Los Angeles, California. Now that that the shows have aired, check out these short video clips of Arlo. First, see the montage of historical reenactments featuring Arlo Hemphill as Adolf Hitler on 42 Ways to Kill Hitler. When your done, check out the quick slot from Grey's Anatomy season 5, episode 9 "All By Myself" as well as a snipet from The Closer season 4, episode 10 "Time Bomb".
20 December, 2008
05 December, 2008
Trying to Get "Lost?"
Los Angeles, California. Last week, Rick Schimmelpfenneg and Arlo Hemphill volunteered time to work with Director Hosanna Wong on a competition video for the rock group Coldplay. The winner of the competition will have their video become the 'official' video for the song "Lost?". I just have a very quick cameo at the end - as one of the undercover cops. You'll see my profile when the door opens in the last few seconds, and then I run to left of screen. However, this is great video for Rick. He's the thug that throws the opening punch and then is featured throughout the video. Great job Hosanna, Rick and Team. Check out the video below and be sure to go on YouTube to vote for it!
28 November, 2008
"42 Ways to Kill Hitler" on Nov 30th!
Los Angeles, California. On November 30th, the National Geographic Channel will premiere 42 Ways to Kill Hitler at 9pm. This documentary explores the various assassination attempts on Adolph Hitler’s life, including the famous attempt by Colonel Claus von Staffenberg, a high ranking official serving under Hitler. In “42 Ways” Arlo Hemphill portrays Adolph Hitler in various historical re-enactments.
Check out this trailer for a small sample of the program. The pictures included here are courtesy National Geographic.Also, watch for me in these other small, upcoming spots:
Grey’s Anatomy
Season 5, Episode 10
December 4th, 9pm on ABC
Dr. Yang (Sandro Oh) is charged with choosing one of her peers to be the first in their class of residents to perform a solo surgery. You’ll catch me running alongside Katie Heigl, Ellen Pompeo and Justin Chambers as one of the residents competing for this honor. Look for me in any of the various scenes that follow this storyline. Additionally, watch me for in surgical mask, working as an observer at a surgery performed by Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane).
Dollhouse
Season 1, Episode 6 “True Believer”
March 20, 2009 on Fox
This is a really quick spot where I appear briefly (one scene) as an ATF commando at the base of operations for an attack against a dangerous cult. It's such a small spot I wouldn’t usually mention it, but it's where I earned my SAG (Screen Actors Guild) eligibility – so it’s kind of special! Also watch for Rick Schimmelpfenneg in this one - he is highly featured!
24
Season 7, Episode 17
April 13th, 8pm/7 Central on Fox - Date Subject to Change
I’m a Navy Seal in a stand-off between the armed forces and the Starkwood ops. Also look for me early in the season (within first the first few episodes) as a DC cop in an intersection action sequence.
Headed to the movies this holiday season? Watch for me among the frustrated airport travelers in Four Christmases and riding a red beach cruiser around Adam Sandler on the Santa Monica boardwalk in Bedtime Stories!
Thanks for watching!
01 November, 2008
Surfing as Exploration
Marina del Rey, California. Surfing as exploration began in my life in 1992, when a group of college buddies and I joined a work trip to Antigua, WI in order to check out the surf in this far flung corner of the Caribbean. 
We eventually spent three spring breaks and two complete summers on the island, hosting sports camps for local youth, conducting botanical surveys in local forests and, of course, doing a lot of snorkeling, diving and surfing. 
But the draw of exotic waves couldn't keep us in Costa Rica alone. Our wave expeditions have since taken us to El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and Australia. And the list will continue to grow. The hunt for good surf is one of the rawest, most sensory-immersed forms of exploration I know. The landscape is not seen from tour buses or hotel windows, but rather felt, smelled, heard and tasted through every pore in one's body as you run barefoot
through the muck of coastal swamplands, swim through untamed river mouths, get caught nearly naked in torrential tropical downpours, come into intimate contact with local people and wildlife and, more often than not, venture to remote, underdeveloped corners of our host nations, far off the beaten track of the typical tourist.
Through surfing exploration, I have experienced some of my fondest moments in life and have faced challenges in remote settings that surpass even my work in the sciences. I have also made and nurtured the best friendships of my life. A brotherhood of surfing explorers who are closer to me than any genetic blood ties I know. This has been my greatest gift in this life.
We eventually spent three spring breaks and two complete summers on the island, hosting sports camps for local youth, conducting botanical surveys in local forests and, of course, doing a lot of snorkeling, diving and surfing. 
In 1995, Boca, Rabbit and I made our first of many trips to Costa Rica, exploring the Pacific coast of that country and developing a relationship with this region that would prove to span into the next decade of our lives. The trip was destined to become an annual, and somes multi-annual, tradition that has since been joined by a brotherhood of surfers.
But the draw of exotic waves couldn't keep us in Costa Rica alone. Our wave expeditions have since taken us to El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and Australia. And the list will continue to grow. The hunt for good surf is one of the rawest, most sensory-immersed forms of exploration I know. The landscape is not seen from tour buses or hotel windows, but rather felt, smelled, heard and tasted through every pore in one's body as you run barefoot
through the muck of coastal swamplands, swim through untamed river mouths, get caught nearly naked in torrential tropical downpours, come into intimate contact with local people and wildlife and, more often than not, venture to remote, underdeveloped corners of our host nations, far off the beaten track of the typical tourist.
Through surfing exploration, I have experienced some of my fondest moments in life and have faced challenges in remote settings that surpass even my work in the sciences. I have also made and nurtured the best friendships of my life. A brotherhood of surfing explorers who are closer to me than any genetic blood ties I know. This has been my greatest gift in this life.30 October, 2008
ShrimpSuck.org
Pacifica, California. This past week I was driving down the PCH from San Francisco to Elkhorn Slough (on the Monterey Bay) and was so inspired by the rugged marine landscape that I felt an immediate urge to give something back to mother ocean. So, I pulled over just south of Pacifica and shot this little "shout out" for ShrimpSuck.Org. The website, started by my pal J Nichols, is dedicated to raising awareness on the #1 bad seafood offender - shrimp.
Whether it is farm raised or wild caught, shrimp is simply a bad choice if you care at all about the ocean or, more broadly, the future of our own survival as a species. And no, it is not because we are going to eat all the shrimp and cause their extinction...! This is not a single species issue. This is an issue of bad practices and total ecosystem destruction. The fishery, familiar to much of the U.S. public largely due to the romanticization of the Gulf Coast industry (e.g. in the film Forrest Gump), is a trawl-based fishery. Not as well known are that these trawls capture 10 lbs of bycatch (unwanted ocean wildlife) for every 1 lb of shrimp! This bycatch includes fish, other crustaceans, sharks, dolphins and most notably, sea turtles!
In fact, the trawl fishery is a major contributor to the decline of sea turtle populations in many parts of the world. Furthermore, these trawls scrape the bottom clean, removing the entire benthic ecosystem. Dr. Sylvia Earle compares this practice to "clearcutting forests to capture songbirds". All breeding, nesting, grazing and refuge habitat (including that needed by the shrimp themselves) is left in shattered remains from these trawls.
These days, many people look to aquaculture as a solution to our problems with overfishing. But not so fast! While there are great examples of industrial aquaculture (catfish and tilapia come to mind...), the shrimp farming industry as a whole is just not there yet. This industry saw explosive growth in the 1980s-90s within tropical developing nations such as Thailand, Ecuador and Honduras. But what was experienced on the ground was not a boost of income and livelihood for these nations, but quite the opposite. Hundreds of square miles of mangrove wetland (invaluable in its own right as nursery ground for fisheries and a protective barrier for coastal regions) were clearcut to make room for shrimp ponds. The initial clearing of mangroves forced many local and indigenous people off of their homelands as well as removed their primary source of sustenance (sustainable harvesting of seafood/mangrove natural resources). But what happened next was arguably even worse. The intensive monoculture led to widespread pollution of estuaries resulting in the decline of coastal fisheries, the die off of native crustracean species and finally, in many areas, to the collapse of the farming industry itself due to the spread of disease.
