Why are there so many self involved people in Hollywood? It takes a certain level of it to do well. You have to believe that you are attractive enough for people to want to look at. You have to believe that you are talented and compelling enough for people to want to watch you.
You have to believe that your vision for a movie is different enough that people will pay to watch it. You have to believe that the story you are telling is the best way to tell it. In the Entertainment Industry you are the commodity, you are what you are selling. The rub is that there is no real concrete way to sell your abilities other than "I know I can."
As a doctor, you went to med school, residency, years practicing, years with no one suing you for malpractice. That counts for something. As a director, writer or actor, where you went to school, and years of experience means absolutely nothing unless it happens to be attached to a successful film or television show. So yes, a little self involved goes a long way. But then comes the delicate balance. You don't go overboard. Don't change who you are. Just don't let yourself be taken advantage of.
So Wednesday I shot a commercial. So excited. First paid gig in almost a month. (been working just working for free) The morning of, I wake up sick as a dog. 102 temperature, sheets sweated through, coughing up a lung. Yuck. It's 3 hours before call time. I have a dilemma.
Do I call them and tell them? They would call their second choice and I'd be out of a paycheck, which I desperately need.
So I pull myself out of bed. Shower and doped myself up with Airborne, Midol (oh yeah that too!), Sudafed and cough drops.
When I get there I'm feeling pretty good. Can't feel my extremities but feeling good. Now in the spot, I’m supposed to do 2 very difficult things at the same time. I happen to be good at one of the things and not so hot at the other. This they know, so I was expecting someone there to help me with part #2. Nope. No one. No rehearsal for the #2 part. Just here are the moves. Go. Keep in mind I'm usually pretty coordinated...that is, when I can feel my limbs I am. So for 6 hours I
did these 2 very physical things at the same time non-stop. Except of course when I was barreled over with coughing. The whole time they would be shouting (nicely) "faster....more movement....have fun....be intense....be sexy.....have attitude...smile...growl at the camera (yes. really.)"
Inside I'm thinking "Don't throw up....stop the room I'd like to get off...don't pass out....don't die."
Then I was wrapped. Just like that. Just when I didn't think I could possibly give anymore effort, and said to myself that I don't know what to do if they say do it again, I was wrapped. They actually seemed happy with what I gave them. I don’t even remember what I did. So I’m a little uneasy to see it. I went home and slept for 2 days. When I told my dad about the whole situation, he said “next time you’re sick get a Sudafed commercial.“ Ah dad, now that does make sense. If only it worked that way.
Your dad's a hoot!
ReplyDeleteGotta love it when you have your period during a sick time like that. It's like God's way of saying, "no - you girls are not strong enough - I want to put you through as much shit as possible to prepare you for the worst in life. I want you to feel as bloated as you possibly can while cramps eat up your body and your boobs feel like they're going to explode from the pain. Yeah, that's how it should be." As if coughing and sniffling isn't quite enough to make u feel less than fresh, let's just throw in a period to make you feel like the sexy beast you were meant to be. LOL - Oh man, God seriously has a fucked up sense of humor sometimes. Thanks for sharing, WD.
ReplyDeleteWD, I love your dad, and you're a real trooper. Like I always think when I'm in those situations - this is gonna make a great story one day - and yours did.
ReplyDeleteWDs dad = awesome :D
ReplyDeleteWD - thanks for these continuing looks into your life - get well soon!
I fee your pain WD get better soon!!
ReplyDeleteThat Airborne is good stuff, try some Emergen C on top of that, too, next time. Works like a charm for me!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you got that nasty flu that's been hitting everyone. Hope you're feeling better now.
ReplyDeleteGreat story,wd.
Pardon my ignorance, since I am new and I, but who is WD?
ReplyDeleteMontana, we're not sure. She posts and we're supposed to guess based on her posts. She acts and does stunts and some other things. EL will let us know in time.
ReplyDeleteI guess we should be on the lookout for a commercial involving 2 difficult things!
ReplyDeletepamela, that is true only if WD is not Jessica Simpson. Walking and talking would be considered difficult for her.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is juggling and riding a unicycle. No, I'm joking. I'm not even sure how someone would help you do either of those things. And you'd probably be dead after six hours.
ReplyDeleteSorry you felt so poorly. The day I graduated from college, I woke up with swollen eyes and a red nose. Looked like I'd been in a bar fight. Good thing no one takes pictures on days like that . . . Just another reason I couldn't do what you do.
