Strange Things Will Happen

I like this song and video. And I believe in strange things happening...

Thanks be to David Gregory

I would not be in WhimsiCali4nia at all if David Gregory did not have such a profound influence on my life's journey.

Upon my completion of 'The Atlantic Theater Conservatory' I was immediately cast in David's film, 'Plague Town' (no ordinary feat, I might add). I remember the day well. I was having a leisurely lunch with an old friend from my high school and remarked "I better get to this audition..." And I invited her to join me. It was a cold read-some short paragraph where I was to talk to some child about something...and while rehearsing a few of the professors at Emerson came up to me and sort of 'shot the shit' with me. And I guess they found me entertaining enough to follow me into my audition, which was a bit odd. So I had a mini audience for this cold read. And I managed to be pretty much completely off book for the audition. I remember I was wearing a blue dress and my hair was short back then. Not sure how I came across. I remember having one goal and one goal only: to speak to the child as if he were a child. That was it. No real action-though an action is usually that of 'to teach' with a child. But just one goal. That, and to not look at the paper too much.

Anyway, a few days later I found out I had a callback. And I went in again. A different dress this time. And I forget what the reading was. But I must have done OK, because then I had a third callback. And then a fourth, and then I lost track. It was down to 4 girls total for 2 parts. And after our final callback the four of us were so stressed out and sick of hating each other, we decided to go out for drinks and forget about it all. So we got good and drunk and talked about how insane this casting process was and how we were going crazy...

I was sure the pretty girl was going to get it. Because, well she was sooooooo pretty. Later, David assured me that we were both pretty. But still, she was super duper pretty. And I just didn't think I measured up. But in the end, I got the part.

This meant two things: One-I got to star in my first ever feature film right after school. An indie film that already had distribution.

And Two: I made a new life-long best friend with my Director, David.

I'll save the actual filming for another blog. But all in all, one thing led to another. We shot the film. I realized how much I loved making movies. The whole process-even freezing my butt off in the woods in the middle of the night in CT was somehow the most glamorous thing ever. The fake blood. The family dynamic with the other actors. I realized I wanted to be a film actress (before I thought maybe theater). And right after filming I was invited out to LA by a "big shot" manager to audition for EVERYTHING. And I did. But I also met up with David and Kyle (our AD for 'Plague Town') and had a grand ol' time with them. We were all in a bit of a 'transition' time in our lives. And so we found comfort in our budding friendship. Drinking the night away, driving to Las Vegas, pulling all-nighters on Venice beach. Being deviant artists that we were. And oops. I bombed my auditions in the process. (Yes, the hard-knock lessons we learn along the way). But you know what, that was how it was meant to be, I believe. I thought I could "get away with it" relying on my talent,etc. But guess what. I couldn't. And now I know that.

The manager dropped me. I sobbed on the phone to David. I swore I would never let that happen again. And I moved to LA anyway.

And David has been there for me through it all. And I mean IT ALL. He is one of the few friends I can call literally at any time. And he will answer the phone and say all the right things. And he has believed in me since day 1.

Now we have a wonderful tradition every year of writing out the BEST/WORST of this year, and our goals for the next year. And David keeps our lists to review for the next year. This year, David accomplished pretty much all of his goals. And I accomplished 3 of my 5.

We're doing good. We aren't so wild anymore. Well, I'm not anymore (won't speak for David). But we still have many highs and lows. And I would definitely not have lasted this long in WhimsiCali4nia without him. My dream is to make the next film we want to make together. I really want to do that. DAVID ARE YOU LISTENING?!!! We forgot to put that on the list!!!

Couldn't do it without you in...

WhimsiCali4nia

Dead Ends

Got my hair done today. Got rid of the dead ends.

Feels fresh, clean, and blonde.

I found my hair lady from a Casting Director who was very impressed with my audition but thought my hair could be "doing more" for me. So now I go to this Casting Director's hair person.