Since those days, the aquaculture industry has made leaps and bounds in developing the technology for a more sustainable approach to farm raising shrimp. However, shrimp raised under these improved practices are oftentimes not easily available on the market. So, better to hold off on your coconut shrimp feast until the industry can catch up with the technology!
But, if you absolutely must eat shrimp, check out http://www.shrimpsuck.org/ for great leads on where to source some of this sustainable shrimp. If in Florida, Publix offers "Florida sweet shrimp" sourced from Ocean Boy Farms. This is a great place to start.
Whether it is farm raised or wild caught, shrimp is simply a bad choice if you care at all about the ocean or, more broadly, the future of our own survival as a species. And no, it is not because we are going to eat all the shrimp and cause their extinction...! This is not a single species issue. This is an issue of bad practices and total ecosystem destruction. The fishery, familiar to much of the U.S. public largely due to the romanticization of the Gulf Coast industry (e.g. in the film Forrest Gump), is a trawl-based fishery. Not as well known are that these trawls capture 10 lbs of bycatch (unwanted ocean wildlife) for every 1 lb of shrimp! This bycatch includes fish, other crustaceans, sharks, dolphins and most notably, sea turtles!
In fact, the trawl fishery is a major contributor to the decline of sea turtle populations in many parts of the world. Furthermore, these trawls scrape the bottom clean, removing the entire benthic ecosystem. Dr. Sylvia Earle compares this practice to "clearcutting forests to capture songbirds". All breeding, nesting, grazing and refuge habitat (including that needed by the shrimp themselves) is left in shattered remains from these trawls.These days, many people look to aquaculture as a solution to our problems with overfishing. But not so fast! While there are great examples of industrial aquaculture (catfish and tilapia come to mind...), the shrimp farming industry as a whole is just not there yet. This industry saw explosive growth in the 1980s-90s within tropical developing nations such as Thailand, Ecuador and Honduras. But what was experienced on the ground was not a boost of income and livelihood for these nations, but quite the opposite. Hundreds of square miles of mangrove wetland (invaluable in its own right as nursery ground for fisheries and a protective barrier for coastal regions) were clearcut to make room for shrimp ponds. The initial clearing of mangroves forced many local and indigenous people off of their homelands as well as removed their primary source of sustenance (sustainable harvesting of seafood/mangrove natural resources). But what happened next was arguably even worse. The intensive monoculture led to widespread pollution of estuaries resulting in the decline of coastal fisheries, the die off of native crustracean species and finally, in many areas, to the collapse of the farming industry itself due to the spread of disease.
Since those days, the aquaculture industry has made leaps and bounds in developing the technology for a more sustainable approach to farm raising shrimp. However, shrimp raised under these improved practices are oftentimes not easily available on the market. So, better to hold off on your coconut shrimp feast until the industry can catch up with the technology!
But, if you absolutely must eat shrimp, check out http://www.shrimpsuck.org/ for great leads on where to source some of this sustainable shrimp. If in Florida, Publix offers "Florida sweet shrimp" sourced from Ocean Boy Farms. This is a great place to start.
16 October, 2008
28 September, 2008
Monster Waves and Mamone Chinos
Dominical, Costa Rica. Finally, I am back where I belong. Back in a place where I feel normal. Back doing the one thing I do best in the world, simply living and breathing in tropical Latin America. Although California is a beautiful state, I have been sequestered there for over a year now and am going nuts. My life line, my aura, who I am inside, this is all connected to tropics and has nothing to do with where I reside now. To counteract the stress and worry I have experienced in recent months, I decided that today I was required to do nothing more than sit in a hammock and eat fruit. Despite this requirement, the boys and I managed adventure at our favorite rainforest swimming hole, paddle out for two killer sessions of really nice, double overhead waves and chase around local wildlife such as coati, toucans, ctenosaurs and, of course, beautiful ticas. We also did also manage to sit around in hammocks and eat fruit, a whole fruit est of pineapple, avocado, mamones chinos, sapotes and chirimoyas. Only the coatis seemed happier and the waves out front of Playa Dominical served up a mean soup of late afternoon wet erotica before we headed off for a guacamole and Cervaza Imperial laden dinner.
One great highlight of the day was donning a mask for the first time at the waterfall, our local swimming hole in the nearby rainforest. The water was reasonably clear and I was able to distinguish at least four species of fish, each unique and totally cool in its own way. This is exhilarating and resparked a long time interest in neotropical freshwater fishes. Maybe I should go back and get a Ph.D on the topic? Or an underwater documentary film may be more my style? Let´s wait and see...
One great highlight of the day was donning a mask for the first time at the waterfall, our local swimming hole in the nearby rainforest. The water was reasonably clear and I was able to distinguish at least four species of fish, each unique and totally cool in its own way. This is exhilarating and resparked a long time interest in neotropical freshwater fishes. Maybe I should go back and get a Ph.D on the topic? Or an underwater documentary film may be more my style? Let´s wait and see...
09 September, 2008
Chasing Vouchers
Los Angeles, California. This has been another busy week in Hollywood with the highlight being this past Friday, when I had an exceptional time working as a Navy Seal on the show 24. Here I am pictured below along with buddy, Rick Schimmelpfenneg, who worked the show as a special ops guy. 
Rick and I have been a bit frustrated lately with the futility of aquiring our last remaining Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) vouchers. Unless you are able to land a speaking role on a SAG production, these vouchers are needed in order to join the union. Unfortunately, the system for acquiring them is less than equitable. No credit is given for putting in long hours, working hard on set or any other factor that might assess your responsibility, skill or professionalism as an actor. Instead, the process is geared towards special favors and personal favorites. It is commonplace for beautiful women to acquire their vouchers quickly, while it might take a year or longer for an average looking Joe like me. Rumors even hint at some unscrupulous PA's and AD's selling vouchers or using them for sexual favors. Regardless, this is the system in place and one has to just hold tight and wait for your break or get out of the game. Frustrated with all this, Rick and I produced the short video embedded below. The video has little to do with the actual voucher gaining process, but we put it in there as the theme for all this futile running around - enjoy!
Aside from this fooling around, I have also put in brief appearances this past week on Medium, Dexter, Bones, The Starter Wife, and The United States of Tara. Great shows.
Rick and I have been a bit frustrated lately with the futility of aquiring our last remaining Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) vouchers. Unless you are able to land a speaking role on a SAG production, these vouchers are needed in order to join the union. Unfortunately, the system for acquiring them is less than equitable. No credit is given for putting in long hours, working hard on set or any other factor that might assess your responsibility, skill or professionalism as an actor. Instead, the process is geared towards special favors and personal favorites. It is commonplace for beautiful women to acquire their vouchers quickly, while it might take a year or longer for an average looking Joe like me. Rumors even hint at some unscrupulous PA's and AD's selling vouchers or using them for sexual favors. Regardless, this is the system in place and one has to just hold tight and wait for your break or get out of the game. Frustrated with all this, Rick and I produced the short video embedded below. The video has little to do with the actual voucher gaining process, but we put it in there as the theme for all this futile running around - enjoy!Aside from this fooling around, I have also put in brief appearances this past week on Medium, Dexter, Bones, The Starter Wife, and The United States of Tara. Great shows.
31 August, 2008
Checkmate
Los Angeles, California. This past January, I reported to you from the Lincoln Heights Jail (see Jan 6 post Going to Jail), where I was
on location for the film An American Journalist. I returned to the historic jail this week, this time playing a lead role of a serial killer in a film called Checkmate. 
