The Distant Future

It's been three months, and much has changed. I've gone from sleeping in someone's bed (while they were away ... just dispelling any potential rumours) to someone's futon, to my futon to my own bed. In my own place. Sans roommates. And it is sweet.

High Horse Theatre has begun it's second season, sans me. This time they're at the PAL theatre at 581 Cardero Street, playing every evening until closing this Saturday. Curtain's at 8pm every night. I was offered a lead part in one of the shows (again, a night of three one-act plays, this time 100% original material), however I had to decline, and for a very good reason.

Long story short, I am now supporting myself as an actor; and only as an actor. Not an actor/security guard, not and actor/expeditor/porter/bartender, but as an actor. Period. I've gotten a recurring part on a new Television series which will begin airing on CTV later this year. There's much more to it than that, and I'll get to all of that later.

While at VFS, we had a project where we wrote a letter to out "future selves". It was mailed to my parents house back in Nova Scotia, which my mom then mailed to me. Written on February 26, 2007 (I suppose I should have gotten this last year), I shall share what I wrote here:

"A year from now, I see myself as a successful person. Monatarily, aswell as personally (sic) (1). My acting career is just starting to pick up. I'm getting a lot of voice-over work. Commercials, TV, even some cartoons. I'm getting a lot of auditions every week (2). I'm proving my success to myself and people I know. Personally, I'm doing great. I have a lot of good friends and I see my family a fair amount. I still talk with some of the people from VFS. Most of them actors, some of them from Film Production (3). I've gotten to work on a movie with Mike and his NYFA friends. It was a great experience, and I'm starting to get some contacts in LA (4). I'm paying off my debts, I'm in great physical shape, and I'm doing what I love (5). My life is in a great place, and we're finally going to shoot the western in HD. It will be opening in the summertime (6). Hopefully I improve myself over the next year, and I know I'm good enough to be nominated for an Oscar. Maybe when I'm older and have done some more acting classes (7)."

Well, I was quite the optimist back then. Needless to say if the letter came last year or even two months ago, it would have been a downer. Let's examine:

(1) How does one measure "success"? I have money and life is good, so we'll chalk this one up as "happened(ing)".

(2) I don't know what stage of my acting training I figured I'd just be a voice-over guy, but clearly this was written during it. I've had a few voice-over auditions, but I still need a demo reel before I can go out for cartoons. I'm getting some auditions, I wouldn't say "a lot every week", but a good amount.

(3) Yeah, the people in my life are great, and I see VFS people everyday. Hard to turn a corner or pick up my phone without seeing a person or the name of a person that I went to school with.

(4) Before going to Vancouver I had planned to go to LA after I graduated to work on a movie with a buddy of mine from home. This never happened, but I got to hang out with him when I visited for Christmas, which was cool. No contacts in LA yet, but my agent has some ... so that's getting somewhere.

(5) Two out of three, still working on that "in shape" thing. I'm going to the gym often, but I'm also eating often ... it's a vicious cycle.

(6) The western was an idea I had with another buddy of mine from home. We never shot it, and we likely never will. Don't know why I wanted it to open in the summertime. I was aiming for a summer movie season blockbuster maybe?

(7) It's a legal requirement for any actor to mention an Oscar in a list of their hopes and dreams.

Good thing I know the trick to winning one: oldness and acting training.