Bye Bye, Blogspot!

Hi Loyal Readers!

Just a heads up that my blog has had a little change of scenery. It's now featured directly on my website:

http://www.gillimesser.com/new-blog

So please come visit it in its new home! And thank you to Blogspot for the lovely years of hosting:)

- Gilli

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

5 Ways You Know You...Keep Reading to Find Out

Oh hello, blogosphere! It seems I've become one of those actors guilty of only updating their blog every few months. Tisk tisk. Well, without further adieu, here is an update, presented in obnoxious listy/buzzfeed style!

5 Ways You Know You Want to Shoot New Headshots with Dana Patrick

1. All of your actor friends have shot with her and work, like, all the time
2. You miss the days of shooting on film (and the way it masks imperfections)
3. You want your eyes to "pop" in your picture, even in a small thumbnail version
4. You want to have a difficult time choosing pictures, because there are too many good options
5. You want to look at a lot of pictures of your own face 

I was definitely feeling four out of five of these items for a very long time (note: I didn't want to look at a lot of pictures of my own face). I had been wanting to shoot with the amazing photographer, Dana Patrick, for years! She still shoots on film and is truly an artist. I promised myself that if I booked a certain amount of commercials, I'd shoot new pictures with Dana. Well, once that happened, I booked a session with Dana...over three months in advance! The woman is in high demand, and so I had to wait patiently for our photo shoot. I think it was quite worth the wait! Below are some of the results of our shoot:

Speaking of things being worth the wait, I'm waiting on the final versions of several different projects to come out so that I can share them with the world. My high school English teacher once told us that in a certain Native American language (I cannot recall which tribe; apologies for my ignorance), there was no word for "wait." They were just content with "being" rather than "waiting" for the next thing to happen, so there was no need to even have a word for waiting in their language.

As an actor, I find myself waiting all the time...waiting for an audition to roll in, waiting for my big break, waiting for my turn at an audition, waiting to watch footage from a project, waiting to hear feedback from an audition or meeting, and when I'm on set, I'm often "hurrying up and waiting" for my scene to come up on the schedule. This is all part of the job. But what if I could just eliminate this word from my vocabulary, too? As in, I'm just working towards my big break, actively...not waiting for it passively. Or I just am, living my life, and an audition opportunity pops up. I wasn't waiting for it. You know? That got too deep, too fast. Sorry guys.

Until next time...I won't keep you waiting this time, I promise!

Gilli

2014!

Wow, we're already nearly two months into the New Year, and I haven't updated my blog. I've been waiting for a "theme" to inspire me so that I have some framework within which I can sneak in my laundry list of what I've been up to. I usually do this to distract you into thinking this is some regular blog, although that's probably useless. I would not recommend "acting career" as a "lifestyle," so this is most certainly not one of those lifestyle blogs.

But I can't wait any longer! I try and bombard you with my happenings once a month, and I've already failed. Theme?? What theme? Valentine's Day? I did that last year. President's Day? Tax Season? Believe it or not, I did write about that last year. I guess the theme of this post is the Un-Theme. Which is very "February" if you ask me. "Un-Theme's" a much better theme than the flu, which I have right now…so, you're welcome!

This year's been kind to me so far! I made it to the top 20 contestants of ABC's "Make Me A Star" competition, which was unexpected and cool. Would've been cooler to win (I know, I know), but still cool to be acknowledged and know that my tapes were watched and appreciated. It was an open contest with submissions from all over the country, and it was definitely exciting to chat with ABC's lawyers and shoot another scene within a tight timeframe for the next round! In similar news, a short film script that I wrote and am hoping to produce (and act in, obviously!) made it to the top 10% of submissions to an (actually legit/reputable) screenplay competition. They haven't announced the next round yet, but like the other contest, it's just nice to know that my script was read and acknowledged. Again, it would be cool to win. A gal can dream...

I've booked and shot two different commercials, which should be airing soon (fingers crossed)! I actually auditioned for both spots on the same day. Something good was going on that day for me, that's for sure. Here are some snaps from the shoots:

Other than that, I'm proud to report that I'm back ON the wagon. The acting class wagon, that is. I fell off quite a few months ago, and I'm oh-so-glad to be back. Just makes me feel like an actor…you know? That's important.

Wow, not having a theme makes this kind of sound braggy and weird. I'm sorry. Wait - my New Year's Resolution was to apologize less. So…better luck next month? Maybe a St. Patrick's Day theme?

Maybe my mom will leave a comment with a suggestion for next month's theme!!

Themeless,
Gilli

Santa Slayer

Last December, I performed a scene I wrote for the Actor's Key Holiday Showcase. It marked my first experience performing something I had written, and it was a pretty good time…you can take a trip down memory-blog-lane and revisit my post about it from last year HERE. My talented-actress-friend Jenny Robinson acted in the scene with me, and the amazing Carmen Aiello directed us. 'Twas an all-around success.

A year later comes another milestone - the first time I've put something I've written on tape, like, professionally. I met director Joab Carlos on set for a commercial early last year, and he told me about a production company he's launching called JJ Film & Photography. He was looking for content to shoot, and I had a lot of content without anyone to shoot it. So, the stars were aligned that day, or at the very least, Mercury wasn't in retrograde. We kept in touch all year, and the first result of our chance encounter is the scene from last year's showcase, on tape, right in time for Christmas. That's right: I'm gifting you with five minutes and nine seconds of holiday joy, right here, right now. You're welcome!

Thanks for watching that just now! I hope you liked it. Or, at least finished watching it so that we could garner some more views. We're ready to go viral.

All kidding aside, pulling this project together quickly and effectively was quite a feat and learning experience for me. I had never been in charge of so much on a shoot and I just want to give all of the producers I've ever met, especially ones on low/no-budget little passion/silly projects like this one, virtual snaps. You guys are amazing. I don't know how you do it (seriously though, I don't, as evidenced by how I kind of had no idea what I was doing while I was doing it yet still did it somehow). I was pretty floored by the generosity of the crew for showing up and working so hard, by the Actor's Key West for trusting me and renting us their space, by my parents who decorated our set using the childhood objects and artwork we picked out to use together and who of course provided craft service, by my synagogue's preschool for lending me little toddler chairs, and of course by Jenny and Joab and his wife Jessica for making this all possible! It's pretty insane how much work goes into even just a small, fun, little holiday sketch like this one.

Now that I've made my Oscar speech, check out some pictures from the shoot. Oh, and Happy Holidays!!!

Story Magic

Sometimes you need a reminder of why are doing what you are doing. Feel me? Sometimes when you've been doing more "business" than "show," you forget what you loved about show business in the first place. I got a more than healthy dose of reminder yesterday at my school's "Big Show." But let me backtrack so you understand what a Big Show is.