Directed by LMU film student, Sarah Parks, the film follows the emotional evolution of a killer obsessed with chess, his victims nothing more than captured pawns. While on set, I was able to learn a little more about the eerie building - including that many believe it is haunted and that the basement was the site of Freddy Krueger's boiler room in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Enjoy my video log from the set, as well as these production photos. The scene 
still above was taken by camera operator, Debbie Formoso. The three additional photos here include the crew preparing for a shot; a quick conference between first AD (left), Alana Katzner, and Director (right), Sarah Parks; and me after a brutal killing, at another shoot location.
on location for the film An American Journalist. I returned to the historic jail this week, this time playing a lead role of a serial killer in a film called Checkmate. 
Directed by LMU film student, Sarah Parks, the film follows the emotional evolution of a killer obsessed with chess, his victims nothing more than captured pawns. While on set, I was able to learn a little more about the eerie building - including that many believe it is haunted and that the basement was the site of Freddy Krueger's boiler room in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Enjoy my video log from the set, as well as these production photos. The scene 
still above was taken by camera operator, Debbie Formoso. The three additional photos here include the crew preparing for a shot; a quick conference between first AD (left), Alana Katzner, and Director (right), Sarah Parks; and me after a brutal killing, at another shoot location.
Other than this film, which is being shot over Labor Day weekend, this week found me working as NYPD on CSI NY, a military officer on a Laura Pausini music video (The World), and as a skycap on a commercial for Old Mutual (pictured below).
30 August, 2008
Check out John Needham's Tights!
Hollywood, California. Check out this clip from the History Channel's How Life Began featuring Arlo Hemphill as John Tuberville Needham. Read more on previous posts: Meet John Needham, Secret Agent and "How Life Began".
22 August, 2008
Megan and I are on TV
Los Angeles, California. You may have noticed that "Where is Arlo Now??" blog posts have been down lately and I am sorry to leave you waiting. I spent the
majority of July and most of August working on a major feature film that I was, and am, unable to tell you about. But watch out - its big!! I also took a brief trip to Washington, D.C. for some conservation business and had the pleasure of making it up to Baltimore to see my grandparents.
Now that the unmentionable feature film has slowed down, I have been back on the television circuit, with appearances on Entourage, Medium, Life, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, The Game and Boston Legal.
Yesterday, I worked with roommate, Megan, and buddy,
Richard "Rick" Schimmelpfenneg, on the set of The Closer. Kyra Sedgwick led the on location effort to, well, I won't spoil the plot... But Megan and I were there as LAPD and Rick was an ATF agent. And, we had the pleasure of Kyra's husband, Kevin Bacon, showing up on set. Watch for us all this Fall on Season 4, Episode 10.
Enjoy the picture and video of Megan and I in costume as well as another video from a month or two back of my buddy, actor Stefán Mávi, and I on the set of promo at the Home Depot Center.
Talk to you soon!
majority of July and most of August working on a major feature film that I was, and am, unable to tell you about. But watch out - its big!! I also took a brief trip to Washington, D.C. for some conservation business and had the pleasure of making it up to Baltimore to see my grandparents.Now that the unmentionable feature film has slowed down, I have been back on the television circuit, with appearances on Entourage, Medium, Life, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, The Game and Boston Legal.
Yesterday, I worked with roommate, Megan, and buddy,
Richard "Rick" Schimmelpfenneg, on the set of The Closer. Kyra Sedgwick led the on location effort to, well, I won't spoil the plot... But Megan and I were there as LAPD and Rick was an ATF agent. And, we had the pleasure of Kyra's husband, Kevin Bacon, showing up on set. Watch for us all this Fall on Season 4, Episode 10.
Enjoy the picture and video of Megan and I in costume as well as another video from a month or two back of my buddy, actor Stefán Mávi, and I on the set of promo at the Home Depot Center.
Talk to you soon!
16 August, 2008
Bottle Shock in Theatres Now!
Los Angeles, California. Yesterday, Randall Miller’s feature film Bottle Shock hit theatres across the country. This movie is based on the true story of the birth of the California wine industry and their surprising win against the French at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. This movie was shot in Sonoma County last summer and was my first featured role. I play a French waiter at the Judgment of Paris event and can be seen at the far right hand side of the judges table throughout the scene.
To check for local listings, go to the Bottle Shock Website and click “cities”
Also check out my January 15th and October 4th (2007) posts on this topic.
Also, check out these upcoming television appearances:
Desperate Housewives. A repeat of the past season finale (“Free” Season 4, episode 17) will play on the Lifetime channel at 1am this Sunday August 16, 2008. I have seen this episode already so I know that you can see me – briefly. About halfway through the episode two of the main characters go to their daughter’s music recital. I am sitting right in front of them in the concert hall, talking to the person next to me.
Saving Grace. “Are you an Indian Princess?”. Season 2, episode 6. 10pm, Monday August 18th on TNT. I play an Oklahoma City cop. You may or may not see me walking around the station, getting some office work out of the way. (Also airs 1am and 11pm on Tuesday Aug 19th if you miss it the first time).
Mad Men. “The New Girl” Season 2, Episode 5. 10pm and 11pm, Sunday August 24th on AMC. The 1960’s ad execs go to Sardi’s for a bite to eat. I’m in there, eating as well (as usual…). This will be a fleeting shot at best. I actually worked as a stand in for the Tilden Katz character (Nick Toren) on this episode, so didn’t work in front of the camera too much.
House. “Dying Changes Everything” Season 5, Episode 1. 8pm/7c, Tuesday September 16th on FOX. House comes into the emergency room to check on a patient; I am there as a doctor, helping another patient with a head wound. Later, I am walking around in the halls outside a meeting room.
Lincoln Heights. Season 3, episode 2. 8pm/7c, Tuesday September 23rd on ABC Family. I’m the only white cop on the Lincoln Heights Police Dept. Look for me at the station.
Cold Case. Season 6, episode 1. 9pm, Sunday September 28th on CBS. Two of the main characters go bowling, I am bowling in the lane adjacent to them. Later (or before?) you might also see me wandering around a train station.
Dirty Sexy Money. "The Fantini Brothers" Season 2, episode 1. 10pm/9c, Wednesday October 1 on ABC. There has been a death in the Darling Family and Kenny G plays at the funeral. I show up as Paparazzi photographer to get some juicy photos. Also look for my roomie, Megan Berkle as a television reporter going after the same funeral story… Funny story here - silly Megan sat down in the principle actor make-up tent next to Kenny G without knowing who he was. He asked if she was one of the stars of the show and Megan in returned asked if he was a background performer. To save an awkward moment, Billy Baldwin walked in and introduced himself to them both. I don't think any of them realized until later that Megan herself was a background performer!
Grey’s Anatomy. Season 5, episode 3. 9pm/8c, Thursday October 9 on ABC. You’ll need to put your DVR player on slow motion and pull out a magnifying glass, but as a crisis ensues in the emergency room, Arlo the paramedic casually walks on through.
The Starter Wife. “The Diary of a Mad Ex-Housewife” Season 1, Episode 2. 10pm/9c, Wednesday October 17th on USA. The Starter Wife (Debra Messing) and her buds go out for lunch. I eat lunch at the same place, so you might see me sitting at a table or walking about, flirting with some of the other patrons.
Eli Stone. Season 2, episode 3. 10pm/9c, Tuesday October 28th (Tentative) on ABC. Eli and Taylor are walking along a San Francisco street at night and Eli hops on a trolley. Guess who the trolley operator is? You guessed it…
Thanks for watching! My IMDb “Starmeter” hit an all time record of #25,666 this week - thanks!
To check for local listings, go to the Bottle Shock Website and click “cities”Also check out my January 15th and October 4th (2007) posts on this topic.
Also, check out these upcoming television appearances:
Desperate Housewives. A repeat of the past season finale (“Free” Season 4, episode 17) will play on the Lifetime channel at 1am this Sunday August 16, 2008. I have seen this episode already so I know that you can see me – briefly. About halfway through the episode two of the main characters go to their daughter’s music recital. I am sitting right in front of them in the concert hall, talking to the person next to me.
