BAD MONEY

I just saw this guy on Bill Moyer's news program on PBS. Pretty fascinating analysis of the financial sector.

HEROES #2

I was happy to be on Heroes again but they shot in Valencia which is where Magic Mountain is.  That translates to freakin' far!  The only cool thing about today was that Cindy was there so there was time to rap about life again.

However, after shooting the first scene, they didn't use us again for the rest of the day.  We ended up hanging out in holding the entire time, playing cards, shootin' the breeze and me taking a pretty good nap since I only had about four hours of sleep last night.

I considered going to the Dodger game but flakey James said he couldn't go, so I just ended up heading home.

DEXTER

I saw Michael C. Hall and Jimmy Smits inside Eat on Sunset where we used the restaurant as a super upscale Miami restaurant.  Their dates sat next to them on a square table so the scene involved the crew shooting about four different directions.  I simply pretended to be having dinner with a date.

The only thing interesting (or I should say annoying) about today was wardrobe.  It was the first time I'd ever seen such a mean wardrobe guy.  After he looked around, he was definitely unsatisfied by what he saw and he wanted to publicize it.  He grabbed a guy wearing a green button up dress shirt, brought him over to the wardrobe coordinator and said, "there is no way someone like this would be wearing this in this restaurant.  This is shit."  Then he looked around the holding area and stated that "90% of everyone here looks like shit."

Of course, with my 90s silk shirt on, he pointed to me and told me I needed to change.  I followed them downstairs to the wardrobe truck and they had me try on two shirts.  They liked the second one which was an aqua-blue.  He told me to put on my suit coat and I panicked a little and forgot that my phone was inside it.  It fell out and got scratched.  Is that a sign?  I hate it when my phone gets scratched!

Anyway, they never asked for my voucher, so at the end of the day, I just walked off with the damn thing.  That's how I stick it to the Man.

SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES #2

I was happy about the noon call, but that also means a possible long day. Sure enough, it was and again I failed to bring my little chair on set.

We shot at Cicada again on Olive st. that is apparently one of the best examples of an art deco building in Los Angeles. They've shot numerous films there like Pretty Woman and Indecent Proposal. I'd worked there before on CSI NY.

I saw Gwen and Jeff at the call and Mike and another dude from CSUF. I wondered why there were so many Asians and it turns out the scene is at a Japanese restaurant. We ended up shooting at the restaurant pretty much all day and I was mad at myself for not bringing anything to do.

So instead, I started some interesting conversation with Cindy who I'd seen on so many other shows. It turns out she's with Joey's List too. I know it won't be the last time we see each other. I also met a Pinay named Jill who was named for Ann Jillian. She was in a foul mood and didn't seem very happy working background. Finally, I met Greg who worked on a movie called The Trouble With Lou.

Here's a guy who graduated from USC's cinema school, got a movie made, has a ton of connections in the industry, yet still has trouble really breaking in. It's kind of depressing when you think about how hard it is even for someone with connections to really make it. It definitely helps not to know about this sort of thing because it only fills you with thoughts that it's nearly impossible to break-in.

I wasn't feeling great because I went out last night, drank too much and didn't get enough sleep. I started to feel a cold coming on and was glad to just get home and crash.

SAMANTHA WHO #7

I was recalled and it again confirmed to me that it doesn't matter whether you've worked a show already or not. The scene today was for another episode, but it's still supposed to be winter so it was back to wearing a thick coat and sweatin' bricks.

I'm amazed at how resilient Christina Applegate is considering her double mastectomy. She said she felt a little nauseous now and then between takes. I was lucky enough to be able to just sit inside the set while they ran in and out of the hotel lobby. It sure beats doing crosses all day.

We had a walk-away lunch and rather than going to McDonalds again, I decided to check out the commissary. I lucked out because I had the handmade tamales which had the most amazing texture and flavor I've ever had. I'm not normally a fan of tamales, but these made me a big one. Now I know what a good tamale tastes like.

