Lydia's Journey BEYOND Hollywood

Yup, Of course, you guessed right. If there is a maid role anywhere in this town, I will book it. Well, it's not an "official" booking just yet. I'm "pinned" once again, but I was told I was the CHOICE. Meaning....after they check out the storyboard and make sure the role is still in there and after they negotiate my rate, then it will be an official booking. My audition went well. Obviously. haha I just LOVE the casting director: Scott Genkinger! He is SO sweet! He greeted me in the hallway with a big hug saying "Lydia! My favorite!" Awww!!! He did just book me on Prison Break , so it was really nice to see him again. I would audition for just about anything for him! (Including a small one line maid role that POSSIBLY may recur on Desperate Housewives !) I walked into the room with my headshot and resume with my Prison Break postcard attached and a post it note on my resume letting them all know I just tested for studio AND networ...

Ok. I have an audition tomorrow for Desperate Housewives . Great. Straight to producers. Great! Possible Recurring...AWESOME! Another freakin maid role....Ugh.... Oh, a MAID role with ONE line? WHAT???????!!!!! I'm trying to understand how a.) I was even submitted for a role I have told my managers in the past that I don't want to do again (unless it was a major guest star with a great storyline or the lead in a film. Sad that there are prices I would sell out for! haha) And b.) How the hell I can go from SCREEN TESTING for a series regular role just two weeks ago to ONE freakin line tomorrow! My manager's defense was those words: POSSIBLE RECURRING. Ok, if it did recur, then I can understand wanting "recurring" again on my resume. That always looks good. But if it doesn't recur, I just sold my one opportunity to be on Desperate Housewives for a ONE line co-star. I have plenty of those on my resume already! Like that saying: If I'm not mo...

I don't know what it is lately, but I'm having the itch for New York. Maybe because I spent the entire weekend at home, bored, thinking about things. I surfed the internet a lot and spent some time on the Labyrinth Theater Company's website that's run by Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz . I saw that I knew a few people who were members, and I just felt like it would be awesome to be in that company, among those talented actors. It's very easy to miss the stage when you're here in LA and you don't do as much great theater as you did before. And maybe that's why New York feels so enticing right now. Plus, I'm just thinking it would be nice to experience a different place for a bit. Maybe spend a few months on the east coast, just to experience that. I had the choice to either go to graduate school in New York or move to LA 7 years ago...and well, obviously, here I am. I know it would be a complete shock, expecially since there would be l...

I had that audition this week for that movie of the week. It was for an office I had never been into, but casts a lot of projects: Perry/Reece Casting. I took a workshop with one of the associates a couple of months ago. They brought me in this week to read for a bitchy mom at a skating rink. It was fun to do, but I don't think I did my absolute best. For some reason I felt a little nervous during the audition. Go figure! I screen test last week for studio and network executives and feel completely comfortable, I go in for a first audition for a movie of the week, and I'm a little nervous! haha Funny how that happens, huh? See! Even someone like me, who has been out here forever it seems, I still get nervous sometimes. Which is a good thing. I can't imagine walking into a room and not feeling those "butterflies" anymore. If that ever happens, I may have to think of a career change! :) One of my managers wanted me to put somewhere on my resume that ...

Sorry I haven't written anything in a week. Don't worry, I haven't been locked up at home, too depressed to see the sunshine. Just not a lot has happened, really.... So get this - the day I got my bad news of not booking the pilot, I got my wisdom teeth taken out. (I figured what perfect timing! I was already feeling bad!) I got home all swollen and in pain (inside and out) and my manager calls me about an audition the following morning - at 10am. For a one line co-star. Now, I understand work is work - but talk about kicking me while I'm down! "Sorry you didn't get this SERIES REGULAR job - but how about ONE line on a show??" ARGH!!!!! Man, just when you think you've progressed 2 steps forward, someone brings you back down 10! Luckily because of my wisdon teeth, I declined the audition. I knew I wouldn't be perfectly well to audition the following morning - and definately not well enough for one line! :( That's the one thing I don...