Saving Grace. “Are you an Indian Princess?”. Season 2, episode 6. 10pm, Monday August 18th on TNT. I play an Oklahoma City cop. You may or may not see me walking around the station, getting some office work out of the way. (Also airs 1am and 11pm on Tuesday Aug 19th if you miss it the first time).
Mad Men. “The New Girl” Season 2, Episode 5. 10pm and 11pm, Sunday August 24th on AMC. The 1960’s ad execs go to Sardi’s for a bite to eat. I’m in there, eating as well (as usual…). This will be a fleeting shot at best. I actually worked as a stand in for the Tilden Katz character (Nick Toren) on this episode, so didn’t work in front of the camera too much.
House. “Dying Changes Everything” Season 5, Episode 1. 8pm/7c, Tuesday September 16th on FOX. House comes into the emergency room to check on a patient; I am there as a doctor, helping another patient with a head wound. Later, I am walking around in the halls outside a meeting room.
Lincoln Heights. Season 3, episode 2. 8pm/7c, Tuesday September 23rd on ABC Family. I’m the only white cop on the Lincoln Heights Police Dept. Look for me at the station.
Cold Case. Season 6, episode 1. 9pm, Sunday September 28th on CBS. Two of the main characters go bowling, I am bowling in the lane adjacent to them. Later (or before?) you might also see me wandering around a train station.
Dirty Sexy Money. "The Fantini Brothers" Season 2, episode 1. 10pm/9c, Wednesday October 1 on ABC. There has been a death in the Darling Family and Kenny G plays at the funeral. I show up as Paparazzi photographer to get some juicy photos. Also look for my roomie, Megan Berkle as a television reporter going after the same funeral story… Funny story here - silly Megan sat down in the principle actor make-up tent next to Kenny G without knowing who he was. He asked if she was one of the stars of the show and Megan in returned asked if he was a background performer. To save an awkward moment, Billy Baldwin walked in and introduced himself to them both. I don't think any of them realized until later that Megan herself was a background performer!
Grey’s Anatomy. Season 5, episode 3. 9pm/8c, Thursday October 9 on ABC. You’ll need to put your DVR player on slow motion and pull out a magnifying glass, but as a crisis ensues in the emergency room, Arlo the paramedic casually walks on through.
The Starter Wife. “The Diary of a Mad Ex-Housewife” Season 1, Episode 2. 10pm/9c, Wednesday October 17th on USA. The Starter Wife (Debra Messing) and her buds go out for lunch. I eat lunch at the same place, so you might see me sitting at a table or walking about, flirting with some of the other patrons.
Eli Stone. Season 2, episode 3. 10pm/9c, Tuesday October 28th (Tentative) on ABC. Eli and Taylor are walking along a San Francisco street at night and Eli hops on a trolley. Guess who the trolley operator is? You guessed it…
Thanks for watching! My IMDb “Starmeter” hit an all time record of #25,666 this week - thanks!
22 June, 2008
Summer Solstice
Venice, California. Angelenos enjoyed the longest day of the year and the first day of summer this past weekend in the midst of an intense heat wave. 
In addition to triple digit temperatures in the valley, the longest day (and in my opinion the best day...) of the year correlated with a full moon and grunion runs on the beaches. I hit the town with some of my Venice buddies and only realized later that all of the guys in the group had names starting in A - Aaron, Andrew, Adam and Arlo. The video clip below is from our solstice outing in the long twilight. Also included is a picture of buddies Aaron Miller and Jen Tharler at a recent showing of The Quick Six, the band continuing to provide the best of music to west side venues!
In addition to triple digit temperatures in the valley, the longest day (and in my opinion the best day...) of the year correlated with a full moon and grunion runs on the beaches. I hit the town with some of my Venice buddies and only realized later that all of the guys in the group had names starting in A - Aaron, Andrew, Adam and Arlo. The video clip below is from our solstice outing in the long twilight. Also included is a picture of buddies Aaron Miller and Jen Tharler at a recent showing of The Quick Six, the band continuing to provide the best of music to west side venues! On the work front, this has been another busy week. Earlier in the week, I worked two nights at the Rose Bowl for a promo that I'll leave nameless. Check out the picture here of the stadium with the mountains behind. With this kind of view at a football game, and not to mention the 
usual perfect weather, can you blame people for wanting to live in California? Anyway, the promo featured the lovely country singer, Faith Hill, who proved to be engaging and gracious. Unfortunately, this production decided to cut corners by not feeding the extras at all the first night, and only provided chips and water as craft services. This treatment came to Faith's attention and she responded by buying us all pizza. We thanked her profusely for her kind hearted act and I let her know that I knew "a Mississippi girl don't change her ways... "
usual perfect weather, can you blame people for wanting to live in California? Anyway, the promo featured the lovely country singer, Faith Hill, who proved to be engaging and gracious. Unfortunately, this production decided to cut corners by not feeding the extras at all the first night, and only provided chips and water as craft services. This treatment came to Faith's attention and she responded by buying us all pizza. We thanked her profusely for her kind hearted act and I let her know that I knew "a Mississippi girl don't change her ways... " Later in the week, I worked as an upscale Los Angeles diner on the second episode of the new series, The Starter Wife. The series stars Debra Messing of Will and Grace fame. Finally, this weekend in the midst of solstice madness, I worked as a New York library patron on a pilot called The Meant to Be's starring Amy Smart and Ioan Gruffudd (known best as Dr. Reed Richards a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four films).
As this coming week begins, I have a couple of very exciting, but top secret feature film projects that I am getting started on. In one on these, I will be working for the first time as a photo double for a celebrity actor and I am looking forward to it!
On a wrap up note, it looks like my IMDb Starmeter hit an all time high this week - - 29,289! Cool beans...
07 June, 2008
The Secret Adventures of Mr. Grant
Los Angeles, California. Last month I reported on the release of the 3 minute version of Santiago Tapia's The Secret Adventures of Mr. Grant. At that time, I was unable to embed the video here. However, it now seems to work just fine. So, please enjoy the video along with a great frame grab of my fellow secret agents and me.
This and That
Los Angeles, California. I have been a little behind in getting postings up on this Blog, so I going to give you a really quick run through to catch up. 
Things have been busy and I have been working my butt off on sets here and there. We did another day of shooting on the Hitler documentary and I have posted a spoof Hitler PSA from that day here along with a few pictures of my fellow actors and I clowning around on set. While up in San Francisco for the shoot, I enjoyed attending the Bay to Breakers race and have included a picture of Laura Bauman, dressed for race day. 
On other fronts, I have recently been doing stand in work and have had a fun time standing in for William Baldwin, Lee Pace, Jimmy Kimbel, Jorge Garcia, Kevin Dunn and Luke MacFarlane. Last night, I worked on an all night shoot for one of my all time favorite television shows, Entourage. I played a Beverly Hills parent and the episode should air around October 23rd of this year (Season 5, Episode 03). Finally, today, I attended the first table read for the Star War's fan film, The Mandalorian Legacy. The production team has a great cast assembled and it will be exciting to watch this develop.
Things have been busy and I have been working my butt off on sets here and there. We did another day of shooting on the Hitler documentary and I have posted a spoof Hitler PSA from that day here along with a few pictures of my fellow actors and I clowning around on set. While up in San Francisco for the shoot, I enjoyed attending the Bay to Breakers race and have included a picture of Laura Bauman, dressed for race day. 
In addition to Hitler, I have been playing cop roles with increasing frequency and have included two shots here - one as a tactical weapons officer on the set of 24
and the other as a Pittsburgh police officer (carrying an automatic) on the set of Back to You. I have also landed a couple more larger roles in feature films, playing various agents of the law, and will keep you posted as these develop.
and the other as a Pittsburgh police officer (carrying an automatic) on the set of Back to You. I have also landed a couple more larger roles in feature films, playing various agents of the law, and will keep you posted as these develop. 
