Lydia's Journey BEYOND Hollywood

So I get the call last night saying that Allison Jones wants to book me without auditioning me for The Office . Allison Jones is the casting director who cast me in Curb Your Enthusiasm . The cool thing is, I work one day and it's a voice over part. So it won't effect me getting cast in The Office for future episodes. I'm playing the voice from a Spanish soap opera and Steve Carrell's character is all into the show. It's a pretty funny scene. I showed up to set thinking I'd shoot my stuff in a recording studio (since it is a voice over part) - but nope. I was on the actual set with Steve Carrell and did my part from behind the camera. (They're going to edit it together later). It was a blast and a nice way to make a paycheck for 3 hours of work! :-) And a great way to end 2005! Happy Holidays!

YAY!!!!!!!!! I just got the call that I booked the Cameron Diaz movie Holiday !!!!!! It's really awesome because my "movie rate" (what I get paid for to work on feature films) just went up! I'm working one day in January, then I'm coming back in March for a week! I'm so excited! Yes, it does suck that I'm playing a maid named Marta - with an accent....but I'm probably the highest paid maid that I know! :-) YAY!!!!! I definately needed this news.....You have no idea!

So today was that film audition for the movie called Oranges . I auditioned in West Hollywood for Mormon Boling Casting. I recognized one actress' name on the sign in sheet. I remember a few other actor friends of mine mention her before and how they knew her. So I bring it up to her how I know these 2 other actors and how I'm always asked if I know her - which I don't. She just smiled and damn near ignored me. Hmmm..I guess she's not too friendly. But then again, we were waiting in line to audition for the same role - so maybe she wasn't into making friends at that moment. Oh well...I left her alone and kept on preparing for my audition. Another actress walked in who I recognized. Her name is Ruth Livier and she used to play the lawyer sister on Resurrection Blvd . She was up against me for this same role. This was not the first time too....I remember she was up against me for a role in a play at South Coast Repertory Theater Company in Costa Mesa - and SHE got it...

I just found out today that I am cut out of the Everwood episode. That sucks because I knew that Sleeper Cell was going to be a quick and small shot of me so I was looking forward to my 2 scenes in Everwood . And now I hear both are cut out! Oh well. It's not the first time this has happened to me ( The OC ) - and I'm sure not the last! :-( It sucks since I sent out 300 postcards already, but I guess that's how it goes. I had an audition today for another commercial. One for Microsoft. It's kind of a surprise that I'm going out more for commercials lately! I rarely do! I have an audition Tuesday for a movie called Oranges . The role is a woman named Marta and she's a maid! An original role, don't you think? Ugh! But what's nice about this role is it's a good size part and you get to know her and her family. The character seems like a really nice and warm character. we'll see what happens.... I take off for Texas next weekend. Looking forward to...

My first national commercial audition for the day was for ALEVE. They were looking for "trekkies" - and you wouldn't believe the characters that showed up today! I had no idea what to wear so I didn't even try! The most important thing was that we knew how to do that salute - the vulcan salute. And luckily for me - I did! :-) We just had to act excited about seeing Mr. Spock (it IS Mr and not Dr, right?) while at a convention and do the salute. pretty easy stuff. The coolest part was before the audition - in the waiting room. I was turning in my paperwork and I heard "Lydia?" I turned around and I didn't know the guy saying my name - but I definately recognized him. He played Ari's (Jeremy Piven's character) assistant on Entourage . Well, I have never formally met him - but he knew my name because he watched Curb Your Enthusiam and recognized me from that. He said he loved me on the show and that it was hilarious! WOW!!! Someone who I see regula...

actually this is from Halloween - but they weren't in costume! heehee j/k This is Laura and Jean Marc - my managers over at Central Artists

