Why did I really really need an acting coach?

So here I am again folks. Two weeks in a row. That is astounding. I had forgotten the thrill that naturally follows after some good blogging. It's just like yoga or meditation or exercise. I always feel better after I do it and yet I don't do it nearly enough.


Well my vow to you dear follower (which, according to my Network Blog widget, is just me) is that I will provide you with scintillating and riveting topics each and every week. Starting...now.


For those have you who know me (which is all of you), I'm sure that you've read the title of this week's blog and wondered, "How can this be? In my opinion Damon is THE...GREATEST...ACTOR...I'VE...KNOWN...EVER!"

To that I have to start by saying please calm down. Secondly, of course your right. But even I had to admit my sleeve was missing a trick or two up it. Now it would have been nice to have come to this conclusion on my on volition. But nope. There's a story behind this one. (Really? You didn't see that one coming? Is this your first time reading this blog?)

It starts with a promise that I made to myself. More like a vow rather than a promise. I vowed that I was going to get into the Actor's Equity Association no matter what. For those of you who don't know, the Actor's Equity is the union for actors who perform on the stage. To me, being a member of it was always something that would legitimize my career. It would make me feel like a true professional.

In my quest to join Equity, I discovered that there was a wonderful little loophole that I could exploit. You see, I had already been a member of the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (AFTRA). It turns out that if you work 3 days of background work on an AFTRA production, you can join Equity. I immediately set my sights on this plan. I submitted my pictures to every single casting agency for background work and in a testament to the power of positive thinking, I booked 3 days of background work within months.

If I had quit when I was ahead, I wouldn't have learned the valuable lessons that I needed to learn. But then again, I would have been spared the overwhelming humiliation that was about to follow. Oh well, I've been humiliated before and will most likely be humiliated again so in the long run it's not that big of a deal.

I received a call from the critically acclaimed and star-studded program called, "Damages." At first, I didn't even want to do it. I was about to go to Mexico, the call time was really early, it was in Brooklyn, and I didn't NEED to do it because I had already scored my Equity card. But I figured that one more day couldn't hurt. And who knows, "Maybe they'll ask me to say a few lines." (That's called foreshadowing)

So I get to the set and the producers decide to have an impromptu audition with some of the background actors to...(that's right)...have a few lines in the show. Not only was I one of the chosen few selected to audition, but I actually ending up booking the gig. (That's actor talk for "They hired me.")

The good news was that they hired me. The bad news was that they hired me. I quickly proceeded to FREAK THE FUCK OUT. I had never worked on ANYTHING like that before. I was going to have lines on TV. There's something incredibly wonderful and terrifying when you get EXACTLY what you ask for. I was super excited and shitting my pants at the same time. (I can admit this because no one is reading it. Ha ha)

So I began working with the Technical Consultant on the set. He was a former cop and all around nice guy. He was showing several of us the proper way to apply handcuffs to someone you're arresting. I listened astutely to everything he was saying. I practiced with the cuffs constantly. The last thing that I wanted to do was fuck this up.

Hours later, I was called on to the set to Block the scene. That's basically where the director tells the actors where to walk, and where they're supposed to stand. My heart is racing. All I can think about is, "Don't fuck up. Don't fuck up." And then I thought, "Don't think that because the universe just hears 'fuck up.' Think something else. Don't think don't fuck up."

I was introduced to the principal actors in the scene. Honestly, they were very nice. One of the was Kate Jennings Grant. She had just worked on a little movie with Ron Howard called "Frost/Nixon." Maybe you've heard of it. And, at the time, she was in rehearsals for the Broadway show, "Guys and Dolls." Another one was Rose Byrne. She had just finished shooting a movie with Nicholas Cage. Can you say intimidating? I sure could.

Anyway, after we blocked the scene it was painfully apparent to the director (who was also the co-producer) that I was beyond nervous. I just couldn't get it together. He instructed the Technical Consultant to work with me before they started shooting. Or in his words, "Rehearse the fuck out of this scene." After about 5 or 10 minutes, the director checked on my process and was not happy. And after feeling so elated for booking my first gig on a national TV show, I was promptly fired. (I wonder if Leo DiCaprio had to go through anything like that)

The director decided to give the lines to the Technical Consultant. Who apologized profusely to me for be given the role and swore that he had nothing to do with it. The associate producer told me that the reason they switched me out was because I was too tall. I think he was trying to be nice but that actually made me feel worse. I mean I could always become a better actor but I can't exactly shrink.

However, they still decided to use me in the shot as background and even gave me an extra $300 for my time. Unfortunately, that really didn't take away from the sting of being very politely fired on the set in front of everyone. And trust me, EVERYONE knew about it. But of course they don't say anything. I'm going to go ahead and admit that it was a wee bit awkward.

After I internally cried, I decided to man up and do my job. I was going to be as professional and as classy as I possibly could. Honestly, it's the only way I know how to behave. What was I going to do? Tell all of the the producers of a TV show to go fuck themselves? Yeah, that's a smart career move.

So after a horrendously long day, I went home, pouted for a few more hours, then went on my vacation to Mexico. Which wasn't the least bit marred by this whole experience. Not at all. Didn't think about it once...Okay, yeah, that sucked.

Upon my return, I decided that I was going to make this experience the best thing that could have happened to me. Well now how could that be? I mean did I mention that I was humiliated? Yes. But I was going to redefine the whole situation.

I came to the conclusion as good an actor as I was, I didn't know everything. I needed to be prepared. I needed to have a bag of tricks ready to go. I needed help. I realized that even the greatest golfer in the world has a swing coach. So why on earth should I be too good for an acting coach?

I enlisted the services of Mr. Rob McCaskill. He truly is an amazing coach. In the past 8 months or so I've simply grown so much as an actor. I don't want to turn this into a commercial because A.) No one is reading this and B.) If you are reading this and aren't an actor, you're bored out of your mind.

I will simply say that the most important lessons that I've learned from him haven't really been about acting. It's really been about trusting the fact that I am a talented actor. That I deserve to work. That I'm entitled to work. It's about believing in myself. Sure, I've learned some acting techniques that have also boosted my confidence, but if you don't put the power of your belief behind all of the work, it's all going to be meaningless.

It's all been a wonderful process and the more I put myself out there, the more I can see just how powerful it really is. I know that more opportunities will present themselves. In fact, they already have. And since I've been taking classes, I've always been prepared. I've always been ready and I've always performed excellently.

Now, there's only that really wonderful feeling when you get EXACTLY what you ask for?

PS

I DVR'd and saved that episode of "Damages." I'm in several shots and, quite frankly, I look damn good. So there.