Since October, I've been mentoring with the The Young Storytellers Foundation. Long story short, this amazing program connects 5th graders with mentors (actors, writers, executives) in the industry who help them learn the art of storytelling and writing. Each student creates a 5 to 7 page screenplay by the end of the program, culminating in a Big Show. Professional actors donate their time to first "audition" for the kids (i.e. hilariously present their talents to them in the hopes that they will be "cast" in one of the screenplays) and then perform the screenplays for a live audience of elementary school students.

YSF rolls out a red carpet for the kids where they can take a bow in front of their peers and teachers, gives them VIP passes to wear around their necks, and has each student and their mentor sit up front while their show is being performed. The result is nothing short of magical. If you know me, you know my aversion to schmaltzy actor feelings. To constantly hash tagging about how amazing everything is, even when it's not the reality of the situation or just a guise for a #humblebrag. But yesterday, during the Big Show, I was actually feeling these amazing feelings; they just weren't for me or my own performance. I was feeling them for my 5th grade mentee and all of her buddies whom we had been working with over the semester. I just loved watching my mentee witness her own words that she had written come to life. It was magic. See for yourself:

A friend of mine is on the board of YSF and invited me to several events over the past couple years. I loved hearing what the program was all about and meeting other people who were involved and watching famous, hilarious actors perform some of the best screenplays that students have written, but I didn't make the leap into mentoring until this year. I had this weird idea that because I don't make that much money, I couldn't possibly spare my time to volunteer. Looking back, I really don't get why/how I could rationally think that. As an actor, writer, and tutor, I have the luxury of a flexible schedule. So yes, I am available to spend an hour and a half once a week playing with stories. And guess what, Gilli: rich people volunteer, sure, but not-rich people can volunteer too! What a concept. I'm glad I clued myself in. And did I mention that a couple of my talented actor friends showed up in the middle of the day and donated their time to perform for the kids? Well, they did, and my mentee chose one of them to play the lead role in her screenplay!

I think I get why people who volunteer do it all the time. It's addicting. It's magic.

Five-Seven-Five

James Franco just wrote a semi-fictional book about acting, and in it, he has a cycle of poems dedicated to River Phoenix. In honor of this, here are some ridiculous actress Haikus for you to enjoy on this gray day.

Time frames and windows
Too early, late, or in-between
Made it just in time!

In the waiting room
Not nervous, no, not at all
Stop comparing yourself

It's pilot season
It's episodic season
Where did the year go?

Watching TV
All the time, all the time
What? It's my homework

Just book something, please
Credits and tape and reels
Make it all worth it

#Blessed, #lucky, #grateful
Maybe you just earned it
It's hard work, not luck

Opportunity
Meets preparedness is all
Luck is only that

Smoke bump, wardrobe bump
Overtime is golden time
Dues dues dues dues dues

Inconsequential
Just talking about myself
Selfish but needed

Hit your mark and slate
Here we go, off to pretend
For a nice moment

Where is my book deal
For real, when's it happening
I'm ready to go

In Memoriam

Last Monday was my Birthday. Less than two days after I turned 25, my grandmother in Israel died. It is truly the end of an era for me. Before last week, I was in another age demographic for television viewers. I couldn't rent a car without a high insurance rate, my early twenties were still happening, and my favorite lady in the Middle East (and the world, really) was still alive, though not well.

I can't help but feel how fortuitous the intersection of these two life events are. A chapter has closed but another one is beginning, and this next part of my life will be rich with the memories and moments I shared with my Safta (Hebrew for "grandma") throughout years zero to 25.  How lucky am I to have known her that long?!

Some of you may know that my "side job" as an actress is academic tutoring. I tutor students in all kinds of subjects, but my favorite thing to tutor is writing. I always tell my students that no matter how hard it is to start, when they sit down to write, something unexpected and even therapeutic may come out to surprise and delight them (and then me, as the reader). I also ask them to simply tell me stories - not to worry about tying up their essay ending neatly with a bow. So I guess I'm trying to do that right now. There is no moral to the story of why I'm sad about my Safta passing away or how much she's taught me. Because all of that is a given: there is no way that I could have not been changed and inspired by knowing and being loved by my grandma, a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor and the bravest person I've ever met. For now, I just wanted to write down some things I want to remember about her, because by writing them down, I get to relive them and smile.

*       *      *                                               *******************                                           *     *     *

When I was little, my grandpa would take out his dentures at the lunch table (lunch used to be the big meal of the day in Israel) and show me his hilarious, gummy smile behind Safta's back. I would laugh hysterically, and he would put them back in his mouth just in time before she turned around. Sometimes she would catch him, toothless, and yell at him in Yiddish for being gross.

Safta had a funny relationship with animals and creatures. She was FEARLESS when it came to bugs and insects, especially cockroaches. One time late at night, a giant, long-legged, Israeli cockroach decided to perk itself on my toiletry bag in the bathroom. I freaked, of course, and woke up my mom and sister for help. They were even more terrified than I was. We decided to wake up Safta, who slowly trudged out of her room in her nightgown, using her walker. She killed that little sh*t with her slipper with one carefully-aimed smack, and went back to sleep. On the other hand, Safta HATED rodents. Hated them with a passion. When I was four, I showed her a little wooden mouse toy I had and she almost fainted. And even though she thought they were unsanitary, she let me buy baby chicks at the pet store to keep me company all summer long when I was three, four, and five years old. I kept them in a cardboard box in the living room by the window, and they would chirp nonstop and poop all over the newspaper at the bottom of the box. Safta kept her apartment beyond spotless, so this was probably very difficult for her to watch. And then there were the stray cats. My sister and I used to sneak downstairs with leftover cottage cheese and food to feed them. Safta used to allocate food specifically for us to give to them, but warn us never to give them any of her good, usable food. More recently, Safta would Facetime with me and I would show her my three little dogs. She laughed at how many I had, and even though she never had her own dog (too dirty!) she would say hi to them and wave to them and ask how they were doing regularly. She also told me which one she thought was the cutest (Stella).

When Safta was still up and cooking and baking all the time, she used to call me within a week of when I would arrive in Israel for a visit and take my baking order. I could request homemade cheesecake, rugelach,  cookies, or whatever else I wanted, and it would be waiting for me in the fridge when I arrived. But if I didn't finish eating it, she would guilt me into eating it until it was all gone.

When I was a kid, Safta would take me to the supermarket down the street at the beginning of my visit to Israel and let me stock up on all of my favorite Israeli snacks. But again, if I didn't finish eating them, she would guilt me into eating everything until it was all gone:). As we both got older, she would give me money to go to the store alone or with my sister to buy whatever treats we wanted. I did this when I was there in August, and got extremely nauseous from eating an enormous bag of Bisli.

