This we interview long time friend, actor, stunt man and martial experts expert Dylan Libby who is currently on tour with Marvel Universe Live as Groot! We dive into the world of theatrical stunts and what it takes to be involved in a production of this magnitude. Dylan dishes on everything from his audition process to focusing on his health and what it means to being play such a beloved character like Groot.
Involvement in a show like Marvel Universe Live is probably not something the average actor considers an opportunity. It’s also not something every actor or actress could participate because of the special physical requirements and skills needed.
Dylan Libby Interview Highlights
Auditioning for Marvel Universe Live
Confessions of his love for Groot
Learning to walk on hybrid stilts standing over 9 feet tall
We reveal Joe’s former teacher / student relationship in theater
Dylan discusses his martial arts background
Ditching a traditional education for the patch of acting at Adelphi
How he found out about the audition through Backstage.com
Levering martial arts to nail his first round of auditions
Taking off from work to build his own stilts and nail the role
Building a team around him and a support group was key to his success
We discuss the rise of Guardians of the Galaxy
Landing the Role of Groot in Marvel Universe Live
The audition process took over 2 years where he focused on yoga, fitness and healthy eating
Before rehearsals began, costuming took up a considerable amount of time
Fun Fact: The guy who made Groot also made Bear in the Big Blue House
The show was rehearsed for 2 months at Feldman Entertainment Studios
A soft launch debuted in New Orleans for 3 weeks before taking it on the road
The grand opening took place in Los Angeles
The cast is like one big family and they teach other skills to build each other up
Have questions for Dylan about Marvel Universe Live or what it’s like to play Groot? Leave us a note in the comments.
Today’s guest is Robert Sciglimpaglia, an actor and accomplished voice over artist who is also a practicing attorney has been producing his own feature films as an Executive Producer. the past few years. We had the pleasure of meeting Robert at the American Film Market in 2017 where we spoke about film funding and film distribution. What we learn in today’s interview is that there is a delicate balance between financing, casting and distribution that may lead to the success of your next independent film.
In the early days, Robert hosted a local radio program back in the mid 1990’s called “The Law Show”, and more recently, hosted a radio show called “Ask the Lawyer.” Robert’s first venture into the acting field was a show called “American Experience: Hijacked!” which aired nationally on PBS-TV and was narrated by Campbell Scott. Since that time, he has appeared in numerous national projects with many big name stars, both in acting and voice overs. His latest project in post-production is an independent feature film, called One, featuring Lance Henriksen.
Follow Robert Sciglimpaglia’s Independent Film Projects
A critically acclaimed actor, Tom Malloy wowed Hollywood with his stunning turn in the indie-cult favorite Gravesend in 1998, which was produced by Oliver Stone. Tom became a trend setter as one of the first successful triple-hyphenate Actor/Writer/Producers and made it his business to learn as much about the filmmaking industry as possible. Over the years, Tom has raised more than $25 million in private equity from independent financiers and has written, produced and starred or co-starred in nearly all the films that his company Trick Candle Productions has made.
Tom Malloy is the author of the book Bankroll that is a must read for filmmakers, actors and producers that want to finance their independent feature films. Tom has now turned Bankroll into a video course for filmmakers as a new approach financing feature films. Get the Course. In our interview you can hear Tom talk about his experiences financing films and the great stories he has to share from behind and in front of the camera.
Tom wanted to be an actor and thought that’s what he wanted to pursue
He was cast for the movie Gravesend in 1998 that was filmed in Brooklyn
Gravesend was picked up by Oliver Stone he thought he’d made it
When he didn’t become an overnight success he started learning every other aspect of the business
Tom Malloy has now produced 15 movies and written over 20 screenplays
The book Bankroll is considered the gold standard for film financing that he wrote in 2009
Being a Dancer
If you can do martial arts you can be a dancer
It’s similar to martial arts in learning patters, forms and moves
Tom took a job as a ballroom dancer when he was preparing for the movie Love N Dancing with co-star Amy Smart
Dancing is something he thinks anyone can do
Becoming a Producer
Producing became a means to an end
Tom discovered he was good at raising money by persistence and motivation
It took 6 movies before he was confident enough to produce
“If you do it long enough people start to trust you.”
How Do You Raise Money For Film
Network with people that are outside of the movie business
Act as a conduit for them to get into the movie business
Everyone wants to be part of the movie business.
They want to have celebrity friends. If you can be the person to bring that to the investor you’re in great shape.
The book Bankroll had two editions and Tom didn’t want to write a third. Working with Jason Brubaker, their video course contains 85 videos on funding a feature film. Get the Course. In this course Tom is giving away all of his secrets about how he personally raised $25 million to finance feature films.
This week’s guest is actress and comedian, Jill-Michelle Melean was introduced to us by our good friend Alex Ferrari of Indie Film Hustle. Jill is known for her work on the sketch comedy show MadTV where she had memorable moments impersonating Hollywood stars such as Drew Barrymore and Britney Spears. You may have also seen Jill in Comedy Central’s Reno 911 and most recently in This is Meg which she co-produced and wrote with Alex Ferrari.
We talk about Jill’s family life growing up in Miami, her transition to Hollywood and her worst moments as a female comedian. She’s held her own on the road with the big boys of comedy such as Carlos Mencia and has a unique perspective as a white latina. Look out for her 1 hour comedy special, called White Latina coming soon.
Jill grew up in Miami with a strict Latin upbringing.
Fun fact: Jill and her family were season pass holders for the Miami Hurricanes football team.
She fell in love with TV & film at an early age but she had no idea how to get there.
Jill realized she could make her Grandma laugh by humping her leg at an early age
Not attending college wasn’t an option for her.
During college she thought she wanted to be in theater but soon realized film was where she flourished by creating a family for a few months and nothing is ever the same.
Jill believed in the power of laughter and moved to LA without knowing anyone.
Making the Cast of MadTV
Jill’s advice to those that want to do comedy is go to Second City in Chicago because now it is like going to University.
While doing stand-up comedy for a year and a half the folks at MadTV would follow her shows. At that time, female comics weren’t a big thing.
She wanted to audition for a sketch group when she got to LA but she had to pay her dues first.
Every time she would go back and audition for MadTV it would be like doing a one person show for an hour including impersonations.
When she landed the part on MadTV it took 6 auditions that resulted in an on-air test where she did Drew Barrymore and Britney Spears and they made her a cast member immediately after.
“Welcome to Hollywod!” Jill recounts having to get down to a skimpy outfit in her first role on TV.
Life after MadTV
After MadTV Jill landed the Latino Locos comedy tour with Carlos Oscar, Ralphie May and other big name comedians.
She hosted the tour and learned from them really developed her time.
From there Jill landed Reno 911 where she met Carlos Alazraqui who she became brothers with on and off screen. You can catch Carlos in This is Meg as well.
Jill was lucky to go from one tour to the next during that time for 7 years doing hardcore theaters.
Jill also talks about her time working with George Lopez on Reno 911.
Surving in Hollywood is hard work
Going over notes for a pitch recently Jill had to remind herself how grateful she should be for the position she’s in.