Hair is very important in Hollywood. People talk about hair more than politics, love, religion, and the meaning of life.

I was seeing a guy once who gave me hair tips. "You gotta use this conditioner, OMG...it totally gets rid of the frizz..."

Cut off the dead ends in...

WhimsiCali4nia

Cigarettes to Facebook, NYC to LA.

I'm so thrilled that my dear friend, Lizzy Eggers has moved to LA.

We met in acting school. The first day of class we were immediately best friends and have been best friends ever since. I think it's funny how sometimes "Love at first sight" happens with girl friends too.

I forced her to join SAG right when she moved to LA a month ago. And now she is forcing me to attend all of the SAG events, which I would probably not go to alone. Thanks Liz. Tonight we saw Nicole Kidman speak about 'ACTING...' and I was utterly depressed through the whole thing about how I'm...NOT Nicole Kidman...until I received a surprise text from my director of the indie film, "Javatown' I starred in, Karyn Ben Singer, randomly telling me I'm 'SO the bomb' and that I'm destined for great things.' And somehow that made Nicole Kidman just look a little bit older...and fatter...even though she's not fat at all, but you get the point. I'm sure she has a flaw if you look through a microscope. There's gotta be a freckle on her neck or something...anyway...

Liz was also the friend I attribute to helping me quit smoking when I went through a minor 'romantic smoking cigarettes out on my fire escape in Manhattan while listening to the song 'Save Me' and pining after a boy who went to Columbia and who I'd see in between his many important math and physics classes'...PHASE.

I told her one day that I really wanted to quit. And she said, "Well you can. You TOTALLY can. Just do it. You totally can just stop." And the next day I did. Forever. "Unless it's for a role," in the words of Nicole Kidman, "then I smoke."

Tonight, Liz and I spoke about facebook and how I'm addicted to that, as well. That I use it for work, but then get caught on it for other things and end up wasting time,etc. And she also said I can cut down on that too. She believes in me. And I in her.

I'll talk about the contract we wrote up together back in NYC at another time... we have an important agreement we made together. To be continued...

I have the greatest friends in...

WhimsiCali4nia

Get Lost

Sometimes I want to get lost in my sweater
And come out when the world makes sense again.

People are too confusing.
They want something I can't give.
Or they can't give what I want.

My sweater can give me all I need and want.
Warmth and comfort and if it itches I can take it off and put on a tank top or a t-shirt.

Peace and quiet here in...

WhimsiCali4nia

Friends

I want to give a little attention today to two of my best friends here in LA:
Angel and Mindy. (Myrah, don't be jealous...I love you too...)

Mindy and I met working on the show, 'House.' We took one look at each other and became instant BFFs...well, she had to stalk me for a bit. But I eventually caved. She came up to me on set and said, "We're kinda similar," which I was thinking, but was worried I was flattering myself. She was so cute. We were both wearing cowboy boots, of course. Then we found out her Bday is my half Birthday. And we realized we kind of looked a bit alike...now we go out and people think we're twins.

Angel came later. She appeared on the scene by Mindy's side at an audition Mindy and I both had (since we're the same 'type' we go out for the same roles a lot). And Mindy and I both felt we had bombed it. And Angel had just come from Italy and landed at Mindy's doorstep (fate, I'm sure). And though quite a bit younger, Angel was immediately scolding Mindy and me for being too hard on ourselves, and telling us we were so beautiful, etc. etc. I was like, "WHO IS THIS CRAZY ITALIAN GIRL?! AND WHY DO I ALREADY LOVE HER?!" And ever since, we are incredibly close. And I call her my 'guardian Angel,' simply because that's what she is!

Anyway, they have been going through a lot these past months. Angel moved from Italy, Mindy has moved maybe 3 times and has gone through about 10 different jobs. (They are both actresses). But they are making it happen, and they are brave, and passionate spirits who lift me up with their positive energy.

