"I'm pissed!" Yes, I said "I'm pissed!"

VO Audition - 2/23/06 - CDW

Okay, you tell me how you would feel.

It’s been a week since I heard anything, so yesterday morning, I called my agent to see if I’m still on for Saturday (2/25) to tape GREY'S ANATOMY. I’m told, “We haven’t heard anything yet.” “Okay, thanks.” I take that, and decide I’ll wait another day to see if they “hear anything.” Flash forward to about two hours ago. I call my agent's office at 5:00pm, and there’s no answer. Hmmmm...strange don’t agencies usually stay open until 7:00pm-ish? Okay, so I leave a message asking what I’d asked the day prior. At the end of the message I say, “If I don’t hear something back from you guys shortly, I’ll just call production and see what I can find out myself. I have all of the numbers at home.” (I wasn’t rude or confrontational at all during the message.) So at around 6:30pm I call production and talk to a guy by the name of Tom. I explained to him who I was, and asked if he had any information he could provide to me. After being placed on hold twice, Tom came back saying that all production scheduled for Saturday (2/25) had been moved to Monday (2/27), and from what he could tell I wasn’t even scheduled to work at all, because he couldn’t find any paperwork for me. He said that he’d check into things tomorrow, and give my agent a call so that she could give me an update. (He was very nice, so that made me feel a little better about what he'd just told me.)

Now, I don’t mean to sound witchy, or hormonal, but shouldn’t my agent have known this information? After being on hold for two weeks, why is it Thursday night before I’m scheduled to shoot, and I’m just finding out I’m not only NOT working day after next, but now I might not be working at all?!? What I feel the bombshell is, is that I had to call production MYSELF to find this information out.

I’m too through. I’m sorry, I feel like I do everything that’s asked of me, so I deserve an agent who is going to have my back right? It’s simple, all I want to do is work as an actor. That’s it. I don’t want to have to crawl and beg and plead every step of the way to do so. Don’t I deserve better?

I know they're busy, so in their defense, I will say, by no means do I think this agent is bad, or the agency is bad, but I should have went with my first mind when I sent them a drop letter last month. They are just not a good fit for me anymore. Plain and simple.

I'm out.

I’m back from ABQ...

Everything went well in New Mexico. I was able to meet with several agents and a Casting Director while I was there. I was also able to hang out with my dad, a lot of my friends, and get some much needed rest. Whew! It was productive and fun, but it’s definitely good to be back home.

So, I thought long and hard over the three day weekend about who I wanted to sign with in New Mexico, and I believe I decided on the agency best suitable for me. My meeting with this particular agent went very well. She really seemed to know a lot about the business, and the direction that it’s taking. (The agency is one of the more established one’s in the state, and everyone knows about them, and their talent.)

It’s pretty interesting because things are growing SO rapidly in New Mexico, while there, I caught wind of the fact that 4 new series, and not less than 20 to 25 films will be starting production there within the next year. (Jessica Simpson started filming a portion of her current project EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH in Albuquerque while I was there.) All of this activity is most certainly due to the new incentive program that was established by the state recently, in which productions will get cost/tax breaks if they use 80% New Mexican talent. I’m certainly excited about it all, especially since I was reminded so many times that I’d have virtually slim to no competition as an african-american actress there.

The agent also told me that Breakdown Services just took a trip out there last week to sign up all the Talent Agents in the area for FREE because there has been such an amazing influx of work as of late. Good thing I’m already on that bad boy, now they just gotta link me up, and we’re ready to roll!

Unfortunately, unless some amazing project (that doesn’t mind that I’m pregnant) comes along, I probably won’t have the opportunity to go back out there until this summer, after my little one is born. At that point I intend to stay for a couple of weeks, to audition, audition, audition, and chill, chill, chill.

GREY'S ANATOMY is on for this Saturday, 2/25. Cool. I can’t wait! Hopefully I’ll be getting the script sooner rather than later.

I think that’s it for now. I have a few more things in the works, but I’ll wait till they pan out before I say anything.

Wow! I can't believe February is almost over.

Me.

What a Hip-Happy Hump Day!

My hubby knows that I am one of those types of people who gets REALLY leery when a lot of things are going my way. I automatically think something bad is going to happen to me or the people I love. He tells me I'm just afraid of success. I think he might be on to something.

Yesterday I called SAG and found out I will in fact get $$ from sales of the GREY'S ANATOMY: Season 1 DVD. I'm sure it won't be much, but hey, it's more than what I have right now! So if you like the show as much as I do, go pick up the 1st Season today. Help a sister out. Ya'll know I got a baby on the way!

I followed up with my New Mexico submissions, and so far I have scheduled three more meetings with agents there. I talked to an actor friend in Albuquerque earlier this week, and she suggested I proceed with caution. According to her, a lot of the agencies have gone down hill as of late, and many of them are no longer franchised. That's surprising since the industry is really booming in New Mexico right now. She suggested I take on an agent in Santa Fe. We'll see, one of the agents I'm meeting with is in Santa Fe. I'll definitely meet with everyone and see what they have to say, and then make my final decision next week, once I'm back home.