Me, on the Everwood set with Michael Lookinland - AKA Bobby Brady from The Brady Bunch ! :-) ok, you know just as well as I do that when they say an episode will air - sometimes it doesn't air on the day they say! So...with that in mind... Tune into SHOWTIME on Monday, December 12th at 10pm to catch me on Sleeper Cell . I play the kindergarten teacher for the main kid on the show. I know, I know, a HUGE stretch for me! :-) Then, 3 days later tune into The WB Thursday, December 15th at 9pm to see me on Everwood . I play the drug rehab receptionist. I'm in a couple of scenes so be sure to stay tuned in after you see me the first time! :-)

So I went in for my callback for the movie Holiday yesterday! It went AWESOME!!!! There were about 6-8 other girls there, and we all looked different from each other...but still - all dressed down like maids with no makeup. I noticed that most were in and out really fast - like maybe a minute or so. Our "scene" that we originally auditioned with was quick - just a facial expression. But I went in and met the director - Nancy Meyers , and one of the producers (also a female - cool!) and I did my facial expression scene. THEN, she directed me to do a couple of other ways. Then she got up from her desk and really started directing me - having me do other made up scenes with improved dialogue - like I walk in and say good morning (or "buenos Dias" actually) to Cameron Diaz's character. Then she had me improv another scene. My audition went on for a while and in between each direction, she kept saying "You're doing great!". So I felt like it went REALL...

I was bummed to hear my audition for Chaos Theory - that Ryan Reynolds film - was cancelled. I just got the call today saying they probably cast it already since they cancelled the rest of the auditions for that day. :-( I hate not having a chance at this part! It seemed like so much fun! And I hadn't met the casting director yet - Rick Montgomery . Oh well...maybe next time! Today I go in for my callback at Sony for Holiday...Wish me luck! :-)

Very cool news today! I have a callback for that Cameron Diaz film Holiday that I auditioned for last week. The role is for her maid Marta. UGH! But I am dying to do another film! After I saw the residuals from The Terminal - I am eager to work on another big budget feature film! This movie should be pretty good.... It stars Jack Black , Cameron Diaz , and Kate Winslet . The writer/director is Nancy Meyers who also wrote and produced Somethings Gotta Give and What Women Want not to mention Father of the Bride and Private Benjamin ! I hope I get this! I would love to work with this director! My callback in on Friday at 4:20pm (so send good vibes my way around that time!) I was told to drive onto the Sony lot and park with the valet....niiiiiiiiice. :-) heehee The little things that make me smile! Audition tomorrow for that other feature film Chaos Theory . I hope it goes well...I really like my scene that I'm auditioning with!

I like it when it starts to get busy! My plane just landed last night from my Thanksgiving break in Texas and I checked my messages and had information for TWO auditions for this week! One was for today. I went in to read for E-Ring - the new Benjamin Bratt tv show. I read for a character named Caroline Herrera...she is an Embassy Staffer (not the maid! heehee) and it went pretty well. It was originally a guest star role but I guess it got downsized to a co-star. I went in to read for Barbara with Fiorentino/Mangieri/Weidman. She was really nice and said some nice things after I auditioned...so maybe if not this role (because there were a lot of girls auditioning) - then maybe something else in the near future. It was a hectic day! I had made plans to sub today and then I got the call about the audition last night at around 5:30pm. My audition time was at 11am clear across the other side of town. I wasn't sure how to sub - AND go to the audition at the same time! Luckily the schoo...

So I get called in to audition for an NBC midseason replacement called Windfall (again) and I just LOVE the casting director there: Felicia Fasano ! She is SO super cool. She's so nice and gives me a great big hug whenever I walk into her office! She always makes me feel like one of her buddies! She's booked me on a new show for Showtime called Sleeper Cell that should start airing December 4th. I'm not sure what episode I will be on. So anyway, I walk in and she begins to tell me that Ellen Pressman told her she should call Lydia Blanco in and she answered Ellen by saying she ALWAYS calls me in! The cool thing is Ellen is the director I worked with on Everwood while in Utah! And she happens to be the director of this episode of Windfall ! Too cool!!!! Ellen was really nice while I was on set. We had lunch together and talked about taking a hike on Fryman Canyon, a nearby trail where we live. The director, along with the producers, makes the decisions on who to hire for ...

