A DASH Of Good Luck

This past Sunday I was paid $40 to coach one of my friends so he'd be prepared for a huge audition the next day.  I have to admit, when he walked into my living room and began, I was verrrrrrry pleasantly surprised.  The character, for all intents and purposes, is a flamboyant, gay guy.  My friend is straight.  But, boy, oh boy, did he have that character down pat.  And he didn't make the character a caricature, either, like so many straight actors do!

We went over the material again and again.  I fired question after question at him to see how well he knew the character.  He learned some things.  And I learned some things.  What I commend him for is his fearlessness.  Any number of straight, male actors get incredibly nervous about performing effeminate roles.  Their fear inhibits and prohibits them from making the character a real, breathing person.  Not my boy, though.  He took on that role as if he WAS the character!  In fact, he sounded and acted exactly like many, effeminate, gay guys I've met over the years.

Well, today my friend told me he went back in for the callback!  Yippee!!!  That means the head, casting director liked what he saw during the pre-read audition.  I'm crossing my fingers, eyes and legs for this one.  I want him to book this gig as if I'm gonna get some moolah from it!  Haaa!  It just makes me happy to have been instrumental in building and shaping his performance.  Only time will tell what's next.  God bless him.  And God bless me, too.  I just texted him to refer my excellent, coaching services to every actor he knows!!!  Maybe coaching will be my sorely needed segue out of the catering world!!!

And, oh, when I agreed to help my friend with this audition, he sent me the sides.  As soon as I read them I knew precisely who the character was.  And I immediately e-mailed him a video of the "character."  Um...that "character" appears below!!!