On other fronts, I have recently been doing stand in work and have had a fun time standing in for William Baldwin, Lee Pace, Jimmy Kimbel, Jorge Garcia, Kevin Dunn and Luke MacFarlane. Last night, I worked on an all night shoot for one of my all time favorite television shows, Entourage. I played a Beverly Hills parent and the episode should air around October 23rd of this year (Season 5, Episode 03). Finally, today, I attended the first table read for the Star War's fan film, The Mandalorian Legacy. The production team has a great cast assembled and it will be exciting to watch this develop.01 May, 2008
The Secret Adventures of Adolph Hitler
Berkeley, California. During his infamous political career, Adolph Hitler was the target of 42 distinct assassination attempts. 
All of these attempts failed and Hitler finally died at his own hand in 1945. I've been working in a yet to be named documentary covering these various attempts. The film is meant to coincide with next year's release of Valkyrie, a feature film following the story of Col. Claus von Stauffenberg and starring Tom Cruise.
I traveled to the Bay Area this past weekend to participate in the film in the role of Hitler. This was an extremely enjoyable shoot thanks to a great cast and crew. Enjoy the pics!
On another front, you may recall my participation in the Santiago Tapia film, The Secret Adventures of Mr. Grant (see posts: Meet John Needham, Secret Agent and Secret Adventures). A 3 minute version of the film is now available for viewing HERE on the Filmaka website and was a close finalist for the winner of this year's Filmaka award.
Finally, things have been busy on the work front. I have been on one set or another every day for the past several weeks and my Starmeter hit an all time high last week - 30,523. Disney really had me put the extra hours in on the Race to Witch Mountain with the Rock, Bob Balaban (as the Director of Swingtown) asked me to eat day old prop food and to 'get as intimate as I was willing to' with a female background artist, Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) is a really nice guy, and Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) is the most gracious and welcoming principle actor I have yet had the privilege to work with. Check out the following clips from work days on Swingtown, Moonlight and Lincoln Heights.
All of these attempts failed and Hitler finally died at his own hand in 1945. I've been working in a yet to be named documentary covering these various attempts. The film is meant to coincide with next year's release of Valkyrie, a feature film following the story of Col. Claus von Stauffenberg and starring Tom Cruise.
I traveled to the Bay Area this past weekend to participate in the film in the role of Hitler. This was an extremely enjoyable shoot thanks to a great cast and crew. Enjoy the pics!On another front, you may recall my participation in the Santiago Tapia film, The Secret Adventures of Mr. Grant (see posts: Meet John Needham, Secret Agent and Secret Adventures). A 3 minute version of the film is now available for viewing HERE on the Filmaka website and was a close finalist for the winner of this year's Filmaka award.
Finally, things have been busy on the work front. I have been on one set or another every day for the past several weeks and my Starmeter hit an all time high last week - 30,523. Disney really had me put the extra hours in on the Race to Witch Mountain with the Rock, Bob Balaban (as the Director of Swingtown) asked me to eat day old prop food and to 'get as intimate as I was willing to' with a female background artist, Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) is a really nice guy, and Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) is the most gracious and welcoming principle actor I have yet had the privilege to work with. Check out the following clips from work days on Swingtown, Moonlight and Lincoln Heights.
21 April, 2008
Happy Earth Day Hollywood!
Hollywood, California. It is Earth Day in Los Angeles and Hollywood is ablaze with environmental fervor. From outward appearances one might think that the newly found green faith of the entertainment industry has enough momentum, dollars and star-backed power to save the planet all on its own. Hollywood A-Listers are lending their celebrity clout to environmental causes all over the planet. We’ve seen Sigourney Weaver speak out against destructive fishing at the U.N., Pamela Anderson protecting Arctic seals, Harrison Ford rallying for Conservation International, Daryl Hannah for ReefCheck, Ted Danson for Oceana, and Robert Redford for NRDC, where he is joined by Leonardo DiCaprio whose feature film The 11th Hour explored the gambit of global ecological crises. Meanwhile, the executives are at it too, promoting ‘green weeks’, new ‘green’ shows and even a ‘green’ network a la Discovery. It seems the entire industry has seen the light, discovered a new sustainable way of living, and is using their media influence to share this green religion with all the world.
But how green really is Hollywood? Do they practice what they preach? Or is all this environmental banter just another trend-following gimmick to bring in the more traditional kind of green... Sure, we are all witness to the promotion of environmental ethics being touted at every outlet, and this widespread eco-gospelization does have substantial value on its own. But what’s going on behind the scenes? Have industry execs all traded in their SUVs for hybrid vehicles? Do A-Listers bring reusable shopping bags on trips to the grocery store? Are a portion of blockbuster residuals being sent off to protect biodiversity? And what is going on in terms of building sustainability on set? What’s happening on the myriad studios and locations that function day in and day out, round the clock, creating the real products of this industry? Film production, after all, has long had a reputation of being one of the most wasteful enterprises in existence.
I am a career conservationist with nearly 15 years of experience both in the field and working for large, international conservation non-profits. In recent years, my interests have turned towards film and media, and the power this industry wields for communicating conservation messages. Over the past four months, I have had something of a self-designed Hollywood internship by working as a background performer. Since the end of the Writer’s Strike, I have been fortunate enough to book work nearly everyday and have been thus exposed to the production end of a broad spectrum of feature films, commercials, pilots and prime time television shows including Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Shark, Moonlight, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, Women’s Murder Club, Bones and all three of the CSIs. As a film enthusiast, I understand that sometimes certain measures need to be taken to get the right shot and environmental concerns need to take a second seat to the production, which is after all the industry’s reason for being. But there are choices in energy use; recycling, sharing and reuse of sets and props; transportation decisions; efficient use of materials and many other production details that might provide wonderful opportunities for increasing industry sustainability (and I would suspect many times increasing cost efficiency as well!).
Although not privy to much of production details, there is one basic aspect that every extra is given close exposure to, and in which – especially on large “cattle-calls” -- there exists powerful opportunities for going green…the catering! The catering aspect of production offers enormous potential to improve the ecological footprint of the entertainment industry while simultaneously making a positive impact on our planet. On active L.A. sets today, the food choices are sometimes thoughtful, sometimes not. Sometimes recycling bins are available and their use encouraged, sometimes not. Sometimes there are reusable, non-disposable silverware and sometimes not. There are definitely ecologically responsible and thoughtful production teams, caterers and crew in this town that are taking positive steps to improve the way that production impacts our planet. But in many ways, there is much more that can be done and through simple means.
Beyond the more obvious actions such as recycling and reduction in the use of plastics and Styrofoam, some of the most significant measures could come from the actual food choices. Most productions already do an excellent job of providing vegetarian options, but this is far from the extent of what could be done. How about using organic and locally-grown produce (which would also have the side benefit of supporting the California economy)? With meats, why not steer towards organic, free range options? And, in my opinion, the single biggest thing the entertainment industry could do to improve their green practices is in making sustainable seafood choices.
After climate change, the health of the ocean is emerging as one of the biggest environmental concerns of our time. Scientists have reported that in the last 50 years, we have globally lost 90% of the large, predatory fishes such as tunas, marlins and sharks. Furthermore, they predict that at our current rate of consumption, all major seafood-providing populations of ocean wildlife will be gone by 2040. This signals not only the loss of one of our favorite food sources, but potentially devastating impacts to the healthy functioning of our planetary system.
