Lydia's Journey BEYOND Hollywood

I'm packing for my trip to Texas and Iowa right now. I'm heading out tomorrow morning and flying into San Antonio. I'm spending a couple of days in Texas before I head out to Iowa to shoot the film tentatively titled " Who's Your Daddy ". I believe I will shoot for about a week, then head back over to Texas to finish up my vacation with friends and family. Who knows, maybe I can score an audition for Friday Night Lights while I'm in Texas! haha Always looking for work! Ok, back to doing research for my character! :)

What a crazy day it's been today. Well, they always say it happens in 3's. Ed McMahon died a couple of days ago and now today I hear Farrah Fawcett has passed away. Then, just a few hours later, I hear about Michael Jackson passing away as well. It's a sad sad day. Farrah Fawcett actually graduated from my high school so I have always looked up to her in a way, because she showed me that someone from my small town can make a name for herself. She followed her dreams and made it happen, and for that, she will always be an inspiration to me. And Michael Jackson! Are you kidding me?! Such an iconic person! Whatever has been said about him, good or bad, and even all the wacky things he has done - no one can deny the talent that this man had. He will be forever missed, impersonated, and remembered.

My headshot on the poster for The Photoshop on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks. I've been getting my headshots printed here for a few years now, and I refer everyone I know to this place. I love Norman and he's really helped me out over the years! :) Trying to be productive this week, but kind of hard with no other auditions lined up. Reading play scripts so we can produce something for the stage this year. And also updating my business resume so I can try and get a studio "day job" instead of subbing... We'll see how that goes. I've also had people ask me if I've ever tried to "write" something - like a script. I have in the past, but just figured I wasn't any good at it. I'm thinking I trying my hand at that again and see what I come up with. That's something I can do to kill time before my trip to Texas and Iowa in July! :)

Calling for full length play submissions!!! If you have a great full length play that has yet to be produced, we are looking for you! We are interested in allowing a playwright the opportunity to showcase their talent to an audience! Our preliminary timeline is to open in late September, so we want to begin reading material as soon as possible. If you have something that is important to you, a passion project that just hasn't had a chance to see the light of day, something that will knock the breath right out of the audience's lungs, send it over. We aren't limiting genre at this stage. We are open to everything, as long as it is full length. Please email: lydiablanco@hotmail.com

Happy Father's Day to my daddy - the greatest man ever! :) I have another commercial audition tomorrow! YAY! This is the most I have gone out commercially - ever. I wonder why the change? Anyway, tomorrow I'm going in for "hero woman" on a Glade commercial - which just means the main girl. We'll see how that goes. I'm also getting together with a small group of people to produce original plays on the stage here in LA, so we are looking for scripts. Maybe this will lead to that theater company I've always wanted to open. Gearing up for my trip back to Texas to see the familia Juky 1st - then off to Iowa to shoot the film! Not a bad summer so far! :)

I had two commercial auditions on Tuesday of this week. The first one was for a Geico commercial. I really wish this one went better than it did. I had one line and for some reason it never came out right. :( I went in with a partner and I was the one that was getting all the notes. Just seemed like I couldn't get it right - take after take. :( Then I rushed over to my second audition of the day for Time Warner Cable. This one went better. I got to use my comedic abilities and play the demanding wife. Nice. Didn't go PERFECT, but it did go better! I'm meeting a friend tomorrow afternoon to discuss the possibilities of producing theater together. Both of us have been wrapped up with shooting film and TV that we haven't had much time for the stage. And we both really miss it. So hopefully something can come of this. I'm realy liking the idea of taking on the producer's role. In theater, TV and film. I may have found a new road for me to explore... ...

I'm shooting in Iowa this July! My good friend Jennifer Fontaine , who is INCREDIBLY talented by the way, has written and is producing yet another fabulous project and has graciously included me in it! Her producing partner and my friend, Marlo Bernier , will be directing. Tentatively titled " Who's Your Daddy ", Jennifer is adding another hat to the many she wears, and is starring in this feature as well. I play Missy, the "antagonist" to her character, who is a news anchor, and - well...let's just say she's a very interesting character, without the best intentions sometimes.... hehehe I am SO excited to be a part of this project, but more importantly, to have a front seat in this journey that will enhance the careers of Jennifer and Marlo!! So very exciting! :) I have no idea when in July I am shooting, but I plan to squeeze in a trip to Texas to visit the family before I get to work on this project. This year started off slow, but thankful...

Orlando Bloom in character in Sympathy for Delicious . I was invited by a friend of mine, Al Coronel , who is also with my manager to see an advanced screening of Sympathy for Delicious , the Mark Ruffalo directed film I shot just a couple of months ago. I walked through the doors of William Morris Endeavor for the first time ever, to see the film in their private screening room. It was a very rough cut, meaning Mark still had a lot to do to the film before it's completely finished and ready to be seen by the public. But let me just tell you, Orlando Bloom was really good, and completely different from what people have seen him do so far. Christopher Thorton and Mark Ruffalo both gave really good performances and Juliette Lewis was as powerful as ever. But damn it, I love Laura Linney, and I wish there was more of her in this film! :( But all in all, I'm excited to see what he does in post production and I can't wait for everyone to check out his directorial debut. ...

I had a really great day shooting Monk yesterday. As soon as I got to set I sat in the make up chair for 2 hours while they made me into a corpse that has been rotting for 12 days. That was fun! Then we headed to the location, which happened to be the same house I shot Desperate Housewives ! My first scene to shoot was where I had to play dead. I have never done that before, and let me tell you, it's hard work laying down on a HARD hardwood floor take after take while trying not to show your breathing! I would try to hold my breath, but then get nervous and have to breathe - then I would take too big of a breath which made me paranoid that my chest was moving too much in the scene. It's hard work. But no one told me I was moving or breathing too much so I guess I did a good enough job! Then finally I changed out of my dead makeup into my normal alive makeup and shot the flashback scenes which will be in black and white, I believe. Cool! I had a stunt double, for when ...

Just found out today I booked Monk ! Yay! Randy kept his promise! haha Too bad he's not directing this episode! He was so nice to work with! I am scheduled for a wardrobe fitting tomorrow and I shoot Friday. I'm kind of burning out from subbing. I'm thinking of taking a break and finding work on a studio lot somewhere and learning another aspect of the business. I'm searching for any opportunities out there.... :)

Today I had an audition for Monk . It was another challenging stretch for me: a maid named Maria with an accent. haha I was looking forward to this audition mainly because I had worked with the executive producer Randy Zisk when he directed me in the Lifetime pilot in Vancouver The Virgin of Akron Ohio , and he was SO nice to work with! And his brother Craig directed me on Weeds and was also a joy to work with! :) As soon as I walked in, I wondered if Randy would remember me, but as soon as I entered he greeted me with a huge smile and said "Hi Lydia! Good to see you!" :) That was a relief! The audition went by quick and painless and I headed home. We'll see.... But he did promise me a job on Monk THREE years ago...haha I'm waiting....