BLOG – YOU JUST HAVE TO LEARN TO GET THROUGH IT – August 2022

Month eight of 2022, and so far it’s been a strange year. Having worked on a decent amount of projects during the pandemic, this year has been very slow with a lot of near misses or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Twice I’ve been offered work in LA when I’ve been else where and there are been several short lists, on avails and holds that haven’t come off.

I did, however, get to shoot my final day on the independent feature, Purple. It was good to see everyone again and the weather wasn’t too hot so it was a relaxed, easy day. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the film turns out.  On IMDb, the plot summary reads:

Noah finds himself on a layover in a city he’s never been, Los Angeles. Stranded for a day, he has a chance meeting with Purple, a girl who is his total opposite in every way. As they spend the day together, they connect more than most people do in a lifetime. Written by M.R.

The rest of August, I have been auditioning and have spent time planning a trip to New York at the end of September. I have signed with a Manager in New York so I can get a feel for the opportunities in film, TV, theatre and jazz in “the city that never sleeps”. It won’t be that easy while I’m still in Los Angeles but I thought I’d do some research and see if I feel a move to New York might be a good call.

To explain the title of this blog, my viewing recommendation for the month is, The Last Movie Stars.  Ethan Hawke takes a look at the complex relationship and careers of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in this documentary series on HBO Max. Of course, there’s plenty of nostalgia and interesting revelations about their relationship but there is also a ton of useful information about acting on stage and within the film industry that actors can apply today.  At one point, Laura Linney explains that once, when she struggling working on a project, she asked for Joanne’s advice.  What Laura didn’t expect to hear was that there was nothing she could do – she was just going to have to learn to get through it.  I feel a lot like that about 2022 so far but it was good to hear that sometimes there aren’t any answers, it’s just a tough patch and you have to ride it out.