Safta always lit Yahrzeit candles for every single family member of hers and my grandpa's who died in the Holocaust, on the exact day that they died, every year. She never forgot to. Who is going to do that now???

Speaking of Safta's impeccable memory, she remembered everyone important's Birthday. Including my boyfriend's and all of her great-grandaughters'. She would recite them to me by heart over the phone. She knew it was my Birthday on Monday, even right before she died.

Safta loved a good deal. She knew where to buy everything at the best price, and still looked over every receipt to make sure no one was trying to swindle an old lady. When I visited her over Chanukah about six years ago, we went to buy jelly donuts at the bakery down the street. The guy at the counter mis-read her the deal about 2-for-one prices that she knew they had going on, and she ripped him a new one right then and there until he gave her a bunch for the correct price. But at the same time, Safta was the most generous person in the world. She gave the best gifts because she would simply allow me to buy whatever it was that I wanted most at the moment. She also understood the saying "you can't take it with you." Over the last couple of years, she made it a regular habit of giving her worldly possessions away. When my boyfriend and I visited her last year, our carry-ons were full of newspaper-wrapped teacups and bowls that she wanted us to have.

Safta loved movies and good stories. I used to watch tella novellas with her or old episodes of American soap operas or later on, Israeli TV shows. She would talk to the screen or explain what was going on to me in her own words. In August, I saw that Orange is the New Black was coming to Israeli primetime. I told her how much I loved that show, so she said she'd give it a try, even though it was on late at night. My mom, sister, and I watched the pilot episode with her, and she loved it. She continued watching it on her own over the next couple of weeks after we left.

After I studied abroad in Moscow during the Fall of my junior year of college, I visited Safta on my way back to school in New York. Safta didn't speak a word of English, but she spoke many languages over the course of her lifetime: mainly Yiddish, Hebrew, Polish, and Russian. Her caretaker at the time was Russian, and the two of them would chat nonstop while no one else in my family could understand what they were saying. When I arrived from Russia, Safta was so proud that I could understand and speak a little bit with the two of them. And, even though we thought they had been gossiping and talking about juicy stuff in Russian, I can vouch that all they talked about was food. Whether something was good, bad, too salty, too hot, etc.

Two years ago, I hadn't come to Israel for three years: the longest I had ever gone without visiting. When I told Safta I wanted to come visit, she paid for my plane ticket and I made the trip with my boyfriend, who had never been to Israel. She welcomed him into her tiny apartment and communicated with him even though they didn't speak the same language. And she practiced saying his name for weeks, trying to pronounce the letter "J," since there isn't that phonation in Hebrew. Until the very end, she would ask how he was doing and talk about him each time I spoke with her on the phone.

*       *      *                                               *******************                                           *     *     *

I could go on and on. These are just a few things that came to mind immediately. Overall, what I felt from Safta was that she really loved me for me; not for my talents or accomplishments or anything peripheral. Sure, she cared about those things, but in Israel, I am always asked what I feel like are the most questions about my life from my family: Are you healthy? Pretty happy? Spending time with people you like? Having fun?

What's interesting is that not much will be different in my day to day life, because aside from the time I spend physically in Israel, I am always missing my grandma from far away in America. I'm used to that. So I guess I will just continue to miss her, every day. Her attention to detail. Her hilarious ways of doing simple tasks. Her love of food. Her weekly phone calls and Facetimes. The sound of her transistor radio at maximum volume while she was napping.

It's the end of an era.

The New York/Los Angeles Dialectic

As an actor, where you live is supes important. Wanna do theatre? You must live in New York, or perhaps Chicago before you move to New York. Or London if you're fancy. More into Film/TV/Commercial? Then obviously Los Angeles, or a smaller market to get started in first like Austin or Atlanta or somewheres in Canad-ia if you've got citizenship (or Australia for those descendants-of-good-looking-prisoners-who-generations-later-are-now-gorgeous-foreigners). But let's be honest. It's always been a New York versus Los Angeles decision, amiright? Not even just for actors, but for many of us hopeful millennials in all different career fields.

Some of my closest friends from college came to visit LA this past week from New York, and I was so pleased to see them react positively to their surroundings, and at the same time engage in a much-needed dose of New York-style witty/real conversation (which included the word "dialectic" which I had not heard/used since college). It was heartwarming to have my favorite New Yorkers love LA, because as a rare mythical creature who actually grew up in Los Angeles, I've had to defend my hometown many times while I was putting down roots in New York. Typical conversations might go like this:

Ext. Ivy League Campus Grassy Quad or Int. Ivy League First Year Dorm Room

Any Given East Coaster Who May Or May Not Be Pretentious: You're from LA? I HATE LA.

Me: Oh really? 

AGECWMOMNBP: Yeah. It's awful. It's the worst.

Me: Have you ever been there?

AGECWMOMNBP: Yeah. I accompanied my mom on a business conference trip to Anaheim when I was seven.

Fade Out.

What makes me even more of a unicorn/rarity is that I actually enjoy both cities. And I know what I'm talking about, you guys. I was born in New York but grew up in LA, and I spent my formative years going to college in New York. So at one point I was bicoastal - I had a dorm room in Manhattan and a bedroom in my parents' house on the Westside of Los Angeles. So clearly, I am an EXPERT.

Which is why all of these Buzzfeed/Thought Catalog type lists showing how different the two cities are and usually prizing one over the other are so disconcerting to me. Why, I ask, would two cities on the complete opposite sides of the contiguous United States (I'm sorry, the fancy New Yorker in me wanted to use the word "contiguous") nearly 3,000 miles apart have any cultural, social, atmospheric, geographical, or transportational (that's not a word; the unpretentious Angeleno in me made it up!) differences whatsoever?? It is just outlandish and completely crazy to think that these two cities would be different in any way, shape, or form, since they are both Metropolitan cities in America. Come on now! So, without further adieu, I present to you a response list proving how similar or arguably identical New York and Los Angeles truly are, framed in the context of what people my age might say or have said:

