This month has been all about finishing projects, the start of very exciting new opportunites and the continuation of some battles that are apparently not over yet. One highlight included being a part of a documentary on scream queens – very apt for the season!
Halloween is my absolute favourite-ever holiday, and my sweetie and I went as Mulder and Scully from the X-Files:
Pretty dead-on, no? The X-files is a show that I grew up with, and to be honest, a role like Gillian Anderson had is pretty much my dream role as an actor. A strong, smart woman in a long-running TV series… yeah. Scully was sexy, but she certainly wasn’t what I call “attractive cardboard.” That is, characters/actors who have very little substance and very little performance, other than being cast on and relying on their looks to carry the show or film. I’d rather play the smart girl than the hot girl any day, though I’ve played both many times over and women like Gillian Anderson prove that you can pull off both at once. Anyway. I could rant about that forever (screw you, bizzare Hollywood ideals…) but…
Secondly, as I mentioned in my last post, I had TWO films that premiered here in Toronto this month. First up was Stiffs on the Green (over Thanksgiving weekend), and Black Eve, this past weekend. They both screened at the Toronto Underground, and we had some kickass afterparties:
That’s me with Mila Starr and Kassandra Santos from Black Eve, two very lovely ladies who I’d work with any time again in a heartbeat. Kassandra’s a super-talented actress, and Mila designed the wardrobe for the film AND has an awesome band who I’ve danced for a few times.
I am also now wrapped on One Week in Windchocombe, which is kind of a bittersweet thing for me. On one hand, this film has been more physically and emotionally demanding than anything else I’ve ever done (including numerous reshoots, volatile temperatures, and some Very Dark Mental Places), but on the other hand… I don’t feel done yet. It just hasn’t sunk in. And like all good films, this won’t be finished for months and months and so I will have to wait to see the finished project when it’s finally all together. (I do have a new project in the works with our amazing director… but more on that when we actually start shooting.)
Unfortunately, in less fun news, the scam artist (from last year) James Donman is back, and is now actively trying to sue me for $20 000.00. Yes, it’s ridiculous to say the least, but I’ll save the hows and whys for what I need to present in court. In the meantime, I hope you all stay aware that creeps like this do exist in the entertainment industry, and they live to prey on the young, vulnerable dreamers who are hungry to work and to create success for themselves. It makes me mad – not just for myself but for every other actor out there – that people like this exist. Please share that article and make people aware of him, so he can’t continue to terrify talented young people. (If you want more history, click on my un-professionals tag.) So yeah, among everything else I have to deal with Donman and it kind of sucks, but I’m not letting it slow me down.
Up next for me is a stage play called The Other Side of the Rhyme, on stage at the Russian Canadian Theatre Centre (48 Alness Rd) that runs November 17th – 19th. Check out the facebook event link, or buy tickets online at our online ticketing store. It’s a quirky, irreverent, and fun one-act comedy that you won’t want to miss… set in the land of Nursery, it sheds light on the naughty truths behind our ‘innocent’ nursery rhyme stories we know and love.
Last but not least, I am in pre-production for a new feature film, Aequitas.
I am looking forward to getting going on this project, but most importantly, it is currently raising funds on Indiegogo so that we can have the best production possible. Any sort of contribution is appreciated, and I’d love for all friends and fans to help spread the word, even if you can’t afford to contribute.
… And, I do have other life news, but have spent too long already on this blog update, so that’ll have to wait for next time!
Tags: acting, dream big dreams, other cool people, Out and About, personal growth, photos, scams - actors beware!, tough stuff, un-professionals, upcoming appearances