"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." — Herman Melville
Genuine Imitation
I have had my identity stolen at least once that I know of — and by identity theft I am not referring to all those girls who try to copy my outfits daily. (That's just a lifelong pledge I've accepted to help others improve their poor style choices. A sort of fashion outreach.)
No. This was an older, heavy-set white woman in Podunk, Texas, who purchased a whole lotta gawd-knows-what, totaling about $150 in Walmart and then went to Payless to buy shoes. Thrifty thief, huh?
I'd like to imagine that she was putting together a pageant outfit for her teen daughter who desperately wanted a college scholarship and was gonna win it by twirling and modeling her magenta sateen pantsuit bought with this fraudulent transaction.
This thief had gotten a hold of some checkbook carbons from a long dissolved checking account that I had in high school, at a bank that had been closed for many years. She made up a batch of rubber checks with a fake driver's license number and pranced on through the "10 items or less" aisle like a pro.
That was a major turning point in my life. I became more aware of the numerous possibilities for others to assume your identity.
With the technological advancements of the last five years, stalking no longer requires the dedication it once did. You can find anyone in a matter of seconds if you are skilled. (I have a good friend who found pictures of a stranger on a friend's website with only a first name in .24 seconds.) You can sign up for anything under any name, no questions.
Yet, yesterday I was still somehow surprised to find that someone has been pretending to be me online since October 2006. They are claiming to be my "Official" MySpace page. News to me. They have been posting blogs and responding to emails in my name. They have countless clips and pictures of yours truly and have even pulled a bio of mine likely from The CW website.
I have to say: The fake site is pretty nicely done. If the person were not pretending to be me, I'd sign up for the newsletter.
Most of the commentary that's supposed to be coming from me is way wrong. One example: listing my income as $45-60k. It is not only tacky to post such info in public but incorrect. I figure it's either some young girl living with her parents, who has never held a job in her life or a little Philipino boy living where the exchange rate still makes $45K (U.S.) look like a lot of money. Also, I never use "LOL" (except now, where I just mentioned never using it).
The idea that someone would want to be me so much that they spent their free time to find and post all that material is flattering. As I have not had a single audition in the last few months, it's good to be reminded of such things.
But here's the deal: If you like a celebrity and want to maintain a fan site, that's sweet. Wearing a costume at a convention for your favorite character is endearing (possibly). Pretending to be someone else online and emailing people, as that person is not only creepy, it's very likely illegal. C'mon. It's a little disturbing, right?
My mom always told me: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. These days, it can also be a misdemeanor and dangerous.
I remember when Dark Angel was on the air, Jessica [Alba] and I used to look up pictures of us online to see what was floating around. A couple of the nude bodies that my head were pasted on were pretty hot so I guess that was not so terrible.
I know this sort of thing happens all the time but it's still unnerving. What recourse do I have? I guess I will just blast this person all over the place. Starting here…or maybe I will just keep moving and trust that people who know me, know better… After I blast the person here
I found this fake site while attempting to post my own. I know, I have repeatedly said that they are not my thing. They still aren't but I have gotten so many requests and this has inspired me to post my own website ASAP. I will have some sort of weekly postings, if for no other reason than to set the record straight and to keep my observation skills up. Here's a MySpace page that a friend of mine and I set up quickly, with a more polished site to follow.
The Real Deal
I read all of your lovely posts on this site. You guys are great!
Answers to some of your comments and questions:
• You are correct. Bret was not in the video. He didn't want to do it. That simple.
• I don't know if I will get to write these TVGuide.com blog entries again in a few months but I have had an incredible time. Not only have I learned about you guys from the comments but I have also been forced to be a little more observant in my daily experiences and more aware by default.
Hugs
Thank you so much for reading, posting all the supportive comments, sending socks (clean and dirty) and all the thoughtful questions. Mostly: Thanks for watching!
The last new episode of Reaper for this season airs on Tuesday, May 20th, on The CW.
Best wishes to you. I will miss you all. You are the real deal! See you soon.
"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky
Gambling
I'm in Vegas for the day. On someone else's dime. I think that's the best way to gamble. I say that and have not spent a dime in a casino. I figure my job is enough of a gamble, why decrease my chances? The odds are always with the house.
