This and That. Ti ke? Ti ke.

Sat Sri Akal!

That's hello/goodbye/goodnight, etc. Do you know there isn't a Punjabi phrase for Good Night? Strange. :)

Let's see...today is the 8^th. First day of filming was yesterday! And what an experience!

It started at 4 AM...make-up and hair came to my room at 5 and we headed to location at 6. This was for my jogging sequence. Luckily I did all my jogging before it got too hot. Later in the day, just standing there I was melting. Literally. I had to get major touch-ups between every take!

When I woke up yesterday morning, my throat was a little sore. That's always where my colds start, so I thought I'd better knock it out quick. Everything was fine on the set until lunch (around 1.30-ish). I felt it. Ugh. Luckily, I was finished for the day. By the time I got back to the hotel, my cold was in full force! It didn't stop me from shopping at Big Bazaar, but the rest of the day was spent in bed flipping through the TV channels. I was miserable.

I'm doing better now, so I'm hoping later today I'll be up to snuff. I told Ish to strangle Lakhwinder for me!

I'm hungry! It's almost 8 AM, but breakfast, much like dinner, is served late. So I'm sitting here, listening to the horns in traffic, and the whir of my glorious AC. :)

Oh! How could I forget?! I'm sitting down between takes yesterday, sipping some water and getting my make-up touched up, when a huge, gorgeous elephant strolls through the set! I want to ride an elephant and a camel while I'm here, so I was thrilled to see her! Him? He had beautiful stencils all over him, and I got to get my picture taken with him. He wrapped his trunk around me, it was wonderful! One of the pictures shows him grabbing my boob—I didn't even notice it at the time. It made my day, though. (The elephant, not the boob-grab.) How often do elephants just stroll through your life?

I told you in my last blog that I wanted fans. I have some now! Two of them! One gentlemen at the market where we were filming kept coming up and talking to me and introduced me to his mom. He wanted my address, but I gave him my email. He wanted to make sure that I would respond, and he was going to go write me when he got home. I told him I don't have internet access very often, but assured him I'd respond. :)

And later on another gentlemen asked for my autograph! So...outside of theatre productions and my dad...that was my very first autograph-seeker. :)

What else has been going on...? Ah—Lakhwinder, Manpreet, and I headed further into Ludhiana to go to one of the gurudwaras. (They're found about half a mile apart from each other.) Lakhwinder drove his fancy tinted-windows car, and I sat in the back chanting, “Waheguru, waheguru!” It made him laugh. “Waheguru” is sort of like, “Oh, my God.” You use it as a term of reverence or as we use “Oh, my God!” So while freaking out in the back seat, I chanted!

The first gurudwara was packed, and outside in the shoe removal place, both of the boys had to stop for pictures and autographs and talking with fans.

Lakhwinder is a very famous Sufi singer over here, coming from a long line of Sufi singers,  and Manpreet just finished a movie called “Sat Sri Akal,” where he was the first Sikh playing the hero. It's a big deal. Normally they have non-Sikhs playing Sikhs, and it's pretty obvious because of the beards. And even then, they're not really the lead.

We headed across the street to the BIG gurudwara, so I got to worship at both. The second was massive, and very elaborate. It had a guy reciting from the book—I got some video from the outside. And video of Manpreet's fans. The kids loved him—but they weren't interested in Lakhwinder there, so he and I had fun watching all the kids.

After that, we did some shopping for costumes and props, a bit. I found a t-shirt that said “Come, let's learn Punjabi!” and had the alphabet and various other sayings. It made me laugh, so I bought it.

Okay, I'm getting a sinus headache...and I think I'll go in search of food. It might still be too early. Oh, by the way, I'm off today. No filming for me! Good thing...I can take time to get better. But I know soon we'll be filming a big action sequence which will be choreographed and involve a lot of people! Some bad guys are after me and get to me in the middle of a big guru-parade (for lack of a better term). I won't tell you what happens, though. :) You'll just have to see the movie!

Later that day...

Okay, so Ish just called me and told me we have a press conference today. Aack! My eyes are bloodshot with bags underneath, my nose is raw and red...well, of course we have a press conference! ;) I'm a little nervous...okay, no, I'm freaking out a bit inside. This is my first press conference, and most of it will be in another language! I have no idea what to expect, but I'm excited. This is incredible!

Two months ago I was sitting on my sofa wishing something would happen. Now it has! Almost in the blink of an eye, I'm in a new life.

Later that evening:

Wow. That was fun!

They were actually filming a scene in the movie with my picture blown up in the background... Holy cow, was that a little odd! Anyway, while that was going on, I had interviews with a bunch of people from the press. And thousands of pictures! Finally!!! I'll get enough pictures of myself! Tee-hee! Traveling with Andy is difficult, because he doesn't like to take pictures or be in them!

Not that I'll see most of these pictures, mind you.

The first interview was one-on-one, with me sat in a wicker chair. It got quite “heavy,” as Marty McFly would say. The interviewer asked me what I felt about Sikh terrorists in the US, and what I thought about global terrorism and all kinds of things like that. How on Earth does one answer a question like that?! I did my best...and am proud to say I didn't put my foot in my mouth at all—not once! (It's a miracle!) At one point I had to say that I didn't know enough about it to comment.

The other interviews were more light-hearted. * whew * Lots of questions about my character and how I liked India, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary.Though I'll admit I got stuck when asked who my favourite Bollywood actor and actress were! Oops. I couldn't remember the actor's name, so I told them the movies I'd seen him in. And for the women, I said they were all so gorgeous, I couldn't choose just one!

