Today

Well, Nicolas is already 3 months! And I'm already 6 months pregnant! And it's coming up on a year that I've been back in texas - where does the time go??? This is insane. Here is Nic at 3 months :)

Look at that handsome smile! So I figured I would just relax my last few months of being pregnant, but no such dream will happen... We are moving soon, just after the new year. So packing will begin soon. We are staying in Austin, just moving to a bigger place to accomodate our growing family. And I signed on to cast another project. I'm currectly casting a SAG short film called Breaking the Curse. My audition sessions are tomorrow and callbacks are next weekend. I'd like to think after we move and after this baby is born, maybe THEN I can rest. haha Yeah right, with a newborn and a 6 month old? Sleep is not in my distant future. Maybe next christmas? So I've been getting a few emails from blog readers who have read my journey in Hollywood (THANK YOU!) and had some questions about how I got started. I realized when I started this blog a few years ago, I never talked about exactly HOW I got my first agent in Hollywood. So here it goes... My first week that I moved to LA in Feb 2001, I blindly submitted my headshot for the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd. Somehow they called me in to audition. And somehow I landed a callback. I didn't get the role, but afterwards, I called the casting office and told them I had just auditioned for them and I was new in town, and if they had any agencies they could recommend to me. It's not the most appropriate route to take, but since I was new, I didn't know any better. They rattled off about 7 agencies they liked and respected and called often, and I submitted to those agencies. I didn't hear back after a couple of weeks so I picked up the phone. I was told they would get back to me if they were interested - phone call after phone call. Then, by the end of the list, I was getting tired of the same old drill so I started my last conversation with "Casting Director ______ referred me to your office. I sent in a package...did you receive it?" The agent said he wasn't sure but to come on in on Monday and audition. I did. He said I blew him away and he signed me. I was with him for about 5 years before I switched to a larger, more prominent agency after my career started to take off. Now, my current agent was found through, yet again, an untraditional route. I subscribe to imdbpro which lists addresses, phone numbers and email addresses to the agents who have their info listed. I had my target list of about 10 agencies, and I had just tested for a series regular on FOX so I had something to offer these larger agencies. So in my subject line, I used that. I wrote "Just Tested for a Series Regular on a FOX pilot" and in the body of the email, I introduced myself and attached my headshots and resume. Minutes after I sent that, I received a phone call from one of the agencies towards the top of my target list. :) He said he never opens these submission emails. He normally hits delete, but for some reason, he opened mine. And somehow it ended up that he didn't have anyone like me on his client list. I was brought in for a meeting and signed with them. I'm still with Mike Eisenstadt over at Amsel, Eisenstadt, and Frazier - even though I moved back to Texas. And they have been just wonderful! :) So you can do what everyone tells you is the right way or you can do what works for you. You never know the outcome unless you take a chance. Be bold.