Bad news. I didn't get it. I know I'm supposed to be positive and say "Everything happens for a reason". I know I'm supposed to say that I'm happy that Carla got that call today telling HER the good news. I know I'm supposed to say that "If not this one, then the next one".... But let me just go to the dark side for a bit..... THIS SUCKS! Seriously. And it just doesn't suck because now I feel I can't trust my instincts (I was SURE it was mine). And it doesn't suck just because it was an opportunity for a GREAT job. It sucks for more than just that. It sucks because I was SO close to the exact dream that I had had ever since I can remember, and I lost it. (And again, I do feel like I "lost" it since it did feel like it was mine. I saw it, I felt it, I just knew in my gut. That damn Secret ! haha j/k) It sucks because I didn't want this just for me. I wanted it for my parents. (I was buying them a new house ...

Ok, I'm, a cheeseball...I took a picture of my 6 year contract that I signed! lol I had to! Things like this don't happen to me everyday! And I had nothing but a huge grin on my face as I signed all four copies. It was pure bliss. :) I went into the network test today. I saw one of the other girls just as I walked into the main building. She and I walked to our room where we were told to meet. We saw the casting directors and they informed us that we were the only two that made it to this level of the process. That third actress was not coming today. Wow. For some reason I figured Studio and Network tests were a package deal. If you went to one, more than lkely you would go to the other one. Hmmm....Obviously that is not the case. We were very lucky to make it this far. Even most of the guys from yesterday didn't make it to this round. Wow - I'm proud of myself! :) So we have another "work" session, but this time it was more of a warm up. I ...

I can't even begin to explain how I feel right now! But I'll try.... I went in to meet the studio execs today for the pilot The Emancipation of Ernesto . We had an hour work session before the actual "audition" for the studio. There were three of us girls up for my role and four guys testing for a different role, and we all sat there in the waiting room until it all began. Wilmer walked in and introduced himself to everyone and said hello. We were all ushered into a separate room so we could work individually with the casting directors and the writer and Wilmer. When it was my turn, I walked in, did my three scenes and the writer had some adjustments for me. They were pretty big character changes from what I had originally prepared, so I took a few minutes to try and get it to the right place before I had to do it for the studio. I was a little nervous and unsure. Doubting my original choices I had made since they gave my notes and changes. I tried not to let...

Well, yesterday I was updated by my manager about how the negotiations are going...and I have to say I am in SHOCK! *(And by shock, I mean, ecstatic shock!)There is a whole new world I am being introduced to here! :) It's pretty damn awesome! Again, what sucks in this whole process is, I get all excited about the possibility of what I could be making, and what my career could be....and then the part could always go to someone else and CRUSH that dream. That dream that has already been negotiated! It's just cruel! But we're going to stay positive and wish for the best. That's all we can do, right? And by we, I mean me! LOL The negotiations include everything from pay per episode, to how many episodes I'm promised for the next few years, to dressing room specifics, to even hair and make up consulations where I can provide my input to how I want my character to look. There are so many little details that I don't even really have a say in as to what...

I met with my new attorney this morning. Crazy that I even have a "new attorney"! She was very nice. We talked a lot about this whole process and I learned SO MUCH in that one hour meeting! They are a very reputable firm who represents Patrick Dempsey , Halle Berry , and now....ME! crazy. I wasn't sure about this whole thing at first. I thought I would hurt my chances if I came to the table with an "attorney" representing me (My small town mentality). But the attorney made a good point, she said this would give me a stronger credibility. I'm sure there are numerous actors who get to this screen test level for the first time, and are so excited that they take the first deal offered by the studios. This first deal is so important because it establishes your quote. The remainder of your career is affected by this first step. If you get low-balled, and accept that, the rest of your career is "playing catch-up". So it's very important ...