She’s never satisfied and still hungers to get to the next level. You’re never going to be done.
The game has changed and it’s going to change again. Either you change and keep playing or you get out.
When she booked MadTV, she thought she’d be done. The reality is you book a TV show, then you don’t work for 5 years.
Jill has done multiple pilots that haven’t been picked up, even with the producers from Curb Your Enthusiasm behind it.
The future of Hollywood
“It’s the craziest industry to get into, but it’s also the most rewarding.”
Even though there’s more outlets, it’s actually made it harder. You can’t centralize the marketing.
Jill believes a shift is coming and after a attending an industry meeting recently they had the following to say: “Comedy is the only thing that has longevity. Comics have a strong clear voice…That’s where TV shows are created.”
Advice for females in comedy
Link up with a bigger male comedian so it doesn’t become an all female show.
Bookers like to promote the “sexy female” comedy show but that’s not where you want to be.
Open up for a bigger male comedian and then it’s easier to transition later because all the bookers know you. Hold on to their business cards because you will have to network yourself.
This is Meg
This is Meg is streaming on Hulu and is also available on Amazon, iTunes & YouTube.
It was a passion piece based on true events.
Jill wanted to portray what it’s like to live as an actor in Hollywood and the relationships you experience, not just the business.
Involving her friends was important and there was no drama on set.
Normally directors will not let a producer be that involved, but Alex Ferrari was able to put his ego aside and get the best shots possible.
Watch This Is Meg on
Her First 1 Hour Comedy Special
Jill has done specials for Showtime and other networks but White Latina will be her first 1 hour comedy special.
Piggybacking off This is Meg, she wanted Alex to shoot the special at The Improv to keep it personal.
Hearing her discuss how it’s shot and her decision to not show the audience is especially an interesting point. In comedy, it’s all about material.
Comedian’s that inspire
Going back to her love for TV, Jill loves the work of Carol Burnett, Tracy Ullman and shows like the Golden Girls.
Jill also loves the stand-up of Ellen Degeners, Richard Pryor and George Carlin.
We also discuss her love for Louis CK and says he’s the kindest man and was completely shocked by the news circulating today.
This week’s guest on the Imperfect Podcast is opera singer and actor Derrick Davis. Derrick is currently starring in The North American Tour of The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom. The grueling pace of a touring Broadway actor is no joke. Derrick shared his journey with us including the intense audition process it takes to land a role on Broadway. Having been hand selected by Andew Lloyd Weber himself Derrick remains humble to his roots and is so thankful for the wonderful fans that have supported him along the way.
Other roles for Derrick Davis include the Broadway production of Disney’s The Lion King understudying the roles of Mufasa and Scar as well playing Mufasa in the National Touring company of The Lion King and the Las Vegas production. Derrick has 2 albums available online, “A Christmas Journey” featuring holiday favorites and his all original project “Life Music.”
Derrick’s parents were born in Panama and he was born in New York.
Family, God, school and sleep were the norm for his childhood.
Joe and Derrick reminisce about auditioning together at CW Post College.
After college he struggled with deciding whether to work in musical theater or opera or do something else completely.
Landing The Role of Mufasa in The Lion King
Quote: “Nothing in this industry is straight forward.”
Auditioning is grueling but the more he does it the more he understands the necessity of it.
The producers need to make sure they have people with stamina, drive and determination to get over all the hurdles the industry presents you.
By the time Derrick auditioned for the Las Vegas production it had become wildly popular and a much bigger production.
Derrick had 8 call backs and interviews before landing the role and each call back was between 5-10 days.
He recounts almost giving it all up before getting the call that he landed the role of Mufasa.
Auditioning for a Broadway Role
For Lion King there were 100s of people you’re competing against.
You get a sense of how you feel you did when you leave the audition but you never what they’re getting on their side of the table.
Derrick has learned that rejection may not be them rejecting you but rejecting the scenario.
Height, race and other factors all play into whether or not you may get a role.
“Part of the responsibility of our job is to audition. Whether you get it or not you’re going to continue to audition anyway.”
A low point for Derrick
Out of college Derrick auditioned feverishly but he never knew auditioning itself was a craft.
In a show you have 2 hours and if you make a mistake you have time to fix it.
In an audition you have 30 seconds to get in and out of the room and convince them you can do 2 hours.
“I wasn’t good at auditioning, I was good at performing.”
The rejection got to Derrick and he stopped auditioning for over 5 years. He took days jobs as a bank teller and real estate agent.
“When I realized that there was nothing else I wanted to do I had to accept rejection was going to be part of that.”
Favorite Roles
Mufasa because it was his first major role.
Scar because at the time it was so difficult and against his own character.
Phantom is a dream come true. It was the first musical his parents took him to.
“It’s a complete full circle to be able to stand on a stage and do for other generations what was done for me.”
“Phantom of the Opera is a beast”
Phantom of the opera is international unlike Lion King that started on Broadway.
The audition process was instantly intense. He had his first audition and his first call back was that night.
After days of auditions he walked into the audition center and there was a full camera crew with three cameras and lighting. They had to record it to send it back to Andrew Lloyd Weber.
“They were looking for something so specific and it was in those moments where I had to figure out what it was and create in my body instantly to prove not only could I perform the role but I was malleable.”
Life on the road
The ensemble is incredibly tight because they spend a lot of time together on and off stage.
The phantom is a very lonely track and he was warned about it from the beginning.
His dressing room is away from everybody.
He has to arrive 45 minutes earlier than everyone else because of the makeup process.
Everyone has left while he’s still taking his makeup off.
Being on the road has been a challenge but also find himself again.
The Fans
Derrick loves his fans. He’s had fans get on a plane to give him a gift.
Like people that love The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the fans of Phantom come dressed to shows.
The Applause
The only socially appropriate reaction to tell someone you appreciate their performance is applause.
“I don’t do it for the applause or for that instant gratification but I do like it because it’s the dynamic of live theater. I couldn’t do it without a live audience.”
Derrick the Song Writer
Derrick says he’ll never stop writing songs.
His music is very personally and he gets shy even talking about it.
His style is very eclectic but his next project will be a bit more cohesive.
Talking to Brimstone, you can see how important his personal brand has been to his success and what it takes to make it as a diverse entertainer. Brimstone is an actor, pro wrestler and Long Island radio personality that has been responsible for his own success as an entertainer for over three decades. He’s been called a Renaissance man by many, but is more accurately described as a well-seasoned entertainer and entertainment entrepreneur. We had some laughs discussing his roots dating back to an appearance on Sesame Street and relived some memories as a musician right here on Long Island.
Brimstone is the co-founder, President, and CEO of Hound Comics, Inc. (Hound Entertainment Group), that launched a comic book series, Brimstone and The Borderhounds that went worldwide via Barnes & Noble, B.Dalton, BN.com, and Amazon.
You can listen to Brimstone on The Grindhouse Radio, a pop culture talk-based podcast and series that is currently syndicated on eighteen digital & terrestrial radio networks (including iHeartRadio & Google Play Radio) with a listenership of between 3.5 – 4 million weekly worldwide.
