row of slots when we see our old friend Shellie. Unfortunately, we made to much noise greeting each other and were called out. Forgot my training. Emily Tabb and I walked into a scene and went immediately to the box office to purchase tickets to an up coming show. Cute Emily was the one the director used as a stand in for Cassie when a scene was being set up. Cassie was not normally with us extras because she was always with the make-up-artist who made sure each hair was in place and no shiny spots on her face. Ginger and I sat at a blackjack table and were being fake dealt with fake cards. Seems like I always was getting a fake blackjack. Ginger is delightful to be with and is in the real estate business in Norman.


The last shot of the day was to be in the lobby of the hotel. Now that was quite interesting, in that we had to shoot the scene while people were checking into the hotel. So there was always someone coming or going, but Lance being a true professional got us all corralled, including some hotel guests, and the shot was finally finished and we could go home. It was a long two days, but it was fun.



Left to right: Ashlee Webster, Lance McDaniel, Emily Ward, Emily Tabb, Tony Williams, Jodie Moore, Shellie Fox, Jed Fox, Ginger Lynette, me

My First Movie

Oklahoma City is just movie central! There is a movie currently being filmed in Oklahoma City that is titled “Heaven’s Rain.” A true story. It is based on an actual event that took place October 15, 1979 outside of Okarche, OK. A young minister and his wife were shot and killed and their son and daughter were also shot, but survived. Brooks Douglass, the couple’s son and a former Oklahoma state senator, is producing this film. A harrowing recital of those events and how he came to forgive the killers is the basic theme. It is a movie of redemption. Brooks is a strong individual, full of faith, and I don’t know how he was able to find forgiveness in his soul. There have been numerous casting calls for extras the last several weeks, but I have never applied for one. However, since my bucket list includes a speaking part in a movie, I thought I had better see how movies are made. Thursday was to be the last day of filming in Oklahoma City, and I had not quite made up my mind to apply until I was talking to my actor friend, Dorothy Shaw. She convinced me I should. I applied and was accepted as an extra.

The filming was to take place in Junior’s, a very nice restaurant in Oklahoma City. Because it is such a nice place, we were told to come dressed as we might have in the 1980’s as if we were going to dinner. I don’t know that suits were much different than now, but I had my wardrobe mistress (my wife) go to work on finding the right outfit for me to wear. She came up with the perfect suit and tie and I headed off for the restaurant. I went into the extras holding room and ran onto one of my acting friends, cute and perky Emily Ward. She was not working as an extra but she was the “extra wrangler.” That meant she was in charge of herding all of us around by telling who does what - and where. She had told me at the last Riverwind commercial filming that she had been the “prisoner extras wrangler” at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester when a scene was filmed there. The people she wrangled were actors, and fortunately, not actual prisoners.

I was sitting in the waiting room with about 25 others when Brooks Douglass and Paul Brown, the director, came in to say hello to the extras and to thank them for participating. Paul Brown has been involved in “Quantum Leap” and “The X-Files”. As they were leaving, Brooks turned and asked me to come outside into the hallway. I have known Brooks for a number of years and when he made a run for the congressional seat for Western Oklahoma, I helped him raise money.

Brooks told me he wanted me to play the part of an Oklahoma state senator. However, I wonder if it is an upgrade to go from car dealer to senator? Well, I tried to keep my grin from going ear to ear, but I was pretty excited. I left the extras room and moved into the restaurant where I met the other would-be senators. They were Joe Gilliland, Jim Hughes, Richard Phillips, and John Trebilcock. John is a current member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Richard is a past member. Jim is with the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) commission and Joe is an excellent real estate broker. All looked properly senatorial.

A makeup lady attacked us with face powder and hair spray to make sure that we were not shiny and then we took a seat at a table in the bar area of Junior’s. They placed various props around the table such as: cocktail glasses with a mixture of tea, apple juice, and water to resemble scotch or bourbon. There was a bottle of O’Doul’s beer. At least, that is what the bottle cap said. The two regular labels on the bottle had been removed and replaced with a label that had a generic name, but it certainly looked authentic. There were dirty plates on the table at several places, rumpled napkins, several ashtrays, and a martini glass with an olive in front of me. Drat, it was, unfortunately, filled with water. And to top it off, I was asked if I would mind smoking a cigar. Now, I haven’t smoked in almost 47 years. I quit when I married Joy, who never smoked, and I received my orders to report to an ammunition ship. Both happening simultaneously. Let’s see -- amo ship – fire? Not so good. I was never much of a cigar smoker anyway, but, heck!! It is all for art. I am surprised that I did not get sick or that Joy even let me into the house smelling of smoke.

