That's a first.......

TV Audition: "The Shield” @ FMW Casting
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This was my first time reading for this show. I actually recall meeting this associate a while back at a workshop. She was very nice and really liked my work. After the workshop she asked me why I hadn't been on "The Shield" yet? I said "Uhhhh." and gave her the...."as if that was my choice" shrug. Smile. At which we both laughed and she said to me "Well, we'll definitely bring you in this season!" I thanked her and moved on. That was about 4 or 5 months ago.

Fast forward to today and I get the call. I go into the audition and it was the same associate who says to me: "You see, I told you I would bring you in for something that was right for you!" Again, we both laughed and the audition went great. Wow!

Don't know if I got the part or not....but the bigger picture here
is definitely more important. In my opinion, a HUGE part of this business is about establishing (and maintaining) relationships not to mention you have to be good, prepared, etc.

Just the fact that she remembered who I was and had me in mind is a BIG DEAL and very humbling. As an up and coming actor...that's all you could ever ask for in this business. I truly hope and pray that when I DO become a well established actor (who is working all the time)...that I continue to never take that aspect of my job, and the relationships I've established for granted. Truth is, I wouldn't let that happen. That's simply not who I am....but some people change when fame and fortune hits them. God Willing, I'll still be the same cat. Anyone who knows me....knows I'm still pretty much the same cat....they met from day one. I'm proud of that..actually.

This being the final season of "The Shield", I would REALLY like
to book a role on this baby! It's in God's Hands now...so I'll just move on to the next one. Still, I had a great day! By the way, I also ran into three friends at the audition. Two of them I hadn't seen in a while. They were both so cool and complimented me on my "Ocean's 13" work! Wow! That was so cool of them. The third dude was Stephon. He and I just kicked it after the audition on the Studio Lot: Talking strategies, union issues, becoming series regulars, women, etc. Not necessarily in that order....ha! Yeah, today was fun!

Excuse me Mr. Hickey....My name is Angel

Today was my shoot on "My Name Is Earl". WOW! Such an amazing day. Everyone was fun to work with. The director (Michael Fresco) and Earl Hickey (Jason Lee) were VERY nice to me and complimented me on my work. You can tell the whole cast and crew love working on the show. Cracking jokes all the time. You know the deal.....I didn't want to leave. Sniffle, sniffle.

Just lounging in between takes on the set of "My Name is Earl"

This was VERY big for me on a number of different levels:

1) It marks my first TV booking of the year! Yeah, tell me about it...Finally got that monkey off my back! I'll admit it's been a bit of a slow year for me. (Considering how things went last year.) But I do believe that everything happens for a reason. I'm not sure what it is yet...but it will reveal itself, I'm sure. I'm still VERY excited about this year and I still have a feeling this year will prove to be an even bigger year than last year. Only time will tell...but I'm looking forward to it!

2) It also marks my first 1/2 comedy booking since I've moved out to LA. This is soooo important because there are some (not all - just some) 1/2 hr sit-coms that won't even bring you in for an audition if they don't see any 1/2 hr credits on your resume. It may not sound fair - but I get it. I don't agree with it - but I get it. From their perspective, there are sooo many talented actors out here in LA. Why waste time on someone who hasn't proven they can do comedy? (Which in my humble opinion, is way harder to do than drama.) They would simply bring in those who have proven they can do it. Now that will include me! Yeah Baby! (I'm soooo grateful for getting the opportunity.)

With that said, I've always felt I could do both (drama & comedy) and I've been fortunate to get auditions and producer sessions for sit-coms in the past. But I finally get the chance to prove it, on my resume, with this booking. Not only that, but MNIE is a pretty HOT show right now...which is definitely a big plus!

Hopefully this will mean lots and lots of comedy roles in the future right?! Right! Smile. Truth is I'm very Blessed. I'm just happy to be working. I'm working more than some, not as much as others....I'll take it as God sends it to me.

Jason Lee (Earl) and Angel Oquendo (medic) having fun on the set

By the way, in the show I play a doctor who treats Earl for an injury. Can't tell you anything more than that. My scene is pretty short....but you know me, I'll be happy if it makes the final cut of the show. (I suspect it will....but you never know....refer to my "What About Brian" spectacular. Smile.) I'll let you know when it's going to air.