Quote: “You have to be in the industry touring for a couple of years. After a couple of years you know if you really have the heart to be in entertainment. Even though you need the money, you know its not about the money.”
Little Brim Lands on Sesame Street (7m )
Brimstone discusses his appearance on Sesame Street and his personal story about being traumatized by Big Bird and Snuffleupagus.
Family Entertainment (10m)
We debate whether there is entertainment worth watching as a family anymore.
His love of beating the drums may have had something to do with his career as a wrestler.
While working for the Long Island Voice, Brimstone meets the Iron Sheik and Bret the Hitman Heart and the rest is history
Quote: “It doesn’t matter how many people you’re getting up in front of, you’re always going to have those butterflies.”
Radio Personality on Grindhouse Radio (20m30s)
It was always something I wanted to do but wasn’t sure how I was going to do it.
Catch Grindhouse Radio on iHeartRadio every Thursday night at 7pm EST.
Brimstone talks about how his audience crossed over from his days in music, wrestling and more
Quote: “I’m not into people that disrespect others. I’m an open book, I wear my heart on my sleeve, I’m a good guy and I help people. If you can’t help yourself and don’t want to help yourself, I don’t have time for you.”
Sales, Marketing, Personal Branding & Entrepreneurship (28m20s)
Brim talks about how growing up in not so great neighborhood on Long Island motivated him to be successful.
Quote: “Back then you had to sell yourself because you didn’t have the internet to sell you.”
Check out his mobile game Forza Infernis on iOS & Android
Today’s guest on the Imperfect Podcast is actor Robert Palmer Watkins who plays Dillon Quartermaine on NBC’s daytime series General Hospital. We talked to him about everything from his struggles as an actor to how landing the role on General Hospital changed his life. I think Robert is a really humble guy. His roots are on the east coast from the Carolinas and it just seems like he’s really dedicated to the work. He really understands what the fans want and what the commitment is to being a daytime actor on a soap opera like General Hospital.
He appreciates everything from the struggles he’s had and doesn’t take it for granted. It was interesting to talk to somebody about soap operas because honestly we weren’t fans but watching his work and watching how it’s done you can see how people are literally addicted to soap operas. They’ve been around for decades. There’s only 4 left, General Hospital being one of them.
The character that he’s playing and the shoes he has to fill is no joke. We also talk a lot about the pressures he faced in taking on this role. Hope you enjoy the podcast and learn more about what it takes to be a soap opera actor.
Special thanks to Wendy Shepherd at Studio Matrix for making this interview possible.
Actor Robert Palmer Watkins Interview Highlights:
I know you’re out in Hollywood but you’re originally an east coast guy. What’s your background like? Where did you grow up?
I was born in Salsbury, NC and we moved to Winston Salem when I was 8 years old. When I was 12 years old my dad got a job with AMF Bowling and their corporate office is in Richmond, VA. That was good for me because Richmond is more like a city and the arts are appreciated. There’s a lot going on in the city with theater and art. I kinda got involved and did my first play in high school and before that did sports and when I did my first play I loved it. That was when I transitioned into thinking maybe I’ll be an actor.
I’ve been out in LA for 9 years which is pretty crazy. Time flies.
What was the first gig you landed out in Hollywood?
I think the first, this is so funny. The first thing I booked out of college. When I moved here I went to AMDA which is the American Music and Dramatic Academy because my parents were like you can move to LA, we get it, but we’d feel a lot better about it if you went and started at a school or some type of conservatory just to get your bearings, meet some people. The first two years I was out here I didn’t audition at all but when I finally got out I started auditioning right away.
The first job that I booked was a show called 1000 Ways to Die. I don’t know if you’ve seen it but it’s basically ridiculous reenactments of ways that people have died. The way that my character died was I slipped on a chard of glass while I was taking a shit. I’m using the bathroom and stand up and flush and the toilet explodes, the lid on the back of the toilet explodes, shatters on the ground and I slip and I fall on a shard of glass and it goes into my asshole and I bleed out. That was my start to Hollywood and my mom was super proud obviously.
I’ve done so many random, random jobs as an actor. That one may take the cake though, I gotta say. I think I got like $100 for the day. It was non-union. I was definitely not SAG at the time. You start doing different things, you meet different people and each project gets a little bigger, a little bit more legit. A lot of little roles like that when I first started out.
You were also at a conservatory. You’re a musician. What do you play or do you sing or write?
Write and sing and do a little bit of guitar and producing type stuff. I live with four of my best friends and we all collaborate on different projects. Actually two of my buddies I live with are probably going to get signed very soon. They have a band and I’ll jump in and do a song with them and then I’ll mix it with some of the other friends I know. It’s nice having a platform on a show where we have an audience that will actually watch some of the stuff that I put out there. You know what I mean?
I don’t have any official band or anything for myself right now. I’m collaborating with people as I see fit and I’m starting to work on some original music as well.
I’m sure the day job at General Hospital takes up a ton of time.
I was going to say yeah it does, that’s obviously my main focus but it’s actually a really nice schedule as an actor. Like today, I went in and my call time was 12pm. I went in and everything moves so fast so that once you’re called in you do your blocking, wardrobe, makeup and have a couple hours before you shoot. Then you shoot the scene, you get one rehearsal and then you shoot it. It could be five scenes or ten scenes but usually you’re out of there within 5 hours.
Today my work day was 12 and I got home around 4:45 or something. I mean, that’s not how it always is. Some days you’re there super early until 6pm or 7pm but most days you’re only there for your scenes and you’re not necessarily working every day. It depends on your story line. Like this week I actually worked every day but this coming week I don’t work at all because my character in the show is away.
So it’s nice. Yes I’m busy with it but I actually have more time now than I did when I was a broke struggling actor working four part time jobs.
What was the casting process like to get the role on General Hospital?
Mark Teschner is the casting director for General Hospital, really well know casting director here in Hollywood. He’s really really good at what he does because he remembers people who he meets and keeps them in the back of his head and when a role comes up he just has that eye and mind set where he remembers there’s something about that person that may be right and it could be years later. I think that takes a special type of person to see that in people and remember them down the road.
I went in for Mark when I first got out of college and I was doing all those random acting jobs like I told you guys. I was super excited to go in. It was for a contract role. It went okay, I don’t think I was right for the role and I was a little young and I don’t think I was as trained as I needed to be yet. I was still green but it went well and I could tell he liked me.
Then he called me back in a couple years later for a different role and went decent again but nothing. And then a year or so went by and I saw he was doing a class at a studio here in Hollywood and I was like maybe I should just take that class and get back in front of him because I know he liked me and I think it’d be cool to develop a more personal relationship with this guy. So I actually took his class and remembered me right away.
We had a really good rapport and I got his email, we stayed in touch and I guess this role came up for Dillon. I play Dillon Quartermaine on General Hospital. This role came up and he remembered me. He called me in and then I didn’t hear anything for 3 months and then I got another call back and I had to go see the producers. After the producers we had to do a screen test. And the screen test, that’s the final thing you do when you’re getting cast for a role. There was myself and five other guys screen testing. Even at that point there’s still six of us. You’ve gone through the ringer for this many call backs and met the producers and there’s still six of us! Really?! It’s kind of disheartening when you get there. But I got it so it worked out.
