Quarantine 2020-Mask Free Blog!

2020 has been rough!!!!!

Pandemic got you down?  Are you bored, isolated, irritated, depressed, out of work, tired of working from home, frustrated or bored?  Well unless you are one of those that has still gone to work every day despite everything that's happened, I imagine you've been feeling all of those emotions.  I know I have.  When I moved to Arizona in August of 2012 I was single for the first time since college and living on my own in a new city where I didn't know a single person.  It was a dark and depressing time of my life after having been married for so long.  My days then consisted of getting up to run, going to work, come home, sit in the dark.  Repeat. Even though I was going out of the house every day, it felt very isolating.  This current situation and the quarantine has taken me right back to that time of my life.  However, now I have tons of friends here in Arizona and overall my life is very happy and blessed. So to be "isolated" this time, hasn't been nearly what it was for me before.  I'm sure everyone is getting used to their own situations.  I know for me, I've had far more interactions with my neighbors and even learned that Olympic gold medalist gymnast Olga Korbut is a neighbor.  That's in addition to my former next door neighbor, Olympic gymnast John Crosby, who passed away about 2 years ago. Somehow I live in a retired Olympic gymnast neighborhood.  Can I put in a request for Aly Raisman to move here next???  At any rate, maybe this shutdown does indeed have you bored, unsure, crazed, anxious or just plain lazy; for now just take a few minutes and read through this and maybe I can provide you with a smile or a laugh.  But either way, you will at least kill 10 minutes or so and that has to be worth something!  Masks not required.

With most filming shutdown, I've had a lot of free time, like most everyone else.  So I've binged watch a few shows and I'm not ashamed to say that I have now finally watched all of Breaking Bad and even Better Call Saul.  I am way late to the party, I understand that.  But when BB was on originally, I just never could get excited to watch a show about a guy that was making Meth, for whatever his reason.  I'm sure I'm not saying anything most of you don't already know, but what a fantastic show!  The writing was phenomenal and has continued with BCS. Although I had a hard time with the first season of that show, but once it picked up, it was as great as BB.  I once worked with an actress that was on BB, I didn't think much of it at the time.  I clearly was off on that one.  For the record though, she wasn't all that pleasant to work with. I highly recommend both shows, like most of America already has, but if you have yet to watch either, it's not too late to join the party. Now let's all go to Los Pollos Hermanos!!!!

I certainly view motorhomes much differently now,  including the Bounder I've seen in Tempe a few times.  Hmmmmm.

Before the pandemic and since I last blogged, I'd done dozens of projects including ACV which is now available on the website, I'm in the hazmat suit.  Too many to list and too many that aren't that exciting or great.  Being an actor, I'm not ashamed of anything I've done; however, not all of them need to be promoted.  Unlike many of my fellow actors, I don't post non-stop about every single thing I've done.  I'm not much of a social media person.  But for those interested here are some brief highlights:

The Deadbeats:  A sold out premiere and a fun movie to be a part of.  Go to Amazon and watch!

The Deadbeats:  A feature film available on Amazon Prime.  A fun film where I play a dad that may get into an altercation with a clown.  The actor that played that clown, Richard Anderson, is fantastic and the best I've ever worked with.  It's worth watching just for his performance. It premiered in Phoenix last fall and my parents got to go and that was pretty cool for me.

With Janel Scott and Director Justin Rose at the premiere. Great night!

Red Velvet Evening:  A featurette that I star in with Janel Scott.  She gives a stellar performance and it was great fun making this.  It premiered in Phoenix in January and was a big hit with the audience that night.  It was then accepted to a number of Film Festivals, however due to the pandemic, most of those have been cancelled.  Which is a big bummer, because this is a cool film and hopefully people will get the chance to see it.  Director Justin Rose is finishing his script for his next project, a feature film called "The Rabbit".  I'll play the rabbit and I'm very excited to dive into that one.

I'm now officially a writer and producer as well as a two-bit actor!
Hopefully coming to a Festival near you, someday.....

Acceptance:  This was a short film that I wrote and starred in and then was able to get produced and made.  It was quite an experience being on the other end as well as acting.  I am beyond thankful for all of the other actors who were part of this.  Everyone I asked, immediately said yes, even though they all had very small roles and all are lead actor types.  It played to a full crowd in Phoenix last fall and was then sent to Film Festivals as well and of course many were canceled.  But I'm hopeful to still get it out there when things pick back up.

A man whose life spirals out of control.  Seems autobiographical, hmmmm.😉

Steve:  Another short film that I starred in last fall.  It turned out great and a cool poster too, if I can be less than humble.  It was set to premiere in Phoenix in March and well, we all know what happened.  And to sound like a broken record, it too was set for many a festival with he same results for now.  However,  I was actually filming a follow up called "Grey Road" in March and we got shut down during the middle of filming.  I am hoping it can get picked back up.  If nothing else, I hope "Steve" can get some more play somewhere.  

Miami Vice meets Scarface and I'm Tony Montana.  It's been fun.

Loaded Monday:  This feature film is a lot like a Miami Vice episode on steroids and I get to play the villain, which so far has been fun.  We were filming this in March as well and then everything got shutdown.  We are getting ready to pick back up and finish filming soon.  I have some intense scenes left as I play a nasty drug lord, quick with the bullets.  The Director has said that the scenes we already filmed turned out really well and hopefully we will finish strong too.  This film should end up on Prime when complete.

Filming in Tucson, so definite horror.  But at least it wasn't Portland.

Sweet Dreams:  My first horror film, although not a blood and guts type.  I play a terrible father, not surprisingly, that tortures his daughter.  I only have a small part and I'm done filming but they still have a few scenes left and it will be wrapped.  I was able to get my friend Jim Perry a role in this as well, so it was fun working with him.  We filmed in Tucson, so for at least one day, I was able to bring some real acting to our step-sibling sister city.  Tucson is not exactly a hotbed of talent or much else, except high crime.  But it was a fun shoot and I look forward to seeing it finished.  I don't normally do horror or zombie type films because they are usually lame and it doesn't really require acting, just being a "clown" or "possessed".  That doesn't do much for me.  But I was happy to get back to work and to play a layered character.  Could I sound more Hollywood douche????  

Scenes from Seven Devils and The Diner.  Both coming to a theater near you  when the pandemic is over.  Hopefully.  Two of my best performances yet.

