DAJUAN’S BLOG :

60 not 6

“Remember it’s a 60 year career…not a 6 year career. Things take a little time.”

Just one of the many gems I’ve heard over the last couple of months while looking for representation. There was one point where I got a little down about the whole situation and then I remembered this quote. I plan on being in this business for the long haul and there are bound to be ups and downs. Sitting a few months out I figure will be nothing but a bleep on the radar when everything is said and done. I’m just happy to be in the game and making creative things happen.

And just in case you were wondering…my TEAM has come together nicely. I’m very happy that I waited patiently and didn’t take the first thing thrown at me. Feels good.

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2010 08 31 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink

Falling Back In Love

Inspiration.

I was sitting with an acquaintance the other day and we were talking about the movie “Precious.” Actually we were talking about Monique’s performance in Precious. And he launched into this whole speech about how Monique didn’t deserve the Oscar because, “if he could imagine another actress in the role, she didn’t do a good job.” I was floored by this comment. Mouth wide open. Floored. But, I went on and asked well who else could you see playing the role? (Because I couldn’t think of anyone else great for that role.) He started to list actresses off and started with Vivica Fox. No disrespect to Ms. Fox, but really?!?! That’s who you start your list off with? Not Angela Basset? Nooo. My mind kind of shut off at this point and I knew he didn’t know what he was talking about and I just let him have his own opinion on the matter.

I think this conversation was so crazy for me because I had the exact opposite reaction to Monique’s performance. Polar opposite. I went to see a screening of the movie before it hit theaters. I remember so vividly sitting on the edge of my seat during Monique’s scenes. Getting so wrapped up in her life, her experience, her journey; I walked out of the theater thinking THAT PERFORMANCE IS WHY I ACT. Her performance was so raw. It touched me. It inspired me. I felt like I had a newly inspired reason to act. To step up my game. When people use to ask me why I want to be an actor, I would reply because I wanted to touch people. Whether it was to make them think or make them smile, I wanted to touch them. I wanted to tell stories. I definitely couldn’t see any other actress playing her part.

Which leads me to the second part of this post. I was sitting in Yoga class yesterday and my teacher started the session off with a story. He spoke about planting tomato seeds so that he could grow his own tomatoes. He went on to explain that often times we are so attached to the outcome or getting the fruit (the tomato) that we don’t enjoy the work. (The work being the planting, the digging of the soil – the process) But, the work is the most important part of the process/journey. It’s imperative that you be in love with that part of it and have no expectations on the outcome, he said. Because honestly, we have no idea what’s going to come from our work. Can’t control that part. Just the work. And I guess I had this AHA MOMENT right there in class. I’ve stopped loving the work part of acting. The fun’s gone. When I get to do it, then I LOVE IT! But, as an actor, i would imagine on all levels, there’s a lot of down time. And so getting to DO IT is the hard part. And at some point for me the business became about other stuff: Putting the right team together (agents, managers); which can be very exhausting, trying to get into this audition room, marketing yourself this way or that way, or finding the right acting class. None of it was inspiring anymore. I wanted to get an audition, book the part, make money, pay my bills and be happy. Ahhh!

I actually forgot completely about why I started doing this. About the inspiration part. I say THANK GOD for Monique’s performance. Or all the other actors/actresses that give honest performances – THANK YOU. Because you truly are an inspiration. Sure, sure you can’t be inspired by EVERYTHING you do. Or EVERY part you take. I’m fully aware of the reasons why people take certain jobs. (Monique did do SOUL PLANE after all…yikes!) And yes, I know there IS a business side to this business that we can’t ignore. In no way am I suggesting that everyone stops giving attention to that part. But, maybe just splitting the difference. Using that inspiration, whatever yours may be, as you base compass for being out here in L.A. For acting. Simply put, my awareness of the situation has begun and I’m on the road to recovery. I use to say that when this all stopped being FUN for me – I’m done. It was a naive statement, but there’s some truth in it. If you’re not having fun anymore, it is time to go home. I’m on a path to fall back in love with acting. So, I can have fun again. I’ll let you know how it goes.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Paula Patton’s amazing job in Precious too. I’m not familiar with her work, but she was nothing short of brilliant. And as for that acquaintance of mine that didn’t like Monique’s performance, it later came out that he really didn’t like any of her speeches she gave after winning the awards. I think that’s the real reason he didn’t like her performance. Or at least that’s what I’m going with!

Thanks for reading.

Two of my favorite quotes:

“Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. THAT’S THE POINT AT WHICH MOST PEOPLE GIVE UP. Every search (dream/goal) begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severly tested.” –Paulo Coelho

“We may not know exactly when our sacrifices are gonna pay off, but we’ve gotta believe they’re going to.”