Afterwards, I finally visited Jansen's new pad in Hollywood. He's got an awesome view and a great location so close to so many clubs and bars. Additionally, his roommate looks like Mario Lopez so going out and getting people interested to talk to us was no problem at all. As much fun as I had, I feel way too old to be hanging out with these guys because I just don't feel like I can hang as long as they can.

SAMANTHA WHO #6

Today was one of those days when you had to do a little bit of physical acting. That's because it's hot, but we had to pretend it was the middle of winter in Chicago.

I ran into Joe who was one of the refs at a CSI NY call. One meathead came up to us and started talking only because he wanted to insult Joe and say he came up only to find out if he was a vampire. It wasn't real funny, but Joe is so white, I don't blame the guy. It turns out he's Irish and according to him, he got his athletic genes from his dad (he played high school basketball and could dunk) and his braininess from his mother.

I learned my lesson from CSI NY yesterday - always bring my little camping chair. It saved my ass (or I should say my feet) from torture and it helped today. Thankfully, we shot a few scenes on New York street on the lot and most of the time I was able to nap inside the incredibly cold sound stage where holding was held. I was surprised how many people were called, and in these large calls, it's easy to slip away and not work.

I spent more time watching my recorded shows on the PSP than anything else. I got bored a little and decided to work and before I knew it, we were wrapped.

CSI NY #6

When you call the Central Casting line to get a gig, sometimes the casting agent will tell you not to call-in if you have worked the same show in the past three weeks. I am beginning to think that they just say this and don't actually know if you've worked a show or not because I got booked by my service on the same show the very next day.

However, this was a different episode so that may have been the difference. Who knows? Today, I played a detective within the CSI unit. All the extras did crosses the entire day. It was extremely painful on my feet because I forgot to bring my little chair. I thought we would have the chance to sit but I was so very wrong. My feet hurt so bad, I began to realize how you can torture someone just by making them stand for eight hours. Even though this would not be considered torture technically, it is extremely cruel.



The good thing that came out of this was that this happened to be the 100th episode of CSI NY. So we were all invited to a sound stage that was converted into a dining hall with all kinds of fancy food. There was a mountain of shrimp cocktail, rows of pretty good sushi, lobster tail, filet mignon or some kind of delicious meat (I didn't go for it because I figured I'd just do an all seafood lunch) and chilled sparkling cider. We thought it might be real champagne, but it wasn't.

All the big shots were present and Jerry Bruckheimer and a media mogul (I forgot his name but saw a news show that said he was one of the richest men in entertainment) made speeches. When it was time to toast, we all looked at each other and wondered if we could pop the bubbly. One guy next to me wouldn't do it because he was terrified of getting in trouble. I frowned and that and asked the girl across from me to start pouring. Unfortunately, none of us could get the thing open since it required a bottle opener. I was surprised no one had one attached to their keychain.

I met one guy who looked like Jay Mohr who started to tell me how he's hustled himself into the entertainment business. He moved here from the midwest and tries to network network network himself toward success. He bartends, is a physical trainer and an aspiring actor. What surprised me was his drive and his willingness to do whatever it takes to be successful.

In some ways I admire that energy. If you were around him, you wouldn't help but get pumped up and motivated by him. I guess there's something to be said about the people you keep company. Perhaps I've learned that there's more than one way to look at things and more importantly, that I would like to be inspirational to others I know.

CSI NY #5

I got to be a cabbie again, but we didn't do any driving. Instead, we were positioned at the CBS Radford lot on one of the streets they made to look like a traffic jam. I never sat in the cab but instead sat in my own car since they needed more cars to help fill out the gaps.

I was really deep in the shot and it wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't so damn hot. Everyone was sweatin' bricks and the humidity was a killer. I saw that Columbian chick from Florida again and got to rap with her a little. It was nice she remembered me.

We were all happy to get a break inside the air conditioned holding area. I wrapped early enough to get home at a decent hour.

