Good News and Conquering a Mountain!

May has brought good news and a monumental sense of accomplishment! I got called back for the Layon Gray film, 9Innings, and I am thrilled! I felt incredible after the audition and look forward to working hard to make the second round go as well....I just found out it's this Thursday - - wish me luck! Also, things seem to be picking up a little bit more both commercially and print and I hope this is a positive sign that the economy is recovering more quickly than I once thought.

On a personal note, I accomplished a major physical goal this past weekend with energy to spare. I hiked over 20 miles to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. I love getting out of LA and experiencing nature - - it helps me to reconnect with the things that truly matter in life - - my health, my relationship with my husband and my overall outlook on life. It's easy to sweat the small stuff when living in LA but life is what you make of it!

View from Glacier Point. The 20+ mile hike looped around to the right, on top of the water fall and ended at the top of Half Dome (the big piece of stone to the left)

Half way Base of Half Dome - You can see the cables that line the way to the top

Almost a 45 degree angle without a harness - -surprised the Nat'l Park Service allows people to do this but glad they do! Walking around on top of Half Dome
My husband and I on top of the Diving Board on top of Half Dome

It was an amazing adventure and I am looking forward to many more Mountains and goals to conquer in the future!

Auditions and Boot Camp

Had a busy busy weekend! Friday night I auditioned for Layon Gray's new movie, 9 Innings, and it was a tough audition -- very emotionally charged but went well! I always feel blessed when I can leave an audition and feel content and pleased with my work and really, that's all you can ask for in this crazy industry. I also worked with my improv group, Duct Tape. I think we are really starting to come together and understand each others strengths and weakness and work with these in the best way possible. I'm excited to continue with the momentum we've established!

I ended the weekend with another audition but this time it was for an Internet talk show, Perspectives,it went alright but I'm just not sure about the actual concept of the project and the likelihood that it'll get picked up by a major network. Let's focus on the first hurdle though and that is to get the job. The way it was described to me is that it's like The View with more humor? I figure that auditioning is always good and if it's meant to be, it'll be.

Today was the most exciting though because I started Kutting Weight boot camp! Sometimes, I impress myself (ha) because it takes a lot for me to commit to waking up at 5:30 am 3days/week for 5 weeks! I am hoping it kicks my butt and gets me in tip top shape for bikini season. Wish me luck!

A long long time...

It's been quite a while since I last wrote. I may quite possibly be crazy because I started two blogs at roughly the same time and I find myself blogging more on the other one (http://www.russandang.blogspot.com/) about my life outside of the "acting world".

Since we returned from Vietnam and Cambodia, I've been working a lot on getting my name out there and have reconnected with my theatrical agent, Carlyne, and I am looking forward to good things to come. The following are some of the highlights I've been working on over the past couple of months:

• Read for Lesly Kahn and was placed in her intermediate class. I start in June because of conflicts with my existing schedules May.



• Began working privately with my favorite teacher to date, Annie Grindley. She's a doll and I respect her as a person, which is a hard thing to do in this town. She's not full of crap and I like that she believes in me.



• Auditioned for Destination Green - An Eco travel show that would have been perfect for me. The audition went better than I could have expected but unfortunately I didn't book the job. Not a bad starting audition for my soon-to-be successful hosting career :) I must have misunderstood the memo that requested we dress "sporty casual" because I came dressed as a real traveller (khaki shorts, t-shirt, sporty shoes and pony-tail)...the other 50+ girls looked like they just walked off of the set "Deal or No Deal" complete with huge boobs and miniskirts. I'm sorry, but could you really hike up the pyramid of Chichen Itza in those 4" heels ? I don't think so. Oh well, you win some you lose some. I love my hosting agent, Adam at NTA and he deserves a medal for working it to get me in for this one.



• Beginning the hard work with my improv group, Duct Tape, to hone our characters and skills in anticipation of ongoing live shows throughout Southern California. It's a great group of 8 of us who have been doing this for the last year together and we are now ready to take it to the next level and do live shows on our own. We are blessed to continue our training with Donovan Scott



• Auditioned and booked a job with legendary photographer Peggy Sirota - - she's shot basically everyone under the sun. She is a creative genius but unfortunately, she was shooting me for a Wells Fargo campaign and they tend to be more conservative. I understand though, it' s a bank, not a fashion magazine. Nonetheless, it was cool to be in her presence. Even cooler to be doing the shoot in her offices where you can view her entire wall filled with boxes labeled "Bratt Pitt photo shoot, Charlize Theron Photo shoot, Clinique Happy Campaign, George Bush Photos, Justin Timberlake, etc..." It was pretty rad and not a bad paying gig for less than a day of work.