I took a trip with one of my best friends who had to come for work today. She works and I sit in the fancy hotel with terrible Internet connection re-typing (and rethinking) my post.
The readers and viewers of the show have been so supportive, I wanted to write something really positive and uplifting — possibly deliver some good news about the show. The reality: I still know nothing.
I have heard the same speculation you guys have. Possibly a little more, possibly a little less. I am always in awe of people's ability to find so much information online. It's good but it's also a little creepy.
By the time this piece is posted there may already be an answer about the fate of Reaper.
On the Radio
Last week I did a radio show appearance and got to talk to a bunch of our viewers. I loved the enthusiasm voiced by the DJs and callers alike on DJ Shaun Daily's show on 1230AM KLAV which ran live and on the Internet. You guys were great. Wonderful questions and smart observations. Rock on!
If you have something to say, you should take the time to drop a note not only to the studio exces but post your thoughts on the message boards for the show. (I still love the idea of sending socks.) I have heard that they read that stuff and take it to heart. A good old fashioned snail mail letter still carries a lot of weight — I think I once heard that they equate one letter to 10,000 viewers. Say it. You will be heard.
Attn: Dawn Ostroff CW Network 3300 W. Olive Avenue Burbank, CA 91505
The Shaun Daily show started the campaign for Jericho that encouraged fans to send peanuts into CBS. Jericho stayed on the air and I hear they are still sweeping up D's nuts.
Addendum to my earlier posting:
I have heard from numerous unofficial sources that we are officially picked up (TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello has confirmed the pickup as well). The power of the internet is that it seems as though some network execs hadn't even heard the news as soon as bloggers.
I might have to place a bet on my way to the airport and try my luck now. It's still a gamble but like Gretsky says: If you don't try, you can't win.
"Wanna fly, you got to give up the s--t that weights you down." — Toni Morrison
Packing
The last day of filming for Reaper is scheduled to be this morning. As I type this, my co-workers finish out the last few shots of our final episode for the season.
I was wrapped a week and a half ago. I packed up lots of the last 9 months or so of my life and toted it home with me on the plane from Vancouver to Los Angeles.
Valuable lesson learned: I really need to learn to pack lighter. Existentially and literally. My bags are heavy and unpacking sucks almost as much as packing.
Stuff that was too big to carry and should be shipped was left behind in my B.C. apartment. It will wait in the apartment that I have paid up until mid-June. We should hear if the series is picked up in the next two weeks. If the show is picked up, the actors then have to wait until mid- June to hear if we will be picked up individually for the next season. So much uncertainty.
The whole undertaking of filming in another country is a little different than anyone would likely imagine. We get a relocation fee that covers our deposit and possibly the shipping fee for our cars, then we are on our own. We find our own apartments – preferably furnished. This is done with very little notice. Last time it was about two weeks before we had to report to work in a city that most of the cast had only been to during filming of the pilot many months earlier. Some actors give up their Los Angeles digs and truly move. Bad choice, if you ask me. If the show gets cancelled, you are not only unemployed, but also homeless.
My return to Los Angeles left my living room cluttered with massive suitcases. The night after my return, I scrambled to find something to wear to the TV Guide Sexiest Stars party. The only harrowing thing about such parties is what to wear for the press line.
When you see the evolution of a starlet’s style on the red carpet bear this in mind- in the early shots, she’s likely dressing herself. The better she looks, the more professionals (hair, wardrobe and make-up) were involved. The natural look is not easy to achieve.
Sexy Party
The press line is daunting. You have to make sure no unsightly straps are showing or worse- that you are not wearing anything that will make a “fashion don’t” line up. The comedy there is when I worked on Dark Angel there was a girl took great pride in wearing the most heinous combos because she believed there was “no such thing as bad press.” Her unwavering belief in this tenet had her on someone’s worst dressed stars list for that year. As my brother would say “set your goals low and you know you can always achieve them. “
The TV Guide party was pretty laid back. I had fun. Usually these things are a little stiff and remind me a lot of a junior high school dance. So many people holding up the wall, trying to figure out who is important enough to get to know. This party had a more laid back vibe. The music was eclectic. I was told that the DJ was a celebrity DJ and I should know who she was. I go to bed at 9 pm most nights, so that sort of stuff is often lost on me.