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2010 04 12 admin I Want To Go To There
LA or Bust
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What? But, you don’t even know me…

I’ve been thinking of a way to say what I wanted to say without sounding jaded, cynical or overly sensitive. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll just put it out there and fix it later.

When did it become acceptable to be rude and not think before speaking? Let me back up. I rarely talk about my day job. Mostly because what I do is just that – a day job. A means to an end and nothing more. But, the other day a person came in and said to me, “what are doing here in LA?” I replied, “I’m an Actor.” A small chuckle came out of his mouth before he stated, ” are you really an actor or are you one of those people that just say they’re an actor?” In that spilt second I wanted to jump out of my skin and deck this guy. A guy whom I have had very limited interactions with, but yet felt comfortable enough to question what I’ve chosen to do with my life. And then I thought, why am I letting this guy get to me? He doesn’t know my life. He has no idea what my resume looks like or what I’m currently working on. Could it be that I thought he was correct? That I wasn’t really an actor because I still held on to my day job? And by the way, this all happened in my brain within a three second pause. He was still waiting for my response. Yup, my thoughts worked that fast. Let me pause this story and get back to it after I add the next strange interaction.

I was sitting at dinner with a group of non-actors. Some were friends and some the friends of those friends. One girl in the group stated, “I hear you’re an actor.” And again, proudly I stated, “Yes, I am!” And without hesitation she blurted out and I quote, ” Have you even done anything?” Now, I know that her intentions were probably in the right place and she meant well, right? She just wanted to include me in the circle of conversation, right? Well, in that brief moment where I had to decide whether or not to bitch-slap her I wasn’t too sure. In this same moment, I had to decide whether to start listing my credits and hoping she approved or sit back. Once again, I found myself taken aback by a persons rudeness. And yet again, a person I had just met.

I walked away from both of those encounters wondering about the person who puts themselves through nursing school and because they have a side job – are they still considered a nurse? The person that is a teacher by day, but because of their low salary has to take a part time job at night or the weekend…are they teachers or just pretending? Or anyone else who has to take a second job to reach/support their dreams…you get the point.

Fortunately, in both situations I simply stated YES and left it at that. If these individuals were truly interested in my career and wanted to know about me, I felt they could “google me bitch!” I’m pretty confident in what I’m doing with my life and the path I’ve chosen. But, I won’t lie, for those split seconds I did want to

I go back home to Chicago or Miami and my friends and family still remember the small part on a show where I said two-lines! And to them, it’s magical. As it is to me. Their next question is have you met Denzel yet? Or have you slept with Halle?!Guess, the point of this rant is just an observation. It reminded me that we have to be pretty strong and crazy to be out here pursing this career. And I’m both. I read a statistic a while back that 90% of people do not pursue their dreams. Hmp. Happy to be out here pursuing my dream. And happy to report that YES, I’m an ACTOR! And YES, I’ve even done stuff. GOOD STUFF!

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2010 02 18 admin LA or Bust
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Seller vs. Actor

When I booked my first big commercial spot, I thought it was like any other acting gig I’d ever done. I’d go in and be myself, present the product like I’d learned in those commercial classes and everything would be great. Right? Nope. One of the things I failed to realize was that it really wasn’t about ME. I mean sure, you know how you hear that commercials are about the product first and foremost…BELIEVE IT! It’s ALL about the product. And why wouldn’t it be. You are there to SELL. Acting brilliant is just an added bonus that the agency and client get once they book you.

What I’ll say to my fellow actors reading this blog is this; be ready to be as flexible as possible when doing commercials. Bring a lot of tricks in your bag and be ready to use them all. Or none at all. You & the director might think you nailed a take and then the agency/client come back and say you changed an “a” into a “the” and they need another take. Just put your professional hat on and do it again, brilliantly. There’s a lot of things at play that we actors don’t need to worry ourselves with. Legal stuff being one of them; Their legal team has approved a way of saying the script. And sure you can go off script sometime and they love it, but just for a safety, they will need the script version too. Do it. And do it with a smile. A fellow actors on set with me told me once, don’t worry about all the other stuff going on on set. Simply trust that they will NEVER move on until they’ve gotten the correct shot they need. It was so calming to hear that. There was no need to be a needy actor thinking, “did i do that right? Do they like me?” If the moved on, the answer is yes! Because it’s not about you…it’s about selling that product. Sure takes the pressure off, eh?

I’ve been on commercial sets where actors have been fired and replaced by background actors. Which sucks the big one, but we are truly there to make the product look good, not to cause any problems. I guess that can be said for our theatrical jobs too. Now, this isn’t to say that you can’t speak you mind or ask any questions. On the contrary, be yourself. Just remember what your job is – SELLER. Have I said that enough?