I've also been a busy bee with "life", which is why I've been neglecting this blog. I'm back in the saddle again and ready to rumble. I plan to start working in some casting director workshops in June as well and hopefully, this will work me into my big recurring role on Law & Order :)

Over and out, Angela

Energized and Refreshed

My husband and I are on our last leg of our adventure through Vietnam and Cambodia. We've been in SE Asia for about 16 days and, while I am sad to leave, I am also excited to get back to work. We are currently in Siem Reap, Cambodia doing some last minute emailing. Originally, we hesitated travelling to Cambodia due to time limitations but it all worked out and I am glad that it did because this country is amazing and has been a highlight of our trip.

The temples, the people, and the beauty of these countries is breathtaking. I think it has been a great mix of indulgence, "roughing it", relaxation, and adventure (snorkeling, hiking, walking a ton and exploration). We did it all - Hanoi - Halong Bay - The Beach/Nha Trang - Hoi An - Island of Phu Quoc - Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon - Cambodia/Angkor Wat/Siem Reap. It was an adventure of a lifetime!

My impressions of SE Asia are mixed. This part of the world is filled with beautiful scenery and exceptionally nice people. I feel convicted in that I should do more for those in need. At times, I found it difficult to lay on the beach, ordering drinks all the while the support staff are working hard and doing so with a smile on their faces. In the past, I am not sure these things really crossed my mind, but I am grateful that I was aware of this and of the blessings we've been given. Nonetheless, tourism has been a siginificant economic driver in both Vietnam and Cambodiaand and so our "being here" is actually helping in a small way.

I look forward to sharing photos when I return to the US. Much love.

My First "Date" (with the Agent)

My meeting with "the agent"went well but I have yet to hear back. I find these meetings interesting, challenging and a bit awkward...much like a first date. On one hand, I want to be completely be myself, warts and all. Yet, on the other hand, I sometimes want to impress him and so I try and figure out what it is "they" are looking for and conform to this idea. Thankfully though, I have some "wisdom/years" under my belt and have learned that at the end of the day, this strategy doesn't help anyone, least of all myself.

So, it's our first "date". I arrive in the office all gussied up which, for me means showered with hair blown dray, make-up applied and a pair of high-waisted jeans to show how "stylish" I can be (little does anyone know that I spend most of my days in a pair of spandex capris with a tank top and no make-up). I walk to the reception desk where I am then asked to wait. I sit awkwardly on the overstuffed couch that doesn't allow me to sit up straight to avoid "the fat bulge". I am relegated to sitting on the edge so as to position myself just "so".

I casually peruse the trade papers as if it's something I do daily. I should but I don't but I did learn that 90210 got picked up for more episodes. I am so excited, are Dylan and Kelly getting back together...wait, wrong cast - - I don't even know who is in the "new" one. Ten minutes pass when "the agent" i.e. "my date" hurriedly comes in and apologizes for making me wait. Whether he is truly sorry or wants me to believe that he is really busy because he is booking SO much talent, I will never know. For my sanity, I believe that he is very busy. We shake hands and do the inconspicuous "once-over" as I like to call it. You know, the look from head to toe without really letting the other person know that you're doing it. My sister actually has a different technique with me. She is a modeling agent and makes no qualms about give me the once-over when I am acutely aware that I am in sweats and t-shirt. This once-over, regardless of who is doing it, isn't fun but is necessary.

He leads me to his office and we sit and talk about random stuff. One may find it interesting to learn that we talk very little about acting. Our conversation starts with some stuff about me being "new" to LA. To me, fifteen months feels like a long time but to him, I am a new Angeleno. He asks me how it was to be Miss USA ? I feel bad as I correct him and burst his bubble, stating that I was just Miss Oregon, in the Miss America pageant, and this was many years ago. He still seems impressed so I roll with it and we talk some more. After about 30 minutes of exchanges, I can see his wheels churning in his brain and I am certain that he is asking himself, "can this girl make me money?" Conversely, I'm looking at him thinking, "is this guy/agency the right fit, does he have my best interest at heart, will he be aggressive with his representation of me and can I trust him?"

