TWO AND A HALF MEN

I love working on shows that have a live studio audience. Well, at least I thought I did. My only experience doing it was with How I Met Your Mother. Today, I arrived at the WB Studios for Two and a Half Men, a comedy with Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer.

I was cast as a beach bar patron and wore a Hawaiian shirt. Unfortunately, every other guy did as well. That's what happens when you listen to the casting agent on the line. Everyone listens to him. It didn't really matter though. The episode was over-booked and half of us weren't used. So I spent most of the day napping and talking about poker and philosophy with another nerdy extra.

A Japanese lady named Rumi was very nice to me. I was trying to figure out if she was hitting on me, involved with some multi-level marketing scam or getting me to join a cult she was in or something. I noticed a Japanese book she was reading from a certain organization, and she told me that Orlando Bloom was involved with it. It turned out to be SGI or Soka Gakkai International.

Her energy was great, but still a little odd. In the end, she mentioned a boyfriend, so I figured out that she was helping me because I was the only other Asian there. I didn't realize it until I was driving home. She was very helpful though, encouraging me to join an agency she is in that specializes in commercial work. She explained that commercial work pays even more than tv and movies. I didn't know this and am grateful that I met her. I know we will meet again.