Seven Devils/The Diner/Joker:  Seven Devils is easily the best film I've done.  It's a twilight zone-esque thriller and I have a very cool role.  It was just finally completed after being filmed in Seattle, LA and Phoenix.  A long post-production but very much worth it. You can see the first, temporary, trailer right here!  The Director liked me so much he wrote this music video scenario with me in mind. The Diner, temporary title, is similar in that it's had a long post-production time. But it's also a similar type of thriller film and I have a fantastic role in it as well.  I've seen the rough cut and it's excellent.  Both of these films got me my SAG-AFTRA card, but I still choose to be non-union for now.  However, I'm very thankful for both opportunities and both are as good as any films out there.  I also had the chance to do a full reenactment of a scene from the Joker for a studio/promotion project.  We reenacted this scene with Diana Baker-Collins playing the therapist. We rehearsed quite a bit and I'm excited to see how it turned out, Diana was excellent.  The pictures are cool at least and beyond that, it's such a complex and difficult role that it was a great challenge to try and be Arthur Fleck.

Joker shoot.  Very challenging but more than worth it.

I did a number of other films and commercials, including one in Tucson-yay!!!  A few I was in the middle of, or had wrapped filming, before the shutdowns. It's been a busy year. I also had the chance to do a few interviews. Both are about an hour each and you can watch them here:

Chai Chats  Thank you Apichai!

Mosaic Entertainment Group Thank you Jermaine!

The audience was certainly.....intrigued by my act. But I will be back on stage!

But enough about movies, late last fall I had the chance to do something I had always wanted to do at least once and that was Stand Up Comedy.  I was lucky enough to meet Jim Perry, The Cop Comic, who is based out of Phoenix but has played many a stage all over the country.  He hosts some charity shows at American Legions across the Valley and I asked him if he'd ever be willing to let me do a few minutes at one of his charity events.  They are free to public, so I figured if I stink, nobody can really complain.  He happily agreed and next thing I knew I was booked so I started practicing and getting an act together.  I had invited a number of my friends and told them to drink a lot of beer and have zero expectations. They obliged and I was very appreciative of those that came out to support me that night.  I was pretty nervous, but at the same time, as an actor I perform all the time and memorizing my routine was not difficult just hoping for a decent crowd reaction and to not embarrass myself in front of my friends.  But Jim called me up on stage and my opening joke hit, the second one killed and then it was smooth sailing.  My act was dark and probably disturbing to most, but the crowd enjoyed it. I like to think of it as more cerebral humor.  At any rate it was fun and there may be footage out there that I'd be willing to share, for a price.  You've been warned.

We came across this weird redneck, voodoo doll on one of our walks.  Am I cursed now for touching it? 

But beyond all of my entertainment life, the pandemic has definitely changed life for everyone, in about every single way.  So you have to do different things to stay busy.  My friend Jack and I have gotten to walking 3 days a week, I run the other 4, all over Scottsdale.  If you didn't realize, Scottsdale is huge, literally 30 miles long by about 6 miles wide.  We've walked hundreds of miles so far, even during July which became the hottest recorded month ever in Phoenix history, and we have covered many a road.  During each walk we always take a picture of anything unusual we see and that's been fun. You may drive all over your own neighborhood and town every day, but I guarantee you miss so much unless you walk it.  Amazing all the little things we've come across and it's been great exercise, great socializing-while still being safe, and interesting.  Jack's lived in Scottsdale 30 years and even he's been surprised at all we've come across. Finding your own way through this is what it's all about.  We don't have to stay inside completely.

The new USS Arizona exhibit in Scottsdale with Jack and 3G.  If not for the pandemic, I may never have come across it.  Its almost a complete replica to the one in Pearl Harbor including an actual piece of the ship.

Now I know what you must be thinking, what a bunch of self-serving, egotistical blather.  Could I possibly talk about myself anymore?  Well, first, it is my blog, so there's that.  However, you are correct.  For those that are friends with me on Facebook, my only social media, you know I post very, very little about anything.  Occasionally  I'll dump some stuff on my blog because people ask what I'm up to.  I really don't talk about my acting with anyone as it does seem rather narcissistic and if you didn't realize it, much of what I said, is with a sarcastic tone, I don't take myself that seriously.  But I figured everyone is home these days and probably have run out of stuff to watch and do, so maybe this blog and the links within, can at least give you a diversion.  At any rate I've been fortunate to have a lot of work this year already, including filming a few things during the quarantine right or wrong, hold your judgment, no one is asking your opinion here, just mine, my blog, remember?  But hang in there, the world hasn't ended, it won't end and everything will get back to normal, hopefully, before too long.  Maybe even right after November 3??  Now let's all make sure we do everything we can to ensure the football season can happen.  Let's not let the corona virus win that battle!!

Even during a Pandemic you can always stay Fired Up!!!

ANITA: Behind the Scenes

Here's your chance to finally watch  Anita.
 But remember once you see it you cannot unsee it.

Recently an award-winning short film I starred in, "Anita" played at the Filmbar in Phoenix.  I had always hoped to have this film play in Phoenix.  I am very proud of this film and my work in it, even though I play an absolutely despicable human being.  Many of my friends came to the showing that night and it was received very well by the audience.  Since so many of my family and friends are not in Phoenix and many have asked for the chance to see it, I can now finally share a link to watch it.  So please take 20 uninterrupted minutes and watch it on as big a screen as you can because it will have more impact than if you watch it on your phone at work and get distracted a million times.  Afterward remember, I WAS JUST ACTING!  You've been warned, lest you want to potentially think of me differently after viewing. Then continue reading the blog and you can learn about my time making it over 5 days in Flagstaff and all the challenges that came with it.  Without further adieu, here is "Anita":

https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=10s&v=gqfyAhnN4LQ

Well if you made it back to this point, let me first thank you for taking the time to watch it.  Second, I hope you still want to be my friend.  But seriously this was a very challenging role to take, to do and to then watch myself on screen acting in such a manner. Let's start at the beginning.

Preparing for the most challenging role I may ever have.

In February 2018 I was auditioning for a different movie and afterward the casting director told me he had another film he thought I'd be great for and would I be interested in auditioning for something else.  I did and it was for "Anita".  The casting call was looking for a male my age to play an abusive father and someone who could potentially speak French.  So that was all it said and abusive can mean so many different things.  None of them good of course, but not all of them as evil as it turned out to be.  I had taken French in high school with Madame Balasis(those who had her remember her wackiness very well) so of course I speak french! As an actor when asked to do anything your first response is always, "Yes, I can do that." So of course I'm a French linguist, even though it was 20+ years ago and I haven't spoken any of it since.  C'est Bon! As far as auditions go, they usually give you a scene or two to do in front of people.  But those scenes don't always give you the full scope of the movie.  In this case I auditioned for the writer/Director and the casting director and I knew it went great.  I spoke the french well, even though I had no idea what I said, but I remember how to read and speak it.  Madame Balasis always told me I had "perfect intonation and annunciation".  Who knew that would actually prove valuable at any point in my life!  You generally know when you audition well, you can feel it, and afterward they asked me to wait while they auditioned a few others.  When they were done they told me they really liked me and they wanted me to read the whole script. So I did and soon realized the full scope of the part that I had just auditioned for.  But to their credit they wanted me to know before things went any further.  They didn't offer me the part at that moment, but I was in the mix and they wanted me to be fully aware if I was to stay in the running.  The next day, or maybe a few days later, they offered me the part. Now I had thought about the heaviness of this part since reading the full script and I was on the fence, but I'm telling you as an actor when someone offers you a part you almost instinctively shout  "Yes" every time.  In this case I knew that the production quality  was going to be very high-level and it would be an immensely challenging character to play and I have enjoyed stretching myself as an actor, so I readily signed on.

