I am, quite clearly, way too much like my mother.  Hence her nickname, "The Source of the Trouble".
Sometimes, I need to get good and damn pissed off to get productive.
Which is what happened after 2 very long days in holding the week of the 12th and a very long stupid day on the set of The Originals last week.
I worked on The Originals 4 times last year and swore I'd never do it again but I broke that oath because of what looked like a good casting call for a limited amount of "rough looking guys - think Vikings, etc" they put out awhile back.  Several of my actor friends submitted as did I.
I was put on hold first - as in, please hold these days for us while we check with the director and we'll get back to you.  Then the passed on me.  Thanks but no thanks.
And then they came back with a, "but we could use you on this other scene instead" - still a smallish call and it seemed somewhat interesting so I signed up.  2 days on set.  Smaller scene.  Sounds ok.  I'll do it.
Then, after I had agreed to be on set I started seeing a lot of calls from The Originals for the same day.  Saying "party scene - lots of extras needed".
Damn.
But since I already signed up, I went.
My preliminary casting call was for 7:30 AM.
So, I showed up on set in Conyers, GA at 7:15.
Only to be told that "sorry, you must not have seen the change in call time.  We don't need you until 9:30 AM - but thanks for being early"
Shit.
And of course, there were lots of notes in all of the emails about "bring lots of choices for your wardrobe - "you don't want to be yelled at by the wardrobe folks !"
So I showed up in Conyers, GA at 7:15 AM in a shirt and tie and nice suit jacket - only to find that - not only was I not needed yet but wardrobe already had clothes for me.
As they did for most of the others on set.
All 100+ of them.
Yep.
Over 100 extras in their small scene.
The big calls - cattle calls really - are exquisitely boring.
And you'll rarely get any camera time.
Last year I was literally standing next to 2 of the main actors, who were having a long conversation, and you still never saw me.  Just a blurry something in the background.
All of this to make minimum wage.
And to hang out with 100 people who think minimum wage is getting paid.
So Wednesday absolutely sucked.
I was there for 14 hours, in and out of a huge, un-airconditioned tent - doing nothing but trying to maintain a positive attitude - no easy chore for me - and not getting screen time.
But - because I am the son of "The Source of the Trouble" - I was just ticked off enough when I got home - at sometime around 9 or 10 PM to get busy and send a few emails off to casting agents.
And - lo and behold - first thing the next morning - I got an email back.
We're interested.  Send us your pro head shots as soon as you get them.
Those head shots are scheduled for tomorrow.
And with any luck - I'll have an agent pushing me for bigger and better parts.
Actual speaking roles.
No more Orange Peanut Butter Crackers for me.
No sir.
I'm going upscale with the Craft Service.
1st run stuff.
Sodas and mini-Snickers.
Beef jerky and Gatorade.
No more lukewarm bottled water and Costco pretzels,
What a dream!

Well cross your fingers it all goes well.
xoxo, J