I did end up dancing. By myself. The beauty of that was I didn’t have to worry about someone else’s sweaty palms or having my toes stepped on.
I never know who anyone is at these things. If I haven’t worked with you or met you at another function, chances are I won’t recognize you here. I never read tabloids- unless the covers at the checkout stands count. Not because I am necessarily too good for them as much as I just don’t care enough about who people I don’t know are dating. Bad behavior gets too much coverage these days. It only leaves me sad for the youth that think that releasing sex tapes are the best way to get a movie deal. Sad.
Fantastic
One of the best things about this party is the fans that I got to meet outside the party. People who really watch the shows and care about their favorite characters enough to stand and wait for a glimpse or an autograph. That’s who this stuff should be about.
Magazines might want to have a “most dedicated fan party.” Allow them to be part of the festivities. I used to be a little creeped out by the whole idea of people dressing up like Klingons to go to conventions but now I think I see it a little differently. I think they are awesome. Dedicated fans who want to be a part of a fantasy.
I think I would love to see people with horns on dressed like Glady’s the DMV demon or Demon Tony in full winged glory at a convention. Nothing would make me happier.
Now if you walked up on me in an alley dressed like that… it might be a different story… I’m just sayin...
Campaign
I just found out that there’s a “Save Reaper” campaign going on to keep the show on the air. The fans are sending in socks, clean or dirty, to the network. Genius.
Unfortunately some of them have been going to the old WB offices where no one will see them but some security guard and an unhappy mail carrier (who would also probably make great demon at yet another viable portal to hell.)
The correct address to send your lovely socks to is:
Attn: Dawn Ostroff CW Network 3300 W. Olive Avenue Burbank, CA 91505
Cheaters?
OK… so I know lots of people have viewed our music video and have voted for us on www.ibeatyou.com (we’re the main event right now), but I’m still amazed that with the astounding number of votes and views we have that Cash’s video keeps edging us out somehow. It does present a few questions about how votes are tallied. I also wonder if they aren’t entering lower scores amid our real votes to bring our average down. Hmmm…
If you haven’t voted for us yet, please take the time to do so. Feel free to vote for the other two videos as well and keep in mind that their scores don’t have to be as high as ours
Wish us luck on the pick-up. Thanks for reading. Thanks for watching. Tuesday night a new episode of Reaper airs on the CW. Watch. Get some ideas for your demon costume.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
Act Natural This week I decided to make a "home video" of the cast and crew for my own memories as well as a competition on my friend Cash Warren’s website (www. IBeatyou.com). As we near the end of production for our first season of Reaper, I realize that it would be nice to have video of the people I have gotten to know so well over the last nine months.
The show has not yet been picked up for season two and we have no real indication if it will be. We will find out when you guys do. (Hope that answered Stinger97’s question. Thanks for the support.)
We learn to live with a lot of uncertainty in this business. Many people don't plan vacations so that they can stay home and wait for the phone to ring. I have learned that life always goes on and the phone can ring while I'm on a beach in Fiji.
The Challenge There is a best group lip-dub competition on IbeatYou.com and my buddies Jessica Alba and Cash had shown me their video about a week and a half ago. Cash took me on a tour of the site. I noted the fun vibe and "trash talk" that is thrown around by the competitors.
It was on.
I was determined to get the cast and crew of Reaper a title: "Best group lip dub by tv show cast and crew." We would throw down the gauntlet for other tv shows to compete. Who knows if any other shows really would or not. I was not worried. I just wanted to post a clip that said "Bring it." We'd win either way.
All I needed was a dare.
Do the Devil Justice The most difficult part of the process was selecting a song. Our show has THE DEVIL as one of the main characters. How do you find something to properly reflect this memorable presence but not be typical? I considered the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil." Too obvious. "Devil Inside" by INXS also made the lineup. Tyler Labine (Sock), Rick Gonzales (Ben), Matt (our Vancouver Producer's assistant) along with our camera crew got in on the brain storming process. There were many 80's songs on the list, including "The Ghostbusters Theme," done by Bobby Brown (we loved anything Bobby Brown), and the "Devil Went Down to Georgia" (from Dana in makeup.)