CHUCK #2

Zack, who plays the guy Chuck on the show, is a really cool guy. He doesn't have any problems hanging out with the extras and will actually talk to some of them. In the crafty area, there he was scooping up some hummus with his pita bread totally chillin' and having a good time. Maybe it's the fact that Chuck is a comedy and maybe it's the fact that it's only in its second season, but you can't help but like the darn guy when he's kickin' it with the rest of us poor extras.

I was cast as a waiter and it was a late shoot starting at 6pm. We shot well into the night even though my service told me it would not be an all-night shoot. Coincidentally, the other time I worked Chuck was around the same time last year and it too went not just into the night, but well into the morning.

I was positioned with a black couple and their conversation made the night go pretty quickly. They were pretty interesting and played conversationally with each other. Still, I was happy to go when we wrapped.

BONE DEEP

I was an office worker today and it was nice being able to film inside an actual office downtown. We got set-up inside the 6th floor of the LA Times building. I wanted to explore a little between scenes, but I was a little scared I might get busted. If I had someone to explore with me, I wouldn't have been so worried. There's something easier about doing something with someone you can get in trouble for. I also imagined what it might be like to work for the Times. It seemed like an ordinary office with ordinary people going about doing their daily deal.

I only worked one scene in which I was placed inside a conference room. Luckily, I was placed there with several people who were all very nice. One Asian guy in particular was hilarious, and I think his name was Andrew, but I don't quite remember. He had a routine that I'm sure he's told numerous times because he had us laughing so hard, one of the PAs came inside and shushed us, then shut the door.

Bone Deep will have Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Chris Brown and TI. It's an urban heist movie with Dillon as a cop. I saw Dillon and Brown who had Rihanna with her. I was pretty surprised how normal Rihanna looked without much make-up on.

I met a vegan named Monica who reminded me of Anika Sorenstam. Difference was she was from Hungary and she also looked a little like Ingrid Bergman, but a bit older. Nevertheless, she had an amazing rump and an aura about her that made all the guys want to speak to her. It was very odd walking behind her and seeing men talk to her as she walked by. I guess there's something about your energy and the way you present yourself that can have a remarkable effect on people.

COLD CASE

Worked at Warner Bros. Matched up with a fellow non-union backgrounder who had all her vouchers and was ready to join but hadn't. The scene was simple. We were placed on a street set and walked around the street. In one particular take, a young lady and I were placed inside a fake door and told to walk out of it as the detectives walked by.

MAC HARD DRIVE UPGRADE

After waiting for Time Warner to come and give us the All The Best package (in which you get Internet, phone and cable for a certain price), I had to call them because they never came. I found out they had rescheduled the service for Wednesday. I wasn't too peeved since my dentist appointment is for that day, so I suppose it works out.

Today I finally upgraded the hard drive on my Powerbook. It died a few weeks ago when I heard a strange rattling noise that I'd never heard before. Suddenly, the computer would no longer start-up and after the Brea Apple Store looked at it, they confirmed that the hard drive was indeed dead.

Carlo told me I could change the hard drive myself by going online and seeing how it's done. He said there are plenty of photos that would help me do it on my own. I was glad he told me that it's possible because I was about to pay for someone else to do it.

As soon as I got started, I realized it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I also realized that I already had all the tools I needed to do the job. However, it was nice having a #0 Phillips screwdriver that was easy to use. Unfortunately, the T6 Torx was of no help and was just a waste of money. I don't know if I'll ever use that tool, so maybe I'll just sell it on eBay. All I really needed was a hex tool that I already had.

The upgrade was easy up until I had to remove the upper casing of the Powerbook. That was tough since there was one part that just would not come off. I had to work on it for about half an hour before the thing finally popped off. Then it was all down hill.

Strangely, after not having used my laptop for some time, I realized it's pretty easy to let something go. It just takes a little time to adjust to things. Maybe that's a little lesson in life.