Lance McDaniel, the AD (assistant director), attended to details and made sure everything was going smoothly. He was very efficient and all the crew I met and saw were very friendly. It is quite interesting to see how a scene is shot. I have seen small railroad tracks for moving cameras in various movie trailers over the years when films are being made. We had one at the bar. It probably did not go 12 feet but someone actually sat on the camera as it was moved up and down the side of our table.

The young man Mike Vogel, who played Brooks Douglass’ part, sat at the head of the table and we were to respond to him after he spoke. I can’t remember his exact line, but I know it included iguana and orgasm. I know. I know. It doesn’t make much sense so you will have to see the movie. Once he said his line we then had to laugh at what he had said and then talk to each other. The director told Richard to light a cigarette after the scene started, but to count to five and then light. As Paul Brown walked away he turned around and added, “DON’T count out loud.” I must be a seasoned actor as I already knew that!! We did the take about 10 times. Me smoking my cigar and sipping my martini, the others smoking and drinking. Reminds me of the old days when you could smoke in a restaurant. Plus, they had a smoke-making machine to add extra smoke to make the place hazy. Hmmmm, I wonder if I can receive SAG eligibility for drinking a martini, laughing and smoking?

Mike is in the movie “Cloverfield, and “She’s Out of My League” (just recently opened), and soon to be seen in “Miami Medical” on CBS beginning April 2. Amusingly, he told us he went to doctor school for a week to learn how to speak like a doctor and learn all the technology. Interesting insight I thought you might like to know. Mike is a very nice and polite person and I wish him well in the movie business. I talked to him after the scene was over and told him I was a retired automobile dealer and just beginning this journey. I told him I did not know how much call there was for someone my age. He told me I would be surprised, but at least I didn’t have to depend on this life to make a living. He has a wife and two little girls and I gather this is tough work if you have to fight through auditions all the time.

Overall, it was a blast and l look forward to the time when I have a scripted line. Thanks, Brooks. This was a lot of fun.

This was taken with my cell phone.


me, Joe Gilliland, Mike Vogel, John Trebilcock, Richard Phillips, Jim Hughes












Below is a website to find out more of Brooks Douglass' life

http://www.people.com/people/archive/
article/0,,20142085,00.html

My First Audition……..

AND I BLEW IT. Yes I really did. I had the opportunity to audition for a principal role in a Riverwind Casino commercial last week. My agent, Magna Talent, called me (you know how much fun it is to say I have an agent?) and asked me if I would be interested in auditioning for a principal in this ad. Of course, I would. I had just signed with them and immediately get a call to audition. Pretty exciting for me. I was sent the script so I would know what to expect. Yeh-Right!! (As you will find out later) I called my new acting buddy, Dorothy Shaw, and asked if she was going to the audition and she told me she was. For moral and acting support, we decided to practice together. From the script, the format was that a casino customer could win various trips around the US and each spin of the slot machine would bring you a better prize. The final spin would be the big time winner. Dorothy and I drove to Norman for the audition and stopped for lunch where we entertained the luncheon crowd with our dialogue. We sat opposite each other in a booth and went over the lines. Being a veteran, Dorothy mentioned that it was possible that they’d ask us to improvise, and we’d best create some other scenarios.

In the original spot, I was dreaming of fishing in Florida, and then WHAP! The wife is slapped upside the head with a fish. She was to respond in offense, “Eeeew, How about a SHOPPING trip to New York”. The excitement level escalated as various vacation spots were mentioned. And, that is the way the spot was to go: we were to show rising excitement as the various locales were mentioned. We had the script down cold so now we started improvising.

She slid to my side of the booth just as the waiter came up behind us. “So, are you feeling LUCKY?” she asked coyly. Where would YOU like to go?’ The waiter gave me a knowing look. I took Dorothy’s hand in mine, and I showed her how to cast. “How about fishing in Florida?”

“EEEEEEEW,” she grimaced as the waiter set food in front of her and she was simultaneously slapped in the face again with an imaginary fish. “I don’t think so.” The waiter look offended. “How about a shopping trip to New York?”