I hate when it starts getting slow. That means less opportunites for making money - UGH! But the good news....I had an audition today for a Cameron Diaz movie called Holiday . The funny thing is I auditioned for this role back in August - I guess they still haven't found what they were looking for. I hate to think my first audition was forgettable! Maybe they just wanted to see me AGAIN! So the role is....drumroll please.......her MAID! Big surprise! I'm not sure if the maid has any lines. I just had to improv at the audition and make some facial expressions. It seems like this role would be prominent throughout the film - just not sure if she actually SPEAKS! I guess we'll see. I have another show this evening. My play runs until the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. If you'd like to check it out, the reservation line is 323-960-7863. :-)

Well, I'm sorta "working" tomorrow. They called me in to do some looping on this show that I worked on this past summer called The Unit . I'm scheduled to work 15 minutes. Since they pay whatever my scale hourly is divided by 15 minute increments, it's still a nice check for a few minutes of re-saying some lines for the footage. This is the first time I have ever been needed for looping on a show. I'll be sure to post what it was like! :-) I'm also training tomorrow to be one of those actors that USC hires for the medical students. They train us on the illness we are going to portray and what symptoms we would have. That way the future doctors get tested in a real patient way and I believe we have to evaluate them to make sure they asked everything that was needed to be asked. I feel very much like Kramer from Seinfeld right now. Remember that episode?

Here I am with my agents at ACME . Me and Lance, and me and Greg. The party was fun and everyone had a good time. These guys are AMAZING!!!!!!! I have NEVER been with an agency who cares so much. They really take the time to get to know their clients and make us feel like friends. I Am VERY happy and lucky that they are representing me! I Love You People!!!! Happy Birthday guys! :-) Well, I got back last week from Utah and it's been very slow ever since. No auditions lined up at all so far this week. I did a postcard mailing to casting directors letting them know about the Everwood booking. Maybe that will generate some calls. I could go to a workshop tonight - but since I'm getting my top wisdom teeth taken out today (ouch!) - I may not be up for performing. Also, tomorrow night is a big birthday bash for 2 of my agents at ACME . We will be celebrating at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey. Sounds like fun!

My "ride" to the airport! Me and Scott Wolf Well, It was definately a memorable trip! I had never been to Utah and it was really beautiful! Snow on the mountaintops, cold weather! AND I completely forgot to pack a jacket! Talk about LA mentality! I guess I figured it wouldn't be THAT cold! UGH! Good thing the wardrobe department hooked me up with a huge warm coat. Well, I got picked up by my limo driver that the studio sent on Tuesday :-) and he took me to the Burbank airport. I arrived in Salt Lake City and I had a driver from the Everwood office pick me up and take me to get fitted for wardrobe and sign paperwork. Then I was taken to my hotel room. It was SO NICE! I stayed at the Little America and I allowed myself to enjoy every part of it. I ordered room service, I worked out at the gym, and took a long bath.... It was very nice. I worked on Wednesday and didn't need to be on set until 2pm! We drove out towards the mountains where we shot on location in the schoo...

So it looks like I will fly out of Burbank on Tuesday. They will send a car to pick me up :-) at around 10:30am and I should arrive in Salt Lake City Utah by 3pm. I'm supposed to get fitted for wardrobe - then go back to my hotel to "relax". I shoot all day Wednesday, stay another night in the hotel and fly back first thing Thursday morning. I should be back in Burbank by 12pm. So all in all - I will be gone for a good part of 3 days! I do have to miss a performance for my play :-( but I know this will be a great experience. I plan to take lots of pictures and post them for everyone. My script was delivered yesterday and I'm just waiting on my itinerary. Should be fun!