That's it for now. With all the drama I've been having to deal with as of late, I wanted to share this victory with all of you. I know you're rooting for me and praying for me and I just want you all to know that I really appreciate it. Thanks!...and please keep it coming. Now it's on to the next one! Keep it moving people, keep it moving!

Shooting "AAA" with my TV Family!!!

Obviously, it's always fun when you're working. There's just a certain buzz that you have when you wake up, get yourself ready and start driving to "work". Once on set I had a chance to meet my "family". Norma, I already know pretty well. She's a trip and very funny. My son was Jonathan (soon to be 11) and my daughter was Gina (soon to be 8). There's a saying that goes "Never work with kids and animals".....I totally disagree. These kids were an absolute joy to work with. So well behaved and attentive. Their parents, who were on site, I'm sure are very proud. There was also a SAG child rep. Everything went very smoothly.

We all hit it off really well and before you know it Gina was rubbing my head and playing with my "imaginary long hair". Jonathan was telling us about his recent work on Boston Legal....and Norma and I were wishing we were as busy as these two!

Norma, Gina, Jonathan & Angel on the set of the "AAA" commercial

The director Andrew was awesome. He knows how to work with actors and doesn't have to say much. He conveyed what type of emotions he was looking for and knew we could deliver. I hope to able to work with him again someday.

In the afternoon, our mutual friend (and fellow ICS Master Class student) Lenore showed up for her call time. She was in the same commercial with us but in a different scene. The whole ad
is sort of a collage of different points of view on the same event. Our point of view was that of a family sitting at a diner having lunch. Lenore's point of view was while she's shopping in a shoe store. They'll all magically come together and I'm hoping it will make for an awesome commercial....That runs a long, long time! Smile.

Norma, Lenore & Angel hanging out on the set of our "AAA" spot

When I wrapped my work day, I started to feel the usual "withdrawal symptoms" I get when I done having fun on set and have to go back home and being unemployed. Sniffle, sniffle.

This time, however, it was a bit different. Daddy's got a gig to do tomorrow! Yay! Stay tuned and I'll let you know how my taping of "My Name Is Earl" goes. That's it for now. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Another busy week.......and a Booking!

First I'm doing a voice-over gig on Monday. Even though I've only been called to do a few of these...I feel very Blessed and excited about doing them. If I could only get 4 or 5 of these (or more) a month that would be amazing! In the meantime, trust me, I'm simply happy to be in the loop (no pun intended) and I'm ready whenever I get the call.

Next, I got the call today from my commercial agent.....I booked the "AAA" spot! Yes! I get fitted on Tuesday and shoot it on Wednesday! Wow, this is such a big deal for me on so many levels:

1) It's my first LA based commercial since I've moved out here. God Willing this will be the first of many more.

2) Obviously I'm all about relationships and whenever you book with a casting director...I always feel you have a certain connection there. I just want to hug'em and say: "Hey! We did it together!" & "Thank You soooo much for giving me that opportunity!"

3) My new commercial agent is sooo excited about working with me. With all the callbacks and auditions we've had lately...I really feel we're riding a nice wave of momentum here. It seems to me that when your team is excited about working with you they work harder for you. I just have to keep my end up by being prepared and doing my thing at every audition. Of course we know that's never been a problem! Smile.

4) I'm happy to say that my friend Norma (from my acting class) also booked the spot. She's playing my wife. Ha! I told you she was KILLING these commercials! I also found out another mutual friend (and fellow Ivana Chubbuck student) Lenore also booked the same commercial. I'm not sure who she is in the spot...but it's always nice to work alongside friends.

5) I heard from my agent that I was the one and only choice for the father and they didn't even have a back-up. WOW! They also changed the entire shooting schedule to work around me since they initally wanted to shoot my scenes on the same day that I'm shooting "My Name Is Earl". Again, WOW!

Which brings up the last gig of the week. I'm shooting "My Name Is Earl" on Thursday. I'm playing a doctor. Should be fun! WOW! What a week! Exciting isn't it?!

In closing, Thank You God. I've been sooo worn out lately. So many things going on with me, I feel like I'm running on fumes over here. As the saying goes..."Never let them see you sweat!" Trust me....I won't. I have too many Blessings in my life to be down...but I am human, I do bleed. In the meantime, my faith has never dwindled and I'm not going ANYWHERE! Thanks to all of you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers.

Can you make yourself available?.....Yes!