Oh! I saw a paper today...and my picture was in it! I was jogging—and I didn't look half-bad. No pansy-ness. :) The article was in Gurmukhi script, so I have no clue what it said.

I'm staring at the card Mom gave me before I left. I have it propped up on my little table. It made me cry when I opened it, and I like to keep it with me.

“When pride in yourself is the wind for your wings, how high and how far you can soar.

When hope and hard work are the sails of your ship. What remarkable worlds you'll explore...

When dreams are the stars that you never lose sight of in spite of the dark or distress,

In time you'll discover, wherever life takes you, the treasure your heart calls success.”

What is today...? Saturday, the 10^th of October!

Yesterday was a lot of fun. Lakhwinder and I had driving scenes to shoot all morning, so we headed out into a village. It was really awesome getting to see more of the countryside. It really is very beautiful, and the Punjabi people are incredibly nice. I was able to use one of the villager's toilets, even. :)

I'm afraid I have not made much headway in keeping India green! Everybody just throws everything on the ground...it's quite shocking. I throw mine away, unless I can't find a bin. Then I keep it with my stuff till I get home.

Last night we shot in a shopping centre, where hundreds of onlookers stood by for hours and hours. :) Kind of funny. We never even got to my scene!

We all came home—it was around 1.30 AM—and they all had dinner! Dinner! At 1.30 in the morning! A few of us sat out in the lobby talking, and then we headed to bed.

Learning more and more Punjabi, but that's not saying much! Do you remember when I said, “ki ddang, kukard?!” was like, “What's up, friend?” Well, I've been saying it all over...and even to the press when they asked me for some Punjabi phrases. I assumed the odd expressions I was getting were because of my American accent, but no. No. I've been saying, “What's up, chicken?!” this whole time!!! I strangled Manpreet, so all is good. :) Ti ke!

We've been in the papers several times already. I always think I look fat, but then, Navneet thinks she does, too. :) Girls. What can you do?

Got my first fan mail!

I should probably answer it. :)

Besides, Andy said my last blog was way too long, and I need to keep them shorter! ;)

I'll work on finding a way to get pics and videos posted...no promises, though!

Having a blast—something new everyday! Cast and crew are wonderful...

Love to you all!

A Passage to India

Namaste!

(Okay. So no video right now. It's too big, so I'm going to split it in two sections and then post. :)  )

(Okay. So. Probably no video or pics at all. The download time is incredibly slow. I may have to do it when I get home! Or send Andy home with some of it, but he only gets back a couple weeks before I do. *sigh* We'll see!)

So this is Day...uh...3? Of being in India. :) I've been picking up Hindi and Punjabi words and phrases here and there. I'll be an expert in two months! ;) Que paso in Punjabi means “What will you wear?” Of course, they spell it differently. Just don't ask me how. :)

I am currently sitting in my hotel room in Ludhiana, Punjab...but the first few days were in Mumbai at the YWCA. I explain a lot more in my video blog, so I'm going to try not to repeat myself.

Manpreet just called—we're going to sip some tea and go over our scripts. He's playing Fateh, my college chum. :) Toodles for now!

4^th October, 2009

Anyway...So here I am. Still at the Ginger Hotel in Ludhiana. We'll be moving to another hotel this evening, I believe. But I'm really clueless as to what's supposed to be going on. We had breakfast this morning, and other than costume measurements, I've had a lot of time to myself. So I was able to get my first video blog edited (kind of) and saved. Yay!

Slept okay last night. There were power outages ALL the time...and in the early morning, they were about 30 minutes apart. Laptop is fine. :) It's just annoying when it happens, because it pops the switches and fuses, so it's loud. Hopefully our next place won't have as many, but I'm not betting on that. :)

I was watching some Indian TV, but as I flipped through the channels, I came across Yentl! And I think you'll all agree that one just doesn't pass up Yentl, no matter where you are. ;)

It was kind of funny, because on the flight over, I'd decided “A Piece of Sky” was my theme song, and I listened to it several times.

Lakhwinder hasn't arrived yet. When he does, the four of us (me, Manpreet, Lakhwinder, and Pami—who plays Lakhwinder's mother) will start rehearsing. Manpreet actually plays an American-born Sikh Indian, so we've been working a bit on phrases and sayings and such. Completely forgot to work on the American accent last night, though. He doesn't have much in English, but it'll be very obvious that he's not American! So we'll work on that, too.

By the way, do any of you Pennsylvanians know of certain words/phrases/slang that are used in the Philly area? Fateh and Carrie are from that area, so I'd like to incorporate some of it into our speech. No one will notice...but I will. Call me method.

I'm not, really. Well, okay...a bit. :)

Yesterday I woke up just before 3 so we could get to the airport. Our flight was to leave at 6.15, but there was some mix-up with the flights, and we ended up taking the 10.25 flight (which got delayed an hour). Since we were there so early, the three of us checked in our luggage—boy, did that take a while! And then we escaped the airport and took an auto to Juhu Beach. I took several pictures of this...tried to capture what it was like.

The thing that amazed me so much were the amount of people sleeping on the streets on Mumbai. So many, and the beach was no exception.

I had my first coconut water—straight from the coconut—and then they chop it up inside so you can eat the coconut. Didn't taste at all like coconut. It was really good, but a completely different flavour than what I was expecting.

There was a huge bull just standing there, too. So naturally I took a picture. They took one of me, but wouldn't let me touch it. :( So that picture is of me trying to pet it.