Mark told me, I knew when this role came up I had to get you in for it. I guess he knew and kept me in mind. It was a process to answer your question. It is a long process most of the time. Then sometimes they change their mind or they rewrite the role or they decide not to bring that character on the show yet so they hold off for a year. I think that’s what happened with my character because I was called back and there was several months where I didn’t hear anything. There’s so many variables that go into it, into booking something. A lot of it doesn’t even have anything to do with your talent. You’re too tall next to the girl or you’re too short, or too white, or not white enough. There’s just so many things.
How much research did you do and how much did you know about General Hospital before going in to audition?
The funny thing is they are very secretive about who they’re casting, when they’re casting, what they’re casting. I play Dillon Quartermaine who is a legacy. The Quartermaines are one of the main legacies on the show and Dillon was on the show ten years ago, played by Scott Clifton who is now on The Bold and the Beautiful. Dillon’s return to General was a big deal and they definitely did not want it leaked. I didn’t even know until I booked it that it was for Dillon Quartermaine. They had a fake name I think it was Dustin or something. My manager called me when I booked and he said you got it and you’re playing Dillon Quartermaine which is cool to hear as actor because you know that name has some weight to it. It’s been amazing. It’s very secretive. I thought I was auditioning for a brand new character named Dustin.
Is it a lot of pressure playing a role with such history?
You know there definitely is because you want to honor what the character means to the show. I wanted to honor what Scott brought to the character because he’s a great actor and he originated the role. I definitely wanted to keep some of the stuff and quirks and sarcasm that he brought to the character but I also wanted to make it my own. It’s been 10 years since he’s been on the show so I think he would be a different person now. The character, the reason he left the show, storyline wise is he went away to LA to pursue a directing and acting career, which is cool. So when I come back 9 years later I think he would have grown up a lot.
There’s definitely pressure though because these Soap fans, they are very passionate and if they don’t like something they let you know. Nowadays with twitter and Instagram and facebook and everything, snapchat, periscope, they have access to letting us know when they like or don’t like something. You hear from them. I definitely was aware of that. I definitely researched the show. I definitely looked at his work on YouTube but I also tried to compartmentalize it and throw it out the window also because I wanted to make it my own and make personal for me.
What’s the most challenging part of working on General Hospital?
The speed. It shoots unlike anything, any other type of medium. Film, prime time tv, anything other than soap you have multiple takes. A wide shot of both actors, then they do a one shot of one actor then the other actor, the same scene over and over to get different angles. There’s more rehearsal time, more discussion with the director, there’s just more time in general. A soap, especially nowadays, because they’ve really cut down on budgeting, time is money to the extreme on a Soap. There’s only four of us left.
Every day we could shoot between 2 and 3 episodes. It’s the amount of material that we’re filming in a day and the rate at which we are shooting it is just insane. People come on the show that are guest starring or playing a recurring and their mind is blown. They’re like this is how much you guys do in a day? I mean, that’s how I felt when I came on. I was freaking out. The whole first week I was shooting I had a packet this thick for every day of the week. When I would finally get the first packet down I’m like okay good but then wait the next day I have another packet that looks like that? It’s crazy.
It’s just the best training as an actor because your brain just learns how to do it. Your brain learns how to memorize things quickly and that was always a huge struggle that I had was learning material. Memorizing stuff. That was probably my biggest issue as an actor. I gotta say this job has completely changed that for me.
I shot today and I did not have my script from last night. We just moved and my script got misplaced. I was just hoping I didn’t have a lot of material today so I could learn it when I got on set. I got on set I had a ton of material. It was terrifying. The director was like really dude you didn’t have this? Are you gonna be okay? They were worried for me because it was a lot. I had about an hour, I went down to my dressing room and I just learned it. It stuck.
It’s crazy your brain has that capability. It’s like a muscle and I didn’t believe that shit when I got on. I was like I think you either can memorize or you cant memorize. No. You can train your brain to get better at that which is pretty cool.
Is there any improv working on soap operas or do you strictly stick to the script?
They do allow you to improv a little bit especially as you get to know your character. When I first got to the show I tried to stick pretty much word for word with what the writers did because that’s just how I was trained. Respect the writing. They wrote it this way for a reason, every word is important. As I’ve gotten more comfortable playing Dillon and making him my own, I am allowing myself to be a little more free with the dialogue. As I’ve gotten to know my character I feel like I embody how he talks and things now. Sometimes we’ll get a scene and I’ll say is there any way we can change this to this to sound a little more natural or younger or hipper.
Sometimes if you’re in a scene and you forget your lines you have to improv. They would rather you improv a little if you mess up than start over because that’s money. To answer your question there’s a little embellishing and a little improv but most writers and producers want us to stick with what’s on the page.
What is the biggest change in your life since landing the role as Dillon Quartermaine?
Oh gosh, literally everything. Like I said I was working every job I could, barely paying my rent. A month before I got this my car blew up on the highway because I didn’t have money to change the oil. I had a melt down with my parents on the phone. I don’t know what I’m doing. When is this gonna happen? It’s crazy because it hadn’t even been that long. It felt like an eternity but really I had only been struggling and auditioning for five years. There’s actors that go 30 years and don’t book anything.
I don’t mean to sound like a diva by saying I was auditioning for five years and didn’t get anything. Really in the grand scheme of things that’s not that long but when you can’t afford to eat it feels a lot longer than five years. So there were some struggles but honestly I’m really grateful I went through the hardships of it because I appreciate it. I see some actors book something so fast out the gate and I don’t know if there’s the same respect for the job when you get lucky like that. I’m glad I had to work really hard to get something. It taught me a lot about being an adult and a responsible actor.
My life changed financially. I’m not a millionaire or anything like that but I’m way more comfortable than I was. I don’t have work other jobs that I don’t want to work. I have that freedom to just focus on my acting and my music. I’ve changed because I feel good about my time is being spent growing as an artist rather than working a 9 to 5 job that has nothing to do with what I want in life.
Like you said I get to be on camera several times a week and just play around, experiment and try stuff and get paid for that. That’s every actors dream. I still have to pinch myself. I’ll be walking off set and I cannot believe this is so awesome. I had no idea being on a soap would be this great. I wanted to be an actor but I wasn’t targeting being on a soap. Now that I’m on one I can see why people end up having a full career on soap. The schedule is amazing, the money is great, the flexibility and just getting to work. So many actors don’t get the chance to work. The fan base is amazing and its allowed me to do other projects like my music or other independent films and now there’s an audience automatically built in and they’ll help me promote it and get it out there and blast it out to the world.
Outside of General Hospital what other work do you have coming up?
Yes I did an independent movie that I had a small part in called Theater 9. It’s going to be coming out soon. I just did Season 2 of a web series called Last Life which is a supernatural kind of web series that actually just aired in the past few months. That did really well. They have a pretty big built in fan base with the sci-fi genre. Let’s see what else have I done recently.