It was also a great choice because it moved fast, and while many people might know of the 80’s rap classic, no one knew the whole thing and it would take people out of their comfort zone. Comedy. Downloading the song from iTunes= 99cents. Blank DV tape = $4.99. Seeing the really white, ultra-Canadian crew lip sync Chuck D? Priceless.
Plus it would be fun. No one would be so caught up in trying to look cool. That holds a lot of people down. My mom always said "the coolest people don't care so much what other people think." Having a good laugh with friends from work should surpass all fear of not appearing cool on the Internet.
A few years ago, I saw a birthday video for a big Hollywood with many big-name celebrities acting totally goofy. One of the best was George Clooney in a janky batman costume trying to "fly" from a chair like any four-year-old at Halloween. His terrible facemask crept askew on his head and he blurted, "I'm batman!" repeatedly. It was so refreshing to see that he did not take himself too seriously. Adore. Uh. Bul.
Our optimal song choice became clear to me when I heard that Flavor Flav was in town shooting a TV show. There had been sightings of the rapper-turned-reality-based-TV-show- subject all over town. And yes, he was wearing his trademark kitchen clock necklace.
Ding.
My ultimate selection for our performance became a pretty clear choice when I considered that I could get Flavor Flav to do a cameo. I could feel myself living an episode of I Love Lucy as I plotted to meet Mr. Flav.
Sleepy, the crewmember who was most helpful with this, called me frequently with Flav-watch. Days of alerts and flase alarms and still no avail. Sleepy was so diligent that he even began referring to himself as Sleep-arazzi. As of my last edit, there was no Flav footage for my quest. I still maintain the dream that he might end up on a remix (Keep hope alive
It Looks Easier on TV The whole process of putting together something like this becomes a little daunting. I shot it guerilla-style and smuggled my small, borrowed DV camera around in my pockets. I was also armed with a boom box to play the music and a stack of lyric sheets. Not the most stealth way to travel around set.
You would think that people who work in the entertainment industry would be less camera-shy than the general population. Not so. When I turned my slightly larger than palm-sized camcorder on, many of the cast, crew and office staff scattered like roaches when a light is turned on in the kitchen at night. (I still love you guys anyway.) It's a little scary. I get it.
Without the help of a few of my more enthusiastic coworkers (you guys ROCK!), I would never have been able to complete this thing.
I got a rough cut to show the crew and get them excited about participating. It worked. My second pass through yielded a lot of stellar performances on the final video:
The Lesson This experience has made me abundantly aware of my ability to "make it happen" as well as knowing to always have a backup plan.
Some of my favorite performances were Ray Wise's cool stroll. I think it gives an indication of how "hip" he really is. As well as Christine Wiles (Gladys, the DMV demon) whose dance moves and rap style impressed many. Then there's Tony, the head of catering, who was the first member of our family to introduce props (A man with an axe throwing cash is nothing short of pure genius.) Tony's searing drive to locate props left him short infringed on his rehearsal time with the rap lyrics but he did not let that hold him back in the least!
We have several new episodes left for this season. They air on Tuesday nights. Check them out and get a good laugh from a video that wasn't shot on my camcorder.
v-
P.S. After last night's Karaoke party, it's become abundantly clear that I will not be putting out any CDs any time in the near future so I guess it's safer to say my "thank yous" here and not hold out for the liner notes.
"Big ups" to Stephanie, Nicole, Flick, Ashley, Matt, J.P., Erin, Dana, Suzanne, Rick, Elizabeth, Eva, Weez, Sol, and "the Holy Go."
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." — Judy Garland
Almost Famous
I've spent the last few days recovering from my week-long trip back to Los Angeles. Traveling takes a lot out of me — probably the same for most people these days.
When you work on a series that films in another city/country, you end up with tons of things that pile up waiting to be resolved when you finally return home for a brief period. This is largely the reason that so many celebrities have assistants. That and the fact that it now becomes an issue to even go to the grocery store.
Two of my best girlfriends (and my surrogate family in Los Angeles), Jessica Alba and Eva Mendes, are pretty famous these days. I returned to L.A. for Jessica's baby shower last Saturday and I was thrown by the whole pre-shower lead-in. We were couriered invites (mine had to be Fedexed to Vancouver) with a "save the date" card – neither name of honoree nor location was given. This was done to avoid paparazzi leaks. We were not told the location of the party until the morning of the event. I kind of liked the whole "spy-like" secrecy as I have always fancied that if I had not been an actress I would have made one hell of a secret agent. (Note to self: Check to see how long it would take for training and what the requirements are for admission to Quantico.)