Kelcie and I rehearsing with me likely telling a bad joke.

We had some rehearsals ahead of filming which was going to take place over 5 days in Flagstaff, Arizona in March 2018.  During rehearsal is when I finally had the chance to meet Kelcie Weber who would play Anita.  I thought my role was challenging, hers maybe more so.  Either way, we would both need to be prepared for some intense days. For a lot of films you don't have any rehearsal. It's usually a time issue and people not always being close by, so once you get on set, that's it.  In this case it was nice to have the chance to meet Kelcie ahead of time and practice.  We seemed to instantly have a good rapport and it appeared to me that we would work well together.  Obviously this was some intense stuff so it was really important for us to be in sync.  It's such a serious film but some levity was brought to the whole situation by being able to meet and rehearse ahead of time.

Family photos.  Doesn't Anita looked thrilled?  
Look closely in the film and you'll see it in the background.

When it was time for filming, they had rented an Air BnB  in Flagstaff and we had the bottom floor of a house.  Ironically they chose this particular location because the room had a giant fireplace.  However good luck seeing in the movie. The owners lived upstairs and were there the whole time and fully aware of what we were doing.  I met them and ironically they were from Marquette, Michigan and had moved to Arizona a number of years before. So I took that as a good omen from the start.  They even had a broken guitar, for whatever reason, so they let us use that, which if you did indeed watch the movie all the way through, you know that was a vital prop. In fact everything in the room was specific to the movie.  They cleared out the whole room and brought in all the furniture and props, everything was relevant to the characters whether you actually noticed the props or not.  Detail beyond any project I've ever worked on before or since.

Getting underway with Scene 1.  
Interesting being in bed with literally 25+ people around you.

As I recall the first day on set we just did blocking and walk through rehearsing.  It was all filmed in a bedroom, so a tight space and we spent time figuring out where the camera could be and all the crew and such when we did certain scenes.  A really good film figures this stuff out so that each shot gets the best quality look and there is more movement in this film then you may think, even if you just watched it.  We move around the bed and on the floor and such and you need different camera angles for everything.  When we finally got to filming, the day started with both of us in hair and makeup.  They had multiple people doing this, even though there were only 2 of us.  Then we started shooting and for the most part we filmed in order, which is not always the case. So we started with us on the bed and Anita telling me to Fuck Off in French.  Rehearsing and preparing is one thing, but when the camera is on it's time to perform and hopefully we would have the right chemistry on-screen.  Her cursing at me was the perfect way to start.

Getting notes from Director Mariah Jones.

After a long day we wrapped and everyone was pleased as it seemed to go really well.  Kelcie and I had seemed to find a good rapport, which is the only way this film works.  She couldn't just hate my character, after all I adopted her as a kid, when no one else did, so to her character she had to be conflicted about someone that took her in and "loved" her while also realizing later on that what he'd done is wrong and horrible.  So there were many layers for her to convey.  Just like there was for me because for my character he "saved" her and doesn't think what he's doing is necessarily wrong so I had to not just be an angry abuser but show "love" and that I care about her in my own demented way. Needless to say, challenging and after Day 1 we felt good on the direction it was going. Onto to Day 2 when the first thing we learned while sitting in hair and make up(I hardly needed any, I have perfect skin after all, I am a model) is the guy operating the sound screwed it up yesterday so everything we did was without sound and would have to be redone. Clearly not good news.  However, with every project I've been on I am happy to redo anything because the more you do it, the better you get at that scene and new ideas come about and after all, yesterday was Day 1 and Kelcie and I were still figuring each other out. So it did indeed set us back in time but we'd already blocked and shot everything once so all of the technical stuff was out of the way and we could just act the scenes out again.  In the end I would say it was a blessing. In the moment, sacre bleu!

There was more choreography than you may think with our dance scene.

Day 2 went really well, the sound issues were resolved.  We did the dance scene, which really took a lot of time as our movements had to be shot from different angles and again the room was a tight space for the 25+ crew and camera. As we headed into Day 3 we were going to focus the day on the scene where I draw on her body, highlighting her problem areas with a sharpie.  Certainly it was going to be an intense day.  If you watch it back you will see that I have all the lines in that scene, but Kelcie is completely exposed and has to cry, so it was challenging.  I could only really draw on her once as the sharpie would be too hard to wash off for multiple takes, so we had to get it right.  Plus I was going to have to touch her and make an absolutely uncomfortable situation seem "normal" to my character.  The Director cleared the room for this scene so it was really just the Camera and sound and her and us two.  We rehearsed multiple times because I wanted to get it right, of course, but I only wanted Kelcie to be exposed as little as possible.  So we rehearsed and rehearsed and then I asked to rehearse again.  Each time I had it right but I was nervous.  Finally the Director said we are doing it and of course about halfway through I screwed up a line. I felt so terrible, I really did.  So we did it again and that's what you see on film.  We had to shoot a few different angles, it was a tough day.  I'm honestly not sure if Kelcie and I spoke to each other off camera all day.  We were both in a weird and difficult place that day.  Considering we were the only two actors and there is tons of downtime when filming, we seemed to stay apart. Easily the most uncomfortable I've ever been on set and it was nobody's fault, just the heaviness of what we just did.  That night I had a bit of a freak out and I talked at length with my Manager Erin-Marie. At that moment I was really conflicted with haven taken this role and playing such a horrible person and having it on film, but she talked me down and she probably has no idea how much that truly helped me get through it.  I never really thought of walking away but I definitely was in a weird space after being "Hayden" for 3 days. You can't be that evil and then just go back to being your regular self, well not  unless you really are a sociopath.

This was not an easy role to play and it messed me up a bit for a few days after.

Day 4 came and we did the death scene.  I spent over an hour in makeup as they built a fake neck on my neck that was bloody and looked like someone that had been strangled.  I had to lay perfectly flat the whole time with my head tilted.  It was really uncomfortable.  We did that scene a number of times and the lead up to it with Anita on the floor and climbing up on the bed towards me. This was the ultimate scene in the movie so it had to be done right.  We did a number of variations of my look as I am dying.  Originally they wanted me to smile as I died as though I knew this day would come.  But ultimately we went with me just struggling and fighting back and closing my eyes.  One of the reasons I knew this film would turn out well is because they had me do my lines many different ways.  Some really angry, some really loving, some in between.  Then they had all the footage to piece together and had variations for each point of the film.

