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7:13 PM - Thurs 1.06.22
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A Ticket For The Face-Lottery

(Watching Too Funny To Fail: The Life and Death of the Dana Carvey Show)

I don't remember if I wrote about it in here, or talked about it on my podcast, or what, but I know I mentioned somewhere that I was concerned about a "post-holiday letdown" - I was so eager to "go back to work" I was afraid I'd get really depressed if the year didn't quickly jump off with an audition.

Well, I'm happy to report that the year has quickly jumped off with an audition.

Had a commercial audition earlier today.

A live one, no less.

I was a little bummed, when I got the notice and read the script, that not only did I not have any lines, my character wasn't even mentioned (In the dialogue or even the stage directions).

(I got the notice while I was out - I'd walked downtown, to Little Tokyo, to check out an action figure store - and when I got back home, I was talking to Jane R. on the phone as I printed out the script. When I read it out loud to her, she actually suggested I check with my agent to make sure I hadn't gotten the wrong script.)

And when I went in today, the casting person basically "lampshaded" what a nothing thing it was, referring to it as being "less than you want it to be" (I said I'd told my friend Jane it was "another face-lottery", a phrase I've used often - since I first overheard it at an audition decades ago - but that I don't think I actually said yesterday).

(I appreciated the casting person saying what they said - I liked the acknowledgment that it isn't exactly an actor's dream to go in the room, not act, and instead be judged solely on their appearance.)

There actually was a simple little scenario to act out - I don't think you get to call it an "audition" unless you give the actors something to do - and I did two takes, which were fine, then I was done.

Went shopping at the Ralphs next door, then headed home.

I'd actually kind of enjoyed being out, and the interaction in the room was pleasant enough, but I got kind of depressed when I got home.

And I found myself thinking - not for the first time of late - about a group meeting my commercial agent had with his clients, many years ago, where he said don't expect commercials to "scratch your acting itch", or to be "discovered" via commercials (And years later, as commercials had shifted more and more to being non-union, he added, "...and don't expect to make your living through commercials. Think of it as a part-time job").

It's all good advice - I've really got to get over being bummed every time I get a commercial audition where I'm basically an "extra' (And instead, embrace the opportunity I've been given to win "the face lottery" and earn some extra spending money).

(Fri 1/7/22) Speaking of "extra spending money"...I learned recently that my "Merge Mansion" commercial is now running (If I hadn't had dinner with my friend Josh a couple weeks back, I probably still wouldn't know about it - He asked me whether it was out yet, and when I said I didn't know, he quickly found it on YouTube. So I then posted it on my Facebook page, and some people said they had seen it in running in their various locales).

While I don't know how much money will come in when, it's nice to know some money is on the way - hard to imagine it'll be a big windfall, but it's guaranteed to be more than when you get cut out of the commercial altogether (Still smarting a little over getting cut from that Lowes commercial).

And at least it'll help offset the cost of my updated reel and headshots (The reel is a done-deal at $250. Headshots are happening on Tuesday, at $275, plus $75 for a "stylist", plus the cost of the clothes she had to buy).

I'm not thrilled at spending $600-plus on this stuff (When I'm very pessimistic about it "moving the needle" in the slightest), but it has to be done - You can't really tell "Your People" that you're not going to give them the updated materials they've asked for, because you "don't see the point", while expecting them to work hard on your behalf.

And who knows? As I like to say, "I could be wrong. After all, I was wrong about something once" (Often followed up by, "...and it was so unpleasant, I decided it must never happen again").

(11:15 am)

A break in the writing action, as I've emailed with my stylist (arranging to pick up my headshot clothes at the agency on Monday. All of which I will probably buy, since they represent "looks" they want me to have anyway), and texted with Josh M. and Jane R. (Chatted about auditions with Josh, which we've both had already - though he's had a couple, and they sounded more fun than mine - and with Jane about her pending return to LA and what-not).

So...I'm kind of "at loose ends" today - There are a number of things I could do...but nothing I particularly want to do.

Which is basically the story of my life.

I do have a task I'm lightly annoyed about - because it seems stupid - but that I feel I need to attend to nevertheless, since I want to stay in this particular person's good graces.

So maybe I'll set that in motion now, since I'm out of anything even vaguely interesting to write about anyway.

Till next time...


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