near misses: three truths

in hollywood, for every job you get there are dozens you don't. when i started auditioning as a teenager, someone wise warned me that there were 500 actors for any given role. that is why when asked about getting into the business, i always advise caution concerning the odds of making rent. i say only pursue it if there is absolutely NOTHING else you like/want/need to do. if you are resilient with a short term memory, you might be able to persevere. for better or worse, i have spied that elusive brass ring of overnight success. lets talk about three of them, that i remember.

1. mr. matthew mcconaughey.

the charm and abdominal strength you see on film exists in real life. i witnessed them both first hand one afternoon in a van nuys sound stage. after a successful audition for a first time director, the now insanely successful adam shankman, i was asked to read with the film's star on camera. the studio had their picks but adam wanted me to do well. i accepted his work session invitation at his dance studio before the test. i was the only one and this was once again looking like my kind of opportunity: a clever supporting role a charming romantic comedy with a young director at a small studio. could this be the one??

The Wedding Planner would have been my second film with mcconaughey. although we didn't work together, we were both in a small movie called Glory Daze. (um, also starring sam rockwell, ben affleck and french stewart to name a few...) i referenced it when we met and instantly bonded over storytelling and character acting. one of the scenes i had to do was emotional. he saw i had done my homework, so he skipped a break to do the scene right away. despite our instant rapport and a pleasingly executed 40 minute filmed audition, a studio darling would once again claim the trophy. boo.

2. miss shannen doherty.

i was on the set of one my greatest victories. i had won the role of the feisty tempestuous daughter of none other than ann-margret: my hero! we were filming episode 5 of a seven episode ordered mid-season series call Four Corners. this was a dream job for me: red hair, horses, kamar de los reyes! it was a primetime soap by the creators of knots landing. i played a wild youth in love with a priest(kamar) bent on returning him to my bed.

on the same day i heard we had been cancelled after only 2 nights of airings, my manager said she had a test offer for supernatural show called Charmed. i read the pilot and loved it, but i was reeling from disappointment and vulnerable to my manager's recommendation to pass. and so i did. oops. this is my one regret of my career. truthfully, the part was shannen's. i had no shot. but i almost never turn down opportunities. sometime i probably should, but ultimately for me, it feels worse to not try.

3.mr. rupert everett.

here we go again! one friday night got a call from my agent for an audition the next morning. unusual, but occasionally a weekend audition happens during tv pilot season. this is a time of high stress for actors, agents and casting directors. for about 3 months, big life changing last minute decisions are made. at one point in my life i had 20 auditions a week with a record 7 test deals on the table. (its own blog entry...) but an actor can only test for ONE in first position. this means you have to decide which show you want the most or have the best chance of getting. either way, you have to gamble what could be 7 years plus syndication! so an actor has to negotiate a contract and sign a deal before going in for the final reading with the studio and network executives. this can be one or two readings after a long process of making it through casting directors, producers, writers and directors. and you can get cut between the two. just simply asked to leave. so you can imagine how important the season is when you wait and wait for THE/ANY opportunity.

so here i am, ready to jump for another audition even if was 7:30 on saturday morning with no preparation time. unfortunately, that was not the only complication. the producers were replacing an actress in a pilot written by the creator of Mad About You for NBC. it was the second most expensive pilot of the season. (heather locklear's was the most) so this meant it was secret, fast and desirable. but my only immediate concern was that i had to wake up at 6am and not get paid for it!

i don't know what was in my coffee, but it turned out to be meeting to remember. i jumped into the comedy deep end and gave them a very original reading. it was a situation where they couldn't quite figure out who the character needed to be, so i guess they thought they could try anything with me. i got the role that day and did the deal on sunday having to fax contracts from kinkos. why does your technology break only when you really need? usually, pilots cast and shoot quickly but it was one for the books. not having a test session for network almost NEVER happens. even stars have to test, but they were under the gun and i got lucky.

so far so good, every thing going my way. now the catch: i needed to start the next day, monday, because production had already begun and taping was scheduled for friday. the problem? i had a 6 am call on a farm an hour outside of los angeles on ANOTHER job. without auditioning, i had been offered the role of lori loughlin's sister in Summerland. it was only going to take a few days to film and i thought it would be a great to start a whole series. (my character died leaving her kids to lori's character) whats the harm in taking this little job..? well, now that i booked another, i had to do 2 jobs, 2 days of the 5 days left on the 1/2 hour pilot. and on primetime sets, a minimum work day is 12 hours. hmmm.

now this is not the first time i worked 2 sets on the same day, but it may have been the most difficult. these were both brand new productions where everyone is still figuring out what they want. crews don't know each other well yet and many, many decisions have to be made. any little choice can be the difference between being picked up or abandoned by the network. so i worked a good 12 hours in a farmhouse then read the brand-new-re-written-since-audition-sit-com pilot while driving from simi valley to disney in burbank to rehearse for another 4. (note to agent: this is when production should get you driver!)

comedy is NOT easy. ask anyone, a comedy pilot is one of the most challenging to do well. if you don't deliver the joke and get a laugh once, it's gone. now this isn't exclusively an actor's problem. its also the writers problem and the directors problem. after about 8 hours of rehearsing, there are run-throughs at the end of everyday. that night the writers can re-write the whole show top to bottom for a table read at 8am the next morning. you have to sell it having maybe read it once. and your character may change right along with the jokes. i had the added bonus: they were confused about my character from the get go. lets just say, i never worked so hard in my life. well, this kind of work: always looking for the joke and trying to define the character. there is no margin for error in sit-com. no laugh=no good. pilots usually rehearse for 2 weeks with a marathon tape day at the end. i had basically a quarter of that time and 4 times the changes. but i had motivation: a fabulous cast lead by sexy brit with a quick wit.

rupert everett was lovely and fun and always knew who he was. he just wanted it funny and tried everything. i had many scenes with him as my character was "his girl friday" and hopelessly in love with the unattainable man. but we ALL were truly trying to find our way. each of us had our own challenges to overcome in this heightened reality. one of mine was a knock down drag out fight with an actor who happens to be a little person. the experience bonded us for life and we are still very close. but the most remarkable moments were both calming down and building up SIR derek jacobi. yes he is a KNIGHT. people please google him. one of the finest actors ever. a week after we finished taping he was staring in hamlet, and THIS made him nervous. so maybe you all believe me when i try to describe the pain of creating this form of entertainment. i literally held his hand as we walked out to introduce ourselves to the audience. oh, did i mention the live audience taping at the end of this grueling week??

despite the fact we created a wild british farce, the show would never make the airwaves. it was crazy, unique and ahead of it's time. a repeating theme in my career. oh btw, the heather locklear pilot didn't get an order either. so there. (she is soooo great btw, melrose place. um, yeah, its own blog.)