Anita getting ready to climb up on the bed and end her misery.

Watching the playback of Anita killing me with Director Mariah Jones. 
When I saw this I instantly new we had something special.

As I recall, Day 5 was just some inserts and light reshoots, nothing heavy and it was only a few hours.  We wrapped and I drove back home.  When you finish any movie its a strange experience as you've just spent time being someone else and in this case 5 days of being someone horrible.  I felt uncomfortable and gross for a day or two. I had another minor episode of "What have I done?" knowing this would be on film forever and people may get a bad impression of me.  It's a quandary in that if I play the character well people will hate me and at the same time if I don't do a good job the movie will suffer and people will see that I can't act. So I really struggled with that. However I knew we had just done something special, as creepy as it is.  During the filming of the sharpie scene is when I found out this was based on a true story.  To which I immediately said they have to open the movie with that so that people know it's not just a vicious movie and that I'm not just a horrific made up character but a real one.  Unfortunately a bad man,  but I felt the audience needed to know that.  They thought it was a good idea and were going to consider adding that and ultimately did and when you see that at the end it really does have an impact.

The final shot of movie.  That a wrap!

We finished shooting in March 2018 and their first goal was to show it at the historic Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff in May for a Film Festival. So I waited for that and saw no footage and no pictures before then. I had felt when working on it that we really had something good but I had no way of knowing.  Editing, music, sound quality, it all plays so much of a factor for any movie, you just never know how it will turn out.  Leading up to the premier I decided to not shave because I wanted to look as different as I could from filming.  It's a big theater and it was sold out that night.  I was very nervous for many reasons.  The Director of the festival recognized me, as he had watched all the films, and he came over to me.  We talked and I mentioned I had not seen our film yet, no footage at all.  He then told me I was "excellent" and that gave me a moment of calmness. When it finally played it was surreal watching myself.  Even I felt gross at times.  I had no idea how the audience would respond to such a dark film but they seemed to embrace it as it was greatly received and won the first of many awards that night before being sent to film festivals all over the country.  When it finally played in Phoenix a few weeks ago, I hesitated to even invite my friends because I didn't want them to potentially view me differently.  No one had seen it but me.  However that night, Kelcie and I were warmly received.  People were shocked and uncomfortable, I'm sure, but the compliments afterward were very appreciative and humbling.  I may never again play a character so dark or challenging but I am happy that I stretched myself to do it.  Playing this character in many ways has made me a true actor. It was an incredibly difficult 5 days in Flagstaff making this but it was also a privilege to be a part of this no matter how dark it was or how it makes me look.  It's acting.

However, it does seem like it's time for me to finally do something a little lighter! 
Perdre la boule!

The beard didn't disguise me very well as I was recognized by seemingly everyone that night, 
but in the end I am extremely proud to have been a part of this film.  

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood....err, Scottsdale.

Worlds colliding Jerry!  Worlds colliding!!!!!!

Welcome back!!!!!!

Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years. 2 years to be exact since I've last blogged anything. But oh my what has transpired in those two years.  There are many reasons why it's been so long and hold on, we'll explore a few of those shortly.  But after recently seeing the Quentin Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, I suddenly felt some inspiration to write a new blog.  Which was sort of confusing because I'm not much of a  Tarantino fan really, but this film is fantastic, with some incredible acting and great story telling, I'd highly recommend it. Despite the fact that he took a true story, merged it with pure fiction and then rewrote real history with a crazy ending involving a flamethrower.  All the back and forth of truth and fiction nearly made my head explode.  Don't worry film nerds, if you haven't seen it yet I didn't just ruin it for you.  Besides if you are such a Tarantino fan you should have already seen it by now.

I may not have written in awhile but I'm always FIRED UP!

If you read my blog previously(and if you haven't do it right now......I'll wait.......) then you learned of my crazy entry into the world of entertainment.  Quit shaking your head, its really happened, deal with it!  Keep in mind my whole life I've worked as a white collar professional.  I was never in theater as a kid or in school nor had I acted in any way before all of this started a few years ago.  Most co-workers I've had have zero idea that I act, most of my neighbors don't know and even some of my friends either don't know or are back in Michigan and somewhat suspicious of anything I may have shared.  The main reason being I have a hard time considering myself an "Actor", I do act, at least recently, but I have a hard time saying I'm an actor.  It has all happened out of the blue and so quickly and I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of my friends and family or anyone really, typical insecurity I suppose. But I have come to learn and accept that I do have some acting talent and I have done a deep dive head first into studying, training and learning all I can.  It's led to some incredible opportunities as well as some wacky and interesting situations. I'm trying to accept it all and be better at talking and sharing about it as it's not going away anytime soon because one thing I quickly learned is that even the worst day on a set is a million times better than any day of regular work in an office. Who wouldn't want more of that?  So as  I continue to work on my craft, I thought writing again would also be helpful to me from a creative standpoint as I search for my true essence.  Finding my inner being, the place I can go to, to get deep into character.  After all, I'm an artist now.  Right? Maybe?  Whatever. You're here now so you might as well read the rest of this.  Just know I won't be invoking any revisionist history with my life in telling these exploits, just what actually has happened or not.  Well, at least that's my plan, we'll see how this goes, in the end rewriting history may be a better choice.

Look for it in theaters.  Keep looking.  Keep looking.
Keep.......looking........
Cool poster though.

My last blog entry detailed me playing a lead role as Detective Rudy Gehrhardt in the feature film Men of Mercy. A gritty, urban thriller where I chased a teenage gang while trying to solve a murder. In so many ways this was an abrupt education into film making and the industry and for someone as new to it as me I chose to look at it that way and get all of that value out of it for myself.  As an independent film it was done on a shoestring budget, which meant long periods of delay in filming and in post-production.  I quickly learned that as an actor you are basically a hired gun.  You are contracted to act the scenes but then you have zero control over what may or may not happen after that.  So you sit around waiting a lot or just move on to something else.  I did see a final-cut version at a cast party in January of this year and overall the movie turned out solidly.  What happens now, you know as much as me.  But the conundrum with any independent project is that if you are trying to sell it then you cannot have any kind of public showing.  Even some Film Festivals have exclusivity rights so depending on your desire you could have a finished product just sitting idle, hoping to sell it, waiting for something, which is what appears to have happened here.  However the other real takeaway for me was meeting fellow actors, imparticularly the main star of the film, KK Starrs and her mom and dad, Erin Marie and Barry.  They have all become great friends; KK is easily the most talented person I've ever known(more on that forthcoming) and Erin Marie has in many ways become my de facto Manager while Barry is still waiting for the Bears to get even an average FG kicker.  The thud you just heard was Barry throwing his IPad across the room. But since no one will likely ever see this movie and since I had a tremendous amount of scenes and if I can be objective, I think I did a solid job.  Maybe not award-winning, but then again, chances are you won't see it so let me restate that and say I gave an Oscar-worthy performance and I will await my award next year.  I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents, my friends and to all of those people that encouraged me along the way.  You are all my heroes!  Baba booey!

