LA Blog #6

Let me get it out of the way... Leslie and Kevin are arriving in the morning!  I'm actually having some trouble getting in bed due to excitement of incoming visiting friends.  I still have 9 hours before I pick them up from LAX... haha.  We don't have a whole lot planned out for the week quite yet other than plenty of record store shopping.  Kevin has printed out a 30 page list of stores... yikes!  Also, we 3 have tickets on reserve for The Price Is Right on Wednesday!  So that should be pretty big fun.  Otherwise, I have Tuesday and Thursday open for work as of right now, just hoping for a TV spot or something to drop in on me.  

So, with visiting friends as the current topic, Cassie Kendeigh spent the most part of last week here in LA with me.  It wasn't very easy making plans as I had a lot of work opportunities coming in.  I ended up working my first ever television commercial and let me tell ya... it was not so hot.  It was one of those Verizon Wireless commercials with all the people behind the "Can you hear me now?" guy.  The work was very repetitive and boring, but I only worked 4 hours and got paid for 12, so I can dig. haha.  Friday night last week, Cassie and I happened on a free show being put on by Hot Hot Heat at the Grove (a popular outdoor shopping mall).  They were ok... the sound was bad and they kind of annoyed me. Enjoyable anyhow.  Cassie took off last Sunday to return to Ohio after a weeks vacation.

There had been hints floating around that Greek would be shooting the Spring Break episode out in Long Beach in coming weeks.  I had very much been hoping to get on board for this shoot as only a crazy person wouldn't want to spend two days in the California sun on the beach with good people... and get paid for it!  So, I received the call to show up in my regular role as a Kappa Tau active.  Spent Monday in the studio shooting a night beach scene, then hit the beach for the two days following.  Very nice indeed.  Long Beach did get pretty chilly the first evening, but day 2 was beautiful.  Needless to say, I fell victim to my first sunburn in many many years even with mega sun block on! Who knew? 

Unfortunately, I found out that Greek was going on hiatus for a while after this episode was wrapped.  I was bummed to hear as I was starting to get comfortable with the other regulars and crew.  Its a decently popular show so I'm sure they will be coming back in due time.  There was a brief moment during shooting on the beach in which two girls approached the star of the show and asked for a picture and autograph, in which he had no problem dealing out.  Very cool stuff.

Greek took up the majority of my week.  The rest of the time was spent either at the movie theater or trying to cool my sun burn down around the house.  

Oh, before I forget! My first episode of Greek airs Monday evening on ABC Family! I believe the show begins around 8pm. Check your local listings friends.  I may appear in a scene in which the Kappa Tau boys receive a phone call about some basketball tickets.  Let me know if ya see me!  My second episode airs the following week, so set your DV-R's or Tivos... or VCRs?  

Its funny working in these TV shows out here... you start running into a lot of people from other past jobs.  On Greek this week I ran into Kelly, a gal in which I worked with on SHARK a few weeks back.  I spent most of my day with her and another new friend Allie.  Very very cool girls.  Kelly believes that our SHARK episode airs this coming week as well.  I don't believe I will be visible, but Kelly is the girl being stalked by the creepy guy in the car.  Watch for her!

 

So this week I watched 2 movies that I assumed would never interest me in any way: THE CELL starring Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn.  Very very freaky movie! Beautifully shot and a must see... maybe not so much for the squeamish, but to be considered.  I must note, although not always picking fantastic projects to showcase it, J-Lo is a very very talented actress.  Secondly, I watched GATTACA. Why did I watch Gattaca? I have no idea, but it was a refreshingly entertaining Sci-Fi movie.  Throw it up onto your Netflix queue if you have it.

Indiana Jones opens this week... excited? I submit YES.

I ran across a Woody Allen double feature for $7 downtown this past Thursday! Sleeper and Bananas. $7! Brilliant!

Finally, before I attempt to get a little sleep before heading towards the airport in a few hours... I will be home in Ohio May 27th through June 2nd!  I'll be heading home to see my brother Geoff Wightman before he ships off to Iraq mid-June.  Find us,  party with us.  If  you can't respond here, call me, email me, myspace me, facebook me, find me!  

Until then, keep an eye out for me on Greek! Goodnight and see ya all soon!

