September 10, 2006
-
A few weeks ago I shot an episode of “Veronica Mars” that will air on Tues, Oct 24 at 9pm on the n
ew CW Network (the merged WB and UPN). It’s a small but fun role as the character of ‘Charleston’ and the show has a history of bringing back characters once established in the “Mars Universe”. But the job also breaks my slump of not booking anything in 60 some odd auditions (“Finishing the Game” didn’t count as I didn’t have to audition for it).
It’s this very reason why it’s imperative for actors to have some form of money management in place.
Usually for a conventional job, it’s suggested that you have 3 months worth of living expenses in an emergency fund in case you lose your job/car breaks down/medical reasons, etc. I usually like to have at least a year’s worth for times just like this — and believe me, the past 8 months were close to pushing it. That’s why actors initially get paid so much – because it’s got to potentially last for awhile (on the flip-side, those who just keep working and working — that cash snowball can become just obscene over time). And the dry spells can come at any point – in the beginning of a career or even when you’re prepared with your material and feel on top of your game 10 years in. It’s not a question of “if”it’ll ever happen but when.
Speaking of which, today marks 10 years to the day that I had my very first audition ever. It’s when I personally considered to have begun acting professionally. It was for an ABC show called “Relativity” with Kimberly Williams (“Father of the Bride“). I still remember not knowing where to sign in and clueless to the whole etiquette of what to do, etc. I wound up getting a callback but the job wound up going to Ernest Liu (the Asian Kid from “From Dusk till Dawn“).Pictured here is the entry I wrote in the audition journal I kept. I logged in the casting director’s name, Lindsay Chag (so I could remember if I ever read for her again) , what clothes I wore (so I could wear the same thing for the callback) and notes on what I thought I could improve on for the next time, if there was a next time (ie: ‘more energy’, ‘pretend like you’re part of the cast’, ‘more expression’) — the notes would get better and more focused as I took more classes and learned the terminology over the years.
And although I will always remember September 10, 1996 as the day my professional career began – it will unfortunately always be followed by the somber remembrance of the events of Sept 11, 2001.
Comments (12)
Parry, I’ve been a lurker on your xanga for a couple of years (since BLT), but I had to congratulate you on the VM gig! I just skimmed your paragraph because I’m afraid of spoilers, but I will be looking forward to seeing you on my absolute favorite show. Also, thanks for maintaining such an insightful, entertaining blog all this time. It’s so interesting to read about an honest, often witty, down-to-earth take on the entertainment industry. I will definitely continue to follow and support your career!
i’m so excited to see you on Veronica Mars! Congrats on your 10th year in the business. I bet you’ve learned a lot over all these years, thank you for sharing them with us as well!
hey parry, so excited for you. i was actually on the set as a background actor when they were shooting on the SDSU campus. i wasn’t sure at first if it was you, but was surprised that it was. my hopes that the industry would continue to open up more and more roles for the asian community.
congrats on 10 years, dude!
big ups to yu for getting this far..can’t wait to see what else is in the works =]
happy anniversary. (: definitely looking forward to seeing more of your stuff in the years to come!
You should of just gotten a role on Entourage or Prison Break. hehe.. that would be mad tight.
Congrats on 10 years! You’ve definitely helped paved the way for Asian actors.
i love veronica mars. it’s an awesome show. i look forward in seeing your part on that episode.
Hey Parry. I just got done watching BLT and I have a small question. According to the story line was Stephanie really in that porno was it just a coincidence?! Just wondering
I was reading your March 3 04 entry and I’m glad you talked to that guy. I really disagreed with him on 4/5 of his list (don’t worry, you weren’t the 1/5 guy) and I was just happy that you wrote him back and said what you said.
On a different note, how did you get started as an actor? I mean, there’s nothing I want more than to be an actress, but I just don’t know.. what can Asian Americans do to get to the top?
ten years! sometimes its more important that you are still in the game, than winning the game. =)