• New York is so expensive! The rent in LA is so much cheaper! But have you ever thought about the expense of having a car??? The car payments, gas, insurance, upkeep, and times when you get a flat tire/have to dip into your nonexistent emergency fund?
• There is so much traffic in LA. And the subway is so comfy and spacious during rush hour and the G Train always comes on time, right?
• I love to read during my commute on the subway in NYC. PODCASTS, bitches! They're the only reason I still get in my car. Thank god for Ira Glass.
• LA is so beautiful! And New York is really hideous. Especially during Christmastime at Rockefeller or in Sheep's Meadow during the first days of Spring. Ew.
• Every famous person in LA is the offspring of an already-famous-person. You have to know people! This is completely untrue in New York. Unless you're on the show "Girls." Or you're Patti Smith. I've considered signing into a auditions as "Gilli Apatow." What? I'm his niece twice removed (can you remove nieces?).
• There's nothing like New York Pizza! Or a Los Angeles burrito. Never-have-I-ever eaten Mexican food in New York without getting sick, or eaten pizza in LA that's remotely as good as a slice from NYC.
• People are so much smarter in New York. We have smart people here. They just write for TV Shows instead of working on Wall Street. 
• LA is a "city where the only cultural advantage is that I can make a right turn on a red light" - Woody Allen in Annie Hall. I hate to argue with Woody Allen, but we've got culture in LA! I listen to KCRW while making rights-on-reds all the time and I feel super informed while doing it.  But I will say that Angelenos never ever claim to be more cultured than New Yorkers.
• LA is so fake! An East Coast transplant may think this when first having moved to LA and trying to make plans with a native. It's merely semantics - just like midwesterners might say "pop" instead of "soda," Angelenos say "let's do lunch!" instead of "bye!" It's endearing!

I could go on and on, but you get the idea! Aside from some minor, microscopic differences, New York and Los Angeles are basically interchangeable. I've boiled it down into this very simple venn diagram, for the visual learners out there:

Basically, "New York versus Los Angeles" is a very important conversation that we need to keep having. Let's keep talking about it, in an open dialogue, and let's keep saying that one city is better than the other.

I'll leave you with these wise words, if you're thinking of making the move from one to the other: "Wherever you go, there you are."

The Actor's Key Showcase: International Edition

Hebrew is my first language. As a baby, my first words were "ma ze?" Hebrew for "what's that?" (I know, such a smart way to learn other words, right?).  I learned to read and write Hebrew at about the same age as I learned to read and write English, thanks to a special Hebrew school for Israeli-American kiddos that my parents schlepped me to twice a week. My mom proudly marked on my public school registration forms that English was not my first language...and I had to take an ESL test in 6th grade to prove to the Los Angeles Unified School District that I was proficient in English alongside some peers who were not too proficient...

I guess it was all worth it. Besides all of the usual benefits of being bilingual, lately, my Israeli side has played quite a role in my career prospects. I've auditioned for some projects in Hebrew and even for some roles that require an Israeli accent. I must say, I have a newfound respect for foreign actors who have to worry about learning material in another language on a daily basis (in addition to all of the other things we worry about before an audition). Even though it's my first language, it's not the language I'm used to auditioning with! With so much American television content coming from Israel these days (um, Homeland!!) it's a skill I've been working to use more and more, professionally speaking.

This Monday and Tuesday, I'll be doing just that! I'll be performing in the Actor’s Key 2013 Spring Showcase: the International Edition. This 75-minute piece directed by Carmen Aiello aims to showcase diversity in culture by featuring scenes in foreign languages and English. I will be performing a scene in Hebrew (and its English translation!) with my talented friend Rosie Moss.

All of the information can be found HERE and you can watch a promo video for the showcase HERE

If you're in LA, please come watch! I mean, look how attractive and international-looking our cast is:

Hope to see you there!

And in case you missed it, you can watch the latest episode of How Men Become Dogs HERE (I'm shooting the next installment tomorrow with a very exciting special guest star...details later!).

SHABBAT SHALOM EVERYBODY!

Comparison: The Silent Killer

Hey Party People.

As I recover from my holiday weekend, I'm feeling like I need to address this topic that is constantly burdening me...and I have a feeling some of you can relate. If, in the last 24 hours, you scrolled through your Instagram feed and felt in some way inadequate about your Memorial Day BBQ/plans/or lack thereof - i.e., looked at other people's pics of FUN and were like, why aren't I having this much fun right now?! Why didn't I think to serve sparkling lemonade in adorable mason jars at MY barbeque? Why don't I have a normal adult person job that lets me actually enjoy a three-day-weekend? And so forth - then I'm talking to you (and also am here to remind you that Memorial Day is meant to be about honoring those who have served our country - yes! - so don't feel bad if your plans weren't spectacularly manic and pixie and dreamgirlish). Well, I'm not really talking to you, but with you. Because this is the type of internal monologue that I know I have had and that is really difficult to avoid in this day and age of tweeting/liking/stalking/posting/pinning et. al.

I know I'm not the first to touch on this subject. It's kind of been beaten to death already but I'm still searching and pining for answers. When it comes to the evilest thing I can do to myself - unnecessary COMPARISON - I feel hopeless. Most of my trusted friends would advise me to simply unplug. Indeed, we are all in awe of that person who is way too cool for social media. I applaud him/her for his/her bravery. Often not having a Facebook profile sends as strong a message as having one. To me, it says, "I am way too busy living life to take part in this menial behavior," and that's awesome. But I also think they're missing out sometimes. I know I would miss staying in touch with my family and friends in Israel and elsewhere overseas if I deactivated my Mark Zuckerberg creation. And beyond that, since I am an actress, I really cannot afford to not have some kind of online presence, and I imagine that is true for many other careers as well. I rely on twitter and Facebook and YouTube to circulate content that I'm acting/singing in. To keep in touch with contacts. To approach new contacts. To invite friends, family, and industry professionals to live performances. To provide anyone interested in hiring/working with me with an easy way to politely stalk me. It goes on and on. Not all Hollywood professionals are linked in, so to speak, but many are. So unplugging is not a viable solution for me.

So far, the only answer I've come up with to help me not slide down the slippery comparison slope and die a slow death by comparison is to compare myself only to...myself. It's great to compare yourself to others when it helps...but when all it does is hurt you...not so helpful. Day to day, I may not feel particularly satisfied with my current success. But when I compare it to where I was a year ago, the picture gets a little brighter....usually. And sometimes, a lot brighter. This time last year I wasn't even in the union. What?! What was I even thinking?! I was probably thinking, "look at that other person who is in the union. Why aren't I in the union yet?!" If all else fails, I just compare myself to my grandmother and where she was at my age. You know what she was busy doing while she was my age? Surviving the Holocaust. Yeah. So shut up, Gilli. Your life is not that bad. It's fabulous. And people worked pretty hard to stay alive so that in turn, you could have the privilege of being alive, so really, show this comparison bullshit who's boss. YOU.

Wow, sorry, that got a little dramatic.

I'm happy to report that even though I do maintain the occasional social media profile, that I have been busy living life lately and haven't had that much time to necessarily document and hashtag all of it online, which is refreshing. But I think it's high time to share some of it!