I always seem to have plenty of scripts to read.  I keep a lot of them, even a few of parts I didn't get to see if they ever turn into something.

With all the delays in filming Men of Mercy I started doing as many auditions as I could in Arizona and in California.  My thought was to just audition as much as I could, even if I thought I had no chance for a role, because every audition would be a learning experience. Amazingly I started to get cast in all sorts of things.  I'm sure I'll have some of this out of order, but I got cast as a Professor in a Sci-Fi short called "3631" which led to the Director writing a contest short around me called "The Sugar Project". That led to me getting a lead role in a gritty, true story short film called "Loop" that was shot at the Universal Studios Backlot.  I played a drug-addicted father.  It was a really difficult role to play. I studied addiction heavily and let myself go a bit to get really uncomfortable in my own skin.  It was a challenging week of rehearsing(which we did on the set of the Showtime hit Ray Donovan) and filming, which took place on Wisteria Lane, the old set of Desperate Housewives.  Playing that tough of a role/person stayed with me a day or two afterward.  The Director was hoping to sell the short into a feature but it didn't happen.  However, filming a movie at Universal Studios and being on the backlot on a live set when the tour trams come around with tourists snapping pictures, it was definitely a cool and surreal experience.

On the set of Loop at Universal Studios with Director Cecil Green and Mattea Lee who played my daughter.

I had been fortunate at this point to have gotten a number roles but there were probably twice as many that I didn't get.  Including the role of a solider in an incredible short film, My Sekret War.  One of the few times I was truly disappointed.  But if you ever get a chance to see that, do it. But that's part of the process and I had a regular job and this is all just sideline stuff. But then I got what I thought was the ultimate role for me to play the Head Coach of a Professional Football team in a TV pilot entitled "The Head Coach".  It was more of a serious, issues drama rather than football driven but the whole concept was incredible to me to think that I would be the lead in any TV show.  The script was solid, but I learned another lesson in that not everything transfers from script to screen in a smooth way.  Ultimately it didn't turn out as great as I hoped, but nonetheless it was a great experience.  I brought my parents to a day of filming and they could not have been any less impressed or enthused.  After about 5 minutes my dad actually said, "Can we go now?" only to be topped by my mother after filming one scene and her watching the playback, "Is that it? 2 minutes? You spent all this time for a 2 minute TV show?".  Needless to say staying humble is a non-issue for me.  I love you mom and dad!

Even though my parents weren't captivated in the least, don't worry, they still love and support me.
Meanwhile I made the ultimate boss move in getting Ana an extra role in my first film Dream Big!(now on Netflix) when we were first dating.  It worked, for awhile.  Hmmm, I better find another movie I can get her in.

The real key to all of this was that I was building a resume of work(I don't have enough time to share every project I've done) and mostly in lead roles which would prove valuable when auditioning in the future.  Soon I was cast in a psychological thriller feature film called "Seven Devils".  Filmed in Seattle, LA and Phoenix, I had a big role playing a menacing character who sets up the whole movie.  I saw playback of my scenes and a few other people saw it as well, and it turned out fantastic. That movie is still in post-production and hopefully will be available by the end of this year.  That led to the Director asking me to be in a music video he was shooting for a southern rock artist, Christopher Shayne.  The video was for the song "Burn Me Down".  It was great fun to make and I will not be objective when saying it may be the greatest music video ever!  I even got my friend Jack to play my boss and I've replayed the moment of choking him every time I see him.  Not really, relax, Jack gets the joke.  But I suppose that since we live in such a sensitive society these days, I feel like I have to let everyone know I'm just joking.  Look for my apology on my Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter later today....

Seven Devils up top and Left, it's going to be a great film.
Christopher Shayne and I Burning it Down on the right.

It may seem like I have done a lot of things, and I've only touched the surface, but my regular life of work, running, friends and hobbies was all going on as well.  There is so much downtime in this industry and often times the shoots are only 1 day or a couple.  So you can do a lot in a relatively short period of time.  I still ran the Phoenix Marathon as I have every year since I moved here in 2012.  In fact this year I trained harder than I ever have(sadly not with my best results).  My friend Gregg and I hiked Mt. Humphreys again in Flagstaff.  Something we've done almost every year.  Hiking over 12K feet is no joke!  I did any number of long bike rides with my Phoenix friends, those are always great fun.  My life-long friend Bacon flew in last fall for the MSU-ASU football game in what turned out to be the hottest recorded game in ASU history.  Which is saying something, it was pretty gross.  Had a really difficult breakup.  And I had great trips back to Michigan including tons of fun with my friend Doug and  a crazy trip on his boat to Beaver Island.  The whole group of us will remember that forever.  So my regular life still happened and still does to this day.  I don't take every role that's come my way and I've turned down auditions when I knew the project would interfere with my job or life.  I suppose if acting was my life I'd never do such a thing but I don't regret the way I've handled anything so far.  No reason to dwell on anything, just move on and in the words of Doug, Live Life!  He does that better than anyone I know. I try.

Always trying to Live Life and beyond blessed to have so many people to enjoy it with!

I share a lot of good things, of course, but like everyone else, not everything in life is positive.  I did lose my Uncle Al this year.  He was 90 years old and unfortunately cancer knows no boundaries.  He lived a great life and we always had a special connection.  He and my Aunt Rae retired to Arizona 25+ years ago and live near Las Vegas.  When I first moved to Phoenix I didn't know anyone and there were many weekends I drove the 3.5 hours to their place and he and I spent hours in the Laughlin Casinos sportsbooks watching and betting on football and basketball.  We had many parallels in our lives, so many similarities.  He shared stuff with me he's never shared with anyone else and I did the same.  We had that kind of relationship.  Rare for men, but how lucky I've been.  I always looked forward to spending time at their place. He thought it was so incredible that I had found my way into the world of movies and TV and I'd spent so much time at their place they often referred to their spare room as Chris's room, much to my cousins(their kids) chagrin.  But because of that, purely as joke, I gave them a signed 8x10 of my headshot.  To my surprise they actually hung it up in the room and it still hangs there for all to see.  Silly, yes, please don't think I take myself that seriously.  But the times we spent and all the life lessons I learned from him will be cherished forever.  You will be forever missed Uncle Al!  Definitely send me some betting tips from above, I'm guessing you might have a way to get inside information.

Holding my headshot, and always smiling and laughing.
Thanks for being in my life Uncle Al! Your legend will live on forever!

