steve in hollywood

“I’ll call you,” is probably one of the biggest lies you get. See, as an actor here you need to have a “biz card.” No, this is not a regular business card, this is an acting “biz” card with your headshot on it, preferably with a link to a website that has your resume and demo reel. I’ve given out hundreds of these things to people who have said they would use me for countless things, but never called.

Some people give you their card, and you call them. But you can never get hold of them. You leave a few messages and then realize they aren’t ever going to talk to you.

I submitted for a science TV show last year, there was a production company wanting to make a show about engineers blowing up things in different ways and explaining it. I got called because, get this, I was the only actor that submitted with actual science experience and knowledge. So I was talking to one of the production guys for months, it seemed great, then Discovery’s Smash Lab came out and it was all over.

I submitted for a daredevil show where they wanted a tech-savvy guy with experience — I was perfect for the role but I never even got a call.

Someone I met on a set was barely making it financially but she got work as an investment advisor for someone in Hollywood with money. Her small percent would have netted her millions, but at the last moment some legal problems came up with her client that prevented the deal, so she got nothing.

My rock star friend, Jason, got a role as the main villain in a movie where he was a vampire with over 60 pages of dialogue. As he was about to get on the plane to fly out there he was told by his agent that the production company didn’t put any of the money down to pay the actors, and so he never went. There went that role.

I got a call for a sci-fi movie I was working on that they needed me for a special scene with only a few people; I would have been paid with a union voucher which would have started my way into joining the actor’s union, SAG. I told them I’d have to get off work (since they wanted me tomorrow and it was 8pm) and I’d call my boss. I got my boss’ voice mail, left a message, and then ten minutes later the casting lady called and said, “Nevermind, we aren’t going to shoot that scene after all.”

You get used to it after a while. So many “big chances” come that never materialize. I’ve even got about 3-4 potential “big chances” right now, but I’m not holding my breath on any of them; I’m just trying to figure out how to pay the bills for the next few months.

Picture of the Day

In Little Tokyo (Japantown) there was a festival. I went with some friends. We walked by this model getting her picture taken, so I took one as well.

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