Here's a VIDEO my friend Stephen and I made, featuring an original bluegrass-y song that he and his buddy wrote. We've been rehearsing together a lot over the past six months and have our first full set coming up at the end of June! I got to sing with him at a really fun gig last Saturday night as well.

Next up, I've updated my REEL a bit. Check it out if you're bored!

I've also been working on a really great webseries and EPISODE 6 which I'm in premiered today! Woohoo! Watch it. Share it. Comment on it. You know what to do. And get ready for Episode 7.

I've also been rocking it out in acting class with Mary Lou Belli for the last three months, and have met some amazingly talented people along the way. As the self-appointed "Avail Princess," I've been on avail for many exciting projects and though I didn't book them, I'm feeling myself inch closer and closer to booking some good stuff. Finally, I'll be performing in the Actor's Key International Showcase later in the month with my friend Rosie. We will be doing a wonderful Woody Allen scene - get this - first in Hebrew, then in English. Like the Holiday Showcase I performed in last December, the amazing Carmen Aiello will be directing. Cool. I think A-Year-Ago-Gilli would be very impressed with Right-Now-Gilli. She might even try to compare herself to her. At least that's what I tell myself.

Okay. Unplugging now.

Gilli

IF WE WERE ADULTS

IT'S THE DAY OF THE SHOW, Y'ALL! Well, not really, but 'tis the day/evening of the premiere, rather. Tonight marks the first (of what I hope will be many!) screening of IF WE WERE ADULTS, the short film I shot back in September and October. Normally, I confess, I get a little snarky on this blog...one might even venture to say, complain-y, at times? Really, I'm just trying to keep it real and not take myself too seriously by being one of those actors who constantly hashtags how #blessed they are to be living their dreams. I'm all for positivity...I'm an optimist who wakes up on the right side of the bed most mornings confused as to why animated blue birds aren't landing on me as I sing good morning to them (thanks for the unrealistic expectations, Disney). But I'm not gonna lie and pretend I always feel #blessed. To be candid, sometimes I feel #cursed that I have this powerful drive within me to constantly do things that are difficult and seemingly impossible...okay, fine, let's say my ambition and sometimes ridiculous willpower is a #mixedblessing. My point is, normally I'd make some silly jokes about stuff that happened on set, but truly, IF WE WERE ADULTS was one of those magically fun projects where I have absolutely no silly commentary to offer. Rather than say I'm feeling #blessed to have worked on it, I'm gonna say I feel super #satisfied. Because though we all know "luck" is a huge element in a biased business like entertainment, luck is truly "opportunity meets preparedness." I'm gonna toot my own horn right now and just say that I was prepared and ready for this opportunity when it came my way, and luck was on my side as well. TOOT! (That was me tooting my own horn).

The serendipitous thing is that this movie is kind of about these types of feelings...of the uncertainty we 20-somethings and 30-somethings face as we get older and realize that decisions are hard and we try to figure out what is normal on our terms for the kind of life we want. It's a really funny script but it doesn't sugarcoat real issues (specifically, marriage) or tie them up in a neat, #blessed package with a pretty, perfect bow. And that really works for me. I'm excited to watch and be part of tonight! I have this feeling that a lot of people involved with the project are going to keep producing amazing work, and that this is only the beginning.

Hopefully there will be more screenings in the LA area in the coming months, but in the meantime, the event will be streamed live at 7:00 pm Pacific Time tonight right here:

IF WE WERE ADULTS LIVE STREAM

This is a great kickoff to my weekend which I will be spending shooting yet another short film. Details to come later on!

Love and #hashtags,

Gilli

Statistics

So, it's tax season, which for us performing artists/freelancers involves a lot of itemizing and backtracking and recordkeeping. 2012 being my first full year truly making my living as an actress (okay, fine, as an actress and a little bit as an acadmic tutor), I learned quite a bit while doing my taxes this year. If you're like me, and you try to philosophize and make meaning out of the annoying things that happen to you or that you have to do because you're an adult now, i.e.:

Oh my gosh, my car broke down! This is horrible! It's a sign telling me I'm on the wrong path in life because maybe if I'd have pursued a different career I would've had a different or better car that wouldn't have broken down today! 

...when really all it means is that my car broke down -- then doing something as menial as your taxes invokes a lot of reflection and self-assessment. I tend to look beyond the numbers and internalize and emotionalize all of the information I've gathered:

Oh my gosh, I spent how much on acting classes/headshots/online submission services etc. this year?? Was this a good investment? Did said investment pay off? What should I change? Where and how should I spend my money to invest in my career next year?

For some reason, I've always had a weird, unfounded, innate talent for Statistics. Seriously. AP Statistics was the first and perhaps only math class (besides my college Statistics class, which was actually easier than the AP version...) in which I really excelled and actually felt confident. Maybe it's because it's the type of math that is the least math-y of them all, but I understand and actually like Statistics.

This would perhaps serve me well in some situations, but after compiling all of my tax information that included bookings and all of my auditions for the year (you guys, I drove over 3,000 miles for auditions and classes...that is longer than a cross-country road trip!), my understanding of Statistics got me feeling a little down for a second. I caught myself over-analyzing my progress and measuring success using this type of math:

Out of all of my auditions, what percentage yielded a callback? What's my callback success rate? Booking success rate?

Then, of course, I remembered the central and perhaps most simple rule of Stats: significance. It is generally agreed upon that if something happens less than 5% of a time, that phenomenon is considered statistically significant. Meaning, it's out of the ordinary. It's exceptional. It's weird. I just looked up the current acceptance rate for Harvard, and it's at 5.9%. So yes, while it is quite a feat to get into Harvard, it's not statistically significant. We can all agree that it's wonderful, but not an occurrence that is unusual enough to warrant intense suspicion or awe. SAG-AFTRA boasts upwards of 165,000 members. I'm not sure of the percentage of members who are considered Hollywood A-Listers, but I'm guessing it could be statistically significant. Or maybe not. I'm not that good at math. My point is that succeeding in this business, however you define success, is usually a rare phenomenon. One that it is statistically significant. Maybe they should have these brochures at casting offices or Samuel French or places that actors frequent, like they're required to have at all Las Vegas casinos to teach you the dangers of gambling:

Haha! Just kidding. But yes, the odds are really, truly stacked against actors. But what I realized while going down my dark-thinking mathematical spiral is that while this information can be helpful in maintaining a level head and being realistic, as well as deciding which classes and materials are working or no longer working for me, it is not helpful information to bring with me into the audition room. Because yes, although my rational mind may comprehend that if they're seeing 50 girls for this commercial that I technically have a 2% chance of booking the role, that won't help me give my best shot at it. What I also believe is that this business transcends this type of math. Believing that I have only a 2% chance at booking the job is to believe that all 50 of us auditioning have an equal chance at booking the role. This business is biased, and we all know that all types of variables affect our chances of landing jobs...most of them out of our control. Maybe Auditioner A is less likely to book today than Auditioner B, because she happens to resemble the client's ex-wife whom he loathes. I dunno. Just a hypothetical.