There is no good segue from that.  But the picture above was earlier this year and it's been quite a year already as far as projects go.  In January I got a really fun role in a feature film called "The Deadbeats" which will be out around Halloween.  I don't want to spoil any of it but I get into a physical altercation with a clown and I got to work with Tori Osborn, who I have seemed to work with 7-8 times.  We've played about every iteration of a relationship possible and in this movie we were a (un)happy couple throwing our daughter a birthday party.  My favorite role with her was in the music video.  Watch it again and you can see her throwing things at me.  She was way too happy to do that I might add.  But when you act in Arizona you tend to run into the same people a lot and she and I certainly have and I know we will work together again.  I then did a run of commercials.  I filmed a series of them for the website Curated.com where I played a dimwit named Uncle Larry. A fun departure.  I did a commercial where I played a felon, that really turned out well. Then I did a Sam Adams Beer commercial which was really cool in theory but when I saw the finished spot you can only see my chest with a beer in front of me, not my head(or anyone else's, how dare they made the beer the focal point!).  After that I was contacted by my talented friend KK who had written a script and was going to make and Direct the movie herself and she asked me to be in it.  Keep in mind she's a teenager!  She's won awards for her acting and now she's writing and directing, are you kidding me?  But I was delighted and we made the film "Liberty".  It was a challenging role for me but it was great fun and it turned out really well.  She's had the film accepted by Film Festivals and it will be showing at one this fall and more later on.  Anything she's attached to turns to gold and I'll gladly glom on like a barnacle if possible.

A collection of some of the films Tori and I have done, me with Mr. Patches in The Deadbeats, and shots from Liberty.

Then as summer came along I was fortunate enough to get cast in two more TV pilots.  Both completely different types of shows. The first The Circles Under Our Eyes, I play a lead role as the patriarch of crime family.  We will be shooting 3 episodes of what will hopefully be a 10 episode season.  It has just started filming and it is going to be wild.  Plus it's given  me the chance to work with two of my friends, Greg Wave, who is the main lead and plays my son, and Stew Jetson who plays my villainous brother.  I've acted with both guys before and become friends with each of them. Greg also wrote a short film called "Into the Fray" which he asked me to be in.  I played a psychiatrist and from all the footage I've seen already it's going to be fantastic and should be done this fall and likely will be accepted to many festivals.  The other pilot may be the most meaningful project I've ever worked on entitled "Learning Laron".  In the show I run a large law firm and Laron works for me and let's just say I'm not a great boss.  I've filmed all of my scenes and I know they turned out well. The guy playing Laron, Alan R. Johnson, is fantastic and we worked really well together doing some intense scenes.  I expect this show will get picked up and seen somewhere it's way too good not too.  This month I fly back to Sacramento to finish filming "The Diner", a twilight zone-esque thriller, and bigger budget SAG feature film where I play a principle role as a Real Estate Developer who must atone for some misdeeds.  We are not allowed to share virtually anything about this but I know it will turn out great and should be done and out this fall as well.  But one of the most exciting things for me is the Phoenix premiere of a short film I did called "Anita".  It will play at the Filmbar in Phoenix as part of the Arizona Filmmakers Showcase at the end of the month.  It's won awards at Festivals and it is something I am very proud of even though it is incredibly dark and disturbing and I play a horrible person.  It may likely be the most challenging role I could ever play.  I filmed it last year with Kelcie Weber, who plays Anita, and who might also end up being in the Circles TV show.  She gives an incredible performance and it was quite an experience making this important film.  If you are in Phoenix I expect you to be there.

Learning Laron with Alan and Director Jermaine Shoulders, a behind the scenes shot of Into the Fray, a shot of another pilot I did with Greg, Dealin' with the Dead where I play his attorney. Two shots of Anita, one of us rehearsing.

So needless to say the last two years have been quite a whirlwind and there were a number of other projects I was fortunate enough to be a part of and great people that I've worked with.  Not every project turned out well or was probably even that great to begin with.  But if you want to act you have to do anything you can and learn and improve. I've embraced that and I'm trying harder to share and truly embrace the fact that acting has now become an integral part of my life.  For most of the time is was just a cool thing that happened and then another project would happen and then another.  With every dry spell I just assumed that was it and I never wavered from my regular life.  I still don't know if I ever will try and devote myself solely to acting but I know this; we all encounter forks in the road of our lives and not all forks are bad or necessarily tough decisions, merely a different path to take.  For whatever reasons I have taken some unlikely paths and continue to do so. I've studied hard and learned as much as I can and I'll put my acting training and classes and management up against any one's, but the real key is everything I've done has worked for me and  I've done my best to learn from it and to try and be the best actor I can whether I've had a lead role or a smaller part. It's all still amazing to me and I appreciate every opportunity I've been given. It's even led to me writing my own short film script and getting a production company to make it.  That film is called "Purgatory" and we'll be shooting it the end of September.  It's really exciting and unbelievable to me that any of this has happened.  Starting and writing this blog 7 years ago was really just a way for me to keep in touch with my family and friends in Michigan.  It turned into great therapy for myself as I was divorced and living alone for the first time in my life in a state where I knew no one.  But I think it also fueled my creative side, a side maybe I either never realized I had or thought I could pursue.  But after all this time I think I am now able to admit and proclaim to myself and anyone else that I am an indeed an Actor!  Everything that's happened to me is a lot like a Hollywood tale, it's just been made in Scottsdale.

But no matter what happens from this point, now I know all I need is a Red Apple cigarette and a flamethrower and I can blow everything up and start over!  It's the Hollywood way.

Christopher Studenka, Actor

A Movie Star is born? Really?



Umm,  I am as shocked as you..  But enjoy.  NOW WHERE'S MY LATTE???? I NEED A LATTE, STAT!!!!

It's been a long time since I posted anything and the last thing I left you with was my foray into the world of professional modeling.  Since then, it's been an even wilder ride; none of which I truly saw coming.  But now a year and a half later I've been called in for dozens of commercial roles, TV shows spots and multiple movies.  All still without an agent!  How is that possible?  How is any of this possible?  I really don't have any good answers for you, but it's been a fun and interesting ride so far and I thought I could shed some light to all of those that have inquired or still are in disbelief of my second career, if you will.  Yes I'm speaking to you JB, TT, AT, JS, JE, DH, SF, GB, JM, XYZ, *7, LL, CMU!  I've used your initials to keep your anonymity and I may have possibly made a few of those up too.  It certainly is pretty crazy and hard to believe, even for me.



You'd never know it was only 30 degrees that day.  I guess I am a good actor!

