Pacific Palisades, CA —In this terrific seaside community there is an incubator for talent called Theatre Palisades .  It’s within the Pierson Playhouse that was built on its present site in 1975.  They put up five major shows a year along with children’s shows and various concerts. Right now until July 13 th you can see the Tennessee Williams play, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF .   For your convenience they have a website at www.theatrepalisades.org   Back when I spent more time in L.A. I was honored to appear in several of their productions.  Six weeks of rehearsals along with a six week show run make appearing on the stage nearly impossible for me today.   The sad part is that it was non-stop fun.  Since I’m having so much fun with little my camera-armed drone why not give you an incredible view of this great venue.

New York, NY —Watching Saturday Night Live tonight introduced me to Lena Dunham .  I heard the name before but was not quite sure where. I must have spent too much time in my cave.  Dunham is a tattooed and somewhat pudgy gal that most would dismiss as a potential leading lady of most films.  I was curious so I investigated to learn why this 27 year-old girl was hosting SNL.   I watched her skits and she seemed somewhat talented.   Where and how did she get her breaks I wondered?   Hell I have socks in my dresser that are older than Dunham!   It turns out that Dunham took a route to stardom I was taught to avoid like making short films.   I was taught to patiently wait for an agent or manager to discover your acting skills and make you a star.   That is now so “old school” and nearly always leaves the blood of hopefuls on the, Boulevard of Broken Dreams .   Most of the A list actors are not also writers and directors...

Los Angeles, CA —Aside from being a licensed investigator and an investigative TV news producer, I’m an actor and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1997. I watched the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman play his very diverse roles with absolute envy.  Hoffman walked away with an Oscar for playing Truman Capote.   Capote was a flaming Gay toad with a real gift for writing that was very comfortable with his bizarre persona. Hoffman by all accounts was a straight guy with a longtime girlfriend with three children.  He simply had a gift to make any character he played really believable. Hoffman became his characters, bringing real life to the words written in a film script.  That took tremendous discipline that was very inconsistent with his apparent drug addiction. My first acting coach at Arizona State University made it clear to me that if I was afraid to look foolish or strange before an audience I’d be better off not acting.   I thought of how I really ...

New York, NY —Becoming a successful actor is incredibly difficult for most even if they have talent. Just getting a decent manager and or agent is a major task.  An actor without an agent is unemployed. Aside from my investigative and media work I'm an actor.  I did my best work in  community  theater.  I’ve had a SAG-AFTRA membership card since 1997.  I did a few  forgettable TV spots and  films before a serious hearing loss problem sidelined me.   I have great hearing aids now but my age is not helping me to get motivated again.   46 year-old Phillip Seymour Hoffman made to the RED Oscar Carpet winning as Best Actor for his role in Capote.  His career was on fire!   Hoffman was also successful producer and director.  He was currently filming for the Hunger Games franchise.  Hoffman confessed addiction problems and did a stint in rehab.  His premature death seems to indicate this was a...

Greta Garbo, left and Carice van Houten, right Amsterdam, NL —Let me begin by confessing my fascination for beautiful elegant European women.  They know how just to dress, walk, talk, flirt and dazzle my imagination.   I was first exposed to them when I was drafted into the Army and sent to Germany long ago.  They still ring my bell today more than ever. Legendary Swedish film siren Greta Garbo was the epitome of glamour, grace and sexy hot.  She was a natural for films that are still shown today.  A few years ago I discovered a woman with all of Garbo’s attributes when I saw Paul Verhoeven’s terrific film Black Book .  The female lead was Dutch actress,  Carice van Houten .  In Black Book she sang, danced, swam, and acted in four languages in the World War Two thriller.  I instantly fell in love with van Houten’s talent.  I also know that van Houten is destined to begin gathering Academy Awards as she ha...

Amsterdam, N L—The incredibly talented actress Carice van Houten is apparently at an impasse in her life whether to continue acting or to take on a singing career.   At this juncture she’s told several publications that she’s having more fun singing.  She’s about to give her first concert with Rufus Wainright later this month in this beautiful city of the Dutch Masters.  Van Houten is a terrific actress that has not really gotten a solid foothold in the U.S.  The Paul Verhoeven film, Black Book showcased the actress’ beauty and many talents.  The problem was the film was mostly in Dutch and subtitled.  It did not get the kind of distribution and promotion it deserved.  Of course in Europe it was a genuine hit.  For me personally, it was the best film I’ve seen to date. Van Houten was given the role of Nina Von Stauffenberg in the film Valkyrie starring Tom Cruiz.   Unfortunately Valkyrie’s producers and writers did not ...

Hollywood, CA —As I prepare to both act and crew in an independent film things are quickly changing in terms of power. The current system is awash in criminal racketeering, restraint of trade and anti-trust activities. There are about five talent agencies that currently determine what films will be made and who will act in them. Actors hire agents to represent them and get them work. However, the agents have somehow reversed this to them hiring the actors. The talent agencies tell the studios what films they can make and just who will act, direct, shoot or write. Massive amounts of money are gathered in what’s considered risky investments to make films. The talent agencies seem to control the cash flow. More importantly they control the movie theater owners and just what films will hit the big screen. The Agencies had the ability to intimidate, bully and control the screen owners and exactly what films will see the light of day. However this system is changing at the talent age...