You know that sounds like a day in my life. One daughter is screaming all night because her ear hurts, the baby can't sleep because he's congested, I have a 10-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a 3 month old in the bed with me and my husband. I'm trying to give one kid some motrin, the other one fell asleep watching Project Runway, (her new favorite show) the baby's crib is in our room because he was a blessing from God who thought it would be funny if he gave him to us after we bought our house with just enough rooms for everyone. (The baby is a blessing from God because he is precious and perfect) So, I get up at 5:00am so I can have a moment to myself before I get everyone up. I drink my coffee and get one kid in the shower. I try to start breakfast before I go help shampoo the hair and I get the diaper bag packed. When I am in the bathroom (6:10am), the phone rings, so I don't hear it and my husband is one of those people who "can't" hear things like phones and alarm clocks when he is sleeping. About 6:15 the phone rings again. It is my employee who is supposed to open our business at 7:00am. Actually, it is her husband who says she has had a migraine all night. She won't be in today. She called me last week at 6:15am to let me know she had to take her daughter to the Dr. and couldn't work. Why, if you know you aren't coming to work, can you not call me @ 5:00am? She is on my last nerve. So I rush to get everyone ready and, knowing I have to take 2 kids to the laundromat, I have to get something to entertain them and feed them. I wake up my husband to tell him he has to take the 10 year old to school He is sleeping because for some reason all the morning duties are mine. I get my shit together and get everyone out on time and get to the Mat. This all happens before 7:00am Another employee calls and says she will be there in an hour. I almost cry with thanks. I have noticed that my 5 year old's ear is draining. It must have burst during the night. We have to go to the Dr. and get a prescription. I get home to try to get the kitchen cleaned up before I have to cook dinner. I notice how much laundry I have. I can't take it to the laundromat because it has been too busy lately and the girls won't have time to do it, so I do it. I already have 4 baskets washed and folded but not put away. So I do that first. I whip up dinner. A london broil with fried corn and a salad. (It was so super quick and really good) This time I clean the kitchen. I get all the kids to bed. Ok, they are in my bed again. My husband gets home late from work and sees the kids in the bed and acts like it's the end of the world because he's not going to get any. I left the kids in the beds because there was no friggin' way...... You see the point of this story goes to how God likes to test us. I won because I made it through the day. I kept my sanity, I think. Oh, did I mention, I too had a temp of 102. That was last week and I still haven't gotten a nap.
ReplyDeleteBack to the self involved people. I think it is just concentrated in Hollywood. My sister and my dad are both very self-involved. They amaze me. You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders and the fact that you must concentrate on being more self involved says something. To most self involved people, it just comes naturally. The taking advantage part is what you need to worry about. No matter how smart you are, those people will trick you and use you and they might now even realize they are doing it. Why? Because they really don't care enough about anyone but themselves to notice. So, you can't even get too mad at them. They don't know any better. But...you can beware, and watch out for yourself.
There is nothing worse than feeling completely off your game and having to face a big moment. However, I sense that you have practiced your craft enough that most of what you were asked to do came perfectly natural. And since you weren't really aware you were doing it, looked perfectly natural on film!
ReplyDeleteSorry you were feeling like crap and hope you feel better soon! I am sure you did stupendously and will proud of the result, even though it will forever remain a hazy memory.
Look forward to hearing from you again.
Can't wait to see the commercial. Hope you feel better!
ReplyDeleteBTW I thought it was settled that WD= America Young.
Crichmond1000, that sounds like my life! Except I only have one little one to get ready for school... LOL!
ReplyDeleteOh, WD honey, I tried not to laugh, but I couldn't help it. I got that nasty flu bug too, was out of commission for a whole week. I don't know if you had the whole body aches and pains I had along with the fever, but I seriously don't know how you did it WITH your period on top of it all. (lucky me, mine waited about two days after the fever broke to pop up.) ;)
Poor thing.
Snort CRIchmond.....speaking of self involved peeps....it appears your personal blog made its way over here.
ReplyDeleteWD - Thanks for your post and introspection.
Congrats for pulling it off under horrible circumstances; I hope the commercial runs for eons and you make a fortune off of it. Sounds as though you got your dad's sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteOh, and "growl at the camera"?
ReplyDeleteBwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!!
lol
ReplyDeletei wish i could get "back" into the business, but i'm too old, and too jaded heh and i shouldn't say back, because i did some print ads, and was supposed to be in a 90s blockbuster (not a lead or anything) as a teenager, but my mother wouldn't let me take the train.
way to squash my dreams, ma.
but yeah, a freakin kick in the ovaries during the flu? blech. flow and flu, pharmaceuticals, get on that!
crichmond, what up with that hubby o' yours?
ReplyDeleteYour dad is too funny!
ReplyDeleteSorry you were hit with the flu but you def pushed through and did what you had to do. Congrats on that!
Hope you're feeling better.
WD, you did pretty well in that condition! Kudos.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to take a day sick when you're not losing money by it. Having to work when you feel like shit - well, been there, done that, threw up in the bathroom on the coffee breaks (I was giving a training course at the time). I feel for you, girl.
hahha...so true.
ReplyDeletei'm not going to bore you with a novel about my day,cuz no one cares but goddamn girl i had the SAME flu and period last week.
it's a bitch.
i'm thinking you are doing a commercial for Swiffer or something like that.
I like the juggling/unicycle guess...but I suppose it's impossible to guess because we don't even know the product she's pitching.
ReplyDeleteI have a curiosity about actors who do commercials--this is not a criticism btw--but I wonder if actors see themselves as "acting/performing" in commercials, or do they consider themselves "performing/selling"? WD, what say you? I guess that also depends upon the product and the script, but in general--what is getting a commercial to you--besides a paycheque, obvs.
Reason I ask is because there is this ongoing debate in our 'group', two of which are actors (one stage, one tv). The stage actor totally looks down on the tv actor, and the tv actor is adament that what she does is still pure acting, as she has to convey a range of emotions quickly but effectively. Stage actor pooh poohs that and says a car salesman does the same thing, so does that make him an actor? I have no opinion either way, but this topic comes up ALL THE TIME so it would be nice to hear a different opinion.
Hope you're feeling better--Buckley's...insert slogan here.
"two of which" should be "two of whom".
ReplyDeleteI no rite good this English me was born with.
You are the consumate professional.
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling much better now. It sucks to be sick and have to go into work.
Welcome back WD, I really missed you last week!
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better. Yeah, I always seem to get my period at the worst possible times too.
majik,
ReplyDeletei think its a given that stage actors consider themselves better than movie actors, who are better than tv actors, etc., etc.
which, if i showed you my "acting resume", is fairly obvious!
lord, WD, i hope this commercial is better than the one with the woman stopping the flooding water tower with her maxi-pad!! sorry, but just thinking of your stunt-skills and you having to pop a midol...
:)
SMHP...
ReplyDeleteMaybe so, whatever...I was just letting WD know, she's not alone and I understand. I certainly didn't mean for it to go on like that but it did. I talk a lot in real life.
As for my hubby... he's really a great guy. There are some issues but no one is perfect. He doesn't drink, he doesn't cheat, he doesn't watch most sports and he doesn't hunt. He married me when I looked hot and after three kids, he still acts like he has the hots for me. I don't get it but I appreciate it. Oh and I love him.
Majik - - We're all acting, all of the time. Or maybe that's just because I am into the sociological field of Performance Studies. There are social scripts, roles that we play (that car salesman is probably really different at home than on the lot), and audiences (even if they are just ourselves). I know, I know, I'm done.
ReplyDeleteWD-- this is not directed at you but a question about self involvement. It's about someone in my life (not myself, but after SMHP pointed it out, maybe me, too) Do you think someone could be so involved in not being self-involved and wanting appreciation while not recognizing that other people work hard, too, contribute to society, etc....that they are totally self-involved. Even though they do good things for other people? Or is that just the definition of self-involved?
ReplyDeleteMy mom always used to say that "if you're not dead, you can go to work". To this day, I can't call in sick. I'm the only one on my team at work who has not had any absences in the past year. Two years ago I had strep throat and stayed home for two days, and I was having cold sweats when I picked up the phone to call my to tell her I wouldn't be coming in.
ReplyDeleteWD, I like your posts.
But Rock of Love with Bret Michaels is on soon and I have to heat me up some pizza before watching that marvelous trainwreck of a show.
My life is so exciting. I ought to have my own posts on here! And you could all guess who I was!
" I was having cold sweats when I picked up the phone to call my to tell her I wouldn't be coming in."
ReplyDeleteYeah, there's supposed to be a "manager" in there somewhere.