Im actually in the process of reading a bunch of scripts because I would like to fund my own project and produce my own movie and play something that’s different from anything I’ve played before to grow as an actor and experiment and be in charge of something. I’ve been working on my music which is great. I got to sing in the opening of the Day Time Emmy’s which was exciting. I just the episode of the nurses ball which is once a year on General Hospital. They have this talent show where characters get to perform. I actually got to sing and I’m really excited for that to air because it was all choreographed. It reminded me of being back in theater.
I’ve been staying busy with these fan events. They’ve been flying me all over the country. I’m hosting he fan events now with Laura Wright who plays Carly on the show. Her and I are hosting these events where we go to different cities and the fans in the area of General Hospital can take pictures and we sign autographs and do a Q&A from the stage. I walk around with the mic and people ask questions. That’s been fun too because I’ve gotten better at talking in front of people. Hosting is something that’s always been interesting to me as well. I’d like to maybe dabble in that as well.
Where is the next General Hospital fan event taking place? Is there one scheduled?
Yeah, you can all of the events on my web page at www.robertpalmerwatkins.com under the events section. I’m doing one in Marco Island actually in two weeks. Raising awareness and raising money for autism, kids with autism and other special needs. You can buy tickets for that as well if you to the events page on my website.
The last thing I wanted to mention was something really cool that I’m really excited about that we are doing in July 5th – 9th. I’m doing a retreat in Costa Rica. We are allowing 30 people to sign up. Anybody over the age of 13. Families, singles, friends, whatever. It’s going to be really cool because I’m partnering with my fitness trainer who’s a celebrity trainer Jordan Rude. He’s also my brother in law and Jennifer Grace who’s my life coach and mentor. We came together to do this retreat in Costa Rica.
Everything’s included once you buy your ticket. We’re going to be doing different activities. I’m going to be doing acting and music. She’s going to be doing life coaching, yoga, meditation with everybody and then Jordan is going to be having workouts. It’s called a digital detox. Basically when you check in you have to put your phone and your laptop, you have to check it in, we lock it away and you are free from all of that shit for four days.
I know that I need that very badly right now. I feel like everyday I’m just looking at a screen all day long. It’s just to be able to reconnect with who you are and I think it’s going to be life changing. Everybody please, if you’re interested in that spread the word.
This week’s guests on the Imperfect Podcast are Trish Rainone and Katie Uhlmann. They are the writers and producers of the new hit web series, My Roomate’s An Escort. The web series is an off kilter comedy about two polar opposite roomates who influence each other’s lives for better or worse. Trish and Katie personally bonded over break-ups and roommate stories and began writing together two days later and haven’t left eachother’s side’s since. The two share a lot of laughs together on the screen and in real-life. Trish is thrilled at how My Roommate’s an Escort came together and can’t wait to make more!
We had a great time chatting with these ladies who are super funny and clever. They talk to us about funding the web series through crowd funding, investors and sponsors. Like many other talented people in the entertainment industry, they needed to create their own path to showcase their abilities. Fortunately for Trish and Katie, My Roomate’s An Escort seems to winning over audiences with over 69k views in less than 4 weeks.
Katie Uhlmann is an award winning director, writer, and actor and was born and raised in Trenton, Ontario, Canada. After graduating from Queen’s University with a degree in drama and psychology, she started pursuing a career in film and moved to Toronto. Katie has acted in countless shows (Workin’ Moms, Just Passing Through, Paranormal Witness), commercials and independent films (Kingdom Come). She is also known for her work as a host on her web show entitled Katie Chats where she completed over 3000 interviews with guests including David Cronenberg, Tatiana Maslany, and oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche.
Trish Rainone is an actress, writer and producer from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She initially studied Film at Carlton University, but moved home to The Soo after some horrible roommate experiences and a bout of home-sickness. After working on several commercials, short films and the odd pause-or-you’ll-miss-her roles in popular films such as The Void, she decided to begin creating her own content with people she connected with and respected. Her first short film, Constance, (which she Produced and Co-wrote) had a successful film festival run in the States and Canada. She earned a Best Actress Award at the Horrorizon Film Festival in 2016.
Watch How to Make Successful Comedy Web Series
Interview Highlights with Trish Rainone & Katie Uhlmann
How Did You Meet?
Drunk at a bar where all of our relationships begin. We met at a friends birthday party in January of 2016 and hit it off and seemed to have the same sense of humor and the same angst towards exes. At the time, we were both going through “something.”
I had just gotten out of a 3 year relationship and crying a lot. We were both frustrated actors because we weren’t getting opportunities for roles that we wanted so we decided to pursue the dream.
Why did you choose to produce a web series?
I think because we had good chemistry we decided to do some writing together. We both had produced some short films and put them in festivals. With short films you do festivals and then wonder what has changed. We thought tackling a web series would be a better approach to tackling stardom. (just kidding)
We are still taking My Roomates an Escort to festivals but it was the idea of getting something out there immediately and distribute ourselves online. Although I do have to say there is something about being in a theater with an audience and seeing what jokes they laugh at. That’s something that’s nice about festivals. On the internet you just have a bunch of assholes attacking you.
Has My Roommate’s An Escorted offended anyone yet?
We took some heat early on when the trailer was released but now that it’s released everyone knows we aren’t making fun of escorts. Both of these girls are just girls. When you’re figuring out your life in your 20’s you go through some ups and downs.
We started with reality since we both had disaster roomates and branched out from there embellishing things and making them more absurd. The hope is that it’s relatable on some level.
Some people no matter what your job is you might not be great at it. You can be a low achiever in any field is what we’ve learned from our experience. We can be fired from almost every job. That’s something we talked about for Heather’s character because we never explored. I’ve had a lot of different jobs in life. As an actor you go through a lot of jobs because you want to keep acting the priority and for some reason bosses don’t like that at day jobs.
What was the creative process like for My Roomate’s an Escort?
We wrote the series over 7 months. We both have day jobs, I work at a casting studio and at the time Trish was working at a bar which she’s likely going back to. Whenever we weren’t at our day jobs we’d be writing and sometimes I’d go sit at the bar when she was working. Other customers would be like what’s going on? Did you say escort?
We had no lives for 7 months but really still have no lives. We crowdfunded on IndieGoGo and raised $20k and we threw a big party during the Toronto International Film Festival where we sold tickets to the party and got free alcohol from sponsors. Then we charged people $30 to go to the party that went directly to the IndieGoGo campaign but they got free food and drinks. A local business Adrenalin Tattoo gave us $5k and they were in the show. Our executive producer also contribute a lot of money.
Crowd funding and asking people for money was very stressful. Some people don’t like it and get offended. I had one person actually say I’ve tried chatting with you and you never write me back and now you’re asking me for money. My Mom got mad at one her friends for not supporting the campaign.
It’s one of those things where you can’t hold it against people if they don’t support you. A good approach is being grateful when they do support you. Have low expectations but be appreciative when people do pull through. What’s interesting is that the people you least expect are the most generous.
How long did it take to shoot each episode of My Roomates an Escort?
We did a block shoot and shot the whole series in 6 days. We ended up with a few pickup days.
How much PR & marketing was there leading up to the release of My Roomates an Escort?