On a recent shoot of a very popular television series, the caterers were very proud to serve a lunch that included orange roughy with a “tropical salsa”, and most of the background performers and crew were ecstatic over the meal. So what’s the problem here? Orange roughy happens to be a deep sea fish targeted by bottom trawlers, a particularly destructive form of fishing. The fish itself does not begin breeding until 25-30 years of age and live to be upwards of 200 years old. Because of the slow life cycle, populations of orange roughy do not bounce back, and the fishery just moves from location to location, systematically devouring populations of this fish worldwide. But the morality of eating a threatened fish the age of Napoleon is only the tip of the iceberg, or should I say the seamount. Seamounts are mountains below the ocean, each of them home to unique and mostly undiscovered forms of life, including dense groves of ancient deep-water corals. Orange roughies choose these seamounts as breeding sites, thus making these locations preferred targets for bottom trawling vessels. The trawlers proceed not only to capture the roughies, but scrape away the irreplaceable bottom habitat in the process. This practice routinely eliminates colonies of corals that took thousands of years to develop (see image of ancient coral coming aboard a bottom trawling vessel).
On another recent set of a new television series, the treat of the day was swordfish steaks. Yum, right? Unfortunately, no. Swordfish are large, solitary predators whose role in the ocean is akin to that of tigers on land. We in the Western world largely understand that we cannot feed the masses on wildlife like tigers – we must grow our food -- but this understanding has yet to transfer to our perception of their oceanic equivalents. And just as with the orange roughy, the loss of the fish itself is only the beginning of the problem, because swordfish are obtained via another highly destructive fishery practice known as longlining – fishing lines literally miles long with thousands of hooks. This fishery causes the ‘accidental’ death of thousands of marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. In fact, one of the oldest and most magnificent denizens of the sea – the Pacific leatherback sea turtle – is now facing imminent extinction largely as a result of this fishery.
In neither of the cases mentioned above was the production company being intentionally irresponsible. There is still a great lack of public understanding when it comes to sustainable seafood choices. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has come up with a handy tool in this regard. Their Seafood Watch website (http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp) is complete with a downloadable guide divided into good, bad and ok choices. Some examples of good choices include U.S. farmed raised tilapia, which in credit to L.A.’s entertainment industry has been a popular catered dish on sets in recent months (kudos to the caterers of Eagle Eye and Danny Fricke in particular!). Another good choice is Alaskan wild caught salmon, much praised for its sound fishery management as opposed to farm-raised salmon, whose impacts are devastating local stocks and the health of estuaries in places such as the Pacific Northwest and Chile.
Finally, the entertainment industry is based on communication. So, why not instill some of these good practices and then do what comes naturally - promote your sustainable catering decisions to your cast, crew and background? It is common to see tags with culinary descriptions on a film set catering table. This could easily be supplemented with brief information on the environmental reasons that the food choices were selected. Or, even go the extra mile and hand out the Monterey Bay Sustainable Seafood Guides mentioned earlier. Such a measure would go far beyond tooting your own horn and would actually serve to educate your employees, enabling them to make equally sound dining decisions when not on set!
So, have a happy Earth Day, Hollywood. Thanks for waving the green banner. Your voices are being heard and inspiring people worldwide to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. But let’s see if we can improve our practice and expand our example. It’s easy, it’s the right thing to do, and it’s good for our planet.
But how green really is Hollywood? Do they practice what they preach? Or is all this environmental banter just another trend-following gimmick to bring in the more traditional kind of green... Sure, we are all witness to the promotion of environmental ethics being touted at every outlet, and this widespread eco-gospelization does have substantial value on its own. But what’s going on behind the scenes? Have industry execs all traded in their SUVs for hybrid vehicles? Do A-Listers bring reusable shopping bags on trips to the grocery store? Are a portion of blockbuster residuals being sent off to protect biodiversity? And what is going on in terms of building sustainability on set? What’s happening on the myriad studios and locations that function day in and day out, round the clock, creating the real products of this industry? Film production, after all, has long had a reputation of being one of the most wasteful enterprises in existence.
I am a career conservationist with nearly 15 years of experience both in the field and working for large, international conservation non-profits. In recent years, my interests have turned towards film and media, and the power this industry wields for communicating conservation messages. Over the past four months, I have had something of a self-designed Hollywood internship by working as a background performer. Since the end of the Writer’s Strike, I have been fortunate enough to book work nearly everyday and have been thus exposed to the production end of a broad spectrum of feature films, commercials, pilots and prime time television shows including Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Shark, Moonlight, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, Women’s Murder Club, Bones and all three of the CSIs. As a film enthusiast, I understand that sometimes certain measures need to be taken to get the right shot and environmental concerns need to take a second seat to the production, which is after all the industry’s reason for being. But there are choices in energy use; recycling, sharing and reuse of sets and props; transportation decisions; efficient use of materials and many other production details that might provide wonderful opportunities for increasing industry sustainability (and I would suspect many times increasing cost efficiency as well!).
Although not privy to much of production details, there is one basic aspect that every extra is given close exposure to, and in which – especially on large “cattle-calls” -- there exists powerful opportunities for going green…the catering! The catering aspect of production offers enormous potential to improve the ecological footprint of the entertainment industry while simultaneously making a positive impact on our planet. On active L.A. sets today, the food choices are sometimes thoughtful, sometimes not. Sometimes recycling bins are available and their use encouraged, sometimes not. Sometimes there are reusable, non-disposable silverware and sometimes not. There are definitely ecologically responsible and thoughtful production teams, caterers and crew in this town that are taking positive steps to improve the way that production impacts our planet. But in many ways, there is much more that can be done and through simple means.
Beyond the more obvious actions such as recycling and reduction in the use of plastics and Styrofoam, some of the most significant measures could come from the actual food choices. Most productions already do an excellent job of providing vegetarian options, but this is far from the extent of what could be done. How about using organic and locally-grown produce (which would also have the side benefit of supporting the California economy)? With meats, why not steer towards organic, free range options? And, in my opinion, the single biggest thing the entertainment industry could do to improve their green practices is in making sustainable seafood choices.
After climate change, the health of the ocean is emerging as one of the biggest environmental concerns of our time. Scientists have reported that in the last 50 years, we have globally lost 90% of the large, predatory fishes such as tunas, marlins and sharks. Furthermore, they predict that at our current rate of consumption, all major seafood-providing populations of ocean wildlife will be gone by 2040. This signals not only the loss of one of our favorite food sources, but potentially devastating impacts to the healthy functioning of our planetary system.
On a recent shoot of a very popular television series, the caterers were very proud to serve a lunch that included orange roughy with a “tropical salsa”, and most of the background performers and crew were ecstatic over the meal. So what’s the problem here? Orange roughy happens to be a deep sea fish targeted by bottom trawlers, a particularly destructive form of fishing. The fish itself does not begin breeding until 25-30 years of age and live to be upwards of 200 years old. Because of the slow life cycle, populations of orange roughy do not bounce back, and the fishery just moves from location to location, systematically devouring populations of this fish worldwide. But the morality of eating a threatened fish the age of Napoleon is only the tip of the iceberg, or should I say the seamount. Seamounts are mountains below the ocean, each of them home to unique and mostly undiscovered forms of life, including dense groves of ancient deep-water corals. Orange roughies choose these seamounts as breeding sites, thus making these locations preferred targets for bottom trawling vessels. The trawlers proceed not only to capture the roughies, but scrape away the irreplaceable bottom habitat in the process. This practice routinely eliminates colonies of corals that took thousands of years to develop (see image of ancient coral coming aboard a bottom trawling vessel).
On another recent set of a new television series, the treat of the day was swordfish steaks. Yum, right? Unfortunately, no. Swordfish are large, solitary predators whose role in the ocean is akin to that of tigers on land. We in the Western world largely understand that we cannot feed the masses on wildlife like tigers – we must grow our food -- but this understanding has yet to transfer to our perception of their oceanic equivalents. And just as with the orange roughy, the loss of the fish itself is only the beginning of the problem, because swordfish are obtained via another highly destructive fishery practice known as longlining – fishing lines literally miles long with thousands of hooks. This fishery causes the ‘accidental’ death of thousands of marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. In fact, one of the oldest and most magnificent denizens of the sea – the Pacific leatherback sea turtle – is now facing imminent extinction largely as a result of this fishery.
