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12:16 AM - Fri 9.04.15
Paging Dr Hoffmaster

Paging Dr Hoffmaster

Interesting times...

On Tuesday, I got a call from Brett.

Dick Wolf's casting people had called, wanting to know my availability for a possible "recurring guest-star" role on their new show, Chicago Med (Which actually shoots in Chicago).

It's the third time in a row my people have gotten called by casting people in recent weeks, without them having submitted me for the role in question (While, at the same time, I'm not being called in for anything I am being submitted for).

But in the first two instances, these were small co-star roles, and the calls were coming from casting people who've seen me before.

Dick Wolf's production company, on the other hand, operates out of New York - I've never been in the office, and far as I know, have never been submitted for any of his shows.

Pretty cool, huh? I don't know how or why I came to their attention...but I did! And for something that feels "meaningful" (I know I would certainly love to book a recurring on a successful network show).

To clarify: This was not them just handing me the role (Though to be honest, at first I didn't understand what was happening exactly) - though Brett said at the time that "anything could happen", from "nothing" to "having to put myself on tape" to them indeed "just booking me outright for the role".

They asked to see my reel, and while it was disappointing that it didn't "seal the deal" (that would have been amazing), I totally understand why it wouldn't - It's troubled me for awhile that my reel doesn't have any real drama on it, and not much "emotional range" (To quote a character actor from the documentary The Guy Who Was In That Thing, "I'm 'Exposition Guy'". Which means, as an actor, you're there to tell the main characters something they need to know that furthers the story, and that's pretty much it).

And there's nothing in my reel that even approximates what they're wanting me for on the show (Basically "a smart, cranky guy". Which, ironically, is the way I see myself much of the time in real life).

So, they want to see me on tape.

Which I will be doing Sunday night, thanks to my friend Tim G.

Speaking of Tim G., we now have an interesting Agent Carter connection...

On Weds, I got an email from my Agent, with a wealth of good news - In addition to the taped audition for Chicago Med (Which, even though I'd fantasized about them "just making an offer", was still good news - My reel hadn't sold me, but it hadn't "put them off" either), I had a shoot day for my next Shameless (this Weds), a "pin" for the 6th episode (around the end of the month)...and was also pinned for Agent Carter.

But the "pin" for Agent Carter (Basically from now through the 21st) wasn't for the role I went in for last week, but for something else - It's no guarantee of a booking, but they're very "interested", which really validates the good feeling I had at the time I auditioned.

Then Tim called yesterday, and told me he'd been asked to submit a tape for the role I'd auditioned for.

It's not the first time we've auditioned for the same role (The last time was for "Trailer Park Resident" on Revenge, which neither of us booked), but the circumstances were interesting, to say the least - And I was impressed with their dedication to finding exactly what they're looking for in this four-line bit part.

And we both agreed it would be fun if we ended up on the same episode of the show (if not actually working together).

(I watched a couple episodes of the show before my audition, and enjoyed it so much I ended up binge-watching all eight episodes - I was very impressed.)

In addition to all that, I had a national commercial audition (for Coffeemate) yesterday.

In a draft of an email to Jane Z. (That got lost in the ether), I spent a lot of time going on about the smooth transition I was making from feeling anxious about nothing happening, to feeling anxious about almost-too-much happening.

It's the kind of thing you probably should only share with a fellow actor, or a fellow neurotic, or a fellow neurotic actor. Or else people will think you're insane.

So I'm lucky I have Jane...who knows I'm insane.

But I think I might be making some headway - even within the span of that email, I had course-corrected by the end, realizing 1) I was worrying about things that hadn't happened yet, and might never happen, 2) I've got a team to help me "work out the details" of bookings and what-not, and people at my day job who want to see me succeed (and will help if they can), and, 3) Worrying when I'm not busy, and worrying when I am, basically makes me a "big stinky doo-doo head".

And this stuff really is pretty exciting - opportunities to act, to make money, to make connections I want to make, to feel like I'm "progressing" in my career, etc - so "just letting myself enjoy it all" would really seem to be the-order-of-the-day here.

And while I can't spend acting money I haven't made yet, I do have Shameless money coming in.

(And being pinned for the sixth episode means I'm already going to be in more episodes of Season 6 than I was for Season 5. And there may be more still to come.)

And in addition to "The Shameless Money", not only did I get another check for the credit union commercial yesterday, I got an email from JS yesterday saying the "holding fee" for Exxon came in (A "holding fee" is when the commercial has been shot but they're not doing anything with it - After a set amount of time, they either have to pay you to continue to "hold onto it", because they still want to use it,or release you from your contract, so you can do commercials for competing products).

The "holding fee" is nice, not just because of the money, but because it means there's "more money to come" - "Neurotic Actor Jim" was starting to worry, because it's been so long since the commercial was shot, that they were scrapping it for whatever reason.

(Not to mention that I did the work, so it would be nice if someone eventually saw it.)

So, long story short, a lot of exciting stuff is going on.

But one last thing to be excited about...

I've backslid horribly on my weight over the past number of years, and it's been a major source of anger and upset for me (Not to mention embarrassment - I fucking work at Weight Watchers, and I'm 45 lbs over my goal weight? What's that about?).

So I'm thrilled to report that I've lost four lbs over the past three weeks, and am definitively back on "the road to recovery".

(But more on that in my next entry, because I want to post this baby...!)

 

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