We had $10k left we saved for marketing. There was a very strategic social media scheduled where we pre-planned our posts for every single day.
What was the web series filmed on?
We shot it on a Canon C300. I directed the series and come from a performance background so I don’t know a lot about lenses. Our director of photography helped and collaborated with us a lot. I kept it pretty simple. It was a very efficient set but super fun.
How did you get sponsors for your events?
Katie is really good at writing emails but we also found that going in person is successful. Getting a personal introduction is also helpful.
What did you learn from shooting My Roomates an Escort?
Build your own success.
What’s next for the series?
We are taking meetings. It’s doing what we hoped it would do and grabbing network interest. Our dream would be to have a half hour comedy but we are proceeding with guarded optimism because a lot of things would have to line up for that to happen. We are just going to keep asking people to give us money until it works. We just want to be paid to write and create our show.
Remember that guy in the famous Got Milk commercial in the 90s who couldn’t say Aaron Burr? How about the kid with no tongue in Wes Craven’s People Under the Stairs. That’s just two of the 116 acting credits for a guy who face you’d likely recognize before his name. Today we had a great talk with character actor Sean Whalen who gets mistaken for Steve Buscemi more often than himself.
Sean told us about his upcoming role as Satan in Harrison Smith’s Death House, how Drew Barrymore stuck up for him on the set of Never Been Kissed and rubbing elbows with other talented actors as the Comedy & Improv teacher at James Francos Acting School in Los Angeles. Plus, we got to hear about his latest feature film now crowdfunding on IndieGoGo called Crust.
We hope you enjoy our interview with That Guy Sean Whalen on How to Succeed as a Character Actor in Hollywood. Be sure to leave us a review on iTunes to help get the word out and
Watch How To Succeed as a Character Actor in Hollywood
Watch People Under the Stairs
Sean Whalen Interview Highlights
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Maryland right between Washington DC & Baltimore. It was kind of rural and I loved it there.
Were you a theater kid growing up?
I did a lot of plays but 5th grade was a turning point. They said I could do a class project so I directed and starred in Rumpelstiltskin. I’ll never forget doing it and then at the very end when I ran out on stage I slid across for my curtain call and got a huge round of applause from the whole school. Not only did I have fun doing the show but I also got huge accolades for it. In high school I was active in community and school theater.
When did you move to Hollywood?
I received a scholarship from my high school when I was accepted into the UCLA theater program. A lot of people have lived in different places. I basically grew up in Maryland for 18 years and then came out here. I didn’t get to do Chicago, New York and London like some other actors but I like it here.
I always tell actors, give it two years and 100% of your time and energy. If after two years you can say things are proceeding, that doesn’t even mean you’re getting a paid gig. It means you’re doing well in acting school or things are going well, then stick around. After two years things were going well for me. I was performing in the Groundlings and thought things were going okay. In the summer of 1987 I started to pursue things again and I recorded my first commercial in the fall of 1988. I just kept going and kept at it.
I had Alan Ruck (Cameron from Ferris Buller’s Day Off) in my acting class recently. He told me he had done Ferris Bueller and moved to LA and it wasn’t really going that well and was working in a factory. It goes to show you the ups and downs out here. I can’t imagine being in such a huge movie and then lugging boxes in a factory.
What was your first paid acting gig?
My first commercial was for Kaboodles that ran on MTV. It was a makeup fishing tackle box that you could keep makeup in. It got me my SAG (Screen Actors Guild) card and it got me my first car after driving around on a Vespa out here. After that I started doing a lot of Little Caesar’s commercials. Then I got People Under the Stairs in 1991.
What was it about the character Roach that stuck with audiences?
It took me a long time to figure out why. They used me in the publicity for People Under the Stairs with these weird pictures they took before we shot the movie. It was me with long spikey hair and I never really looked like that. Recently I was asked which character would you like to be in real life? I thought I don’t even know and then I thought Roach.
Now I understand why people like Roach so much. It’s because he was smart enough to leave the basement as a 15 year old kid and not be caught. Obviously if he was smart enough to get out and be behind the walls, he was smart enough to leave. He stuck around to not only give shit to the people that put him there but also to make sure that little girl was going to be okay. He was a martyr, dying to save Fool so he could help Alice get out of the house and have a new life. Roach did it all with an innocence. I actually wasn’t that young. I was 27 playing a 15 year old.
What was working with Wes Craven like?
I always say he’s like the favorite uncle at the BBQ. Not the one that’s behind the thing grill screaming but the one who hands you the hot dog and takes it from the loud guy. Wes Craven is so mellow and nice and very nurturing. He wanted us to do good acting work and really cared about that. Wes was protective of that and it made you want to do a good job. You could tell he was so nice and wanted it to be good that you instinctively wanted it to be better. You just didn’t want to suck for him.
It’s a weird twisted movie but he made it so safe. I thought if I’m going to be in this movie I may as well play and give 100%. At the time I was very lucky to be with a coach, Mark Speigel and I was also at Playhouse West with Robert Carnegie and they taught me to act act. I had come out of the Groundlings with comedy. So I was at the right place to be able to say I want to create this character and play this real. Wes let me go for it.
When I had my death scene I sat in the corner for over an hour by myself and he kept everyone away and let me prepare for it. I said I’m going to be over there getting ready while you guys setup the lights. Wes Craven was very sweet, nurturing and mellow but obviously a very dark twisted imagination.
Recently I feel like Rob Zombie is the same way. Super nice, mellow and kind of dorky. If you sat down to talk to him you’d realize he’s a cinephile. Same with Guillermo Del Toro. He was giddy when I met him on the set of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He remembered me as Roach from People Under the Stairs. You realize those are the best kind of people because they are fans of good work and the genre.
How important was studying acting to your success?
Definitely. I feel like an acting teacher said it to me best. You don’t walk into a hospital and go, “I wanna do a brain surgery.” It doesn’t work that way. You put in hours and hours and become a doctor. You put in hours and hours and become a lawyer. And we put in hours and hours and you don’t even know if we’ll succeed. At least they know they’ll have a job when they finish school. Actors don’t.
My acting coach told us we better know plays and movies. I loved movies and entertainment anyways. When I was working with my class and said we need to do a film noir thing, they said what’s film noir? My students think being good and putting out some videos on YouTube, that’s not what it is. Every meeting you have someone will it’s just like Repo Man meets Edward Scissorhands and you better know what that means.
Not only do you study the craft but you have to study the industry and know movies. You don’t have to watch the shows but you can at least go on Wikipedia and read about it and watch a YouTube clip so you know. I’ve never watched all of Dexter but I know what it is. I met with a young set director for my new film Crust and I mentioned Repo Man and he was like oh yeah, not like an early Tim Burton movie.
What TV shows and movies influenced you?
I watched I love Lucy. That redefined comedy in the modern age. Desi Arnez was a pioneer, 3 cameras with the audience, it’s still done the same way because of him. I watched the Three Stooges and Warner Bros cartoons, Fantasy Island, 6 Million Dollar Man and Gilligan’s Island.
Saturday morning cartoons were the greatest thing ever. You’d get a huge preview on Friday for what’s coming on Saturday like HR PufnStuf.
