debor009

I'm one of those actors who never sees much benefit from audition classes....probably because I've never understood the phrase "make bold choices."  Like what the heck is that? But watching top-level actors auditioning for roles they got (or maybe didn't get) is gold free for the mining.  I've figured out more about auditioning from that than anything else. YouTube has a lot of audition tapes and other tapes can be found at various sites online. Below is Steve Carell auditioning for The Office, and here's a link to more.

I don't often just repost an email, but David Patrick Green  of HackHollywood.com , has a particularly wise piece of advice this week that I'd like to share. For actors, dealing with career anxiety comes with the territory ( Here is a very funny spin on that at Buzzfeed ).  We are frequently told to keep ready headshots, business cards, a change of clothes, etc. and to be prepared to jump on a set at a moment's notice. When we don't, this is typical: One anxious actor wrote to Green that he'd "made a mistake last night. A personal manager of one of the biggest A-listers asked if I had a headshot and resume on me so he could have it for possible future opportunities. I did not have one on me!!! I usually do, but I did not last night. Mistake, yes. Career ending mistake, no, but possible missed opportunity." Here's how Green responded: "I actually think the fact you didn't have your headshot on you is a good thing. First, anything is good if yo...

Taped the Season 1 finale of CapSouth , the web series about the antics of Congressional staff, i.e. those who really run Washington. Since yours truly plays their nemesis,  Congresswoman Gracie Todd Englewright , and we taped in a popular DC pub, it required me to essentially be "in-character" through the four hours it took to shoot my scenes. Whew!  Pretty tiring. The series has a fine cast though and it was a lot of fun. As I tweeted earlier today, I'm an introvert and a non-drinker (well, a rare drinker) and the scene involved me giving a nearly 5 minute speech to a big crowd in the pub announcing my intention to run for re-election - oh, and it had to be funny. I was feeling a little pressure. Here I am with the principal cast. (L to R) R. Michael Oliver, Kathryn Browning, Andrew Heaton, and Naomi Brockwell   

My husband and I were up last night watching director Shona Auerbach's 2004 film Dear Frankie for about the 20th time. This is a brilliant and moving film, beautifully shot, and incredibly her first attempt at a feature, having made a slew of commercials and one short prior. (It is quite possibly the best role ever for Gerard Butler , who plays The Stranger.) Written by Andrea Gibb, produced by Caroline Wood, a lyrical score by Alex Heffes (composer on the just released Escape Plan ), the film won raves at the Cannes International Film Festival , BAFTA and London Film Critics nominations, and a slew of film festival wins from Bulgaria to L.A. I have searched the Web repeatedly over the years for word of her and any follow-on projects.  Nothing. I had this sinking feeling that something terrible had happened to this incredible talent, because she had seemingly vanished. Last night while watching Dear Frankie I got out my laptop and gave it another try. And there she was!  Sh...

Technology is playing a larger and larger role in our lives as actors. Not only do we share our demo reels and send taped auditions via the Internet but we also – after we’ve gotten that coveted role – use the Internet to grab our performance clips off of the films and television shows in which we appear. Uploading and Sharing Video Taping an audition, as I’ll be doing later today for an HBO series, typically means shooting a big HD file and then creating a smaller size or different type of video file that can be uploaded to the Internet and then pulled down by your agent and the casting director. Here are some low cost/no cost options for creating and sharing smaller files: 1. Try  Mpeg Streamclip , which is a free program that you can learn about here and download here  in versions for Mac and Windows and others. I use this and find it super easy to create smaller files of sufficient quality to share with agents and casting. 2. Open a free account at Vimeo.com or Wist...

#CapSouth , the new online political comedy about the antics of the Capitol Hill staff of yours truly (as Congresswoman Gracie Todd Englewright) continues to gather media accolades: the Washington Post , Washington Times , Morning Express, Politico (full page spread with photos), RollCall (twice), The Hill, and online at Cynopsis.com 7/9/13 and  Comedy TV is Dead .  Creator Rob Raffety also got a radio interview with CBS radio affiliate WNEW here in DC and a write up in his hometown paper the West Virginia Gazette .  I think that has been more attention than even House of Cards got - at least from the inside-the-Beltway press. "Gracie," by the way, is very media savvy.  She has her own Facebook page for responding to "constituents" and tweets at @HonorableGracie.  Episodes of CapSouth can be found online at YouTube, and I appear (so far) in episodes 2 and 5.  We'll see where this takes us.  Will it prove a hit or be too inside baseball for the rest o...

Cinemas full of loud, dumb, crash-bang movies is why my husband and I are spending Saturday nights this summer staring at each other instead of gobbling up popcorn. The Atlantic just weighed in on why thoughtful film buffs can expect more of this schlock....it's all economics and a foreign market that has developed a taste for it. (The French loved Jerry Lewis films, remember?) See the full article here . Let's hope that Netflix makes a ton of money with brilliant programming like House of Cards . (More please! And not just because I got a few lines.)