Watching TV with Me is...

...annoying, to say the least. Not because I chew loudly or hog the remote, but because when I watch TV, I feel like I KNOW everyone. And I feel the need to share that information with whomever is watching with me. That car commercial? That girl in it is my friend from acting class. I also worked with the dude playing her husband on another commercial earlier this year! Small world! Oh, that phone commercial? I was on avail for it...wait...THAT'S who they cast? Interesting they went that way - I understand why I didn't book it now. Hold up: there's a commercial with a short haired girl in it that I DIDN'T audition for? How? Why? What? On whatever episodic we might be watching, I'll exclaim that the guest star is my friend from acting class' roommate! And I'll probably say it right at a dramatic moment and really ruin your viewing experience. Oh, and I did a showcase two years ago with the costar with one line! Good for him! And so forth. You get the picture. On occasion, I get to say that the person I'm watching is yours truly. And that's the coolest. But seriously, watching TV has become like watching all of my friends and acquaintances interact with each other.

What I find significant about this, beyond it interrupting your viewing pleasure, is that it creates a feeling of camaraderie and that somehow, I've finally arrived, as dramatic as that may sound. I've now been working professionally long enough to have made progress alongside other actors and creatives on their own journeys in the business. And it's exciting to watch and be a part of others' success. It also dispels the myth that the people creating and acting in stories onscreen are somehow larger than life. It's kind of like when as a kid, I realized that doctors were not, in fact, superhuman wizards with magical healing powers (a terrifying realization for a young hypochondriac), or when I came to the conclusion, also as a kid, that my parents were actually human beings who had lives and feelings of their own that had nothing to do with me (what a concept).

I used to sit in audition waiting rooms quietly as a lot of the other actors greeted each other. I'd wonder how the eff all of these people knew each other, and if I missed some kind of memo or Facebook event invitation to meet up today (because who even pays attention to Facebook events? It could have been an honest mistake on my part). Now, I'm the one bumping into old friends at every casting, callback, or set I'm on. It's reassuring - I find comfort in seeing people that I know. Maybe it means that I'm supposed to be there, right where I am. A familiar face at an audition doesn't need to imply competition - it should be a means of support. Because if I don't book the role, it'd be awesome if my friend does! Just a thought...

In any case, there's a slight chance that maybe some of you have seen ME on TV lately and been annoying to whomever you were watching with when you saw this Dunkin' Donuts spot...

...or not. Side note: I'm still waiting for the lines outside the Santa Monica Dunkies to calm down that I can get a sip of that New England charm. In other news, I updated my reel, so you may as well check that out too:

And I mean, while you're indulging me, I'll just plug myself shamelessly and say that maybe you should follow me on twitter (@gillishir). I used to be really bad at fitting my witty into so few characters, but slowly I'm getting better. I just can't seem to understand Snapchat...

In any case, follow me/hang out with me on whatever social media outlets you choose, so that we can continue to participate in each others' careers and celebrate one another's success. I'll be blogging again soon with an exciting treat (pun intended) for Halloween.

Talk soon!

- Gilli