I have many rules I must obey, given by Ish:

I am forbidden to wander outside alone.

No fried foods.

No water, except bottled. (And all the guides say this, too. They say to brush your teeth with bottled water, and not to swallow any water from the shower, too...or much like Charlotte, you'll Poughkeepsie in your pants. I brush my teeth with tap water, though.)

No fruit unless peeled.

No fruit drinks.

Basically, no liquids of any kind except bottled water. Or tea, since it's been boiled.

No dairy.

(She wants me to take baby steps so I don't get Delhi Belly. So far, so good.)

No food unless cooked very well.

No petting of the animals. At all. No exceptions!

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting. :)

Oh, when we landed in Chandigarh, there was a whole slew of photographers. Alas, they were not waiting for us. I have no clue what bigwig flew in, but it wasn't us. THIS time!

Later that evening:

New rule! I must speak very, very slowly when speaking with Lakhwinder. And we have to stay several feet away from each other! He's sick and Ish is worried about my immune system. :) I gave him some Emergen-C, and I'm drinking it, as well.

He seems very nice. He has “people.” We happened upon him in the lobby, so we made introductions. After that, a group of guys asked for pictures and autographs...too funny. :) His first movie was just released a day or two ago...very cool!

Manpreet is getting known, as well! He's getting a Punjabi Film Award for Best Debut. He and I walked to the Big Bazaar (which is like the GB for those who know, or a mini-CostCo) and several people stopped to talk to him. One guy kept coming back...for his cell number, which Manpreet declined to give, but then offered his email address! And then the guy left, and came back for an autograph. It was pretty cool to me, but you could tell he was a bit embarrassed by the whole thing.

Must be surreal. I'll let you know how it feels when it starts happening to me!

After the Big Bazaar, we walked to a small town nearby to visit a gurudwara, which is the Sikh church/temple. That was neat to go to...I even went barefoot and didn't feel that my feet got dirty! I was worried because I didn't have a scarf to cover my head, but Manpreet told me they have some there. And they did.

Tomorrow we move to the other hotel room. I'm really hoping for wifi. Or a cyber cafe near by. Something! I think I;m going to give in and pay for wifi here. It's 1.6 rupees a minute, so...good thing I'm pre-writing this blog! 1 rupee is actually incredibly cheap ($1 = 46 rupees), but I know me. I can spend some time on the internet! So I'll do what I need to do and get off. It's 8.30 AM back home...I'll try calling Andy through Skype, but I can guarantee he's still in bed!

I read through what I wrote above...it's all over the place, haan? (See? I'm trying to incorporate Punjabi into my everyday speech!)

Okay...signing off for now. :)

Love to all!

5 Oct 09

Okay, I'm back. :) No internet yet. But I'm almost positive I will tomorrow. Just need rupees—I still haven't changed my moolah! Someone was going to do it for me (one of the crew), but I need to be there, apparently.

Tell you what: I can get used to this lifestyle. I like being taken care of. I have a driver...my meals are taken care of...there's a gym down the hall which I even used! Not too shabby. :)

We're still at the Ginger hotel. We moved today to the Chevron closer to town, but turned right back around. I guess Ginger gave them a good deal. It's a nicer hotel...I don't care either way—I was just glad to unpack!

Lakhwinder and I were able to spend some time alone together. He thinks his English is bad...but I told him he knows more English than I do Punjabi! (Everyone's very helpful, by the way. I learn a little bit more each day. But I cannot speak in complete sentences! Just a few. Ki daang, kuker! Don't know if that's the right spelling, but it basically means “What's up, amigo?”)

Anyway...Lakhwinder's very nice—quite a cutie, too. :) Right after we wrap, he's heading to the States for the first time. He has a concert tour in 7-8 cities. I'll let you know more in case you're interested in attending! I'd love to go...we'll see. I'll be here till the 22^nd, and I don't think he's coming anywhere near Denver. But we'll see!

He's from Amritsar, where the Golden Temple is. I asked him if he was there in 1984, when there was a big riot and terrorists, etc. He was, but was little...he remembers some, but not much.

People have stopped him, too, for pictures and to chat. He's very humble and takes it in stride. I find it very cool! I told Manpreet, “I want fans, too!” He assured me I would, and that he was my fan. He's a lot of fun. I'm glad to have these few days to spend with him, because our characters have known each other for years, and have an almost brother/sister teasing relationship...so we've been developing that—quite easily. He's fun. :) (And single, gals!)

So...I'm going to have to get used to the times Indians eat. Crazy late! Dinner is more 9-11ish. Dude, that's bedtime! You can't go to sleep on a full stomach! So it's 9.30 now and I am determined to have dinner with everyone tonight. I haven't been hungry much—I eat mainly because I think I should. :) But it's all so good, it's not like it's hard to force down!

Let me tell you about driving here. I know I mentioned it in the video, but I can't properly get across how INSANE it is here. Everything and everybody uses the roads...cars, rickshaws, buggies drawn by horses/mules/people, trucks, buses, cows, bikes, mopeds, whatever. And everyone has the right of way. There are no rules, except maybe “Might Makes Right.”

There are lines painted on the road—I saw them! But no one uses them. It could be a two-lane road, but it's turned into 5 or 6. Horns are used all the time. From what I've noticed, sounding the horn can mean: move, go faster, here I am, I'm turning whether you're coming or not, I'm annoyed, there's traffic and I can't do anything but I'm frustrated, you're too slow, make a new lane and get outta my way. Basically, it means just about anything. And some people have musical horns and they just constantly lay on them. It's like a very loud ice cream truck heading down the road. On the backs of trucks, “Blow Horn” is painted.