At the shower, there were a few celebrity types but the group was mostly friends and family, so I knew lots of ladies as well as the smattering of gay men that added just enough variety to keep it from being an estrogen-fest.
The soiree was held at a cute new teahouse that hadn't even opened for business yet called Ever After in Studio City. It was a gorgeous, sunny spring day. The party's hosts outdid themselves. Beautiful flowers. There were fun activities — like guessing the number of M&Ms in a jar — everywhere. I used a calculus formula that I'd assumed was long forgotten to estimate the volume of candies and ended up about 30 pieces short – yet somehow someone else still beat me. (I'm not saying anyone cheated but… sure was a good guess, dontcha think?)
There was a lovely outdoor patio between two buildings, where the guests were seated. The second building held my favorite attraction, yummy banana pudding with Nilla wafers. It reminded me of my childhood.
Jess' gifts were a little overwhelming. I think the cleverest one was a homemade baby jumper decorated by a seamstress who works with Jess and her stylist frequently. It never ceases to amaze me how much people who don't need anything have free stuff thrown at them. When you see those photos of famous people wearing expensive gear, know that most of it (especially the really expensive stuff) has been gifted to them by the PR companies repping the designers. Swag: Tyler Labine explained to me the other day that this acronym stands for "Stuff We All Get." I guess that's the royal "we."
All the guests had to introduce themselves and tell how they'd met Jessica and her fiancé, Cash, and how long they'd known them. The guests got teary-eyed and spoke about love and babies. I talked about how much fun it would be to coordinate baby accessories. I was blown away when I got to feel my buddy's baby kick in her big, very pregnant belly. This was a sweet, warm moment among a group of loved ones.
But here's where it got weird: Flashes popped over the big white fence. The hungry throng of cameramen had managed to break the boundary by jumping and snapping random pics. One of the party hosts, a very tall man, quickly grabbed a water hose and doused them. It happened so quickly that one of the celebrity-type babes on the inside wasn't even able to apply her lipgloss.
What struck me about this was the fact that any picture would be worthy of that - especially one of a young lady who was not hiding her pregnancy. A pretty dress at a press event is one thing, but I don't get what's interesting about pictures of anyone buying tampons - no matter what movies they have been in.
I guess it's like any other mindless distraction from all the other more frightening issues in the world. Fluff about some celebrity seen buying a smoothie on Larchmont is a lot less daunting than considering all of the more pressing issues in our own backyards. That's the beauty of entertainment… and the danger.
Maybe this is the Devil's joke.
I am reminded of the Reaper episode where Jamie Kennedy guest-starred as a poor schlub willing to sell his soul to the Devil to become a rock star. I kind of get the sense that it might be a pretty accurate version of hell.
On the outside it appears great. Lots of free stuff and adoring fans, but the unseen reality is that nowadays, since reality programming and tabloid mags are moneymakers due to their low overhead (and lack of need to investigate for truth), you live your life on display. While there are quite a few performers who are so in need of attention that they covet any form of it, the idea of continual cameras trained on you for a picture in hopes that you trip or back out of a parking space wrong is pretty disheartening.
I guess I'm almost famous and the upside is that I get to live a normal life and really see the most bizarre aspects of society. I have friends who work jobs where they wear uniforms and are paid an hourly wage as well as friends who get paid to attend parties. What an unusual way to watch the world.
Watch new episodes of Reaper starting Tuesday, April 22. In our world, the Devil wears Armani.
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." — Mark Twain
Clothing sometimes does make the man/woman/ superhero.
Don't you have an outfit or jacket that make you feel like you own the world? You are winning the game before you ever set foot in the stadium if your outfit is right. Certain clothes make you feel a certain way.
Same thing happens on the days when it is wrong. Ever had one of those "not so cute" days? You know, the ones when no matter what you wear nothing feels right? It happens to the best of us.