The other day, I had a final callback for the leading female role in a great little indie feature. At this point in the process, the director was choosing between four girls for the role. Pretty good odds, statistically speaking. He called me up a couple days later to thank me for auditioning and for being so prepared and reading "like a boss" (his words, not mine) and to let me know that he had chosen another actress for the role. "You were all so good that we had such a difficult time deciding. We ended up having to rely on hunches here, because any of you could have played the part." There's no mathematical explanation for a director's hunch that one actress fits the role better than another. A chemical explanation, perhaps, but there's no use in dwelling on why something told him to go in that casting direction. Or at least I know there's nothing I could have done differently. Oh well -- if I didn't get it, it was never my role. It was during those fleeting moments in the room, but it is mine no longer. And I'm okay with that. Him going with his gut is the little spark that tells me there's no use in over-analyzing or making sense of things. There were definitely times when my performance gave a director a hunch that a role was mine, and none of the other actresses did. It's the same reason that while Jessica Chastain was perhaps (in my opinion) more deserving of the Best Actress Oscar the other night, Jennifer Lawrence won because we are all obsessed with her (*I am also obsessed with her).

So, long story, well, long, I've come up with my own Statistics that are grounded in no mathematical reality whatsoever:

• If you tell too many people about your audition, you won't book it. Stop gloating.
• If you leave for an audition half an hour earlier than you should, you will arrive 45 minutes earlier than planned with a margin of error of + or - 10 minutes.
• If you leave for an audition with the exact amount of time Google Maps tells you it should take to get there, you will arrive at the audition late by an amount greater than or equal to 10 minutes.
• If you are running late the session will be running early. If you are running early the session will be running late. 
• If you put an hour longer than you need on your meter for an audition, said audition will take less than or equal to 5 minutes.
• Conversely, if you put just an hour on your meter, said meter will expire while you are in the audition room and you will get a ticket!
• If you don't care at all about booking the role, you will book it.
• Live your life! Make plans, because then, you will book an amazing job that will interrupt these plans!
• Your dogs think you did an amazing job at your audition 100% of the time. 
• Avail streaks come in three's. If you are on avail three times in a row and don't book the job, on your fourth avail, you will book it.
• If you complain about your life more than 14% of the time, don't pursue this career.

And, finally, here's the funny video I wanted to share with you today...it's a commercial I did for the Frankfurt Airport in Germany. I do not understand what is going on in this clip 100% of the time because I don't speak German:

Frankfurt Airport Commercial

Thanks for reading and watching, as always!

Gilli

I've Found My Match...

Hope you enjoyed this little spot I did late last year!!

Happy End of Days!

It's December 21st, 2012. I have been terrified of this day, which as we all know marks the end of the Mayan calendar, since I was in 7th grade. My History teacher told us about it during our daily tradition of "News Quiz," in which he'd ask the entire class questions about current events before beginning our daily lecture. I don't think there were any prizes involved, but it was always a really competitive game. I was great at the game -- particularly when the "news" of the early 2000's had to do with arts/leisure topics, such as what Liza Minelli was up to at the time, etc (mainly, she was being dramatic). When he asked us a question about doomsday during a typical game of "News Quiz," no one could answer, and he proceeded to describe the predictions about 12/21/12, and how so many recent events pointed to how the world was definitely going to end very soon (this was 2001, right after the 9/11 attacks, mind you). Yours truly, a highly sensitive artist type for whom middle school was a fragile time, excused herself from class to hide in the bathroom for a few minutes to calm down. I simply couldn't listen to my teacher talk about these predictions without thinking he was right...

Since then, I've kept the date in the back of my mind. It's been a reminder that whatever is bothering me isn't that bad in times of desperation, because if the world's ending in 2012, then how much can it matter? This attitude has allowed me to let go of anxiety in trying moments, which is only a good thing for someone who is analytical and tends to overthink things. Now that the 21st is finally here, it's a bit anti-climactic. I'm still a sensitive artist type, but I've definitely grown up a lot since 7th grade, and now try my best to face anxiety-provoking things rather than run to a safe space to hide.

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to perform something that I wrote. I'm a bit of a perfectionist -- okay, more than a bit -- so I've been wary of sharing my writing with an audience before it's "ready" (aka "perfect"). But hey, if the world was going to end today, what good would it serve me to keep all of my writing to myself, saved on my computer? Luckily, my talented friend Jenny read a scene that I wrote for us at the 11th hour for an audition for the first-ever Actor's Key Holiday Showcase. She loved the scene, and agreed to work with me on it and dove in with dedication and tons of ideas. The result was that we were cast in the showcase, and joined forces with an amazing team of actors and creatives. Our director, Carmen Aiello, was amazing!!

Here are some pictures from the showcase:

And our scene:

https://vimeo.com/56076357

It doesn't look like the world is ending today, but even so, I'm glad we got to perform our scene before the 21st, just in case!

Tiny Dreams

Woooosh! That was onomatopoeia for the year flying by! Seriously though, doesn't it sometimes seem unfair that everything (tons of work/holidays/copious amounts of food/weather/sickness/happiness/joy/depression/Lifetime Christmas movies or Elizabeth Taylor biopic ones) is crammed into a small chunk of the year? It's like, hey, stuff that takes up my time/energy: spread the wealth, and maybe go situate yourself in February when absolutely nothing happens? I guess having everything at once/it pouring when it rains (can I do that? Re-word an aphorism?) isn't what's crazy -- it's how fast it seems to go by. Chanukah is in, like, a week (what?)! I went on the Snapfish website today to order personalized holiday cards, and they had stopped advertising them already, as if to say that if you want to send out cards on time you should have already ordered them. And according to the ancient Mayans, the world is ending so soon! Clearly, the ancient Mayans/a lot of legit old civilizations that predicted this event didn't realize that the Game of Thrones season 3 premiere is in March 2013. Ergo, Armageddon shall have to wait.

Though the tryptophan level in my blood has been at an all-time high this November, I've had lots of energy. A couple weeks ago, I played a stewardess in a commercial for the Frankfurt Airport in Germany. Ever since I flew on Emirates Air to Africa five years ago (side note: it is geographically inefficient to stop in Dubai "on the way" to Africa), I've had a secret desire to be a flight attendant (the Emirates ones are all supermodels that speak multiple languages). Well, mainly, I've just been dying to play dress up with a stewardess outfit. So this shoot was a mini-dream-come-true. I know they say to "dream big," but I have a lot of miniature-bite-sized dreams that are a little more realistic to conquer, this being one of them. I will post the footage as soon as I have it as the spot will only be running overseas in Europe, and potentially at those little kiosks at the actual airport in Deutschland. In the meantime, here are a couple of stills from the shoot. It was a fun day -- I always love working with foreigners because they are so direct when talking to you because of the language barrier.