Those who have driven with me know that I tend to freak out. (I have no depth perception, among other things!) So I'm worse here! The drivers laugh while I'm in the back not-so-quietly freaking out. :) Imagine the absolute worst driver you know. Worse than me. Now picture everyone driving like that, only ten times worse. And faster. And louder. With cows and bikes! Ay-yi-yi.

Ah! Thursday's photo shoot! It went well—they straightened my hair...we took some photos and then they decided they didn't like it straight. (My hair is very fine, so when straightened, it lacks volume.) So we wet it down and got it curly again...and my hair will be curly for the film. :)

The photo shoot was for the cover of Carrie's novel. I explain that in my video... I've seen the finished picture, all airbrushed and everything. I was so jetlagged, but damn, I look good! Airbrushing is fabulous. Wish all my pics could have it! My make-up was a little orange to me, but not to anyone else. I'm picky, though.

I'm not sure if it's also the movie poster...we'll see. That would be so weird—having my big face on a movie poster!

Having a lot of fun, even though I can't go anywhere alone. ;) I'm looking forward to shopping!

Okay, I'm sleepy. Jetlag has me falling asleep pretty early. Which is good, because we'll have a lot of early morning shoots. But...dinner is so late! I think I'm going to give in and eat right now. I don't want to sleep on a full tummy.

Right-i-o. It's 10.00. I'm eating!

6^th Oct, 2009

I have internet access!!! I'm going to go ahead and load all this up—yay!

Lakhwinder, Manpreet, and I—maybe a few others—will be going to a bigger gurudwara tonight. I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to ask if I can do the ritual stuff, too. I did a little bit last time—they put some sort of food in your right hand and you eat it. I can't remember what it's called, though.

Can't wait to start filming tomorrow! Even though it's an early call. But that's what film's like. Theatre's the opposite—you stay up all night with everyone and you sleep all day. :)

Ohhhhhhh!!!!!! I have a bone to pick with you, Sarah Ohh! The second night I was here, I had a funny dream. A bunch of us were back in high school, but at the ages we are now. Cillian Murphy went to this school, too, and I had a huuuuge crush on him. (Probably made up cheers a la Bill, too). Anyway, I was always too shy to talk to him. At some point we had lockers near each other, and I'd only manage to smile at him. So...okay, I'm walking through the halls with some friends when I see him with a girl. But I can't see who it is, so I ask my friends. They try and distract me and say, “You don't want to know. Trust me, it's better you don't know.” Turns out, Sarah Ohh has taken my crush for herself! How dare you! I kept thinking she was doing it to help me, by getting to know him and talk about me or something. (High school, right? ;) ) But no. She stole him. It made me cry. I don't think I can forgive you for this, Sarah. :) Cilly is mine.

All righty, then. It's probably a good thing for Andy that I can't even get him in my dreams. ;) I love you, sweetie. (Andy—not Cillian!)

So.

Food = Delicious.

People = Wonderful

Clothing/Linens = GORGEOUS!!! Can't wait to shop. :)

Sat Sri Akal!

Once More Before I Leave...

So...in between packing and preparing, I've been watching Season II of True Blood. Damn, I'd love a role like the Queen!

I've been sitting here with this laptop for half an hour, and that's the first thing I've thought of to say. :) Brain = Mush.

My flight to Newark  leaves in 12 hours. And around 8.30 I take off for Mumbai. After that, I know very little! I don't know if I'll be able to get wifi for the first few days, but I'm going to find a way to let Andy know all is well--I'll have him update the Facebook fan page--so make sure you become a fan!

Exciting news these past couple of weeks! Well, exciting to me, anyway. ;) I finally got on IMDb!!!!!! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?! (Well, I could've had the resume service, but I wanted to wait till I had an actual credit. I don't mind if you visit that page every single day...apparently that makes my "starmeter"  go up. This business can be a lot like high school in some ways. (Many ways.) Popularity still rules. I, however, will use that for good--unlike Megan Fox...but did I say that out loud?

I've sent in my info to a few New Mexico agents. I'm hoping to start getting into that market when I get back. (23 November, for those wanting to know! ;)   They've got at least 3 TV shows filming there, and several movies, as well.

Okay, I'm tired! And I'm much more interested in True Blood at the moment.

Thank you SOOOOOOOO much for all your good wishes and thoughts...and faith. :) I love you all!

The highwayman came riding-- riding--riding-- the highwayman came riding up to the old inn door.

Apologies for not writing before now! I feel like I'm swirling constantly...but very slowly, like the lazy river or something!

It still hasn't hit...not really. Too much to do in my daily life, and getting ready to leave for India, to really stop and think about it.  I got the script this week--managed to put it in a binder and read the character descriptions and  first few pages, but nothing beyond that. This weekend, I'll be sitting down with my highlighter and a binder for a list of questions that will surely come to mind as I read through it!

I don't know how familiar you are with Bollywood or Punjabi films, but a lot of times the characters flip back and forth between Hindi (or Punjabi) and English, very fluidly. That's the way THE SIXTH RIVER  is written.  Mostly in Punjabi...Carrie  speaks in English, occasionally in Punjabi, and understands most of what is said around her. Christa, on the other hand, understands very little Punjabi and is trying to correct that! I'm having a helluva time trying to find a Punjabi phrasebook or something to help me. There's a few websites with basic, generic phrases...but I'm pretty sure Carrie doesn't ask where the toilet is. ;)  (Toilet kithay way?)

