DreamCity

Part 2

April 28

I still haven't heard back from my agent about my audition for the webisode.  Thinking of switching.  I would love to get into a bigger talent agency like or CAA or William Morris. They're supposed to be building up their talent roster.  The downside to being with a big agency is that I could get lost in the crowd.  I just need someone with the clout to get me in the door.  In the six months that I've been out here, Dennis (my agent) has yet to impress me.   He has about as much pull as an armless man.  I don't even think he reads the breakdowns, which should be his bible.  They come out every day and they give you the skinny on the role requirements for the various projects being cast around town. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not just sitting back waiting for Lady Luck to bless me, I am trying to do my part.  Right now I'm at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Beverly.  I always come here Thursday mornings after I've picked up the latest issue of Backstage.  I go through all of the casting calls to see if there are any good roles to submit my headshot for.  I've gotten some callbacks that way. 

My date with Craig was such a WASTE of time.  He's 5'2" and looks like J.J. from Good Times.  What was Kandi thinking?  After we talked about him all night, he wanted to listen to me....talk about him.  He claimed to be a "record producer" yet he didn't actually name any records he had produced.  Typical poseur.  He only alluded to things he may have been involved in.  Of course, he was the ultimate name-dropper.  He averaged two celebrity names per sentence.  I guess he thought I would be impressed.  Not!

We went to Post & Beam in Baldwin Hills. He wanted to "split" an appetizer, yet he dominated the food.  I only managed to get one forkful of the crab cakes before he gobbled them all down.  Did he even apologize?  Oh, and this tops it, he ordered for me, and wouldn't you know it was the cheapest thing on the menu!  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not packing a pick axe and a miner's hat as part of the gold digger's uniform, but I can't stand a man who's cheap!  So I politely told the waitress I wanted the catfish.  Boyfriend looked psychotic when I did that and was like, "Why did I contradict him in front of the waitress?"

It was all downhill from there. When the bill came he divided it!  I told him I wasn't paying for half of an appetizer.  It got to the point where we were arguing over percentages of a forkful. I only had one forkful, which to me constitutes 5%.  What a nightmare.  Never again.  Hope he loses my number. 

April 29

Destiny is what we make it right?  Well, I choose greatness and I finally figured out a way to the other side.  I read in the trades today about a director, Shane Miller. He's the latest and greatest in Hollywood.  Real artsy type, just did a small arthouse flick which totally surprised everyone by grossing $70 million so far.  Anyway, his next picture is an updated Carmen Jones, one of my faves.  

I will hunt him down like prey and make him see that I am Carmen.  I haven't quite figured out all of the details, such as how to find him or how to make him see that I'm Carmen...I'm taking it one step at a time.

April 30

Good news.  A production company called me.  I did coverage for them in the past and they seemed to like my take on their scripts, so they called me today for their weekend read.  I have two scripts to read over the weekend and then I have to write up a synopsis and opinion on them.  At $75 a pop, not bad.  I also signed up with this Task Rabbit, which is strictly for odd jobs, like dog walking, running errands, handing out flyers or something.  I'm also on a few babysitting services. Not sure why since I don't really like kids, but I'll tolerate them for a few extra bucks.  I cannot wait until my career takes off and I can stop being Ms. Jill of All Minor Trades, but until then, I'm trying to make money by any (legal) means necessary.

May 1

My worst fears always seem to come true, I don't have enough to make rent, so I'm trying to avoid the apartment manager, Manuel.  To hear him talk, you'd think he could rent this two-room rat trap out to the throngs of people just waiting to live in the not-quite-gentrified part of Hollywood.  My building is scrunched in between a liquor store and a check cashing place on a street that's overrun with apartment complexes, kids and cars.  Glamorous it's not. 

I Googled Shane.  I pulled up all of the old articles on him and found the address to his production company in the Hollywood Creative Directory.  I think I'm going to stake out his office next week and do what?  I still don't have a clue.

I had a long conversation about Carmen Jones with Dennis yesterday.  Did he burst my bubble or what?  He's like, "They probably won't start casting for another couple of months because they don't even have a workable draft of the script yet, so it would be a waste of time to send your headshot in.  Besides every top black actress in Hollywood will be fighting tooth and nail for that part. It's unlikely they'll hire an unknown."

Sometimes I hate him.  He's supposed to be my agent, who by nature is supposed to tell me how great I am, but instead I swear he's my mom in drag busting my balls.

Oops, it's almost 7 p.m. I have to get ready. Arden and I are hanging out tonight.