How did the Aaron Burr Got Milk commercial boost your career?
People Under the Stairs was number 1 for six weeks and I thought my life was going to change and it didn’t which was interesting. All my guy friends that were character actors would all audition and we were all there for this one. They gave us bread and a big jar of peanut butter and said this is what’s going on, just go with it. The radio announcer lines were playing and I shoved a shit load of peanut butter in my mouth. What was told after I got the commercial was that they didn’t have an ending. Most actors were angry and throwing the phone and screaming. I was the only guy to just show he got screwed. I just did what I thought was funny at the time.
When I got there, Michael Bay, who directed the commercial said just do what you did in the audition. That was his last commercial before he broke into movies and got The Rock after that. The commercial blew up and won all kinds of awards and Michael Bay got a lot of accolades and a huge career. For me, I was in acting class and somebody said your life’s going to change. Steven Spieldberg saw that commercial and said he liked it. It’ll mean good things for you.
After that I got cast in Twister which Steven Spieldberg executive produced, Men in Black which he executive produced. His friend was Tom Hanks who put me in That Thing You Do and Drew Barrymore put me in Never Been Kissed.
I was working a ton in commercials, 5 or 6 per year and then it all ended. I think I’ve done 2 since then and that commercial is 20 years old. It was a huge campaign and I’m so associated with it. It started my theatrical career and ended my commercial career.
What are the similarities and differences of horror and comedy?
Comedy is just fun because when you say cut the crew laughs. If you can make the crew laugh you’re doing well. Horror is usually like drama, unless it’s a horror comedy which is rare. In drama, it’s more draining emotionally because of the intense circumstances. Usually in a horror, the circumstances are so intense that it’s exhausting to put yourself through it.
I did NYPD Blue with Dennis Franz in my face interrogating me thinking this is awesome but that was exhausting. I just like giving it 100% and getting a reaction.
How did you get involved with Death House?
My good friend Felissa Rose who’s a producer and I had worked with Harrison Smith before or we were trying to work together before. They wanted as many iconic horror people as possible. It was a fun part, playing Satan. I can’t talk about more than that but it was very cool. This is one they are trying to keep under wraps.
What actors have you worked with that were memorable?
One was Drew Barrymore, who fought for me because I wrote my part for Never Been Kissed. It was supposed to be one line and the director wanted to keep it that way. She thought what I created was funny and working and wanted to see it through. It was her first time as a producer and Drew wanted to let me do my thing because it was better and it was working.
The other that was Dennis Franz who stunned me. After we were done on NYPD Blue he said he was sorry. He had a bit of a cold and was worried he was giving as much as he should. I was like that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard in my life! He’s great, that’s how I want to be. I never forgot that and now on any set I try to introduce myself to the extras. He was so gracious and talented. I realized that you can be really good and still be super nice at the same time.
The biggest people I’ve worked with, Tim Burton, Tom Hanks, they were always the coolest people. It was the younger people who had attitudes. I never really understood that.
How important are relationships as an actor?
My daughters will laugh because I say it’s all about the hustle. Networking and then being really good when you get an opportunity is the most important thing. The more people you know, the bigger your funnel is and the more stuff that can come in. Relationships are key.
What is your latest film Crust about?
It’s about a former child star working in a laundry mat. All his co-stars have either killed themselves or are addicts. He collects the single socks from the dryers in the laundry machines and blows his nose in them, wipes his sweat off on them, bleeds on them and they are all in a little pile. One day he cries into the sock pile and it becomes Crust, the sock monster. It avenges and kills for him unbeknownst to him ala Little Shop of Horrors.
I started in August of 2016 but I’ve been teaching workshops for 3 or 4 years. We just had our new teacher meeting yesterday with James Caan. We spoke yesterday which was cool because I got a call from the supervisor at the school saying James Caan really likes what I’m doing and the way I think. Wow James Caan! I’m going to dinner with him next week which is cool. You come in and learn comedy and we put on shows regularly. I’m trying to build a comedy department that rivals the Groundlings or Upright Citizens Brigade. It’s every Tuesday night throughout the year.
I love teaching. It’s like giving back. All you want to do is teach them things I wish I knew.
Have more questions for Sean? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll make sure he gets them! Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly email and if you really love us, leave us a review on iTunes.
Talking with actress Chanel Ryan we learned that being an actor is like being self-employed. That means you need to treat acting like a business. As an actor or actress have you asked yourself, should I take acting classes? It’s no secret that to make it Hollywood it takes guts and a whole lot of work. By taking classes you’ll get a solid foundation that will translate into confidence for yourself and the potential casting directors and other actors you’ll be working with.
Chanel Ryan is an American actress who has successfully navigated the acting and modeling industry over the past decade. Descriptions of Chanel are as varied as the roles she plays which you’ll see in our interview. A ball of energy with captivating eyes in a pretty blonde package. She’s a chameleon with strength, vulnerability, and great comedic timing in equal amounts. She shines in the lighter, bubbly types and specializes in darker material, playing edgy and troubled young women.
In 2011, she shifted her attention to acting full time. Her recent roles include a guest appearance on THE LATE LATE SHOW opposite James Corden and John Stamos; Starring roles in two independent films, horror film CIRCUS OF THE DEAD alongside genre legend Bill Oberst Jr., and the psychological thriller HOUSE ON RODEO GULCH. She can also be seen in the upcoming release of the comedy HYPNOTIZED starring Vinnie Jones and Kevin Pollak, as well as the drama BIGGER THAN THE BEATLES.
This past year, Chanel believed in getting a solid foundation for her career so much that she took time off to do just that. She’s been working on her craft daily to make sure she can lands the type of parts that will make her proud. We hope you learn as much as we did from Chanel Ryan.
Read The Highlights of Why Actors Should Take Acting Classes:
Are you a Los Angeles native?
No I grew up on the east coast in Pennsylvania but we moved a lot. From Pennsylvania, to New Jersey to Northern California to Southern California. I feel very fortunate to have had the best of both worlds. We had a pond so in the summer you swim in the pond and in the winter we would skate on the pond. Then when we moved to California there was the beach and we had a pool. I got to experience the country as well as the beach.
When did you catch the acting bug?
When I was little I wanted to do one of three things. I loved art and was always drawing and painting. A lot of the grocery stores where I grew had contests. Around Easter who ever colored the egg the best and Christmas it would Santa or a tree and Halloween it’s a witch or a cat. I would win every holiday. I’m a vegetarian but I would win my family a turkey or a ham. A couple of times a store manager thought I was cheating and had an adult do it so I had to go in there with my little art box and color for them.
I had an illustrated children’s book published when I was little and my stuff appeared at the festivals in Laguna Beach. That’s what I always wanted to do.
I always liked the thought of acting but it seemed so far away. I don’t have any friends or family in the industry. I’m not from LA or New York and I had no idea how to get into it. I laugh now because I thought it would be a very glamorous and easy job. There are parts of it that are glamorous but 95% of it is not glamorous.
How did you transition to acting?