In neither of the cases mentioned above was the production company being intentionally irresponsible. There is still a great lack of public understanding when it comes to sustainable seafood choices. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has come up with a handy tool in this regard. Their Seafood Watch website (http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp) is complete with a downloadable guide divided into good, bad and ok choices. Some examples of good choices include U.S. farmed raised tilapia, which in credit to L.A.’s entertainment industry has been a popular catered dish on sets in recent months (kudos to the caterers of Eagle Eye and Danny Fricke in particular!). Another good choice is Alaskan wild caught salmon, much praised for its sound fishery management as opposed to farm-raised salmon, whose impacts are devastating local stocks and the health of estuaries in places such as the Pacific Northwest and Chile.
Finally, the entertainment industry is based on communication. So, why not instill some of these good practices and then do what comes naturally - promote your sustainable catering decisions to your cast, crew and background? It is common to see tags with culinary descriptions on a film set catering table. This could easily be supplemented with brief information on the environmental reasons that the food choices were selected. Or, even go the extra mile and hand out the Monterey Bay Sustainable Seafood Guides mentioned earlier. Such a measure would go far beyond tooting your own horn and would actually serve to educate your employees, enabling them to make equally sound dining decisions when not on set!
So, have a happy Earth Day, Hollywood. Thanks for waving the green banner. Your voices are being heard and inspiring people worldwide to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. But let’s see if we can improve our practice and expand our example. It’s easy, it’s the right thing to do, and it’s good for our planet.
07 April, 2008
On the Wild Side
Marina del Rey, California. Last week, I was approached by NorthSouth Productions of New York, NY, who asked that I submit a video entry for consideration as host of a wildlife television series they are casting for. They asked that I specifically answer the following questions:
- Your name, where you live, your occupation
- Describe your expertise relating to wild animals and the outdoors.
- Describe your experience working with wild animals, specifically in the field
- If you're hiking a mountain and a lion approaches, explain what you should do. Further explain what to do if the lion attacks you.
- What is the most dangerous encounter or experience you've ever had (animal related or other)?
- This show will have you out in the wild, communicating to viewers what to do in the event of an encounter with a deadly animal. The experience will be authentic -- you really will be on location encountering wild animals. Are you willing to do that?
- If possible, show us you working with or encountering a wild animal.
Here is my video:
- Your name, where you live, your occupation
- Describe your expertise relating to wild animals and the outdoors.
- Describe your experience working with wild animals, specifically in the field
- If you're hiking a mountain and a lion approaches, explain what you should do. Further explain what to do if the lion attacks you.
- What is the most dangerous encounter or experience you've ever had (animal related or other)?
- This show will have you out in the wild, communicating to viewers what to do in the event of an encounter with a deadly animal. The experience will be authentic -- you really will be on location encountering wild animals. Are you willing to do that?
- If possible, show us you working with or encountering a wild animal.
Here is my video:
23 March, 2008
Easter Crucifixion
Marina del Rey, California. Jesus Christ, today is a beautiful day in Los Angeles! Happy Easter to everyone! You may recall my November 1st posting "Crucified", 
in which I reported on performing as a Roman Centurion for a History Channel documentary? Well, nearly five months later and the documentary is here. Tonight, the two hour Crucifixion airs on the History Channel at 8pm. If you miss it this evening, you will have another chance at midnight. Additionally, the DVD can be purchased on line by clicking the image below.
On other fronts, this continues to be a busy time with television. Last week I worked three days on a pilot entitled Danny Fricke, a drama centered on a tough female detective coping with her sexist colleagues while investigating high-profile cases. The show stars Connie Nielsen of Gladiator fame. I also played a doctor on an episode of Without a Trace, set to air on April 17th. And last night, I attended a screening of John Elfer's Finale. My friend and acting colleauge, John Snipes, was there as well and the film looks amazing. I can't wait for the final release!
in which I reported on performing as a Roman Centurion for a History Channel documentary? Well, nearly five months later and the documentary is here. Tonight, the two hour Crucifixion airs on the History Channel at 8pm. If you miss it this evening, you will have another chance at midnight. Additionally, the DVD can be purchased on line by clicking the image below.On other fronts, this continues to be a busy time with television. Last week I worked three days on a pilot entitled Danny Fricke, a drama centered on a tough female detective coping with her sexist colleagues while investigating high-profile cases. The show stars Connie Nielsen of Gladiator fame. I also played a doctor on an episode of Without a Trace, set to air on April 17th. And last night, I attended a screening of John Elfer's Finale. My friend and acting colleauge, John Snipes, was there as well and the film looks amazing. I can't wait for the final release!
12 March, 2008
Desperate Water
Marina del Rey, California. Hey gang! Sorry for my recent absence - things have been BUSY!! The Writer's Strike ended and television production is now in full swing. Since my last posting I have worked as a Presbyterian churchgoer on Desperate Housewives, a strip club goer and a mug shot suspect on CSI Miami, a tenant escaping from a burning building on CSI New York and a NASCAR pit crew member on Shark. All of these were fun and James Woods is quite the character and lady's man... Aside from the television shows, I also worked three movies during this time. The first was as a bank patron on Armored directed by Nimród Antal, a feature film with Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne. Next, I worked on a confidential project in a confidential location, in a scene with Paris Hilton, Simon Rex and Kevin P. Farley. Finally, this past monday, I was a beach bicyclist in Bedtime Stories, an Adam Shankman film staring Adam Sandler and Keri Russell. The fun Allen Covert, who seems to be in all Adam Sandler movies, was also on set. This was a great set to work on, basically consisting of 12 hours of riding a bike on the Santa Monica boardwalk, riding circles around Adam and Keri. The cast and crew were a blast to work with and Adam and Allen, who are both big basketball fans, had a mobile tent complete with a flatscreen tv so they wouldn't miss the game between takes.
In other news, Laura Bauman came down from Santa Cruz a weekend ago along with her friend, Kristi Hoffman. The three of us took the day to explore Malibu Creek State Park. This place is amazing! Only a 15-20 minute drive from Los Angeles, this is truly another world and a fantastic natural area. To get there, you drive through the Malibu Canyon, a dramatic and rugged geologic feature that washes away any thought of the nearby metropolis. The park itself is littered with steep rock monoliths - the Goat Buttes - reminescent of southern Thailand. This wonderful and highly accessible wilderness has been the filming location of many well known films and television shows, including M*A*S*H and Planet of the Apes! Take a look a the video montage from our hiking day, along with a silly M*A*S*H spoof I put together.
In other news, Laura Bauman came down from Santa Cruz a weekend ago along with her friend, Kristi Hoffman. The three of us took the day to explore Malibu Creek State Park. This place is amazing! Only a 15-20 minute drive from Los Angeles, this is truly another world and a fantastic natural area. To get there, you drive through the Malibu Canyon, a dramatic and rugged geologic feature that washes away any thought of the nearby metropolis. The park itself is littered with steep rock monoliths - the Goat Buttes - reminescent of southern Thailand. This wonderful and highly accessible wilderness has been the filming location of many well known films and television shows, including M*A*S*H and Planet of the Apes! Take a look a the video montage from our hiking day, along with a silly M*A*S*H spoof I put together.
23 February, 2008
Secret Adventures
Los Angeles, California. The phone rang early yesterday morning and it was Julie from Adams House Productions wanting to know if I could come back to shoot another scene for The Secret Adventures of... Per my previous post, I had such a great time with the cast and crew on this project that it took me all of one second to say yes, followed by about ten minutes to make sure I could clear my schedule for the evening.