THE MENTALIST

I'd been on this set before while playing hooky on Eleventh Hour. Apparently, it's a college town, Ivy League-type, but I didn't get a sense of whether the show takes place in this town or whether our lead is visiting just to help.

I was cast as a college student walking around campus. It was simple work but the sun made working brutal. For some reason, it seemed like the sun's rays were more powerful than usual. To top it off, I was wearing a sweater since the scene is supposed to take place in the Fall. Everyone was hot as hell and ran for shade as soon as the take was over.

My interesting meet of the day was a Colombian girl who just moved to California from Florida. What a vibe she had. So positive, ever fun loving and almost innocent. I say almost because she partied at the University of South Florida and she's basically living in the States on her own (but likely with the parents' help).

It was such a contrast to another girl I was paired up with who was so over the Hollywood scene. It's not that she minded being on set. No, it was more of being so sick of fake people and the values they have. Even though I was trying to be real, she struck me as someone who didn't really want to make conversation because she'd seen it all.

We got into talking about the pressures celebrities face in show biz and she commented how we have no idea the kinds of things they face. When everyone is trying to take advantage of you for their own benefit, how can you tell what is real anymore? That, she argued, is why they get into really stupid things like drugs, sex tapes and other publicity stunts just to stay "popular." Ultimately, she didn't want to blame them and I suspect she felt that I was being judgmental.

Surprisingly, we wrapped early. We weren't fed and I was hungry (since it was afer 1:45p). I wanted to work out but instead, I ate and then got a call to go out for Joyce's graduation celebration at Memphis bar.

And that's when I got into a long and argumentative discussion with JD about the reasons why he wasn't going.

KATH & KIM

This is a new series that will premiere this Fall. It stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair. We shot inside the Burbank Town Center. It was a hot day and it was humid, as usual. When winter rolls around, I suspect I'll be complaining about the cold, but this humidity is getting real old.

We held inside the parking garage and it was not very pleasant in there. So when we had the opportunity, we just hung out inside the mall. During these kinds of shoots, it's easy to play hooky, but getting caught wouldn't be very fun so me and Jesse (a black guy who is also with Joey's List and is cast in nearly every show I've been lately) decided we would just take quick breaks and walk up and down the escalators.

I wasn't seen in most of the scenes that were shot. In fact, there was one point when the 2nd 2nd asked me to stop being background and play PA. I had to make sure there was no traffic that was entering the shot. I began to wonder if there was anything wrong with that should I be a member of SAG.

The shoot dragged on and on, much longer than I suspected. I guess it's tough to get the lighting right when you're on location, especially inside a mall. It's also tough to keep people from walking into the shot. We were supposed to be in Florida so they had to make sure that we all looked like we were from Florida.

That meant bright colors and gay shirts. The wardrobe guys were undoubtedly gay and one of them asked me if I was ok with exposing my arms. What are you supposed to say? I said I was ok with it and ended up wearing a very gay looking shirt. Well, that's show biz.

THE UNIT

The message I received from Joey's List gave me the wrong number. When I checked the message, it was for Prison Break. But I was booked for The Unit. So I had to track down the correct number for The Unit and it turned out Joey's List just scrambled the numbers a little so it seemed like an honest mistake.

I was glad I didn't have to report to Prison Break because that shoots in Long Beach. Instead, I was able to check-in at Pacific Palms in Industry Hills. It's close by so I had no trouble getting there on time.

I didn't spend much time in holding since they were shooting several scenes by the pool, around a dining area and next to a snack shack. There was some gun play and we had to run away from the shots that were fired. Other than that, we spent our time walking around or just sitting and enjoying drinks or what not.

I met a recent divorcee who worked for LA's Emergency Services. It was easy to connect to her since there are several people around me who have gone through the same thing. It's easy to discuss love and life especially when you are going through troubled times. I'm always impressed by the strength some people have when the going gets rough, but as they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.