I was fortunate. In junior high I was living in Southern California I was approached on the beach to model for a swimwear campaign. From there a few other jobs came in. Around the same time I was at a park with my girlfriend and someone approached us to audition for commercials and I got that as well. It was a series of events like that. A friend was doing wardrobe on a film and I went for dinner at her house and the director was there. He thought we were all cute and asked if we want to be in a movie and that’s how I got my first part.
I was planning to go to art school because I really wanted to be a fashion designer or an interior designer. I started working so much, modeling first and acting equally with a lot of success modeling in other countries. It’s really hard to turn down a paid job in an exotic location rather than stay in town in hopes that you’ll get an audition and then from that audition hope that you’ll get a call back and then hope that you’ll get a job.
Does acting account for more of your career than modeling now?
It does. I still model a little bit. They are both really full time jobs. You can only do so much. A few years ago I decided if I didn’t want to be one of those girls who used to have a career. I kept saying I wanted to be an actress so I needed to switch my focus, stay in town and buckle down.
The first few acting jobs I had were huge studio productions and I no clue what a big deal that was. When I worked with John Frankenheimer I auditioned on the set and he offered me a part. I worked on the film for about 2 weeks and you barely see me. He had said to me I’m going to put you in all of my movies, I’m going to make you a star. His assistant would call my home to try and book me for stuff and I would come to messages on my answering after I was off modeling wherever I was.
The first movie I did regardless of what IMDB says is called Waitin for the Rocket. I was about 16 years old and I had switched my ID to say I was older so I could work. It was Disney style family comedy and I was one of the lead roles I had no idea what a big deal that was to book the lead in any film. Shortly after I worked with Frankenheimer. I did an Easter special with Andy Williams for the BBC with 60s themed skits. I did a pilot with Bill Murray called The Sweet Spot. I did a lot of big things when I was very young and unfocused.
When did you start taking your acting career more seriously?
I had done a lot of commercials so a lot of agents were interested in me because I could make them money. I’ve studied with some of the biggest acting teachers in Los Angeles and each one of them I took something away from them. I had really been looking for a more solid foundation so about a year ago I started studying the Meisner technique with Alex Taylor. I recommend any actors in Los Angeles study with him. It’s a big time commitment but it’s worth it. With the intensive program you go the first 4 months 4 days a week. It’s like condensing 1 year into 4 months.
I’ve been turning down a lot of jobs so I can focus on class. A lot of films I had been in I felt like some I was good in and some I was terrible. When I did something that was good I didn’t necessarily know how to do it again. This is why I was searching for a solid foundation and he’s given me that. I feel like I can handle anything now. Every Monday we would do a different accent and every Thursday we would do a different impediment. It’s a full on drama school. I’ve given myself a gift and taken some time off to grow as an actress so I can always deliver good work and feel confident about it.
Whats the difference between indie films and studio work?
I go back and forth between studio and indie. Comedy is actually my first love. On the indie films it’s hard for me because I know what it’s like to be on a studio set. I know how its run, what the rehearsals are like, everyone’s fully trained and memorized their lines. It’s really easy to do good work under those circumstances. I love the indie world and I’m booked for indie roles coming up but one of the problems I was having and really wanted to study was a lot of times you only get one take. There aren’t many rehearsals. Sometimes the people you are working with are trained sometimes not. Sometimes they’ve memorized their lines and other times not. It’s challenging to good work.
I was on a film recently and the other actor hadn’t memorized his lines. He said he had the gist of it. I had to explain that each character has an arc with a beginning middle and end. If we don’t by the script we will never get to those. Depending on the director there may be room for improv but if you don’t have everything down there is no room for improv.
Do you have any audition war stories to share?
I’m sure I do but I tend to block out the traumatic stuff. We’re all busy. There are times you run into an audition and you’re not prepared, looking it over in the car. That can never be good. There are a few instances where you just have the right look and you get the character but for the most part it’s never good if you’re not prepared. I’ve done some terrible auditions I’m sure.
Which actors did you work with that inspired you?
All of them. I feel so fortunate that I’ve been cast so often among people that are way more talented and successful than myself. You’re only as good as the person you’re working with. Each person I worked with I learned different thing. Bill Oberst Jr. and I had a great time shooting Circus of the Dead. We were laughing and joking between takes and then I’m crying and running and screaming. I’m a vegetarian and at one point he licks my face after he had just eaten meat for dinner. It actually helped me because it smelled like meat. Bill is the nicest guy and would apologize in advance.
Judd Nelson was great to work with in Bad Kids Go To Hell. It’s interesting to see actors who are seasoned veterans how they come to the set. He was much more experienced than anyone else on the set in front or behind the camera. Judd was offering his advice to everyone about the scenes and stood up and fought for what he believed was right.
What was working with John Stamos like?
So nice, such a professional. Everyone was jealous and I’m a huge James Corden fan and watch his show every night. I heard about the audition while out of town and I had to put something on tape. It was me being a complete fan girl. The guy that taped me was like, “Are you sure you want to send this in?” I was like yes and I got it. I never watched Full House if you can believe that. John Stamos is ridiculously good looking. His comedic timing is amazing and a consummate professional.
When you work with people who have that sort of status it can be intimidating. I’ve been lucky that everyone I’ve worked with has been super nice.
Is establishing relationships important for getting more work?
I have a lot of the same people that hire me over and over since I was a teenager, especially commercially. I probably have 8 to 10 producers that book me. If I just worked for them, everything would be great and I have the same thing with a lot of theatrical directors which is great. Don Richardson I did a fun comedy called Attack of the Bimbos and we are about to do called Busted Reality. It’s about 3 girls who wanted to be famous by getting reality shows.
When I had first auditioned for him he was interested in me for a role but I was leaving for Canada. He really wanted to have rehearsals but I couldn’t be there. I was in Canada at a convention hosting different events and I get a call from Don offering me the lead role because he was having issues. Long story short I ended up cancelling some things in Canada and learned the script on the flight and started shooting.
What advice do you have for actors & actresses looking to break into Hollywood?
Don’t do it! There’s so many amazing things about it but I think a lot of teenagers are so influenced by reality television and think you can become famous by doing something stupid. What a lot of people don’t understand and only see the glamorous side. You’re basically self-employed and there are not enough hours in the day. You have to treat it like a business.
If you wanted to be an interior designer you would go to school for that, study for that, get an internship, start working under someone to learn the ropes before you go off on your own. It’s the same with acting. It’s a job. Every day you should be taking a serious class and working towards your goal. Whether it’s working on an accent, memorizing, researching casting directors or scripts. That way when you get an audition with one of these casting directors you understand how they operate.
My first jobs were offered to me but I was always prepared. If I was asked to bring wardrobe, I brought the best wardrobe I could. I always gave 110% and took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. I get to work with creative people in ridiculously exotic locations I might not otherwise see.
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I had Alan Ruck (Cameron from Ferris Buller’s Day Off) in my acting class recently. He told me he had done Ferris Bueller and moved to LA and it wasn’t really going that well and was working in a factory. It goes to show you the ups and downs out here. I can’t imagine being in such a huge movie and then lugging boxes in a factory.
After that I got cast in 