I so love our coffee morning/beach walk days. We all go through our latest 'dramas.' We laugh. We embrace the absurdity of it all.

P.S. If anyone wants to adopt them, please do. You won't regret it. They come as a package. And they cook and clean. Etc...lol...they keep finding themselves living with crazy ladies who try to hypnotize them. It concerns me, slightly.

Friends keep you going in...

WhimsiCali4nia

Top 10 signs that you might be an artist....

Top Ten Signs that you might be an Artist (any kind) which also means you probably need some kind of help:

1) You see that you have, in the past, set your alarm for just about every hour of the day.

2) You never make plans.

3) You fall in love at least once (a day). Animals included, depending on what kind of artist you are. Animals don't count if you are a musician-don't ask why...

4) You can't find your keys...ever.

5) You are creative about your socks (examples included are: mismatching, creative patterns, going sock-less with boots, toe socks,etc.)

6) You have broken or are breaking the law. This can by minor or major. Some law HAS or WILL BE broken.

7) You are hopelessly addicted to something (examples included are: Drugs, alcohol, sex, tea, chocolate, facebook (*cough*cough*), staring at yourself in the mirror, working out, yoga, herbal supplements, shopping, setting things on fire,etc. (No I am not saying I set things on fire, but maybe you do. I don't KNOW you.)

8) You LOVE the rain.

9) You stay up til 3 a.m. on a regular basis.

10) You have NO idea what day it is.

*Bonus*

11) You use words to describe yourself such as 'tortured' 'misunderstood' and/or 'deep.'

*DOUBLE BONUS*

12) You make up the rules as you go, so if you suddenly decide to have two bonuses, you can. It's your list and you get to decide.

The Book of Life

The Book of Life

I fear we are not on the same page of
The book of life.

I am where you ask,
"Can I touch your hair?"

And you are where you say,
"Not in this lifetime, my dear."

Time moves on in...

WhimsiCali4nia

We're just Visitors

I've decided to start a 'Wall O' Sony' for every pass I get into the studio. Though, there are many more, I swear. I just lost them. Sony seems to be my most visited lot, which is awesome, because it's the closest to me.

Anyway, had a 'general' today. But before my general I met Shane Dawson's manager, who was a beautiful lady sipping an iced green tea latte from Coffee Bean. And I said, "That looks good." And seeing as she was so beautiful, I figured she was an actress, but instead found out her client, Shane was pitching a TV show. And she was a manager. She told me her Mother was in the hospital, so she hasn't been able to sleep, and figured coffee would just make her jittery, but this was her second green tea latte of the day. Funny how much information people will volunteer after you make a statement like, "That looks good." I enjoyed our chat though. And I felt that she looked exactly the way I hope to look in my 50s, and carry myself,etc. There was just something very classy about her.

I realize that this is how interactions OUGHT to be. Spontaneous, surprising, discovering new things by the second.

Just like my interaction in Trader Joe's today with a nice older man who came up to me in the nuts section (please no puns) and said, "Excuse me, I just have to say you're so cute." And I said, "Awww, why thank you." And then the conversation got whacky and he told me about his friend who is '6' 1" and very handsome but keeps falling for terrible Persian women. And he doesn't know WHAT this guy has about Persians,etc. etc. And where am I from. Sweden? That I should meet him. That he wished 'Carl' were there now...that Carl and I should go out for dinner...to the Cheesecake Factory of course... And "You're so sweet. Not like these other typical LA girls..." And it was a strange, funny little conversation, which I enjoyed.

I don't so much enjoy the "This is a ________" occasion. "This is a 'meeting'" "This is an 'audition'" "This is a 'Date'" Because isn't discovering WHAT it is the whole point?! Because half the time the audition happens in the elevator; the meeting happens in the bar, the strange encounter with the man of your dreams happens in the grocery store (well not this time, but you get the idea...)

And in some ways that's what acting is all about. This is a scene about........

You choose in...

WhimsiCali4nia