Testing The Waters

Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" opens this Friday and I for one can not wait to see it.  I mean when ever I see the print ad's for it I get goose bumps -- and the cast -- OMG - WHAT A CAST!!!! Imagine my surprise when I found out that Sally Field had to fight for her role in the film.  I mean the woman won 2 Oscars (and yes, in one acceptance speech she famously said "You like me, you really like me.") and an Emmy for her work on Brothers & Sisters. How and why did she have to fight for the role?    Well, in 2001 Spielberg acquired the rights to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln." In 2005 "Lincoln" went into development with Sally Field cast in the role of Mary Todd Lincoln and Liam Neeson in the role of Lincoln. It languished in development for years and finally Neeson backed out of the project. Enter Daniel Day-Lewis. After Steven Spielberg cast Day-Lewis in ...

Having a career in Hollywood is difficult. It is. It takes drive, tenacity, diligence  AND it also do esn't hurt to have powerful people in your corner.  Sometimes when I'm feeling down about life and/or my career I pop on an old, Black and White movie from the 1940's  and just allow myself to be transported back to that grand time in Hollywood. Recently, I was feeling a little down so I put on "The Big Sleep." I've had the dvd for a while but this is the first time I watched the dvd extra's  - those are always sooo cool - you always find out fun facts.    The dvd extra's on "The Big Sleep" focused on Lauren Bacall's career and how it was helped by her agent, Charles A Feldman and Director Howard Hawks. They attribute the final version of "The Big Sleep" to helping Bacall have a career. FINAL VERSION??? I had no idea there was more than one version of this film - did you???? Here are the deet's... Lauren...

I'm always taken aback by people's fascination with famous actors, you know, with celebrities.  To the outside world "Hollywood" looks so glamorous. It amazes me how some people simplify this business.  Some think its like winning a Lottery Ticket, an idea I believe originated by the early Hollywood Publicity Machine , a machine that filled magazines with stories of Actors and Actresses who were "over night sensations" by being "discovered" sipping a soda at Schwab's Drug Store.  This is just not the case. Anyone can walk into a store and buy a lottery ticket - just last month the Lottery Jackpot was at an all time high and every American was running to their local store to purchase a ticket and everyone had a chance to win (I bought a couple myself) but an Acting Career doesn't happen this way...  I'm an actress, writer, producer I should know. Having a career takes determination, tenacity, courage and talent.  Recently, my be...

With 2012 fast approaching I find myself looking back on 2011. What an incredible year.  I closed it by booking my first Network Gig.  Its a really fun role on "SOUTHLAND" (The episode is called "Identity' and it airs Feb. 7, 2012 on TNT) You really know you've made it when you have your own trailer with your name on the door (Yes, it was written on masking tape and I gotta say... I was so excited to see it) Okay... so I was a bit scared of my wardrobe (yikes - it was 40 degrees outside people) but having my own personal space did help assuage my fear of the cold... I booked and shot "LYLA WOLF: Infractus"   Its an Action/Adventure/Sci Fi short - in it I play Mariela, a woman who was raped and has a split from reality. Working with everyone on this production was incredibly inspiring. I went to a screening  and The final film looks amazing - it will be hitting the festival circuit soon... I booked my first musical - YES...