Not merely a mini-dream, but more of an overall continuous feeling I have is the need to work with/be around animals. If you follow me on Instagram and have any experience with statistical analysis you know this since about 90% of my photographic material showcases one or both of my dogs. I had the gall to take them both to a Petco commercial audition last year and it was incredible! They didn't book the job, but still: 'twas a mini-dream-come-true. Occasionally I get to act with animals, and this is always SO COOL. Seriously, when animals are on set, everyone seems to revert to their childhood selves (which is pretty funny because I think a lot of people in this business were once really bizarre/awkward children). Here's me working with some animals in the past (one is a stuffed dead one, sadly):

So, imagine my surprise at my own feelings when I was terrified to work with an animal on set during one of my latest gigs. Due to having signed multiple NDA's, I can't say what this was for or really what kind of animal it was...okay fine, it was the male version of a cow. The kind with the horns, that doesn't like the color red, and is associated with the country of Spain. Yup, one of those. When I was signing release forms, it dawned on me that this animal could potentially hurt slash kill someone, and that that someone could be me. After much deliberation and in-depth conversations with production, I stuck with the shoot. The animal was a pro and did his job like a seasoned thespian. So, continuous mini-dream of working with animals? Check! When the time is right, I shall reveal the details/footage from this foray into episodic television.

In other news, I just shot a national commercial for a popular dating site, which will begin airing in January. Having a consistent commercial booking track record is another mini-dream of mine that I have been fulfilling over the last few months. And finally, I am proud to announce on this here blog of mine that I have just signed with a manager. For those of you who are (un)fortunate enough to hear me talk about career-related and existential things like "what am I DOING?!" this should come as wonderful news! I have been wanting a manager for quite some time now and am feel really good about this new business relationship. Another teeny tiny dream, accomplished!

So basically, the moral of this post is that you can't really fulfill bigger dreams without knocking out and enjoying the little ones along the way. I know that's obvious and cheesy but this is the holiday season so I have permission to be cheesy and obvious. Because before you know it, it'll be 2013...woooooooosh!!!

Reel Love, Part Deux

Hi Hi Hi!

Updates, updates, updates! I know that's why you're here, right? Because you're somehow invested in my career? Maybe we're related, maybe we met once, maybe you hate me, I don't know. Maybs you're just bored. I just want to give you what you want! Let's face it, I'm not writing about the election or offering witty advice (who wants self-help tips from a 24-year-old anyway? Apparently a lot of people, according to Random House/Lena Dunham, but still).

It's been a fun month in my work world and life. I turned 24 (yikes! Only one more year to get famous!!), and I wrapped shooting If We Were Adults, which was a pretty stellar experience...stellar rehearsals, great cast and crew -- it all went so smoothly and reminded me why I love being on set. How does that cheesy but true quote go? "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life," by some guy named Confucius or something? Well that guy was right, I must confess. Waking up at dawn to drive to set rarely feels like the negative connotation of "work" (especially if said set has a Nespresso machine at crafty. That's on my wish list, if anyone wants to buy me a belated Birthday present or a "just because" gift!!). I'm excited to see the movie once it's finished! Here are a couple stills from the shoot:

I know I said earlier that I wouldn't be engaging in any political commentary, but I have to mention that I was involved in making an internet PSA for the Obama campaign, thanks to my voice teacher/mentor/dear friend Beth. Hanging out with like-minded artists who were donating their time for this cause last Sunday was kinda magical, and there wasn't much "acting" involved. We were given the freedom to talk about anything that we were passionate about that Obama had accomplished during his first term. Here is a sneak-peek still from that shoot, and I'll post the video as soon as it's up:

And last but certainly not least, the Hasbro Game Night commercials I shot over the summer have been airing, and you lovely people have been seeing them and telling me! Thank you so much for giving me a shout out when you see my face on screen for 15 seconds! This makes me feel loved and let's me know that you've been watching reruns of Friends on TBS and The Today Show and tons of reality television on Bravo and E! since that's when these commercials tend to run. I want to thank you for your support and commend you for your excellent taste in television!

This commercial campaign in conjunction with a super cool/futuristic spot for Toyota (in which I get to buy a brand new candy-apple-red Camry and am extremely jealous of my commercial alter-ego/character, and for which I had a 3:30 am call time and when we broke for lunch at 8:30 am and the caterer asked if I would like a slice of prime rib I nearly lost the lunch I had already ingested) has allowed me to cut a commercial reel, which I'm excited to share with you. Sure, it may be short, but it sure is sweet, and represents a lot of hard work. Enjoy!!!!!

An Endsummer Night's Dream

Hey Honey Boo Boo Children,

So Labor Day sort of marks the end of the summer season, socially speaking. Sure, "summer" ends on September 21st or what not, but truly, tomorrow (September 4th) for most people means a lot less play and a lot more work -- I can tell by the number of emails that started rolling in from tutoring clients around 5 pm today that were ridden with back to school anxiety. If you live in LA you can continue to wear white (or at least I will, and I carry the authority to give you permission to as well because I am a proud Vogue subscriber who purchased said subscription through Groupon on a whim), and though I've painted my nails a gorgeous shade of onyx in preparation for autumn, my favorite season (cute hats, scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, my birthday, a general feeling of productiveness, September issue of Vogue, etc.), for tonight, we can still revel in the fact that it is summer!!

This has been quite a roller coaster of a summer for yours truly. My travel plans kept changing due to bookings and on-avails and on-holds (this is a good thing -- note: I am in no way, shape, or form complaining), I was far away from my boyfriend and dogs, my sister went off to college, my 20-year-old cat passed away, I learned how to ride a bike at 23 (seriously), invested in some permanent wearable art, got an awesome traffic ticket, got realllly into Game of Thrones (and this takes up a lot of mental and emotional energy) -- in short, there were very few dull moments. Mainly, this was the first period of time when I was really pursuing acting full time without a regular day job, meaning that I had to live off ye olde actor wages (that is not a saying, I just made it up). I have to say, it was very fulfilling to prove to myself -- and the naysayers, be they who they will be! -- that I could do it! 