After the modeling shoot, I still had no idea if any of my pictures would be used because they took so many of all the models and of course they have to see how they all turn out.  But much to my continued amazement, they did end up using 2 of my photos for the Catalog.  The one above of me running with what is supposed to be interpreted as "my son", and one of just my leg showcasing a new Brooks running shoe.  This won't sound the least bit humble, but I will be honest and say that when I saw my pictures in the catalog, it was pretty cool.  The catalog came out last spring and after that things just started happening.  Keep in mind I had auditioned for the catalog virtually on a whim and never thought anything would come of it.  After I was selected, I still didn't have any illusions of anything else.  Just a cool story and something unique that happened.  I had no agent, no desire to pursue anything, I work a regular job, my life was basically the same as everyone else.  And then I got an email from a producer about a new TV show on the Discovery Channel called The Wheel.  I have zero idea how they found me and I wasn't even sure if the email was real, but I responded cautiously and soon realized it was indeed real and they were looking for individuals to be on a show where you would get dropped off, by yourself, in remote areas of South America and I'd have to try and survive for 6 weeks.  I was intrigued and went through a litany of psychological tests and had to fill out a ton of paperwork.  They too asked for headshots and a video reel, I had neither.  But apparently I was almost cast, yet in the end I was never made a formal offer.  I would have been paid, it wasn't a contest to see if I could survive and earn the money.  I likely would have had to turn it down, as I wouldn't want to quit my job for a 3 month adventure.  But it was fun to think about.  I also learned a valuable lesson in this industry, when you are not picked, you get no word, you hear nothing, you just don't get the call to go forward.  So you sort of sit in limbo wondering for awhile.  Anyways, while that was going on I was also called by the Casting Company that did the Catalog shoot to audition for a bunch of different commercials.




Headshots?  Video reels?  Huh?  I have this selfie I took in Idaho on Lake Pend Orielle, it seems to get me work.

Commercial auditions have been interesting as well.  I was called in for a Harley Davidson commercial and had to pretend I was on a Harley.  Remember, I have no formal training, I am not an actor or a model really.  It was very strange.  Surprisingly they called me back for a final audition and to meet with the Director and he told me:

I watched your audition tape.  You really had that surprised, unsure look about you.  It was perfect.  Do it again.

Umm, okay. I was unsure and surprised, I was pretending to sit on a motorcycle that didn't exist!  I didn't know what the hell I was doing.  But I guess it worked.  So that casting company continues to contact me when they have roles that fit me and ask me to come in.  I'm beyond the open audition part with them at this point, I get called when they think it's a fit.  It's usually a two step process.  The first audition there are maybe 10 people they've called in.  The second audition they call back a couple that they liked from the first one and then they decide.  It still amazes me when I have been at second auditions, they have the talent(cough, cough) in a green room altogether and usually we talk with each other.  Some people are private, but when we get to talking the others are almost always professional actors or models and they have agents and are always talking about the shows and movies they've been in and such.  I've not yet met anyone famous per se, but those that do small roles in many things.  I've done nothing and yet I seem to be right there in the final auditions with them.  So whatever I have going for me, and I'm truly not sure what that is, seems to be working.



My friend Mike Harvey did these for me in his garage.  He's a professional photographer, but not these types of photos.  I needed them quick and he did them in a day.  Thanks Mike!  I'm almost actually a legitimate actor now.  Almost.

Having discussed my ability to get jobs without any formal training with friends, the best I can come up with is that I have a great, regular job.  These things are merely secondary, at best, for me and so I go in with zero nervousness and a casual attitude about it because whether or not I get them, doesn't really impact me.  It's not my career.  But beyond that I must have at least some modicum of talent or at least a big enough personality or something.  It seems like it's all luck, but that can't be entirely true.  Can it?  Who cares, I'll take it.



Currently still playing at IMAX theaters across in the nation and in 3D as well.

Last spring the Casting Company asked me if I'd like to be a Judge in a movie filming in Phoenix in June 2016.  Of course I would!  It was a small role for a big budget IMAX film and I didn't even have to audition.  That led to some interesting conversations with some of the other actors on set as they had to do who knows what to get a part.  I merely answered an email.  That movie was called Dream Big! and it was made for IMAX theatres only and is really about engineering marvels around the world.  The part I was in was a recreation of a true story involving a Phoenix high school robotics club that entered a national competition and competed against top  universities like MIT and Harvard and they ending up winning the whole contest.  I was on the Competition Judges Panel but I was the lone dissenting Judge, not believing that high schoolers could have done this on their own, that their teachers must have helped them.  I was probably in about 5 scenes but that was the only one I had any lines.  The Judges panel scene was to be a 3.5 minute scene and important.  Cut to me going to see Dream Big! at the theater last February with my parents and a harsh reality set in; they cut out that entire scene.  Bummer for sure.  But I was still on screen in IMAX and 3D no less, a number of times including once in the dead center of the screen for a few seconds, but overall I just ended up as a glorified extra.  Which really was fine with me.  I'd never been on a real movie set and it was a fun and interesting experience.  The weekend we filmed in Phoenix it was 118+ every day and the camera kept overheating.  Incidentally this was the last movie to ever be made with an IMAX film camera, the largest film camera in the world no less.  Due to everything going digital, there is no more need for film cameras.  So in my first movie, I was part of film history and I have a small piece of the actual film that they gave each of the actors. 

Because of the heat that weekend and since we filmed many of the scenes outdoors, they had water everywhere and one point I tried to help and carried a 5 gallon dispenser when the Production lady yelled at me:

Talent cannot be moving stuff!  That's our job!  You might get hurt!

Sorry lady, just trying to help.  I'm not some sissy, I can carry water, but whatever.  Talent. That's me, I guess.  I still find it odd when I'm referred to that way on set.



Trying to be a big shot, I even got my girlfriend, Ana, a chance to be an extra in the final banquet scene. The IMAX camera is in the back on the scaffolding.  She even made the final cut!



It's a wrap for me on Dream Big!  After filming the banquet scene at a hotel in downtown Phoenix.  Through the magic of film, we were supposed to be in Santa Barbara. I'm sure it wouldn't have been as hot as it was in Phoenix that weekend.

