So, I'm gonna try to keep this brief, cuz its been a crazy week. I booked the beer commercial and I'm now an official member of The Screen Actor's Guild, which is really exciting. Having said that, let me rewind and tell you how this all came about.
In my last blog, I wrote about how much fun I had at the call back for a beer commercial and how happy I was about not having to compromise myself... Cut to about a week and a half later, my husband and I were looking at an apartment, when my phone began to ring. It was my agent. She said, "congratulations, you booked the job. The only catch, is that you need to be in LA ASAP for a wardrobe fitting and it shoots tomorrow!"
I jumped in the car, raced home, and packed my overnight bag (hoping I'd have a place to stay with one of my friends). Once I was packed, I got on the road and headed up to LA. After a very stressed two and a half hour drive, I arrived at the fitting. Everyone seemed extremely frazzled and irritated. Long story short, they wanted to put me in the tiniest of tiny clothes, booty shorts, bra tops, tiny bikinis, etc. I was horrified!!!! Lets put it this way, its winter, and I'm married... I was not prepared for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I said I was uncomfortable, they threatened to cut me from the spot, when I didn't back down, they rolled their eyes and put me in another, slightly more covered costume. It was not a good day lemme tell ya.
I had to be on set at 6:15am the next day. When I arrived on set I was told I'd be wearing a pair of tiny shorts and little plaid bomber jacket... I was so relieved. However, I shared a trailer with another girl who was booked last minute but was not told what she would be doing. Turns out, they wanted her to wear this faux fur loin cloth-type thing they'd just pinned together with safety pins. What a mess!!!! She was not happy said she was considering walking off set. No one had told her, or asked her if she was okay with being on national tv with her butt hanging out. Because she was skinny, they all just assumed she would be okay with taking her clothes off... Its just such a weird business.
It was a very long day of people yelling, "shake your ass, and look like you're having fun!" There were penguins, an actor who got burned by dry ice, ice skating, bad craft services, and I'm happy say its over with!
Please note: this is an extremely abridged version. I think its enough to say that this was an exceptionally ridiculous production and I really hope it gets better from here on out. I'm astounded by the way the women on set were treated, both principals and extras. I hope that, in the future, this production company thinks twice about the importance of disclosing pertinent information to actors and agents before the fitting or shoot date. We should have the right to make certain career decisions in the comfort of our homes and not naked in the bathroom of a production studio with an angry director waiting outside the door.
In summary, with every job, and every audition, I'm learning. I don't always enjoy the lessons but, good or bad, its growth.
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