Audition: "Honda Ridge Line" @ Blanca Valdez Casting
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This audition was a trip! It's one of those virtual reality type of setups where the actors will wear special suits and on the screen the characters will move and react as a result of the actors.

We were supposed to be Spanish talking sheep...Tell me about it! Smile. We were hanging out on the pasture and joking around. It actually looks pretty funny. I felt good about the audition even though it was a bit silly. When I get silly auditions like that...I usually think about how silly I get when I'm playing around with my son. Children typically don't care and edit themselves like we adults do....and I totally encourge that. So when I'm with kids you'll usually see me being much more "silly" that Slick Daddy Angel! Smile.

On another note, I got the call from my commercial agent.....I'm on "Avail" for the "AAA" spot! YAY! That's what I'm talking about! Unfortunately, it's not firm because there may be a conflict with my upcoming "My Name Is Earl" gig. Wow! You know what? I'm just going to leave this alone. If it's supposed to be...it will be.
As in everything else that's been going on with me lately. It's in God's Hands. I'll just be ready when/if I get the call. We'll see. Still, these are good problems to have right?! It feels nice to be wanted. Smile.

Make a left....then a right....then a left!

CALLBACK AUDITION!!!: "AAA” @ Melissa Martin Casting
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First in the morning I had a photo shoot with a hot young photographer. She's a Fine Arts Photographer who is breaking into the world of Headshot Photography. She offered to do my headshots for free and I accepted. I was planning on taking some shots without facial hair anyway so this was perfect timing.

Her and her team were lots of fun and we took some great shots. As I'm sure you've heard me say before: I LOVE collaborating with people who are passionate about their work. It's energizing to me. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they come out. Once I get them, I'll see about posting one or two on here as well as her soon-to-be-completed website.

Next, I had to wait for the telephone installation guy. Yeah, still dealing with the move. The time range was from 1-3pm. OF COURSE, you guessed it...he shows up at 2:50pm. Lovely. Still, it's cool..at least now I can use my regular phone and I still have my previous telephone number.

Next, I'm due at a fitting in preparation for my upcoming shoot on "My Name Is Earl". Yeah, I'm running a few minutes late due to the telephone guy...but the "Earl" people are all so nice and laid back, it's not even an issue. I get there and we take care of business.

Next, I'm on my way to the callback for the "AAA" commercial. Yeah, I'm running late to a callback! Not a good thing. To make it even more interesting, I'm driving from Van Nuys to West LA (near Santa Monica) to get there by 5:30. Ouch!

By the way, I accidentally left my lights on earlier today causing my battery to die...which somehow caused a problem with the land navigation in my car. So that has stopped working. Oh...I don't have my map in the car with me. Haha. Oh well, I'll get there when I get there. In the meantime, my commercial agent (who is awesome) gives me turn by turn directions...and yes, I made it!

I felt pretty good about the audition. I also saw my friend Norma again as she also had a callback. We'll see, I'm just glad that I was able to get so much done today. It's in God's Hands now.

Can we get an Angel over here please?! Sure!

Audition: "AAA" @ Melissa Martin Casting
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This commercial audition was interesting. First, my commercial agent told me that I was asked for by the CD to attend this audition. Ummmm, okay! I'll bite. Guess my work is getting around. Yay! I go to the audition and I play a father with my family having lunch at a diner and we witness an accident. I was paired up with my wife, son and daughter. They were all very nice and I felt it went really well. I also saw a friend from my acting class who was also there to audition. Norma is mad cool and she's been KILLING them lately in commercials! That would be bananas if we were to work on one together! Please keep me in your prayers.

Keep it Real.......Keep it Diverse!

Audition: "ABC Casting Project" @ ABC Casting
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CALLBACK AUDITION!!!: "Sprint”
@ Francene Selkirk-Ackerman Casting
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The first audition was for the ABC Diversity Showcase. Kind of like an equal opportunity program from the network to showcase ethinc talent. Yay! I'm all about diversity. I root for and watch shows that have a diverse cast - Grey's Anatomy, ER, CSI, The Unit, 24, etc. I don't care if it's even one token character.....so be it. At least the producers, networks, etc. recognize that by either looking at our society and/or public pressure - it's in everyone's best interest to embrace diverisity. Nice.