So, last night I was back at the Linda Vista Hospital in Boyle Heights, along with Archie Tullos (my co-agent in arms) and a new super female agent, Promise LaMarco. Without throwing any plot spoilers at you, I'll just say that the crew really gave us a workout last night. Although we didn't work into the wee hours of the morning as on the previous night, last night far exceeded the first night in terms of being physically demanding. Basically, it involved a lot of running and throwing our bodies full force into a door, again and again and again. But you need to see for yourselves. There is a tight deadline on this project, so hopefully I can provide you with a link to the finished film in the not so distant future.
Accompanying this post are a series of pictures taken by Eric Thomas Harper (copyrighted). On the middle right we have a shot from night 1, in which I am listening to direction and preparing for the night's green screen shoot. And on the lower left we have the three supporting agents - (left to right) - me, Promise LaMarco and Archie Tullos.Thanks again to Director Santiago Tapia and the crew from Adams House Productions for a fun-filled and rewarding acting experience!
14 February, 2008
New Shots
Marina del Rey, California. A few weeks back, I worked with Los Angeles-based photographer, David Noles, to create a new set of headshots for my entertainment industry work. David took several hundred shots and we have since been narrowing them down to a handful. After much sorting and prepping, I now have three shots ready to go. This includes the shot above and the first two below. I have also included a couple of additional, but not yet touched up, favorites below. I chose to go with David due to his amazing sense of light and composition. He is a talented artist and does a lot of work beyond headshots. I encourage you to check out some of his galleries at: http://www.davidnoles.com/ .
11 February, 2008
Checkmate Dianetics
Los Angeles, California. You may be getting sick of seeing my ongoing series of "Snows of Los Angeles" 
photos here on my blog, but I am not. And, well, its my blog so you'll just have to suffer through! Here are a couple more images of the local mountain range, this time taken from downtown L.A. I shot these yesterday, adjacent to the DWP 's John Ferraro Building. 
photos here on my blog, but I am not. And, well, its my blog so you'll just have to suffer through! Here are a couple more images of the local mountain range, this time taken from downtown L.A. I shot these yesterday, adjacent to the DWP 's John Ferraro Building. 
Also yesterday, I participated in two back to back film shoots, completely across town from each other. In the morning, I performed as a Secret Service Agent for the American Film Institute thesis film, PAWN, directed by Jeremiah Friedman. The crew was amazingly efficient and we were in and off the shoot in no time flat. Following this, I headed down to Orange County for a project entitled Dianetics in the 50's, a short film being prepared for the Church of Scientology. 
I played a meeting recordist in a recreation of a lecture given by L. Ron Hubbard to his London-based staff in the early 1950's. The film was directed by Michael Gilchrist with Golden Era Productions. Again, it was a short and sweet shooting session, topped off with some great Chinese food!
I played a meeting recordist in a recreation of a lecture given by L. Ron Hubbard to his London-based staff in the early 1950's. The film was directed by Michael Gilchrist with Golden Era Productions. Again, it was a short and sweet shooting session, topped off with some great Chinese food!09 February, 2008
My Little Mountain Town
Los Angeles, California. In keeping with my recent theme of highlighting the unexpected aspects of Los Angeles, I took a side trip today to the nearby Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. You may recall from an earlier post that I was working on a film called Ticket to Ride earlier this week. The film was shooting in this park and I was so impressed by the view of snow covered mountains (see my Snows of Los Angeles post) that I just had to come back for some photos. And the park has more to offer than just this view. It is a pleasant wooded hilltop area, perfect for a family outing and seems great for birds (I even saw a hawk on the shoot day). Of course I have to gripe about the abundant eucalyptus, not to mention the adjacent oil field (see oil well picture below) - although the latter is interesting in its own right.
I did have one big regret of the day and that is that I have had some camera difficulty. While checking out the oil wells, I met an amazing musician by the name of Erol Griffin. Erol was camped out on the side of the road, right by an oil well, playing some killer jazz. The juxtaposition of the incredible music with the oil well was a sight to see and Erol kindly let me film a bit of his work. Unfortunately, the file ended up being corrupted, so I'll have to leave it to your imagination!
My trip to Kenneth Hahn was only the midpoint of a great Los Angeles Saturday. The cold spell we have been having snapped and temperatures were in the high 70s today. We also have a nice swell coming in, so I started the day with a little surf in Marina del Rey, just north of the Venice Pier. As I can't film myself out in the water, I went back at sunset to take a few shots for you. Unfortunately, the best surfing takes were among the files to be lost along with Erol's oil well jazz. However, I have included a little sunset montage here for you. The winds shifted onshore in the afternoon, so it doesn't reflect the beautiful glassy conditions from this morning - complete with dolphins and sea lions keeping us company in the line up!
Finally, after sunset, I stopped by my neighbor's art show. I am extremely lucky to live adjacent to some of L.A.'s most talented artists - including Dustin Otterbach, Cain and Pie's Little Army - and tonight was an open invitation for everyone to check out their wares on Catamaran. There is a video clip of this for your viewing pleasure as well!07 February, 2008
Another Week on the Westside
Marina del Rey, California. The picture below is the Venice Pier this evening. Beautiful sunset! I just came off the beach now to write you this blog post.
This week has been a bit slow, mostly running around to auditions and the like. However, on Tuesday, I worked background on a film called Ticket to Ride (also called The Post Grad Survival Guide) with Michael Keaton and Carol Burnett. Then, yesterday, I appeared as a guest on Lesbian Knows Best, discussing ocean conservation concerns with host, Vicki Wagner.
Finally, on a humorous side note, my IMDb Starmeter has once again climbed to a new record! This week I am #74,995.
03 February, 2008
Getting to Know the Neighbors
Marina del Rey, California. This weekend, other than getting things organized on the homefront, has been about getting to know my neighbors a bit better. On Friday night, I joined Venice the Menace (VTM) Comandante Scott Braman for a performance of The Quick Six, a mean band composed largely of VTM co-conspirators. Then, last night, friend and former Conservation International (CI) colleague, Hari Balasubramanian swong over from Silverlake to the Westside and we were able to catch up for a bit. Hari has the all time sweetest job at CI. Well, it's the sweetest if your thing is being based in LA rather than DC and spending 75% of your time traveling to remote jungles and coral reefs on every continent!
Following my meet up with Hari, I swung back over the neighborhood for a party hosted by my next door neighbor, actor Andrew Keegan. Hosted in an off-the-hook penthouse condo across the street, this was my first night to really hang out with my eclectic neighbors including marine biologist, Craig Schuman; artists, Dustin Otterbach and CAIN, and holistic health and fitness guru, Sandie West. The party was, well, WOW! Just imagine the stereotypical Los Angeles high life party from the movies and you get the idea...
Following my meet up with Hari, I swung back over the neighborhood for a party hosted by my next door neighbor, actor Andrew Keegan. Hosted in an off-the-hook penthouse condo across the street, this was my first night to really hang out with my eclectic neighbors including marine biologist, Craig Schuman; artists, Dustin Otterbach and CAIN, and holistic health and fitness guru, Sandie West. The party was, well, WOW! Just imagine the stereotypical Los Angeles high life party from the movies and you get the idea...
01 February, 2008
This Week in Hollywood!
Hollywood, California. Just a quick update on some recent activities and news. Yesterday, I worked on an Internet film project with Fred Armisen and the team from Funny Garbage. My part was as a seminar attendee in a comedic short entitled 1,000 Virgins. The short is scheduled to appear on Super Deluxe sometime this spring.On the exciting news front, I was also cast this week to play Captain Bacca in a film entitled The Mandalorian Legacy, directed by Aaron M. Johnson. This film is a Star Wars spin-off that follows the life of Boba Fett - one of the all time coolest characters of the Star Wars galaxy! Filming begins in April, so be sure to check back here or The Mandalorian Legacy website for updates!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
