9:36 pm - Sat 11.13,10
Just One. More. Job.

Busy week...

Had an audition Wednesday for a new Comedy Central show called Jon Benjamin Has A Van, for the role of "Retired Scientist".

At 49, I think I'm a little young for the role - The character references a time in his career when I would have been in high school - and sure enough, when I got to the casting office, I was one of the youngest guys there by a couple decades.

(When I look at myself, I see a guy who looks exactly his age...but in Hollywood terms, I may already be entering my "Old Geezer" stage. Anyway...)

The breakdown suggested the character might have an accent, so I went in with that, but they didn't like it (Disappointing), so they had me do it "straight".

(I think the CD would have bought it if I hadn't had a little bit of a "line issue" when she had me rehearse it. But anyway...)

They'd said we could improvise a "button" if we wanted - a "button" basically ties a little bow on the end of a comic scene - and they liked mine: "Mick Jagger still makes me call him 'Colonel'...those were some crazy times...").

Anyway, I thought I did okay, but excepting the "button", it didn't feel like anything particularly magical happened, so between that and the age thing, I'm not surprised that I (apparently) didn't book it.

(It's supposed to be shooting today.)

Had the I'm In The Band audition Thursday.

The part was originally written as "Phil", the role I played, but they re-named him "Jeff" (I assumed so they weren't married to having me do it - They clearly like me, but the demands of the part were a little different this time out, and they had no way of knowing if I could do it, so why not cover their ass?).

Anyway, I went in after Gregg Binkley (An actor who had a recurring role on My Name Is Earl, and is currently on Raising Hope), and it was "Old Home Week"; my episode had just aired the previous week, so the vibe in the room was very friendly and fun.

I read - "Jeff" (aka "Phil") is most of the time "playing the role" of a "Gandalf"-ish "wizard" - and got a very positive response.

The director had me do it again, basically telling me not to be so good at changing characters.

(In any case, that's the way my ego translated the direction - I was doing my best Ian McKellan-as-Gandalf impression as the "wizard", then being "Jeff", aka "Phil", when speaking in my "normal" voice. But the director wanted "Jeff" aka "Phil" to still be a bit of a sad-sack, even in "wizard mode".)

I took the direction, and once again, got a very good response (Though to my own ears, the second, more monotone/depressed reading sounded more like I was uncertain of my "Wizardly" dialogue, or at least less committed to it, than it did a permanent "depressive" character trait).

On the way out, I said something that probably wasn't fatal, but I still wish I hadn't said it - "This was a lot of fun...even if nothing else happens".

Thinking about it (And probably over-thinking about it) afterward, I understand the impulse - I'd genuinely had fun, and I wanted to share that and thank them for it - but I wish I'd left it at "This was a lot of fun".

I think if an audition has gone exceptionally well, it's "gilding the lily" to say too much at the end, trying to make an "emotional connection" that is either already there, or that doesn't really exist.

Anyway, that's kind of a "note to myself" - If I can exit on a funny/witty note, cool, but otherwise, keep it to "Thanks, that was fun" and/or "Have a great day".

Cause they're aware it's a "job interview" - I don't need to remind them of it.

And it's kind of bullshit to make it sound like it doesn't matter if I book the role or not - Cause it might be true I had fun...but it's still going to be pretty disappointing if I don't get the job.

(12:49 pm)

Back from WW...

Yesterday I had a commercial audition for Skittles.

Pretty discouraging on one front - when they had me slate and took my picture, the camera guy wanted a "big, toothy smile" (not my best look), then I had to hold my hands up to camera, front and back (also not my best look, since I have a pretty gnarly fungus under my left thumbnail).

But crooked teeth and yellow fingernails aside, I really like the spot, and thought I did a pretty great job with it (And it's exactly the kind of spot I want - Where I'm the "hero", and it's memorable enough to potentially do something for me beyond just being a payday).

And the hits just keep coming - On Monday, I have a commercial audition for Yoplait, where my crooked teeth and yellow thumbnail might be a plus (I'm playing the guy at the high-school reunion you either weren't anxious to see again, or else don't remember at all...but who sure remembers you).

The coolest thing about this commercial is that it shoots "overseas" - though the breakdown don't say where - and "shooting something in another country" is on my list of "Things that haven't happened to me yet as an actor that I'm eager to experience".

So wish me luck on that.

Actually, if you'd like, you can wish me luck on all of it, cause I need at least one more booking to beat my personal best (for "Number of Bookings In A Year") - Currently I'm tied with 2007, at six gigs for the year, and while one more job would do it, two or three more jobs would really make 2010 a "banner year".

And on that note, I'd better wrap this up, cause I'm actually meeting Bette at the office at 2:00 (For the first time in I-don't-remember-how -long).

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