'Whip It', Extra's, Bow ties, 'While my ukelele gently...

I had an audition yesterday for 'Whip It', a Drew Barrymore directed movie being filmed in the Detroit area this summer.

I read for Cop 1 and Cop 2.

That's right. I got range, dude. Swear to god.

It's funny about these auditions. It's very difficult to figure out how you did. There's not a lot of feed-back from the auditors for one...I mean they're not there to make you feel good, and they're not your acting coaches. They're there to film the huddled masses yearning for a role...(Ohhh! There's a documentary idea: "The making of the making of a movie"; or, "Cut from the herd: How I got my SAG card."

A couple of weeks ago I had an audition for a TV pilot for ABC called "The Prince of the Motor City". I thought I did good. I was still waiting hopefully for a call back when I saw a friend of mine yesterday who told me he not only got the part but was already to wardrobe. (I am not discouraged! Better days ahead for sure!)

I thought I was especially good as a Viet Nam-era vet in the scene at the VFW when I auditioned for the Clint Eastwood flick “Gran Torino” that they're doing here soon:

("Hello, Father. What'er you doing here? Selling tickets for the meat raffle?")

Dude, I killed that line!

Unfortunately, my genuis continues unnoticed and unapreciated.

My friend Janet Pound, (the casting director on a couple of these things), asked me if I was interested in being an extra on "Gran Torino". She said a lot of actors were excited by the idea of being an extra in it. You can be in a scene with Clint and watch him direct up close like!

Yeah, but...it pays like $75.00. Sure, that pays for the gas. And it does leave me a $25.00 profit. But on the other hand, it's not the stuff dreams are made of, really. I mean, the truth is you don't really need to even be an actor to get that gig. YOU could get that gig. It doesn't exactly enhance the old resume. And I've read in books that serious actors shouldn't take extra roles. In books I've read that!

You gotta consider that....

Unfortunately, there aren't alot of places to get advice on this sort of thing.

On the other hand, I have recently looked into ushering at conventions and acting out diseases for the med school at MSU in order to make a little money. And $25.00 is $25.00.

Oh my god. This is what I've come to.

"Leap and the net will appear"

Geronimooooooooo....
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Bow Tie (A poem by Doug Alchin)

I'm gonna buy me a bow tie.
(I don't care what people say).
It'll be totally different
than the tie I was wearin' today.
I'm gonna wear it uptown
so that everyone can see,
that they'd better think twice before they think about screwin' with me.

I don't want no string tie.
Or no sissyfied clip-on deal.
I'm gonna buy me a bow tie-
the kind you gotta tie for real.
I'm gonna buy me a bow tie.
I know exactly what I want.
I want to buy me a bow tie.

What're you gonna do to a man who'd wear a bow tie?
What're you gonna do he hasn't already done to himself?
You can't do nothin' to a man who'd wear a bow tie.
That's a dangerous man.
And that's what I am.
So don't get in my way.
I'm gonna go out and buy me a bow tie today.

(Go here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qakFIecBU for ukelele version of 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' with Jake Shimabukuro and Tommy Emmanuel)