So I didn't get the contract that I hoped to get. In fact, no where near what I thought I'd get for this job, but like I said before...work is work. My manager called me after some confusion with my agents and ended up calling the casting director herself to find out what the deal was. I'm getting paid for only one day of work when I'll be gone out of LA at least for 2. They are paying me a transportation fee which basically is just per diem. So it's like I'm working here in LA for one day except I have to fly to the set instead of drive. And they will put me up in a hotel in Utah one of those nights. I don't have the exact dates that I will be gone. Not yet. I should get that today. Ideally, I would love to fly out Wednesday morning since I have my play Tuesday night. I was hoping to fly out Wednesday morning, go through wardrobe, work on the set all day and get to the hotel that night - then fly out first thing Thursday. That would be perfect. But they we...

So today my manager at Central Artists calls to ask me if I'd like to fly out of Burbank or LAX. I say Burbank, because it's very close to me. Then she tells me, "Well, you know, they might fly you Southwest, and Southwest doesn't have a First Class". That's ok. I was really excited about the possibility of flying first class - but if I don't get to do it on this project, then maybe in the near future sometime. :-) Then she says that I may or may not get a driver to the airport. If I don't - then I will get reimbursed for parking while I'm gone. That's fine too. I can't pout about that! I booked a guest star role on Everwood which shoots in UTAH!!!!!! Work is work is work! So I'm happy regardless! I should get the details by tomorrow! I'm excited! VERY Excited!

Finally - I get the call - close to 5pm today. My manager calls to tell me that my agent just contacted her and "congratulations!" Apparently I'm officially booked for Everwood ! I'll get all the details on Friday, like my pay, flight info, hotel, etc... I'm really excited. Sadly enough, I'm more excited because I've never flown first class! :-) And I'm slightly nervous because I know they are spending a lot of money to bring me over to do this role - so I want to make sure they feel like they made the right decision. Hopefully I can kick ass on the set. They said that it should shoot next Thursday, November 3rd. If that is so, then maybe I'll fly out Wednesday and it won't affect my show on Tuesday night. I got a call from my director from the play today saying if I can't be there for the show on Tuesday they may have to cancel it for that week. She said she discussed it with the producer and they didn't know how to rearrange the show ...

ok, So I auditioned for Everwood yesterday and last night my new agent called me trying to get a hold of my manager for my last quote (the amount of money I got paid on my last job). I haven't got offered the part yet - I guess they were trying to figure out money first. My manager was no where to be found after 6pm, and I told him what my day rate was for a co-star role. But this role on Everwood is a guest star role. (Co-star roles are usually a few lines, in one scene - maybe two. A guest star role is usually larger and definately gets paid more than a co-star). So we played phone tag all day between my agent and my manager and myself. Then, my manager calls me and says that my agent just got off the phone with the casting office and they are still trying to figure out if they want to hire someone from LA or someone from Utah. Apparently this show shoots in Utah and if they go with an LA actor - I am their first choice . YAY!!!!! But they are also thinking about maybe hiring s...

I had a GREAT time working with Larry David and everyone else on Curb Your Enthusiasm . Everyone was so nice and funny! Check out the episode on dvd if you missed it. Or HBO On Demand.

I had a great time working on the set of The Terminal .

Ok, So I have heard what a blog is, I have even read a couple, but this is MY first blog entry! I am currently working on my website - which is taking very long to create. So I decided to create my own way to keep "my fans" (aka family and friends) in the loop of what's happening in my life here in Hollywood. Just a quick update up until today....I've lived here in Los Angeles for about 4 1/2 years. Things were off to a slow and scary start. I had NO CLUE where to begin this journey. I moved from Austin, Texas - where I did independent feature films, theater, commercials, anything and everything I could to perform. It was great. I LOVE Austin and would go back any day to live. Too bad I can't book my own sitcom in Austin - which is why I currently reside in Los Angeles. But I love LA too - don't get me wrong! When I got here, I had my first audition for Resurrection Blvd my first month in town. I went to producers for it - but I didn't get it. I did find ...