“Oh no no.” I had to explain to our confused waiter, “that was not about the food. We were just rehearsing our lines. The food looks delicious.”

During the real audition, they completely changed everything and there were/was (here we go again with that were/was thing from one of my earlier blogs. Where is Robin Garner, my cute English teacher acting friend, when I need her?) a huge bunch of people auditioning. We had not planned on that. They split us up and matched us with other partners. From the audition room, we heard loud oohing, aahing and screaming. The squeals were so orgasmic you would have thought there was a porno film next door. As people exited, we asked, “What is going on”? The script has changed. The prizes are now a trip to Mt. Rushmore, San Francisco, New York, and the final prize> OH, Be still my heart – a camping trailer with a pickup truck. At least that was WHAT I MIGHT WIN. Others may have been told differently.

When Dorothy emerged from her audition she told me they went through the tryout twice (as it turned out, we all did) and that her partner even kissed her both times. A friend I had known for many years, S, came out and told me that her partner had kissed her also. I then turned to Laurie Cummings and told her that if she and I went in together, she had better plan on getting kissed, but unfortunately, she was not to be my partner. Too bad, sometimes luck just runs against you. She’s very pretty. S’s partner, the man who kissed her, was awarded the male lead. Guess that kissing stuff works.

My turn came and I was the last one to audition. There were six people in the room watching. My partner was not an actress who had any interest in a part. She was a lady helping Chris Friehofer, the casting director, with the auditions. All the other women had left. I was told by the representative from the advertising agency what I should do. We were first going to Mt. Rushmore and then to the other exotic places I mentioned and was instructed to get more excited each time a different location was mentioned. That is why we heard all the screaming. The noise had come at the end of the spot when the final prize appeared. But, somehow the explanation just wasn’t clear to me. I had been told in acting class not to speak past the camera and here I was supposed to really shout out loud - make up your mind! So, I didn’t get excited enough and yell very loud, and I wasn’t chosen for the part. Oh well!! If I get a chance to audition for something like this again, I will know what to do. As I have found out from this audition, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. I went home to pour a scotch and water on my wounds.

However, I was hired as an extra in the same ad and appeared at the Riverwind Casino several days later to be filmed. This time I knew fewer people than last time, but they were all fun people. I did renew acquaintences with Cindy Hanska, Jerome Braggs, Emily Ward, Shawana Shafer. It seems we have a cheer leader each time. This time it was a pretty lady from Tulsa, Jennifer Fisher. She always had a smile for everyone and one time did a Miley Cyrus dance for us. I wish she had shown us that earlier in the day. I might have been able to learn a few steps and really impress Jordan, my 13 year old granddaughter. Another nice lady I met, Debbie Evans, had spent some time in the automobile business and we swapped stories about the business. I’ve developed a community of delightful new friends.

There will be three commercials made from all the shooting we did that day. Including the one with the trips. So, if you are in the Oklahoma City area, look for them. And, look for my left hand. It must be very manly and attractive as it seems to get all the play these days. In my previous, currently running, commercial, my left hand was very prominent. I have attached a photo from the last commercial that shows me in all my glory. If they give Emmys for commercials, I and my cohorts at the blackjack table will surely win. By the way, you also may use this picture as a screen saver just like you did with my headshots.

Now that I have an agent, I am still after that elusive speaking part in a movie or a television show.

Ronnie Deane, Lauren Synar, Jerome Braggs, me, Cindy Hanska


Click link below to see the commercial

WOW…..There IS money to be made in this business

After six months of all these lessons, I was hired for my first acting role at the Riverwind Casino on Wednesday. However, it was as an extra with no speaking part. Submitted my information to the casting director, Chris Friehofer at Friehofer Casting, and my sterling acting abilities were apparent as I was picked. Curtain call, or whatever the term is for a television ad, was at 7:00AM. I’m always up early anyway, so getting all cute and fluffy and driving 45 minutes to the filming site was not a problem. However, I had not counted on a heavy fog and a 40 car pile up on one highway and a smaller pile up on another. But, listening to the traffic reports on the way down kept me out of trouble. I checked in a little after 7:00AM with my other 31 co-stars.