After filming Dream Big!, I had a number of commercial auditions and a lost chance on a Fox TV Pilot where I would have played a Federal Agent chasing someone into Mexico.  The casting company called me to come in and audition and I was ironically in Los Angeles and at that moment a stone's throw from Fox Studios, as I was there on business for my regular job(not entertainment related).  I told them I could go over to Fox but they said auditions were in Phoenix and I'd have to come there.  So I missed out.  I may not have gotten the part anyways, but the timing was interesting and the chance to audition for a TV series would definitely have been an experience.  Things were quiet through the end of the year and then I saw an audition call for a role as a Detective in a movie filming in Phoenix called Men of Mercy.  So I sent in my "new headshot"(thanks again Mike!) and I was immediately contacted by the Director of the movie.  That in itself was surprising to me, having a Director email, then call me direct.  She asked for my video reel and I told her I didn't have one but I did share the things I had done in the last year and she was open to have me audition.  Keep in mind this is a leading role in a feature film.  All I've ever done was commercials with one or two lines, even Dream Big! the lines I had(that got cut) were mostly improv, so this was a much bigger deal.  I'm not sure what compelled me to think I could even handle a role like that but I mostly was interested in hoping to get an audition for such a role.  Go through the process and see what it was like and if it was something I could do.  So I had a good meeting with the Director, thought I had a good chance and then.......nothing.  I didn't hear anything.  I emailed and called her to no avail.  So I figured I wasn't chosen.  Not surprising really, but sure it was somewhat disappointing.  2 months later I get an email from the Director, she asks if I'm still interested in the role.  This was a Friday night.  I said sure and she sent me two scenes to prepare to re-audition tomorrow on Saturday, so I prepared.  I had the audition and then as soon as I was done she told me I had the part.  To say I was stunned would be an understatement.  Then she says we are filming tomorrow, Sunday, all day.  So I literally went from living my regular day to day life on Friday to filming a lead role in a movie on Sunday.  Turns out they had originally hired another actor and had actually filmed some of the scenes with him already but for whatever reasons, it didn't work out and he was let go.  The Director immediately called me and that was that.



Men of Mercy, Starring Chris Studenka.  Seriously?
This is only a promo poster it may not be used.

I still hadn't read the entire script and I stayed up late Saturday night reading the script and preparing for my scenes the next day.  Certainly I was nervous and it wasn't because I didn't think I could do it, it was more that I didn't want to be the weak link in the film.  I didn't want to be around the other actors and have them concerned about me.  So I prepared the best I could and knew I'd give it my best. The movie in essence is about a teenage girl who gets swept up in the gang life and eventually involved in a murder.  I play the Police Officer that is chasing her and the gang throughout the film.  It is supposed to take place in Los Angeles but we are shooting almost all of it in Phoenix, except the ocean scenes.  One benefit to me is that the real star of the film is still a teenager so we have to work around her schedule; meaning we mostly film at night and on the weekends.  So it hasn't affected my regular job at all, although I have a lot of vacation time to take if needed.

Officers Gerhardt and Sloane.  Don't mess with us!

So that Sunday one of the first scenes we film is my final scene where I meet with the Police Commissioner to discuss my fate.  One thing with films, you rarely film it in sequence.  They get filmed out of order for all sorts of reasons, sets, time of day, etc., then they edit it together.  But here I was sitting at home on a Friday and two days later I'm filming the penultimate scene of a movie.  The Director said to me:

Remember, you are shocked at what's happened and what the Commissioner is saying. So act surprised.

No problem!  I was surprised at the whole thing and what was transpiring. Literally.  But the scenes went well.  I also filmed an interrogation scene with the real star of this film, KK, who is an incredibly talented actress and she's only a teenager.  She has all the ability to be a huge star as her talent is obvious, even to anyone not in the industry.  I also filmed a scene with my police partner, played by Valerie, another talent.  Thus I had to do all I could to keep up.  Despite what may seem like a casual attitude I may have at times, when I am given a chance, I prepare and take notes and I listen to direction and I am very professional at all times.  I don't take anything causally once it's going to happen.  But I was now faced with learning 70+ pages of dialogue for my character and learning how to play off of others far more than I had ever done.  The memorizing of the lines has not been an issue, but still learning how to emote effectively has been the bigger challenge and I've definitely had to practice at home.

We filmed a lot of this movie on location around Phoenix.  My Jeep has become an important piece.  They had another car for me to use and I thought my Jeep was cooler and that my character would drive a cool car.

As it turns out, after dissecting the script, I realized I have a ton of my scenes alone.  I'm in my car driving or on the phone or at the crime scene, always trying to figure things out by myself much to the chagrin of the police chief and my partner. My character, Rudy Gerhardt, is described as a divorced guy, doesn't always do things by the book, intelligent-but maybe not as much as he thinks, dates around... in essence it describes me as a person(except the law enforcement angle), pretty accurately, so it hasn't been that hard to put my own spin on him and "make him my own" as they say.  I have some big scenes in the movie, including one where I go to the crime scene and walk around on my own, thinking through the crime.  I had a lot of lines and the Director wanted to film it as one continuous shot, no breaks, so I had to get it down.  I practiced a lot and we shot it 7-8 times and I think it turned out well.  But I have not seen any of the dailies or raw footage and I don't want to.  I still don't consider myself an actor and I want this to turn out well for the Director, who wrote the script as well so she has a tremendous amount invested in this project, and for the others in the film too.  But I have realized that I can do it, maybe not great, I'm no Tom Hanks, but I can do it and decently I think.  Hopefully editing will be kind and with music and quick shots, maybe I can even appear like a solid actor.  I'll be as anxious as anyone to see it.  We hope to wrap principal filming soon and then it will be in post production for a few months.  As an independent film it will make the film festival circuit and hope to get picked up by a major studio or by Netflix or HBO, Showtime, anywhere.  The Director is hoping to have a Phoenix premiere this fall.

We filmed ocean scenes in Laguna.  Here the girls are getting direction while I am in the suit waiting for my scene.  It was a crazy trip.

Thanks to my friend John Eloff, my character has an "official" diploma from CMU.  It hangs in Rudy's office and hopefully will make final edits.  Fire Up!

While I was filming Men of Mercy I also had the chance to audition for a role as a Professor in a Sci-Fi short film and ended up getting the part. The film is being made for some NASA project and will then be shopped as a TV series or a feature film.  The space race has slowed considerably and there is a ton of money invested at NASA so they want to stay relevant and I guess investing a small amount this way could be beneficial.  At any rate, we filmed over a weekend and it was very interesting as there are so many special effects involved that I filmed mostly talking to air, a clone of myself, or a wall as stuff will get added in, in post production.  It was an incredible production company that put this together and it was a fun, quick shoot.  I will certainly be interested to see it because I literally have no idea what it will look like because of the green screen effects that will be added.  That movie should be done by August as well.

I'm quite certain the movie effects will be a little better than this, but I have nothing to share from the set so this will have to do.  I was taken by Martians in the film and then cloned.  I think.

So now I have done a national modeling catalog, commercials,  and 3 movies, including 2 leading roles, one in a short film and one in a feature film. I have no agent, still don't have a video reel and still have no real connections to anyone in the industry.  So how has this really all happened?  Again, I don't know other than I took some chances in auditioning and for some reason things keep happening. However the industry is so fickle, I may never get another role of any kind.  I have absolutely no plans or desire to move to Hollywood or to try and pursue this as a career.  I love my job and my life in Scottsdale and I don't want to give that up.  Then again, if things keep happening, who knows and if someone ever offers me $10 million to be a movie, you won't have to ask me twice.

The girls can run and hide but Officer Gerhardt will catch them!
Men of Mercy 2018!