Now that we have the Rainbow coalition thing going....my next audition was for a "Sprint" commercial. This one was hard. Ha! We were supposed to listen to the live Spanish music playing in
a parade and dance in the streets. Nothing but pretty Spanish ladies (15-20 of them) to dance with and a few of us guys reading for this spot. Yeah, my kind of audition. Smile. You
know me...keep it professional people...keep it professional.

Get your mind right....this is why you're here!

TV Audition: "Life” @ Mia Levinson Casting
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TV Audition: "Cane” @ LaPadura/Hart Casting
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Audition: "Sprint" @ Francene Selkirk-Ackerman Casting
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Feature Film Audition: "Leaving Barstow”
@ Bruce H. Newberg Casting
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Well I'm still recuperating from my move.....physically, mentally, financially..trust. It's not easy moving on your own. Oh well, it is what it is. As the saying goes if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger. It's cool. I'm all moved in and now my main priority is that my business (acting) doesn't suffer any.

This morning I'm awaiting the cable tv and internet guy to come through. It never ends. Afterwards I'll be running around town like a mad man to four auditions in one day. Yes! That's what I'm talking about!

UPDATE - Unfortunately, I didn't book ANY of them...bummer. But I felt really good about my work and I know they'll see me again.
I'll get them next time!

Watch & Advise..............or not.

All I can say is WOW! My reps called me say I'm on "watch & advise" for the CSI:Miami gig. For those who aren't familiar...it's basically placing me on hold to make sure I'm available. Needless to say, I'm very excited.

It also goes to show you that the CD knew exactly what she was doing when she worked with me on the scenes. When you've been casting the same show for as long as she has....I imagine she knows exactly what the producers are looking for. Huge thanks go out to her.

UPDATE - I got the call on Monday..sniffle, sniffle..that I've
been released from my "watch & advise"....sniffle, sniffle. It's cool. Sniffle, sniffle..I'll get'em next time right?! Sniffle, sniffle. Ha! It's all good. Again, everything happens for a reason. I've been dealing with that lesson alot lately. In the meantime, please keep me in your prayers.

Do it again...and again, and again and again

TV Audition/PRODUCER'S SESSION!!!:
"CSI:Miami” @ Nan Dutton Casting
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This audition was interesting. I've been to this office before but this was for a pretty big role. It was for a guest lead on the show!

To be honest, I don't really feel that my approach to it was any different than normal. Which to me is a good thing. I like to feel that I give every role I read for 110% effort. Co-Star, Guest Star, Series Regular, etc.....I'm happy to say that I've auditioned for them all. And I treat each and every one of them as if it were the most important role I've ever read for. I know it's crazy...but in my mind, even the smallest Co-Star can make a career. Onto the story:

I made my strong choices (I had four different scenes to do at the audition) and to my surprise the CD was VERY hands on with me. It was as if she was trying really hard to help me get this part. Wow! One of the scenes (they were being taped and sent to the producers) we did over at least 4 or 5 times! Again, it wasn't that I wasn't doing my thing...she simply wanted me to do it the way she felt it had to be done. Ummmm, no argument here! I pride myself in being able to take direction and adjust. Ahhh...I guess I just didn't adjust that well on that scene....but you get the point...just follow okay! Smile. Finally, she seemed happy with what she got out of me.

My take is...as long as she's happy and can see that I'm not cemented to only one choice, that I can serve up different flavors and all of them could be real, that's a good thing. I'll leave it at that and see how things turn out. At the end of the day, I did my best and it's in God's Hands now.

Moving on up.......and a Booking!!!

TV Audition/PRODUCER'S SESSION!!!:
"My Name is Earl” @ Dava Waite Peaslee Casting
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CALLBACK/PRODUCER'S SESSION!!!:
"Journeyman" @ UDK Casting
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Okay, I don't know if it's "Moving on Up!" but still it's a move nonetheless. Had to move out of my place since my entire apartment complex is going through renovations and my lease was up. Bummer. As if I needed THIS right now. But it's cool, everything happens for a reason. God has a plan. (I just wish
I knew what the reason and the plan was.) I guess only time
will tell and everything's going to be revealed.

Onto the story:

Let me send a BIG THANK YOU to Stephon, Shaun & Geoffrey. All three of them came by to help me with my move. At first the plan was to start around 10 and wrap up during the mid-afternoon. Afterwards, we would have some pizza, shoot the breeze, talk about the biz, hang out by my pool, etc.