The filming will take place in and around  Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab. I fly in and out of Mumbai (Bombay), where we'll rehearse a few days before heading north, as well as settle on costumes, hair, make-up, etc. After we wrap, I'll have a few days to spend with Andy (who is meeting up with our friend Amit before joining me) and then I'll head back to Mumbai to (hopefully) get some dubbing in for the film.

Two places I definitely want to visit while up north are the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Wagah border--between Pakistan and India. Every evening there's a big to-do for the changing of the guard ceremony, and I'd love to see it! Here's a little more info about both: Golden Temple & Wagah

I've got all my vaccinations and medications...haven't started packing yet, as I'm still wearing some of the things I'll be packing! I'm trying to keep myself stress-free so I don't break out too much, but I've got some prescriptions to help out with that, too. I'm taking no chances.

I leave on the 29th of September, and come back 23 November. I'm having a bon voyage/break a leg party down in the Springs on the 27th, for those who can make it!

Got some interesting news this week...the gal we're going to hire to temporarily replace me at work will actually be my permanent replacement.  It was quite a shock to hear that... I'm taking it as a blessing in disguise. The finance world is not where I need to be...it's not something I enjoy...and it sucks the creativity right out of me! Bob said he's burning the bridge for me, so I can start my new career. But I have a left-brain hubby--and he's already got another day job lined up for me when I get back. Potentially. It's the same thing, for less pay. Can't wait.

In the meantime!!! I'm still trying to line up gigs for when I get back. I've let my agent know that this is it...I've got to work, work, work. I think my days of working for free are over--they probably should have been a while ago, but what's a non-name to do?

Which reminds me, I've got to work on my audition for THE OPERATIVE, a UK spy film with Craig Fairbrass and Patricia Velasquez. The casting director is the same gal who does the Bond films--I'll be seen by a Bond Person!!! Crazy! (Hopefully my accent's up to snuff!)

Anyway...I've written nothing about THE HIGHWAYMAN, as as you can see by my title, that's what this blog is supposed to be about!

This past weekend was spent filming at the Colorado Governor's mansion.  You can find some production stills here, at The Highwayman website.

We had a blast--and once again, I got to work with the fabulous Lorraine Altamura, make-up artists/hair guru. She's wonderful--there's not much more I can say other than I wish she could follow me around everyday!  I've posted some other pics in a Facebook album...enjoy!

We're shooting for a release date of 2010.  Still working on getting this into IMDb--not an easy feat, apparently!

Right-i-o...I know this didn't give a whole lot of information, but I've really got to spend time with the script this weekend.

Thanks for reading! Cheers. :)

What's the buzz? Tell me what's a-happenin'!

WELL. Where do I even begin?

I did it. I landed a lead role in a feature film. We shoot in Punjab, India for two months...I leave in a month, at the end of September!

People keep asking how excited I am, if I'm jumping around all the time.

The answer is "no." Yes, I'm excited--of course I am! But I haven't honestly had a chance to sit and think about all of this! I am very aware that this begins a new stage in my life...but I think all the dreaming and wishing and trying and struggling has helped me through the years. It's happened, just as I always knew it would. Why should I be surprised?

This is all coming out wrong. I don't mean to say, "Well, naturally I got this part." I just mean that this success is something I've been dreaming about for 25 years. It seems right that it's happening now.

And maybe it hasn't happened yet because the universe knew I wasn't ready. Maybe I'm at a point in my life where I can handle this. Maybe my mind and heart are open to what the universe has for me...?

But this isn't a blog about spirituality, though that does come in to my acting. More on that...some other time!

What do I say? I figured when this ever happened, I would be jumping up and down and screaming and, as my parents have recently joked on Facebook, taken out an ad to announce it to the world! But I haven't. I've felt quite calm...I am the epitome of West Side Story's "Cool."



Here Be The Video!

...only without the ultra-cool Jerome Robbins choreography! Well, okay...when no one's looking. ;) I'm more A-rab at the end, "POW!"

(And now this song's stuck in your head. You're welcome!)

I'll get back to THE SIXTH RIVER, but first I want to talk about the project I just finished today. The past few weekends have been dedicated to a short film called THE HERE BETWEEN. It's based on a short story by Ambrose Bierce (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge). I'd read it years ago, and the story always stuck with me. It's not one you forget...  The Twilight Zone made an episode about it, and I believe it was on Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Julian Iliev (pronounced eel-ee-en   ee-lee-ev),  kept the basic plot, but changed the storyline, if that makes any sense! I don't want to give anything away, or take away from the shock and drama of it, but it's a very powerful piece. I can honestly say this is the best film I've done to date.  I played one of the town tarts...it was wonderful to go from tootsie-wootsy-tipsy and partying to bam! This is real. This is happening...this isn't a fun party in the middle of town, after all.

Here's a few stills from last week's rehearsal. It wasn't on location, and hair and make-up aren't done. When I get more, I'll post them.





I don't know how long they're going to spend in post, or what their exact plans are (what festivals, etc), but I'll let you know!

THE HIGHWAYMAN is set to begin filming this coming weekend. I shoot Sunday, which is glorious! It's a three-day weekend, so I have Saturday and Monday off. In theory. "Off" is sort of a relative term these days, isn't it?