We were asked to bring three changes of clothing, but wear the one you liked the best. My wardrobe coordinator, my wife, picked out what she thought would best show off my features. Eager and compliant, I was there with my stuff. We all lined up and faced the AD (assistant director, a term I now know). Almost felt as though I was in a police line up and someone was looking through a glass, pointing to me and told the police he “dun it”. However, it was just to check the outfits all of us had on. Instructions were – no solid black, white, red, green, no extreme patterns or plaids. My dresser did just fine.

This felt like home week to me as many who were there, I had met in acting classes previously taken. The AD picked out about 25 to go to the first shoot in an area loaded with blackjack tables. Here I was all dressed to go – and no place to go - as I was totally overlooked. Sobbing is so unattractive on a grown man. However, there were several actors (notice I use the term since I now consider me one) whom I knew and we had a lively discussion. Pretty sure I would need entertainment so I had brought the book I was reading for my men’s book club. I had it so that I could read during down times, but I had such a good time visiting that I never picked up the book. There were several of us who were overlooked on the first shoot. Laurie Cummings, Normanda Pelton, Rick Eager, Tony Williams, and I had a great discussion. Laurie had acutally read my blog when I first started writing and before I met her and commented on my blog that she too was a beginner. Normanda has been in several classes with me and Rick and Tony I just met. Rick is retired from General Motors and is a screen writer and told us about what he was writing. He has even written a sequal to Maimi Vice and hopes to get it filmed. There were also discussions about what agents to use in the OKC area. I still have to find one. But, after this shoot, I have decided to interview several and pick the one that recognizes my immense talent and will send me to audition for parts that will get me to the red carpet.

Finally, the first group came back and I was chosen to go for my shoot. I was fortunate to sit at the blackjack table that was the focus of most of the shoot. My table mates were Cindy Hanska, Jerome Braggs, Lauren Synar (I found out when I got home that my wife is friend’s with her mother – oh yes, again I was the oldest of the group – I’m getting used to this), and Ronnie Deane. We got to know each other since we were back and forth at the table throughout the day. Our cute and lively Riverwind blackjack dealer, Jacy Clift, taught me how to stack chips. This is one-handed stacking combining two stacks of chips. Well, I got to be pretty good at three chips, but could not quite master four. Unfortunately, these were all fake chips and could not be cashed anywhere. Even the ice in my cocktail glass was plastic.

One of the cameramen saw me stacking the chips and asked me to continue doing this throughout one particular shoot. How do you spell palsy? I stacked those chips so many times I now have a frozen claw – but hey, it’s all for art. At one point, I thought my hand was going to fall off.

During a period between shots, I was sitting with a group of actors when Lorrie Chilcoat asked if we wanted to play a game. This was an absolutely hilarious interactive fun new game to me. Joy and I take bi-yearly trips with a group of friends and she and I are in charge of bus games. This will certainly be a new addition. I am not even sure what it is called, but it is like the old gossip game we played as kids, but this was done with paper. There were seven of us who were in the game. Stephen Goodman, Cindy, Jerome, Shawana Shafer, and Leslie Hippensteel. This game required both writing and drawing. It is a good thing this group of talented people are actors as they could never make it as artists. We ran out of paper so our next game was Mafia. Another fun game. Jerome was in charge of this one and Emily Ward joined us. About the time this was over, a large group came back from filming and we got almost everyone to play the game. About 20+ of us sat in a huge circle on the floor of our waiting room and played Mafia. One thing I learned is that the camaraderie of actors is really great. We were all there under the same umbrella with no one trying to out audition another. As you can see, my book was just a heavy nuisance.

We even did a scene where they wanted those of us with shiny shoes to come forward. My newly polished black loafers got me in the spot and they put the camera on the floor to shoot us walking back and forth. I did not expect to be upstaged by my shoes.

All and all it was a fun learning experience. I never realized how much time is spent setting up the camera and lighting. And being paid was pretty exciting. At he end of our 12 hour day, I was waiting for in the payroll line with Ed Smith, the police chief of Seminole. He has really taken to this acting and I admire him. He and I talked about agents and he suggested I talk with his agent. He was cast in “The Killer Inside me” and of course, I appear to be the only one who auditioned for that movie who did not get picked. So my quest continues to find that elusive speaking part.

If you see a hand stacking chips or a pair of black shiny loafers in the Riverwind Casino spot, that may be me. Because I am now a seasoned actor, I know not to look at the camera, so I do not know if my face will end up on the cutting room floor – or in the commercial. However, I do think I should be paid extra because of my shoes.

The spots will air around St. Patrick’s Day.