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a hard time keeping my trap shut, so I make a conscious effort not to hog the conversation and be a self-obsessed actor who is screaming, "pick me, give me a chance, give me a job." I try to play it cool and let him talk for while. I once learned that you can judge the success of a conversation/interview based on how much you do NOT speak. I probably spoke for 60% of the conversation and I hope it's enough to get me a "second date".

We shake hands and he says that infamous Hollywood line, "we'll be in touch." I smiled and said, "thank you." As I drove away, I reviewed the meeting in my head and felt good. I like this guy and his agency. I like that he is also one of four kids and went to college. I like that he is a little zany (in a good way) and is somewhere in his first decade of the business, which means he has a fire in his belly and desires to make his mark on the industry. I think these are all pluses for me because, lets face it, I'm not Nicole Kidman being offered upwards of $20 million/picture. It's a gamble for both of us and it takes a certain amount of "magic" for he stars to align just perfectly where we'd both agree to enter into this relationship. I love that he shared a book he just read about dyslexia because it shows he is interested in other topics unrelated to "the industry". He seems like a well-rounded human and a nice guy. I think I would like him to be my agent but that isn't up to me.

I know, I sound like I'm getting married to the guy but I take this stuff seriously (as I should) and who I decide to represent me will have a significant impact on my future.

On a different topic, my husband and I depart for Vietnam tonight. The total flight time is around 19hrs. with a layover in Taipei. It's great because we can sleep on the flight and then when we arrive in Hanoi it's only 10:35 am. I am very excited and even purchased SLR camera for the adventure (and because I've been wanting to get more serious about photography for a while now). The rough outline of the tip is Hanoi to Halong Bay, travel down to Hoi An (beach town and great garments), then down to Nah Trang which is supposed to be hip beach town, down to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) and over to Cambodia to Angkor Wat and back to Ho Chi Minh City where we'll depart from on the 21st. I intend to take a lot of photos and look forward to sharing the adventure.

Not Another Manic Monday

So it' s Monday and I always find myself mixed about Mondays. One, because the weekend is over but then again, it's the beginning of a whole week of possibilities! I think to myself, maybe I'll book something, maybe I'll meet an agent who believes in my talent, maybe I will wake up and my hair will automatically look shiny and straight, maybe....you get the point.

I have several key things going on this week: audition, book club, meeting with an agent, and I leave for Vietnam and Cambodia on Thursday night! I'm excited but there is a lot to get done before the day is over and the book club girls arrive. I look forward to posting about all of the above but for now, I have to achieve the look of "ultra hip/upscale casual mom"??? I have no idea...I'll settle for my skinny jeans and blouse and call it good. Wish me luck.
xo

The Adventure of My Life! Los Angeles

About 15 months ago I left my life as I knew it. I was working as a economic policy analyst, living in a great home and was surrounded with a group of caring and supportive friends and family. After watching a play in which the primary theme was aging, illness and death it got me thinking about the end of my life and the goals I hope to accomplish before I meet my maker. While this seems morbid, it was actually a wonderful time of reflection and clarity and I heard a voice very clearly telling me to savor my life and to refocus myself and my goals. Where once I was focused on living a predictable, comfortable and "safe" life, I was now moved to pursue a path less direct and one that has been rife with ambiguity and sometimes disappointment. Yet, it is also a life filled with more passion and excitement than I could have every imagined. A life lived in Los Angeles, California.

I recall reading a quote by Souza many years ago and one that is imprinted on the front of my journal that roughly states, "life is the journey not the destination". I enjoyed this quote ten years ago but for some reason, fifteen months ago it became real to me. I realized that I wasn't savoring my day-to-day life as much as I should and was focused on getting a task completed before I could enjoy my life. I believe that life should be savored and enjoyed and that each day should be lived to it's fullest because life is short.

Maybe it's the Hollywood obsession with youth that has me more aware of the brevity of my life but this is one lesson from Hollywood that I will gladly accept and be grateful for - - live life well and live it with every ounce of my being. At the end of my life, I want to look back and not say "woulda, coulda, shoulda", I want to say, thank you - - "I did".

I am excited about blogging, and would love to hear from you!