My time off now includes--on top of regular household chores, etc--finding my character, memorizing my script (which is in English and Punjabi), learning more about Punjab and the Sikh culture, learning beginning Punjabi, lose a few pounds, tone up, get my visa, vaccinations, and malaria pills (it's like I'm going to Kenya all over again!)...and somewhere in there "get plenty of rest, relax often, remain stress-free," as the director and her husband have advised me. :)

I'll be putting WILD GEESE, my short film, on the back burner for a bit. I can't say I'm super-upset about it, because I'm putting it aside to be THE LEAD IN A FILM SHOOTING IN INDIA!!!! Not so bad a trade-off. I do have good news about my short film, though. A production company has expressed interest in it. I wrote my first treatment--I'm too tired to explain what that is, so here--and they've offered to executive produce. Yay!!! They have access to Irish Film Commission funding, so let's hope that works out. (What I really hope works out, though, is securing Cillian Murphy!!!)

Here's a bit about THE SIXTH RIVER:

The word "punjab" means five waters or rivers. Carrie is an American studying all the states of India for her book. When she comes to Punjab, she discovers the sixth river--which to her is its people, culture, and heritage. But in reality, these days it's more alcohol and drugs. She meets up with an old college friend and through him meets Dev. I don't want to say too much about it...and I am under contract to not speak about certain details! So I will continue to say, "And then a bunch of other stuff happens."

This isn't a Bollywood film, where people break into song and dance...though I would love that!!! There are songs, but more featured in the background. (See Rang de Basanti for an example)  Gulshan Grover will be in it--he's a pretty big star over there, as you can see by his resume. Over 300 films!!! They just signed a popular sufi singer as Dev, Lakhwinder Wadali.

Here's his video for "Jaan."


His website is www.lakhwinderwadali.com, but it's currently down. His first movie is coming out soon, and that album (his!) was just released today, so I'm thinking that has something to do with it.

I've heard a few of the songs for THE SIXTH RIVER, and I love them. One is done by the Wadali Brothers (who I think is Lakhwinder's father and uncle), and it's amazing.  When I first heard it I thought it was a prayer. Beautiful. It looks like I'll be able to sing in one of them, so I'm excited!!!!!!!

Okay, I'm exhausted. I know this probably doesn't answer all your questions, but it's a start, right?

Everything changes now.

Don't think I'm not thrilled about that!

Patience, Little Sister

I've been trying to keep people updated via my Facebook statuses...unfortunately, certain people only catch certain updates, and some not at all. I wanted to hold off on writing a new blog, but...ah, who cares? I'm excited!

(Lots of links in here, for your learning pleasure! ;)  )

This is what's going on:

I have accepted a role in Tangra Productions' short film The Here Between, based on Ambrose Bierce's  "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." The film will be set in the 1930s, though my particular costume (as the town...err...girl-for-hire) is more flapper-esque. :)  It's going to be a lot of fun. We're rehearsing Saturday and Sunday, though I may not make Saturday's, and we film the last weekend of August.

The weekend after that, I shoot my scenes for The Highwayman, based on the poem by Alfred Noyes. (These literature interpretations are right up my alley!) I'm not positive when filming will wrap, as they're still trying to get enough funding. This is how non-Hollywood movies are done, folks. Not a lot of money...so it takes a while to get them completed!

I'm about 99% sure I didn't get the nurse role (mentioned in my previous blogs), but a friend of mine did get the football player: watch out for Tre Mosby, folks! When you see ads for a movie called The Frankenstein Brothers, remember Tre!

Now, onto the really exciting stuff!

As you know, I'm up for the lead in a Punjabi film entitled The Sixth River, being filmed on location in the Punjab region of India. This is an incredible opportunity for me--I just can't tell you enough how excited I am! I've been in touch with Ish amitoj Kaur from Noor Nissan Films.

She called today to let me know that she's sending the contract for me to peruse tonight, and we'll be going over that later on. They'll be flying me to LA this Friday (or possibly San Fran on Wednesday) to meet with everyone. As the filming begins 5 October, they'd like to make a decision as soon as possible. All this does not mean I have the role. It does mean, however, that I'm one step closer. :) And this is probably the biggest turning point in my career.

I know it's hard for "civilians" to understand this world. But even if I don't get this role, this is still HUGE for me. It would be for anybody in my position. An unknown actor, constantly trying to put themself out there, struggling to prove that they've got the goods. Finally someone's willing to take a chance! And if they don't, I'll at least know that by golly, people like me! ;) It's a big deal, and I'm not going to let people tell me it's not.

This isn't Bollywood, though there will be some songs and a couple dances. Take a look at Rang De Basanti (or here) to get a better idea. :) Our story is about an American girl who goes to India, working on her book and visiting an old college chum. And then some other stuff happens. ;) What? You want me to give it away?! Heck, no--go buy a ticket when it comes out!  :D

And as if all this wasn't exciting enough, I just got news yesterday that a British production company with access to IFC funding options is interested in producing my short Irish film. To that, all I can say is:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funding? Wouldn't that be nice?! Funding means it'll be that much easier to get Cillian Murphy attached, which in turn means I might get even more funding! Which means...I can film in Ireland, rather than finding someplace in Colorado that sort of looks like Galway. It means I don't have to stress too much about costumes from 1691, and what's in the cottage, and whose cameras and lighting I need to borrow. With Cilly, it would also mean the biggest stressor disappears: the casting of Boy. There's no one else for this role. Sorry, but there isn't. (Plus, when I actually meet him, I can then officially start calling us Chrillian.)