-Arthur

LA Blog #5

Well, almost 2 weeks again between blogs... I thought I was starting to get this stuff down haha. 

Ok, where to start?  Last week I came to realize that even I am not completely immune to being slightly star struck.  I worked 3 days on Race To Witch Mountain from Disney Studios.  The star of the movie is Dwayne Johnson, or as you and I know him, The Rock.  I of course didn't get a chance to talk to him, but by over hearing him talk to crew and some other folk, he seems like a pretty decent guy.  However there was a scene in which during my ducking on the floor, he came within an inch of crushing my hand with his boot... that'd been a story.

Now generally working half of a week on a movie would be very cool.  You meet people and get to hangout with them while getting paid over a 3 day period.  Which I did, as I made a few new friends.  However, my costume was a disaster.  I'm sure you are all aware of those rubber masks that always look way bomb, but when you put them on you can't see or breathe for shit?  Yeah, I got to wear one of those.  Sweaty face and breathing in the air I breathe out for 17 hour work days is quite uncomfortable... oh well. Its over now, haha.

After a weekend of the movie theater (lame), I was back on Greek for 2 days.  Nothing much to talk about here and they were fairly short days.  One spent outside of a college for establishing shots and then a day used mostly for the Kappa Tau pledges preparing for spring break in Myrtle Beach (Long Beach).  I'm very much hoping I get the call to do the Spring Break episodes on Long Beach next week.  California sun, beach gals and being paid to be on television? Not a bad deal in my book.

I had not had any work lined up for last Thursday so I spent the morning walking around town wandering the nearby shops.  Later in the evening I received a rush call.  A rush call is exactly what it sounds like.  Someone either didn't show up or someone didn't call in enough actors.  The call came in 2 hours before I had to be on set, and I obviously had nothing happening so I took it.  Turned out to be a shot for Gavin Rosdale's new music video.  I have no idea what the song was, but it sounded ok.  Mr. Rosdale seemed like a pretty cool guy.  He was all smiles during the shoot. He had a blast.  Afterwards, he stood by the door as everyone was leaving and thanked us individually for helping him make his video.  Class.

Now we are caught up work wise up until yesterday.  I was cast in an indie film titled Barry Munday.  It is based on a book that I believe is titled "Life Is A Strange Place."  I was only involved in 3 scenes but they were a lot of fun to shoot.  The cast includes Patrick Wilson (Hard Candy, Little Children), Billy Dee Williams (Lando!), Missi Pyle (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Chloe Sevigny (Big Love) and of course Malcolm McDowell. Malcolm, as you should know, starred in Stanley Kubrick's film A Clockwork Orange.  His performance in Clockwork was one of the first few that really made me want to pursue acting so it was great watching him work on this film.

Now, what movies have I been watching?  See Iron Man! Its a truly entertaining action flick.  Robert Downy Jr destroys the role of Tony Stark in possibly the only casting that could work for that character. Brilliant!  Make sure you stay after the credits though as there is a secret scene.  Perhaps not so important for non-readers of comic books, but for those buffs out there... big things.  I also took in a second viewing of Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  I really really enjoyed it, even after repeat viewings.  You must check it out.

DVD wise... I watched Cloverfield recently.  I dont think those of you who were heavily anticipating it along with me liked it a whole lot, but I must say I had a blast.  Watch it again :)  As I type this I am putting The Cowboys starring John Wayne into the ol DVD Player so perhaps you'll read about that shortly.  

DJ Snell popped in for a couple nights last week.  He was present to see my goofy grinnin face when I saw myself on CSI: NY last thursday, haha.  He has been driving around the country for nearly a month and isn't heading back home until late May.  Now that, my friends, I am jealous of. 

Tomorrow morning I will be picking up Cassie Kendeigh from LAX.  PRetty excited to spend a few days with her.  I'm hoping the weather clears up a bit for her as its not so sunny right now.  She has been in Hawaii for a few days, so hopefully she has gotten her fill of sun on the beach juuuust incase :)  We plan on hitting our first Dodgers game during her stay. Should be good times.  

I think that about wraps us up here for this blog.  I promise I will attempt to keep up to date more often!  Take care!

-Arthur

P.S. - You Ohio folk may be seeing my face very soon ;)