We all went out last Saturday to celebrate Bret Harrison's (Sam) birthday. It was a 14-hour Bret-fest that began with a day at an amusement park/ arcade where most of the 15 adults in our group were dressed as miniature golf pros. Tyler Labine (Sock) wore some slick, white leather loafers that he'd purchased in England, which he said had a brand name like "Ask Your Wife." Tyler was playing at semi-pro mini golf level in those shoes. Bret, whose neutral attire always includes a hooded sweatshirt of some kind, played well until the last few holes. If only he'd had the proper golf attire…
Many of the most memorable moments on Reaper thus far involve the special gear worn by the guys on their missions. Who can forget the firefighter outfits and gadgets from the pilot? I was a big fan of the wet suits to fight the slime monster. Then there was Sam's pumpkin costume in the Halloween episode.
Ray Wise told me that he wearing his suit on the show helps him channel Jerry/" The Devil."
Donovan Stinson, who plays uptight Work Bench boss "Ted" also finds some rooting for his character by his plastered side-parted hair, buttoned up dress shirt and tie. Donovan mentioned that sometimes when the extras see him dressed as Ted, he notices their disdain for his appearance and he just wants to do a stroll through the holding area to show them that he's really not at all like Ted.
Rick Gonzales is also a far stretch, costume-wise, from Ben. Rick wears his own customized basketball sneakers with super baggy hip-hop gear and a baseball hat most days. Some days, he's got a lot of colors vying for attention when he arrives at the studio. Ben is far more conservative, even a bit nerdy.
I'm certain that when Toby McGuire puts on his latex Spider-man suit or when any of the Batmans (Batmen?) put on their latex muscles, they became super heroes. That's part of the fun of acting.
When I donned my leg warmers for scene 27 of Episode 11, I felt taller. Hotter. Like I wanted one shoulder of my ripped sweatshirt to hang dangerously low on my shoulder as I ran through a down pour of water. The sweater-knit accessory encouraged me to walk a little more proudly, ooze a little more sex. Prance. Numerous the women on the crew commented on the fact that they never would have worn legwarmers until seeing me strut in mine, now they were more do-able. Many of the men on the crew commented that I looked particularly hot with a few guys even making reference to Flashdance. I was back in the ninth grade on drill team, as a new and improved version. I walked like a dancer in the scene where they debuted. As I crossed the bar, I had to show the leg warmers off. Instantly I was back in my first few days of practice for drill team and the pride I felt in my charcoal grey legwarmers.
My return to the days of adolescence left me feeling invincible, irresistible, and alive. I could do a back flip and land in the splits if the right music were only played. Leg warmers infused me with special powers.
One comment from last week's posting was from a reader who was concerned about Ken Marino's (Demon Tony) well-being after his brief fainting spell. Your concern was sweet. He is fine. It was a combo of exhaustion and timing for a cool effect that was being set up. It will be great when completed. He took one for the team. (Oh how I wish I could tell you more, but it will be worth the wait when you see him in Episode 14.) New episodes begin airing on Tuesday nights starting April 22nd.
In the meantime, I'd say this is another thing worthy of checking out on the show, wouldn't you? Watch Thursday nights at 9 on the CW!
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive." — Anaïs Nin
Life imitating TV?
Ever so often I speculate about the unusual experiences that I have been afforded by my career choice. Earlier today, we were filming in a real apartment belonging to some private citizen that allowed our show to rent it out so that we could pretend that it was mine — well, Josie's — apartment.
Tons of people with heavy equipment marched in and out adjusting lights and furniture to make this real home look more "realistic" on camera.
It began to hail for about an hour but we still had to leave many windows and doors open as our crew set up.
When the episode airs, it will be mid-spring, which means sunny days in most places, so we ignored our goosebumps and chattering teeth while pretend to be warm and comfy. It's all part of the job. Acting like it's springtime.
A few feet away, Tyler [Labine] stood in a doorway, scantily clad while 30 or so strangers watched him talk to Donovan [Stinson]. When this airs, viewers will see Sock and Ted in a mini-showdown at Josie's apartment. It will look real.
I am typing this with a pounding headache and the worst congestion I can recall having in quite sometimes. Allergies. Correction: terrible allergies that have kept me from sleeping for the last few days. Many of my cast mates are sniffling as well. To solve this there's a team of makeup artists who must really display their true artistry and make us "look healthy" despite our red noses.