Tee-hee.  Hey, you don't really expect me to change with success, do you? Once a dork, always a dork!

And I just thought of something!  I might be able to help my friend Patrick Monaghan with his film, The Scattering. You may remember I dedicated a whole blog to it a few months back...? Maybe not. :) Anyway, if I'm in touch with the IFC in some way, shape, or form...maybe that'll help Patrick.

I always believe in helping others out. Not necessarily giving them things, you know? But giving them the opportunity. When I'm big and famous, I'll be helping friends or family out, sure.  But only by helping them get their foot in the door. After that, they have to prove themselves.

That's all I want for me. Getting through the door is the hardest part. Showing people I've got what it takes? No problem--but you have to find a way to show them! Ugh.

I still haven't written my short! It's been a little hectic around here. That doesn't look like it'll be changing anytime soon. But...it kind of looks--and I hesitate to say this for fear of jinxing it!--like I might be able to quit the survival job within the next 6 months.

Knock on wood, good juju, good energy, light a candle, say a prayer, whatever it is you do: do it!

I'm hoping this next blog will have even better news. Until then--

Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally...golly, what a day. :)

Jai Ho!

Have a callback tomorrow for a SAG feature film. Casting is being done in LA, but they're filming here in Denver, which is nice. I think it's a "Dude, Where's My Car" kind of a movie. Not exactly my type, but whatever! Hopefully you'll see me as the nurse! One line--woo-hoo! ;)

I'm also super-crazy-excited about a film shooting in India. I don't know how many people they're looking at for the lead, but I'm one of them.  I wish I could put sound clips on my blog--you'd be forced to hear my excitement!!!

It's from an Indian-American production company (NN Films)...I'd be filming for about a month...they pay all expenses, plus a very small salary. A month in India? Doing what I love? Yes, please!

Plus, I can shop for saris and linens and all the gorgeous woodwork and stuff! Yay!

Oh--there's a small chance I might be going to Sundance this year with some friends. :) Our friend's sister (both Indian-American, coincidentally) will hopefully have her film accepted--we're almost positive it will! And then we can support her film...schmooze on the slopes...grab some SWAG...sip cocoa...and pass out my business cards to EVERYONE!!! Please visit her site when you get a chance: Mridu Chandra

At this moment, I am happy. :) Except for this pounding headache that keeps reappearing, but I'll just sing it away! Tra-la!!! Tra-la!

Room For Life

Dia dhuit!

Quite a bit has happened in the past couple of weeks--pretty exciting! I had two film auditions last week, and was asked to do a table read for two scripts. We had "rehearsals" last week, and this week we're reading in front of an audience.

This is more for the writers. They finish a draft and want to hear it read out loud by someone other than themselves! So there are a handful of us doing it. There really wasn't a part for me, so I'm the "narrator," which basically means I read all the action, narration, camera shots, etc. I didn't think I'd be reading much, but I read the ENTIRE TIME! I love it. :)

Yesterday's was what I call a Greenpeace meets Mission Impossible script, and tonight is a comedy action-type script with vampires and demons. Very cool. And funny as heck!

I have to go in to the agency tomorrow to get pictures taken of my hands! They're submitting me for hand modeling. Woo-hoo! I'll be like George Costanza and wear gloves all over the place now. :)

I've submitted myself for a web series, and a female lead for a film being shot in India next month. (Oh, I would LOVE that!)  I try to keep my eyes and ears open for gigs--let me know if you hear of anything!

OH! Gary is trying to win a contest--he'll use the money to make a kick-ass film. And, naturally, I'd be in it! So--could you vote for him?!

http://www.hiremytvad.com/video-detail.php?videoID=-R59M3VQztE

The good thing is, it's pretty darn funny.

I'm still plodding forward on my shorts. :) I've decided to concentrate on the Irish one first, since that will take more time and resources. You'd think I'd want to start off with an easier one, right? But this one is talking to me, and I have to get it out. It'll be in Irish, and it's a little controversial...but I'll write it in such a way that lets the audience decided for themselves which is which. Doesn't make any sense, what I just said, but I'm not divulging the story for others to steal!

I'd originally thought of this as a feature--actually, all the shorts I'm thinking of started that way. :) But in the role of Boy had to be Cillian Murphy.  Of course. Roll your eyes all you want, but once you know the story, you'll agree! There's no one else for this role.  It's going to be a very quiet film, not a whole lot of dialogue. The roles are Boy, Girl, Baby, and Man.  And in the 17th century. (Don't ask me how I plan on filming this! It will get done! It is written, and so it is!)

I talked to my agent about trying to get Mr. Murphy, and he gave me some really good ideas. I think the story is such that it will attract his "people" enough to get it to him, and if I have a letter of intent, I can get funding.

Am I holding my breath?

No...I'd like to live several more decades, thanks. But--you know me. Try and get the best. Shoot for the moon, right? If I miss, I'm still among the stars!

I'm excited about this one for so many reasons--one of which is it can be turned into a feature if it does well. It can continue where the story left off, or there can be a prequel. I'm doing so much studying these days. Even though their background won't come up (or only a bit) in the short, I have to know where they came from, how they got where they are, etc. I have to know who their grandfather was, why their father died, etc. I imagine some people don't write that way, but it really helps me.

I've temporarily titled it Wild Geese, for not only the Boy and Girl, but also because of what happens in Ireland's history at that time. I hope I haven't said too much. If people steal my things, I can show proof that I did it sooner!!! Don't make me come over there and sue you!