But we're in Hollywood. Things can change in a moments notice and we have to be able to adapt and overcome. Thursday night my reps tell me I have TWO producer sessions Friday afternoon. Yay! Wait a minute.....Yes, that's my moving day.

First item up for bid is a 2pm ("My Name is Earl") in Van Nuys and a 3:45 ("Journeyman") at Fox Studios...on W. Pico. Oh yeah, by the way, there's also this little thing called Friday afternoon traffic on the 405! Well alrighty then.

Adapt and overcome right?! - We started earlier than planned and wrapped around 12:30, just enough time to get cleaned up and it was off to the auditions. I felt bad about not being able to hang out....but as fellow actors, everyone understood and was supportive. (I offered Shaun & Geoffrey free consultations from my "Tips For The Working Actor, By A Working Actor" workshop and they were both happy!)

Since Geoffrey drove all the way out from Riverside County (wow!), he asked if he could just "shadow" me and hang out for the rest of the afternoon while I drove around town like a mad man. Of course, just as long as he was discreet...you usually don't want to bring someone with you to an audition...but if you do, you certainly wouldn't want to draw any unwanted attention.

Here's the amazing part: So we're running a bit late and we get to "Earl" at 2:15. Oh no..Between 15-20 people are signed up before me. Looks like it's going to be a long wait and keep in mind I have to get to W. Pico by 3:45. As I'm sitting down...they call the next guy on deck...and wouldn't you know it they call ME next! Yes baby! The stars are aligned today! (They usually go by sign in...this time I guess they were going based on appointment or role. )

I go in and the CD's are awesome as usual and I do my thing. Everyone laughs, thank me for coming in and we're off to the races. I wasn't even there for 10 minutes. Amazing! Now it's onto to the 405 on a Friday afternoon to get to Pico. Good Luck.

Wait a minute...Angel + Geoffrey = 2 = CARPOOL LANE BABY! Yay!

Uh oh, We're not sure if Geoffrey is going to be able to drive on with me since only my name will be on the list. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. We get there at 3:30. Good afternoon Mr. Oquendo, have a nice day...and we're in with no problems.

Geoffrey hung out in the little park area while I head to my building for "Journeyman". I get in and the director of this episode is the SAME director who directed me on "ER". Yes! I get in, do my thing, get a slight adjustment and I felt that I nailed it. Afterwards, I don't think the director remembered me though. She said "Nice meeting you!" as I was leaving. Oh well, I didn't want to correct her - it's a Friday afternoon, I'm sure they've had a long day and she doesn't need me saying "Actually, we've already worked together", etc. Gotta know how to read the room...just my take on it.

So I'm done. I've moved the big items from my place that I couldn't do on my own. I made it to TWO producer sessions and I'm feeling great! Thank you God!

Geoffrey asks where a certain casting office is physically located on the lot. Sure, why not...(And of course I'm always prepared with extra headshots on hand). It's drop-off time! Dropped off at 3 or 4 different offices and we called it a day. So it was a busy and crazy day...but what a day! On the way back as we're yapping about the biz and different tactics, etc. I get the call. I booked "My Name Is Earl". YES!

In closing, Thank You God for taking care of me during this weird time in my life. I know You work in mysterious ways. I don't always understand things but I'll simply try to be patient, get out of Your way and follow Your lead. I'm Trying!

Please keep me in your prayers everyone. Thanks.

TV Audition: "Journeyman” @ UDK Casting
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This was one of those last minute auditions. I got the call around 1pm for a 3pm audition. No problem, I eat cold readings for lunch. Not to sound too cocky but I've done so many casting director workshops (where you only have 10 minutes or so to prepare your scene) that last minute auditions don't scare me. I feel I'm in my element and have much more of an advantage over my fellow actors. Not that I'm stressing about my competition, I've been way past that a long time ago.

I've been to UDK before for a few auditions but this was the first time I've had a chance to read for Robert Ulrich...The U in UDK. One of the biggest casting offices in Hollywood. Very nice guy.

To say the pre-read went great would be an understatement. I went in (as off-book as I could be) and did my thing. He said my read was great and asked if I had ever been in to read for him before. He looked over my resume and started asking about my career in the military and within the intelligence community. We briefly talked about national security (really, we did) and he thanked me for coming in. An awesome audition.