Lately, I start most of my days the same way: throw on some cotton/lycra blend "clothes," throw the hair in a pony tail, slog through pet-related chores, and have a good, pregnancy-related cry about something completely out of my control, like the effectiveness of lint rollers or the future of our downstairs air conditioner.
But FRIDAY was different. I had a great reason to actually shower. To put on makeup. To wear accessories.
From time to time, Marci Phillips, the head of primetime casting at ABC New York, will call me in to be a reader for a few hours. It's pilot season (when actors are auditioning for pilot episodes of series that will hopefully make it on air next season), and ABC has a lot of roles to fill. And when we audition, we need someone to play a scene with, and from time to time, that person is me.
So Friday, I head in to read opposite a lot of men who are up for roles in "Gilded Lilys" (sic), a pilot with a Downton Abbey feel, set in a grand hotel run by the Lily family in the 1920's. It's shooting in Boston, but the big roles will be cast out of NYC.
The first name on my list is Andrew McCarthy. Ladies of a certain age, I'll give you a moment to swoon. Readers born after 1995, please rent "Pretty in Pink," "Less than Zero," and "St. Elmo's Fire" immediately.
I'm thrilled. And I'm thinking I'd better re-read the scene so I don't muck it up. I do not want to be blamed for McCarthy's failure to land a role in a pilot. Bad enough they make him come in and read at all- he's ANDREW McCARTHY, for Pete's Sake. Was his work in "Weekend at Bernie's" not a solid enough example of what he's capable of??
Long story short, a casting assistant had not sent me the scene McCarthy was reading, and rather than tackle it cold, I asked if the assistant would prefer to read it in my place. I figured it was the right thing to do. But I DID walk him back, and did NOT mention anything about my love for all of his work in the 80's.
While I didn't read with AMac (that's what I call him now), I DID read with Mo Rocca! Looks like Mo is trying to move more into acting these days, in addition to his work as a correspondent, writer, and comedian. He was adorable, and was just like you'd expect him to be. We're having lunch this week, at Cafe du Imagination Monique.
After a couple hours of reading with some mighty fine actors, I headed home down Columbus Avenue, and passed Adrian Grenier on the street. He was all starry eyed, twisting his hair, smiling at the tops of buildings. High? Yes, the buildings were very high.
Later that night, Dean and I went to see TRIBES at Barrow Street Theatre (a classmate of Dean's, Will Brill, has a fantastic role in it), and the one and only Ms. Mare Winningham was in the show, too. Part of me wanted to say, "I just saw AMac- do you guys still hang out?" But I refrained.
While Ms. Winningham was working when we saw her, Mr. Mandy Patinkin was not- in fact, he was enjoying the same performance, a few rows over. We didn't speak to him, but he seemed to like the joke in the play about incontinence a LOT.
And that was my star-studded Friday. That's the cool thing about New York- you start out thinking it's going to be just another day, and you end up getting surprised. Sometimes pleasantly.
Maybe it's connected to putting on makeup and getting dressed....
So I'm going to try that again right NOW.
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