I've started learning Irish, more seriously this time. I go on vacation in a couple days...the travel will be perfect to go through some lessons!

Slán go fóill!

If You Want Something Done...

...you've got to do it yourself!

And so, I am.

There are a couple of gigs coming up within the next year. The Highwayman is set to begin filming early September, 2009. I'm looking forward to lacing up my corsets again and becoming Lady Catherine!

I'm also going to be featured in a dark comedy by Gary C. Warren..filming this coming spring, 2010. (Tentatively!) Speaking of Gary, his latest feature The Path of Torment was recently selected for the Action on Film International Festival in Pasadena next week! They're nominated for several awards, so I'm sending good juju their way. :) If you're in the area, please check out his film on Monday the 27th of July at 6 PM! You can get more info here.

But my main reason for blogging today is to let you know that I'm finally going to be writing/producing/etc 2-3 of my own short films. I'm pretty excited about them! One will be set in Ireland and have parts in Irish Gaelic, and another is an office dramedy. As of right now, they're just small cocoons of ideas, as Anne Shirley would say, not quite ready to burst into butterflies.

I'll write more about the process as I continue, but for now I'm just announcing my intentions!

I'll admit I'm a little terrified! It's a daunting task...the equipment, casting, music, the editing process, and everything in between! But I believe I'm up for the challenge, and I have several friends I can turn to for help and advice. (Thanks in advance!)

If you're interested in helping out in any way, shape, or form, I will gladly accept!

In the meantime, I'd better stop blogging and start writing scripts!

"And scene..."

Mad as a March Hare

Spring is here!!! My favourite season! But this blog isn't about that, huh?

I know, I know...it's been a while. I had a friend remind me that I needed to update--and I have time. So here I am.

You lucky people. ;)

Let's see...what's been going on...? Auditions, auditions, auditions...voiceovers, radio spots, and one film. The callbacks were two weeks ago. Haven't heard anything, but am in contact with the director constantly. (We're friends, and getting something else set up--but there's no way I'm going to bug him about casting. If he's decided, then great. If he hasn't, my asking will not help!)

Speaking of what Paddy and I are setting up...! I have managed to get Lana Veenker out to Denver to give her GO PRO workshops. This is a huge deal for me--I can't believe that it was me who got this to happen.

Lana is a Portland, OR-based casting director who has helped cast films like TWILIGHT, CORALINE, etc. I've been following her blog, Tools4Actors, for a while now, and she is just a treasure trove on information. Because she's a regional CD, she knows the problems we face here in Denver and it will be great to get her perspective.

TinyURL.com/GOPRO-DEN

Somebody asked me if I really believed in her, or if I was just getting kickbacks. Which is a legitimate question in this business. No, I get no kickbacks. I do get a one-on-one career consultation with Lana, which is like gold to me...but no financial incentives. These will be fantastic workshops, and I hope a lot of Colorado actors will be there.

I am going to be writing a TV show with an old friend of mine--hallo, Gary! We're still thinking of what we want to do, but we're pretty excited. At least, I am. :) At the moment, he's more excited about the good reviews coming in for his first feature-length film, THE PATH OF TORMENT.  I get my own private screening of the film next month--very much looking forward to it!

Here are the links for the reviews:

Moviecynics.com

Antagony & Ecstasy

I was put through for a female lead in a sci-fi/romance being filmed in May in the UK. I'm sure they'll go with someone local, but it was nice to be submitted--for someone to think of me!

The Highwayman will begin principal photography in August. Macleish Day, the guy playing the title role, really won't be available much until then. I can't plan that far ahead...I hope I'm here for it, but if not, that only means my career is moving forward even more.

Wow...this whole thing is very disjointed, eh? I've got a few things running through my mind at the moment...and I'm watching my dog--Ella--walk around with a treat hanging out of her mouth. It's a thin rawhide strip, and she likes to wander about with it sticking out of her mouth for half an hour or so. Hey, she's crazy like her mummy--what can I say?

And with that, I'm going to sign off.

Much love to you!

GO PRO with Lana Veenker

Will you miss the boat? In the coming year, hundreds of local actors will audition for Hollywood films in regional markets around the world.  Some will get cast.  Others, who may have been perfect for the role, will not be chosen.  Many more will miss the boat entirely.  Which group do you think you will belong to? Our next GO PRO Workshops will take place in Denver, CO!  If you or someone you know is in the area, be sure to head to our registration site for additional details.

Intermediate/Advanced Date: Saturday, April 4, 2009 Time: 9:00AM - 1:00PM Location: The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo Street, Denver, CO 80211 For more details and to register: http://www.RegOnline.com/GOPRO_Denver_Intermediate Beginning Date: Saturday, April 4, 2009 Time: 2:00PM - 6:00PM Location: The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo Street, Denver, CO 80211 For more details and to register: http://www.RegOnline.com/GOPRO_Denver_Beginning

GO PRO Most of you know that I've owned a casting company in Oregon for almost 10 years and have worked on a lot of these kinds of films.  Before that, I worked as a stage actor, director and producer on three continents.  Over this period of time, I've learned a few things about what it means to be a professional in the entertainment industry.  And, as you may have already figured out, I'm passionate about showing Hollywood that regional actors have got the goods. I'm going to talk about how to develop the mindset of a professional actor, utilizing simple, proven techniques that I'm very confident will take you to the next level of your acting career.

Tools 4 Actors, PO Box 12435, Portland, OR 97212, USA