Archive for the ‘acting & career’ Category

What happens when a 93-year-old Spanish Revival/Art Deco movie palace with one of the largest screens in L.A. goes up for sale? Well, following the trend of Tarantino’s purchase of the Vista Theater, and Netflix/American Cinematheque’s purchase of Egyptian Theater, a who’s who list of three-dozen Directors are joining together to preserve The Village Theater.

An Iconic Save

Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, Lulu Wang, Bradley Cooper, JJ Abrams, Damien Chazelle, Chris Columbus, Todd Phillips, Guillermo Del Toro, Alexander Gonzalez Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron are just some of the Directors, lead by Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) who plan to preserve and restore the 1930’s landmark, scene of decades of iconic films and memorable movie premiers. Some of the Village Theater’s visionaries like Jason Lin, Gina Prince-Blythewood, Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Brad Silberling and Alexander Payne are returning to their UCLA roots in this joint venture that’s university-adjacent in the Westwood Village.

The Directors plan to showcase a mixture of first-run films and repertory programming that they will select. Goals include showcasing their personal collections of props, wardrobe items and film prints, along with plans for a restaurant, bar and gallery — all while the 1300-people theatre stays open.

I’m very excited to support this endeavor. My mom grew up going to the Village Theater. I loved her stories of glamorous Hollywood. I wouldn’t mind a dose of  glam right now.

We can all use a dose of sparkle…

Worth reading all the way through, Taylor Swift’s Commencement Speech at NYU was filled with life’s wisdom.

Here are my 5 favorite quotes:

1. Life can be heavy, especially if you try to carry it all at once.
2. Decide what is yours to hold and let the rest go.
3. Never be ashamed of trying. Effortlessness is a myth.
4. My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best things in my life.
5. And being embarrassed when you mess up is part of the human experience.

As someone who has made my share of mistakes (and keep trying-trying to bounce back) so much of what she said rings true to me. See if it does for you.

It’s so hard to get back to —

• Love Connections
• Work Connections
• Friend Connections

It’s as if we’ve been on another planet for what feels like almost two years now that we’re rounding around the holiday bend.

Everything and Everywhere feels DISORGANIZED

I just got back from Austin where a friend had a film premiering at the Austin Film Festival. He was so hopeful about premiering there, but sadly the fest was short-staffed, overwhelmed and underprepared. Some of the panels were really interesting, but the festival “directors” gave  a lot of mixed messages without the proper prep and support. It looked like crowds were light. It was my first time in a movie theater, so I’m sure others were a little scared to go to a film festival after being so careful. I talked to a producer who said it’s been like that for all of the fests recently. She said “SXSW” was a disaster. Guess you can blame it on Covid.

Luckily productions are picking up, so I’m hoping-wishing-praying that some acting gigs are in my future. But the tragic news about Halyna Hutchins puts chills through anyone who’s ever been or will be going on a film set. Sloppiness about protocols, an overwhelmed and underprepared cast and crew… a tragedy that could’ve been avoided…  If only there were more people paying attention. I want to go back, but I want to be sure people are paying attention.

Who knows how long it’ll be before we recover from all of the effects of Covid — not just health-wise but people-wise.

Just got an email from the hospital where I volunteer asking if we want to come back, if we’ve been vaccinated, blah, blah, blah. We’ve been furloughed for-covid-ever, but it looks like we’ll be going back sometime in the near future. Yay! At least I can help people-wise at the hospital and do some good. I need to get back to some sense of normal.

Can’t wait to connect with friends in places other than on screens. Enough with the Instagram, Zoom reality!

I don’t know if I’ll ever feel a sense of normal again. Get me to the hospital STAT! I need a dose of Dr. A to find out, haha!

Promising Young Woman is a rollercoaster ride disguised as a thriller-dark comedy-revenge flick? As someone who used to be a Promising Young Woman I related, though Cassie’s situation is wayyyy different from mine — with a different ending, hopefully;)  But, we were both on the road to success before WHAM! Something happened to change everything.

Enough on my situation — let’s get to why this film affected me so profoundly. Like life, it never goes the way you expect it to. Like an old Hitchcock film, it keeps you on the tip of your toes from the beginning to the end. And like any really good film, it makes you think about it for a long time after.

