Monday October 24 - My First Blog Ever!!!!

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 my agent who I was with for 4 years because of that audition. I did extra work for about a year and a half. It was absolute torture. I didn't mind doing it at first because I got to spend my days on a set. It was torture because it killed me to take up the space behind another actor who was doing what I wanted to do. What I was supposed to be doing. And it was also torture because being a non-union extra is not the best treated job in this city. It's the bottom of the barrel to these people out here. After I worked as an extra on a new tv show starring Richard Dreyfuss, I decided to stop doing this extra work. He came and sat down to talk to all of us extras and said that if we REALLY wanted to ACT - we needed to stop doing extra work. After that conversation, I stopped working as an extra. A couple of months later, I booked my first speaking role, which was on Strong Medicine. I really felt like things had come full circle when I booked that job because I have worked as an extra on that show plenty of times. And there I was, sitting in my private dressing room, ready to have a speaking part with extras all around me. It was a very surreal and satisfying moment.
Since that booking, I have worked pretty steadily and have been blessed tro work on some great shows. I have been on CSI, The Practice, The Shield to name a few. I have turned that role on Strong Medicine into a recurring one, having done 3 episodes as the same character. Most recently I played Larry David's housekeeper in Curb Your Enthusiasm which aired a couple of weeks ago. I have been fortunate enough to work with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg on The Terminal. Currently I am in a play called Conversations 'Bout The Girls, which is very much like The Vagina Monologues, but about breasts. I try to do as many plays as I can, usually about one a year, except for this year. I performed in Real Women Have Curves earlier this year in Santa Barbara, and now this play.
And so this brings us to today. Today I went straight to producers for Everwood. This casting director has cast me before, and lately has been calling me in for a lot of different shows. I really do hope I book something soon since I just signed with a new agent and don't want them to lose faith in me.
I also have an audition for a Wells Fargo print job today at 2:40pm. This has been nice today, running around to different auditions all day. It's not like this usually. It varies, but it's a good week if I have 2-3 auditions. I normally audition for tv and film more than commercials. I definately have to get some new color headshots soon.
So, check back on this blog to find out more about what it's like to be a struggling actress in Hollywood, in an industry where Latinas are often seen as the maid (see my CSI and Curb episodes). I plan to make some changes in this industry, and in turn, my career.