I am reviving this blog after a five year hiatus. The original entries were lost somewhere in the cyber world. During that time I worked a lot, wrote three drafts of a screenplay, endured the worst fifteen months of my marriage, suffered a business failure, and, somehow, through it all, managed to strengthen my faith. I originally focused the posts on my career as a below the line (not earning personal residuals) worker in the film and TV industry, including all of the crap that I go through to get work. Realizing that my career is just one part of my life, I expanded my focus to include faith, family, and my demons. I will continue with that approach, and hopefully discover even more about myself as I go along.
I first came to Los Angeles to study Drama at UCLA in 1983. I left after one year to follow a girl back up north. Two years later I moved back by myself to pursue an acting career. Like most self funded aspiring actors I worked in a variety of jobs to pay the bills: solar installation, toner room sales rep (con artist), and law clerk, to name a few. I had an interview for an assistant zoo keeper job at what turned out to be the Playboy mansion, but I did not get that position.
Near the beginning of my career in Hollywood I met a beautiful, ambitious actress. She had her SAG card, and played the casting director game well. Unfortunately for me, she refused to get a real job to support herself. Actually, when we met she was doing club lingerie modeling to pay her bills. I told her I didn’t want her to do that anymore, so I suppose I created the opening for that, and can only blame myself. That arrangement persisted for almost seven years until we split up. She reappeared in my life a few years later, after I had married, to say that she wanted joint custody of the dog we had gotten before we separated. I agreed to that, and she would pick up Moki every other Wednesday, and drop her off on Sunday. It was fun for our runt Golden Retriever because Cherise spoiled her with attention. Unfortunately Moki ended up at the vet during one of her visits. She had surgery for cancer, and my daughter and I visited her the next day. She looked healthy, and happy to see us. Thenext day she had a blood clot, and died. The following week Cherise invited us to the funeral, at the Calabasas pet cemetery, which you can see from the 101 Ventura freeway. When we arrived Moki was in an open casket. It sounds weird, but she had been on ice, I guess, and it looked like she was sleeping. I read the poem Rainbow Bridge, which always chokes me up, and the kids got to pet her one last time. After the viewing we headed out for the burial. Cherises’s new boyfriend took me aside to ask if I would be willing to split the cost of an $800 head stone. I told him no, that I didn’t think Moki needed a head stone, so I don’t know if she has one or not.
I started building sets for TV and movies during my time with Cherise because it offered the most reliable paycheck, even though it is a freelance, ‘temporary’ job. Also, it keeps me connected to the industry that drew me to this town. Now, almost thirty years later, I still work in that field. There have been several detours, attempts to redirect my career path, but I have always returned to set building.
Through this blog I will share my journey in the world of Hollywood production, and include my own personal development that that environment has aided and necesitated.