It’s not what you think —

I thought I’d be watching a woman’s revenge vigilante pic, but it’s not exactly that. You’re never quite sure what Cassie (played by the mega-talented Carey Mulligan) is up to — maybe it’s because she’s not sure how far she’ll go herself. Read the rest of this entry »

1. Get-up, gulp, and go for it!
2. Check off your ‘To Do’s’ and appreciate each step forward!
3. Embrace your flawsomeness and unique spin!
4. Push yourself more, more, more!
5. Focus on the good, the goofy and the giggles!
6. Laugh before you leap!
7. Jump off the old, land in the new!
8. Be your own wand — make your own magic!
9. Find the funny, even when it hurts!
10. Stick to it!
11. Believe it will happen!
12. Make the best of it, even when it sucks!
13. Believe in yourself and others will too!
14. Become what you respect!
15. Live with intent!
16. Be unstoppable!
17. Reflect what you desire!
18. Find your fire!
19. Tighten your ponytail and handle it!
20. Be the sunshine on someone’s cloudy day!
21. Be you, the imperfect you — the TRUE YOU!

Goal for 2020?

“Be me. The BEST me.“

How? “Not sure.” Who am I? “Umm… not sure.”

Gotta confess: There are too many voices freaking out in my head…

— in the casting room (when I’m focused on reading the CD’s expression instead of nailing my own read.)

— in the ER (when my fears get the best of me instead of me being the best I can be for the patients.)

— with Dr. A (when I’m trying to be awesome, instead of being authentic.)

… voices so loud I can’t even hear my own thoughts.

How’s that working out? “Not great.”
Self-sabotage? “Yeah, I’m really good at it.”

Let’s start with a little inspiration from Dancefluencers who are breaking stereotypes and dancing to the beat of their own AUTHENTICITY.

When I figure out how to access my own authentic mojo, I’ll get back to you. Stay tuned. I’m a work in process…

I love films. Love being in them, working on them, watching them and hearing about them in Q&As. I try to see EVERYTHING.

Summer is usually a challenge because I’m not into blockbusters. But this summer’s smaller films have touched me deeply… and have left me thinking about them long after I’ve left the theatre. Yeah, I still like seeing films on the big screen. I prefer watching movies with big audiences. Laughter’s contagious and more intense in a crowd, like the higher connection you feel when you’re at sitting in an outdoor amphitheater listening to a concert under the stars where the music’s really loud. It takes you to another place…

These three films took me to another place…

CIVIL RIGHTS infused with humor

BlackkKlansman –

Spike Lee couldn’t have picked a more important time to release this sly and chilling black-and-white expose.

With our country divided in such an ugly way right now, I wish everyone could see this film, In this true story, John David Washington (Denzel’s son) plays passionate undercover cop, Ron Stallworth who infiltrates the KKK on the phone, then drags an unlikely partner played by Adam Driver, into a courageous and crazy caper fooling members of the Klan and leader David Duke deliciously. Spike Lee’s film about racism, rebellion and working within the system forces us to face the realities of our past, present and future. Horrific scenes from Charlottesville remind us Ron Stallworth’s fight is far from over. BlackkKlansman is an important film to see. Really important.

Blindspotting —

Daveed Digs and Rafael Casal opening weekend in L.A.

Two life-long friends, convicted felon Collin (Daveed Diggs) and troublemaker Miles (Rafael Casal), try to get through the last three days of Collin’s year-long probation, when Collin witnesses a white cop shoot an innocent black man in cold blood and then ends up with a gun while he can’t stop thinking about what he has seen. Stars and Writers, Diggs and Casal, explore new and old worlds, racial biases, and the push-pull of an intense and complicated friendship set in the gentrification of modern day Oakland.  Loyalty and self-preservation clash in frightening situations with sweet moments. Blindspotting is unlike any film I’ve seen before. Worth seeing.  

COMEDY infused with anxiety

Eighth Grade –

Elsie Fisher and Bo Burnham in a Q&A at the Landmark in West L.A.

OMG! If I hadn’t already gotten through that grade in school, this film would’ve scared the s—t out of me! I’m sure I would’ve begged to be home schooled, ahaha!

Awkward with a capital “A,” Bo Burnham’s sensitive portrait of a shy middle schooler is stressful yet refreshing, lonely yet universal and depressing yet hopeful.  It’s like a real life horror movie that we can laugh at because we’ve been through it and survived. Eighth Grade is really good and btw, Elsie Fisher is the real deal, breaking out in more ways than one, ahaha.