THREE auditions today!!

When I went to bed last night, I only had ONE audition scheduled for today. When I woke up this morning I had one audition scheduled for today. Somewhere between noon and 5PM, that turned into THREE!!

My agent called me last Friday to tell me I had an audition for Time Warner at 5:30PM today in the valley. I got another call today around noon telling me I had an audition for H & R Block today at 4:10PM in Santa Monica. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with the layout of LA, Santa Monica is near the ocean, and the valley is 20 miles inland. Without traffic, it's a 20 minute drive, but in rush hour traffic? It sometimes takes as long as 2 hours.

I got to Santa Monica early, found free parking right in front of the casting studio (unheard of in Santa Monica), and went in at about 3:45PM. There were a whole buncha people in there, waiting. I told the casting assistant that I had another audition in the valley, and asked how quickly auditions were going. She said they would be going quickly since we were being called in 3 at a time (it didn't go quickly). While I was waiting, I saw that an AIG commercial was being cast in the same space. I asked the casting assistant if I could read for that one also. She told me to check in with the guy running the camera. She said if he wasn't behind schedule, I could go in. I got called in for the H & R Block audition, went in and did my thing. Stumbled a bit. It wasn't smooth.

I came out, checked with the AIG camera op--he was cool with it, I went in, did my thing (it went VERY well), and the guy told me "Wow. That was really nice. It was worth crashing the audition for." (I agree...but I did ask nicely first. ;o)


It was 10 to 5, and I had a half hour to get to my Time Warner audition, get my clothes changed (from casual to business) and change my makeup. Ugh. I got on the freeway and traffic was bumpet-to-bumper. I called my agent's assistant & told her the situation. She checked with the casting director for Time Warner & I was scheduled to be their last of the day. They were planning to be totally DONE after me. She and my agent were understanding and all that, but I wanted to audition!!

I drove like a bat out of hell...until I ended up on the wrong freeway. I am prone to getting lost at the most inopportune times, and this was certainly inconvenient. While doing some REALLY safe driving, with one hand I fiddled with the Google Maps program I just downloaded into my cell phone on Friday (thanks, Robin). I figured out where I was, and where I needed to go. I pulled up at the casting studio at 5:40PM. I parked in a lot labeled "no actor parking," put some lip gloss on, grabbed a headshot from my file and ran into the building. There was one actress in there, and the casting associate was walking her to the door (presumably to lock up). I was frantic, out of breath, and hopped up on adrenaline. I probably looked crazy. I told him I had just come from another audition, and just needed about 60 seconds to change my clothes in my car (yes, I have it down to a science) and come back in. He told me that I was dressed just fine b/c he was only going to shoot me from the waist up anyway, and that he was going to go to the restroom, but I was to sign in, read the sides, and center myself (lol). It went VERY well (probably b/c I didn't get a chance to think). He only had me do one take (I know he wanted to go home, but hopefully it was because I only NEEDED one take), and we were both laughing at the end of my last line (it was a funny spot).

Yes, I'm a working actress in LA (that still sounds strange to me), but sometimes it feels like I do more driving than acting. People who aren't in "the biz" think it's all glitz and glamour. Maybe at a certain level, but not mine. And I don't really want it ever to be ALL gloss and floss (though a little ain't never hurt nobody). I enjoy the work. It's what I do. ;o)

--Nicole