There is no such thing as calling in sick with this job. The show must always go on. I deliver my lines and forget for a few minutes about the throbbing headache and the inability to breathe through my nose. Minor glitch in a day's work.
Part of "the show" in show business is definitely this need to give the audience what they came to see. As actors, we often have to film in snowstorms wearing swimsuits and "act" warm. Part of the gig. Oh, the glamourous life....
I can't tell you how many people I have had to kiss that I might not have even offered a handshake in reality. This is why they pay us. People always ask how you to do something like that and I never cease to wonder how that question is posed. Everyone I know has someone at work they must "get along with" for the sake of a deadline. In this job, you might have to kiss someone or sit for hours in a car in the cold and pretend to be friends. I have been paid to like people in the past, even if only when the cameras are rolling.
It's hard to believe that a year ago, none of us knew each other.
Sitting at dinner tonight amid many of the show's actors and producers, we all seem to have so much to say to each other. Missy [Peregrym, Andi], Donovan [Ted] and Brett [Harrison, Sam] finish each others' sentences while talking about an upcoming music festival. Rick [Gonzalez, Ben] and I share a smile because we have never heard of many of the obscure alternative bands mentioned. We take turns ribbing Brett about one band he is particularly animated about. At the other end of the table, Ray [Wise, the Devil] and Christine [Willes, the DMV demon] chat with [producers] Tom Spezialy, Tom Schnauz and JP Finn about world politics and Ken Marino's [demon Tony] fainting spell.
Tonight I was struck by one underlying sentiment that was repeated universally: how parts of our pretend world have become a bit of a reality. Both Missy and Christina mentioned the fact that "we don't just play friends on TV."
We all have such distinctly different personalities, as do our characters, and yet we all seem to complement each other, kinda the way good friendships do in real life.
I would say that on a show like this, the rapport of the crew, writers, producers and actors only seems to get stronger as the show goes on. The episodes get more exciting; the writing and the production get slicker and quicker.
In this fictional world of Reaper, about a group of friends who hunt escaped souls from hell and deal with mythical elements daily, something truly magical is happening....
Watch tonight at 9 pm and see if you get any sense that this episode was shot in the blistering cold of December in Vancouver, by a group of real friends.
"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so." — William Shakespeare, Hamlet 1600
Returning to Vancouver after the strike was marked with greatness. I'd decided it would be.
Of course I packed a lot. My luggage bore a big day glow orange sticker proclaiming my need to roll "HEAVY." When the show finished filming in December, my cast mates and I scrambled to ship and carry as much of our stuff back from Vancouver as was possible. I kept my apartment in spite of the possibility of a long enduring strike. I was trying my best to keep hope alive. I love Reaper, my job, and the city of Vancouver. I just kept picturing returning to my awesome apartment.
Since so many TV shows and movies film in Vancouver, the first class sections of most daily flights are great for celebrity sightings. On this flight I was seated next to a woman who was sooooo blinged out, with big sunglasses and an expensive sweat suit, that she was begging to be noticed.
She was smiling and chatting very flirtatiously with a man across the isle with a thick foreign accent. His voice was low so I couldn't really make the accent out but he too was wearing dark sunglasses. When he fell asleep, she copied him. When he awoke and wanted to eat, she miraculously had the same response. All the cabin lights were dimmed and only reading lights remained on as we landed a few minutes early, at 9 pm. They both kept their sunglasses on I immediately knew it was a cry for recognition of some sort. Desperate. I was not a good audience for this because I didn't recognize too many people since I didn't watch reality TV very often and wasn't too into tabloids.
When the man took his sunglasses off I noticed that he was Jean Claude Van Damme. My ex-boyfriend called him "Van Damage" and loved to practice the move where he lands in a Chinese split and balances on the counter top. (You have no idea how many times I had to scrub shoe prints off the countertops.) The single white female sitting next to me of course followed suit. I immediately thought, "Who says it ain't easy being cheesy." Both of them were making it look real simple.
When were exiting the plane, Van Damage offered to help me with my bags. He was so polite and helpful.
Van Damage: You are beautiful. Are you here to film a movie?
I swear I'm not making that up. (Tip to ladies: Wear a good mascara and eyeliner. I'm convinced that made the difference.)
Me: No, a TV show, what about you?