Normally I wait to post on this blog until I have adequate footage and fun pictures to give you a visceral  sense of what I'm up to, but I'm just gonna go with a list right now because I don't want anyone getting antsy. That way, you can already be in-the-know whenever I post the footage and pictures later on, ya know? Also, just because something doesn't have pictures doesn't mean it isn't cool. Don't you remember how exciting it was to move on to chapter books from picture books (sorry I've been tutoring elementary school students lately). Plus, whenever I click on a blog post it tends to have a list included, you know, like "25 Things to do Before You Turn 25" or "How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days" or "10 Things I Hate About You" -- oh wait, the last two aren't blog posts but spectacular films. But you get the point. 

In college, my curriculum was molded around Barnard College's "Nine Ways of Knowing." In honor of my sister starting her first day of classes as a first year there tomorrow, here are the "Nine Booking Highlights of Gilli's Summer" (by the way, if you're a grammar freak who is like, why is she writing some numbers as digits and others as words, just know that any number greater than or equal to 10 should be written as a digit -- 10 not ten -- and anything below as a word -- hence nine not 9. Just letting you know that I self-edit these posts in case you were worried).

Nine Booking Highlights of Gilli's Summer

1. Filmed four national commercial spots for Hasbro with Neil Patrick Harris -- watch as they start to air!! You can see behind-the-scenes stuff HERE
2. Shot an industrial for Toyota in which my character buys a brand-new candy apple red 2012 Camry -- how I wish life could imitate art
3. Did some print work for Sketchers and the amazing photographer Mark Scott
4. Acted as a 1920's flapper girl named "Doll Face" in a kick starter campaign for the new children's series Buddy Bear
5. Continued my saga as a video girl and acted in Tegan and Sara's latest music video for the song "Closer." My friend Jett had to cut me a music video reel because I'm just so into being in music videos. Oh ya, that reminds me that in the beginning of the summer I did a music video for the band Lawson. Okay, #5 on this list is officially the stream of consciousness bullet point about music videos.
6. Auditioned for and was cast in the film If We Were Adults  which shoots in late September
7. Update my website with my mom-ager Chana Messer
8. Auditioned and passed into the first level of Groundlings...now I need to sign up for class!
9. Last but not least, had some great close calls. Being on hold for roles is always a win in my book, and I had a lot of little wins this summer

Well, it's almost midnight, so drink up those last summer hours!

Until next time,

Gilli

Keepin' it Class-y!

Happy Friday, world! TGIF! What are you up to tonight?

In reality, I can't really revel in Fridays as much as I once did. But maybe I can...I'll get to that later. Graduating from college means a lot of things, but specifically in regards to this post, it means that my life is no longer broken up into tangible pieces of time like semesters, summers, winter and spring breaks, and school-nights and weekends. Well, maybe pilot/episodic seasons, but not entirely. But I mean, what really is "time" anyway? It's merely a construct once dictated by the rhythm of the seasons and then by religion. It's an abstract concept that we've attempted to compartmentalize into pieces, and each culture does so on its own terms...oh wait, hold the phone -- graduating from college also means I can no longer talk like that and have it be socially acceptable or be assured that anyone is even listening. I'm no longer taking out loans to pay for a professor and my peers to argue with me and listen to me philosophize about this in a seminar setting around a round table meant to symbolically eliminate any inclination that hierarchy exists within academia. Oops.

When I first left my 9 to 5 (or let's be real, my "9 to whenever we're done and by the way we're working through lunch" job) to pursue acting full time, I didn't really treat it like a job or like running my own business, and after all, this is called show business. Rather than structuring my career in a balanced way, I felt like I should be working all the time. Instead of strategically allocating my energy where it needed to go, I wanted to be spinning my wheels all the time. Somewhere along the line, that changed -- well, not completely; it's a work in progress -- for the better. It changed when I started taking acting class again.

When I first moved home to LA, I confess that I somewhat subconsciously resisted taking acting class for the usual reasons -- I had already taken so many scene study classes in college and in conservatory, I wanted to spend time auditioning -- not in class, it was expensive, etc. etc. and so forth. But somewhere along the line, I caved in. I'm a lifelong student -- I love being in school. I am actually shocked that I'm surviving without being in school. Plus, the "business" side of show business was taking over, and the time I that I was actually "acting" paled in comparison to the amount of time I was spending on the other necessary aspects of my career (note: doing theatre also helps this feeling).

The time I now spend in class keeps me fresh and "in shape" for auditions and you know, those times when I'm actually doing what I want to be doing -- acting on set/stage/in front of a camera! Lawyers have to attend seminars and learn about new laws, right? Would you trust a surgeon to cut you open if they weren't constantly learning about the latest OR technologies? Ok, I'm not comparing myself to a surgeon. I don't save lives -- in fact, I had a 20-minute long completely serious conversation with a fellow actor the other day about how much commercial work he books when he has his full beard versus when he shaves it, at which point he was like, "somewhere in the world at this very a moment a surgeon is having a conversation with his nurses about saving a patient who is having open-heart surgery and this is what we're talking about?!" True, but, I mean, still. You get the picture. If I don't take myself seriously, who will?? And for the record, we both booked the commercial we were auditioning for together last week and they made him shave his beard. Surgeons/Actors? Pota-toe/Pot-ah-to!

Anyhow, being back in class has helped me allocate my energy where it needs to go, and has helped me restructure my life and time into as feasible of a work week as I can create. As an actor and freelancer, this has improved my quality of life immensely. It also gives me somewhere to go and something to rehearse for on those days when I don't have auditions. I've met some amazing people in class and feel like I'm finally a member of a community of actors, and that has really been the missing piece in the puzzle for me.

In April and May, I took a fantastic comedy intensive with the amazing Mary Lou Belli. A veteran sitcom director, Mary Lou's class will equip you with unbelievably valuable tools to act for the multi or single-cam sitcom. Plus, she brings in knowledgeable guests from the industry each and every class. Actors, writers, directors -- you must take this class! Like her on Facebook HERE to stay up to date on when she's teaching, because she is a prolific director and does not always have time to teach! Her book, The Sitcom Career Book, is literally the only one of its kind and is an asset to the aspiring actor, writer, director, script supervisor, art director -- basically anyone who wants to work on a sitcom in any capacity. You can buy it HERE.

I am also absolutely obsessingly in love with my classes at Lesly Kahn & Co. but I cannot give away any of the brilliant secrets that make it soooo good on the inter-web so if you're an actor, check it and see for yourself, if you know what's good for you!

Speaking of strict no-social-media policies -- which totally make sense and I completely understand; I used to work in PR, after all -- I may or may not have been working on a super exciting commercial campaign with this guy last week:

But I'm not officially saying anything here so we're all good, capiche?

In the meantime, check out this commercial SPOT I was in for Official.fm directed by Danny Lee.

I guess I should go enjoy my Friday night, now that I've preached about having normal work week...it just gets hard to delineate between what's work and what's play!

- Gilli