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! :-)