He told me that he lived in Hong Kong and was catching a connecting flight home. I asked if he spoke Chinese and where he lived. We said our good byes and headed into customs.
It was a pleasant exchange and I immediately felt guilty for making such a quick judgment about his level of cheese. I knew I might get smited for misjudging the Time Cop.
So this is the way my return to Vancouver began. I decided this was a good omen.
THE TABLE READ
On our first day, we had a TABLE READ. Scheduled for 1 pm. I write it in all caps because one of my favorite people in the whole world loves the phrase TABLE READ. He's not an actor but managed to use it one day about 5 times. He says it with such conviction and works it into conversations randomly, saying things like " How was your TABLE READ? I love a good TABLE READ. I might be going to TABLE READ next week."
I eventually said, " Wow, you really like that phrase, huh? "
He replied "Yup. I have no idea what it means but I love it. "
When I explained that it was where the cast reads the script while seated at a table, it lost some of it's magic for him. I invited him to accompany me to our TABLE READ but he passed because he didn't want to be disappointed, as it would likely never live up to his expectations.
Our First Day Back
It was wonderful to see my cast mates after a few months away. It reminded me a lot of the first day of school after summer vacation.
Since I'd driven myself to set and had a wardrobe fitting immediately prior to the reading time, I was the first person to arrive in the non-descript meeting room that looked a lot like the big room in "Office Space" minus the cubicle dividers. There is big speakerphone at the center of the table where we read but other than that it could second for a generic meeting room anywhere.
Slowly the rest of the cast and producers trickled in.
Rick was next to arrive. He was carrying all of his techno gadgets. Texting machine, cell phone and a massive iPod in a fancy carrying case that he'd left behind on the plane when he'd arrived a couple of days earlier. It had been returned by the airline. This was Vancouver and things like that happened here. When I asked what he'd done over the break he commented that he'd spent a lot of time on his sofa and was glad to be away from the house.
Tyler arrived next, with his hair shockingly blonde and standing straight up like the heat miser. Tyler told us that he'd gotten pro-level on guitar hero. I believe it too. (He'd been attempting to teach me to beat box before the winter break/strike, but I'm convinced that my lip-gloss impeded my progress.)
Donovan crept in hidden behind a scruffy beard and wearing his hipster D.J. attire, and could not be less "Ted-like" if he tried. Poor Donovan nearly wept when Paul, the show's head stylist, snipped him back into this Devo plastered "hair do " for continuity. The show was picking up on what was supposed to be the very next day after the last episode we'd filmed over 3 months earlier. Oh, the magic of TV.
Brett looked a little frazzled but was happy. He said he'd had trouble sleeping the night before because he was so excited. This was smiled at and agreed to by everyone. Brett's hair was longer, funkier. He looked like a much more modern and confident Sam this afternoon for sure.
Missy bounced in, looking like sunshine and fitness, with her sporty spice ass. In real life, if there were some sort of Ultimate fighting tournament or the cast of Reaper, my money would be on her. She's far feistier than Andi and I love that girl.
Missy and I exchanged big hugs and did "girl bonding" as she commented on my outfit. I have a knack for "co-ordination." Can't help it. It's a gift.
Tara Butters and Michelle Fazekas, the shows creators, had flown in from Los Angeles, which was a good way to start off the new batch of episodes. When you work in one city and your shows writers (the brains behind the machine) are in a different place communication gets tricky. These ladies presence definitely upped our excitement levels.
Tony and Steve (the demons who you will get to know and love very soon), played by Michael and Ken, were also present and funny as ever.
J.P. Finn, one of our producers, read narration and Ray Wise's lines because he was arriving later. (It's always great for the Producer to read lines and remind everyone how easy actors make it look
Our TABLE READ was GREAT!
Our writers were really doing their thang with this one. This script was like some of my best dates ever: Funny, smart, suspenseful, a little sexy with a taste of scary. My darling Sock and I might be spending a little more time together in the future. Aw yeah.
Lots of clever lines that made us laugh out loud and a few far too racy for The CW at 9 pm on Thursdays. (See how smooth I worked that in there?)
What's new? Lots more mythology and character development. Less Monster-of-the-week. Good stuff.
And so we are back. And I'm thinking better than ever.