Monday night I completed the two part Marketing Workshop I was taking with Clair Sinnett. I talked to her after class, and she suggested that I definitely market my pregnancy. I'd thought about it late last year, but then decided against it. I think I might re-visit the idea in March when my plate is a little less full. Take a few snapshots of my tummy, and get some postcards made.

Yesterday I was finally able to have a conversation with the talent manager I’ve been talking about for weeks now..:)...She’s really cool. We ended up talking for about ½ hour. She asked THE question: “So tell me about yourself?” (At that point I was really wishing that I’d applied myself a little more during Clair’s workshop.) At any rate, I got through it, and we ended up talking about my goals, the new baby, and GREY’S ANATOMY. Turns out she’s really good friends with Shonda Rhimes, the creator of the show. If I happen to sign with this manager, I definitely predict more calls from them in the future! She asked me to e-mail her a few things, and told me she’d be in touch to set up a face to face meeting. I’m keeping my fingers tightly crossed.

Speaking of GREY'S ANATOMY, still no word on my exact shoot date. I'm fairly certain it will be sometime next week, which would work out perfectly.

Click Here to see the recent BackStage West article I've been talking about.

Click Here to see the Coretta Scott King Funeral Program I promised last week.

P.S. I hope you all had a spectacular Valentine's Day yesterday!

P.S.S. Yesterday was my Wedding Anniversary too...:)...4 years and counting. I love you baby!

Tomorrow morning I’m off to Albuquerque. Please pray that I make it there and back safely.

Bye-Bye.

Booked! GREY'S ANATOMY...

Or better yet, I should say "Pinned!" I got a late night call from my agents office on Friday saying that the folks over at GREY'S ANATOMY wanted to "pin" me from 2/14 thru 2/24 to come back and shoot another episode. I am so elated. Apparently they are fine with the fact that I'm pregnant. Woo-who!...

It's funny because just last Tuesday I'd sent an e-mail to my agent asking her if she could give them a call, because I'd remembered my first time being on the set that there was a pregnant woman in the scene with me (her character wasn't "supposed" to be pregnant), and they had no problems with it. And after I noticed Chandra Wilson's real pregnant belly this season, I knew the cards were stacking up in my favor. Needless to say, I guess I'll never know if my agent actually followed up my request, or if they just happened to call out of the blue. Either way, I'm happy, happy, happy. I'm trying to stay under the radar with my happiness though, until I'm actually there to tape it, because us actors know anything can happen, even up to the very last minute. At any rate, it's nice to know that they are still thinking of me! That show is on fire right now.

The old actor's tale about how "as soon as you purchase an airline ticket," has come true again! It's all good though, I told them I would be willing to change my travel arrangements if need be. Besides I think having to reschedule because of something like this would only "impress" the NM Agents/CD's anyway. At any rate, I'm going to go forward with my trip as planned, until I hear something differently. Which means I will have to get on the horn today and follow up those hard copy submissions I sent out last week with a phone call.

Thirteen hours this time around for the braids. They look cute. I'm rocking a black w/hints of red type of deal. My daughter got her hair braided too. She got cornrows, so hers only took an hour. Of course she's walking around thinking she's "da bomb" now! Too cute.

Tonight I go back for the second half of the Marketing Workshop I started last week. Of course I haven't had time to put any of the homework together. I'm gonna get on it though. I'd hate to show up to class empty handed.

Haven't heard back from the talent manager yet. I will try her again tomorrow if she doesn't call me back today.

Well, I think that's it for now. More to come as things develop this week.

P.S. Thanks for the good vibes Tanika, and I'm glad your sister is doing better.

Aloha Kãkou

End of the Week Update

I just heard back from the BackStage West journalist. She was at Sundance. Apparently the article I was in ran in LAST WEEK's issue of BackStage West. Bummer, I wish I would have known, I would have made a big to-do about it...:)...At any rate, she's dropping an issue in the mail to me, so once I get it, I'll upload a clipping.

I also spoke, very briefly, to that potential talent manger today. She was "out in the field," and promised to call me back.

Well, have a great weekend ya'll! I'm off to sit in "the chair" for 14 hours to get my hair did!

S.

For the first time in a long while...

I actually got 8 hours of sleep (during the week) last night. As a result, I think it has allowed for a sense of clarity on my part.

In a nutshell, I'm a little peeved today:

• I haven't heard ANYTHING from all of those VO auditions I've had over the last few weeks. Not a peep. How sad is that? I really want to book AT LEAST one thing before summer.
• I've sent the agent, who I recently reconciled with, two e-mails so far this week. Alerting her to several updates AND asking (what I thought to be) pretty important questions, and I haven't heard a peep from her. Granted, I know she's busy, but a "yes" or "no" answer, how long does that actually take to type?
• Me and my pregnant belly spent 25 (ankle swollen) minutes standing in line at one of the most "ghetto" post offices in L.A. yesterday afternoon, to mail out those 10 (agent/cd) packets to New Mexico. Although, it's too early to tell, I KNOW I will be even more peeved if I don't hear a peep from anyone of them. Soon.

I have come to the conclusion that the only thing that will salvage my (acting related) week for me is if the conversation (I hope to finally have) with that talent manager goes well tomorrow.

Let's hope so.

Actually, let's pray so.

She-Mo