Also, there’s this stigma going around that if you’re not the main guy in the commercial or you don’t have a spot were you say a lot of lines it’s not a big deal. WRONG! At this level, as long as your are recognizable in the spot, you get paid the same amount as the person speaking. (unless their a spokesman or celebrity, but that a whole other thing) In fact, the commercials where I’ve done absolutely nothing in them, but look around have paid me more than the ones where I’ve had actual lines. Also, a good thing to keep in mind is that if you don’t say any lines in them and the spot is not specific to any season or special event – they can reuse it. And reuse it they will.

Finally, for all my guys out there doing commercials. I know we are MEN (grunt, grunt) and don’t think of doing certain things before going to set, but consider yourself warned. If you are the main guy in the spot and you think for a spilt second you might be handling the product – GO get a manicure! I know, I know – a manicure?! Here’s why. I was on set and I had to handle the product in a few shots. They have to get close ups of you doing that and the camera sees all the crap under your nails. I was very embarrassed when we had to stop a take and the director asked the makeup people to clean my nails. Ouch. That sucked. And I think I’m a pretty clean guy (grunt?grunt?). Well, the camera saw something else. I hate to say as hard headed as I am, I did it for a second time on my next shoot. Just do it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences on set. Hit me up.

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2010 02 10 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink

“they’re either buying what you’re selling or they’re not.”

Commercials. You know it’s pretty funny, because had you asked me a few years ago about this part of the business, I would have had a completely different answer. Some might even go as far as to say I’ve made a complete “180″ or “sold-out.” But, I think that the stance I had on commercials years ago has helped me book them thus far.

When I first moved out to LA everyone said I had to get a commercial agent as well as a theatrical agent. (As a side note, I think they should NEVER be at the same place. “Across the board” they call it) My first couple of commercial auditions were very strange. I’d go into the room, say my name and they would ask me some random questions on camera. Or my favorite was eating a twizzler on camera. That’s it. Just ate a twizzler. After each of those auditions, the camera operator thanked me for coming and and it was over. Just like that, I thought? What? You don’t want to see me act or show you what I learned in my 4 years of acting school? HUMP.

I had a few more ridiculous auditions like that before I came to the conclusion that commercials were just not going to be my thing. Within the group of friends I hung out with, I was the only one not booking them. But, I kept going on the auditions that my agent got for me still secretly hoping some would click. Then something strange happened. I booked my first commercial. A Verizon Business national commercial. (I didn’t say anything…I simply walked by the frame in a nice suit looking at the camera and looked damn good I might add.) Then shortly after that I booked another and another…and then a big Japanese commercial with Brad Pitt! What the!?!? The guy who hated commercial auditions slowly started booking.

What was different? Well, i can’t give you ALL my secrets, but the one I will tell is this… When I started being myself in the audition rool, I started booking. Seriously. I know, I know…it’s so damn cliche that I want to barf typing it. Also, I, slowly began to stop caring so much about auditioning correctly and booking the job. I still went to the audition prepared as possible and ready to rock, but I made a conscience decision NOT to obsess over it.

In a nutshell, I came to understand that there is only so much you can do for a commercial audition. (or any audition for that matter) Show up, do your absolute best & then leave it at the door. They’re either buying what you’re selling or they’re not.

Finally, I will say this about taking all the commercial acting classes or workshops out there. I think they have their place and I’m sure there are some that I haven’t tried that are amazing, but once you’ve taken ONE good one – that should be good enough. NO need to go around to more than that. They can show you the camera tricks and the technical sides of it all, but really…it’s all YOU! And taking it a step further, I’ve found that the class I took only prepared me on how to book the job…not for what happened when I got it. I was totally unprepared…

But, that’s another blog. Thanks for reading and check back next week when I post some of my in & outs about commercials post booking! Especially some stuff GUYS should do that we probably don’t always think about!

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2010 01 27 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink

2010

It’s a new year and new opportunities. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on my last year in the business. Which is funny because I’ve found that reflecting tends to keep you in the past and not in the future. Interesting, eh? One of the things I’ve been trying to figure out is why I don’t blog more? I almost ALWAYS have something to say or an opinion on a topic. And I’ve come to this conclusion — well, a few conclusions actually. When dealing with the entertainment industry, I believe we learned all you need to about it in kindergarten. You have to be careful not to upset this person or upset that person…or you won’t make it! Or worse, you’ll get pushed down on the playground during recess. I’ve wanted to post something SO many times after a shoot or after an audition and thought — what if “said person” reads my blog? Then what? I might not be able to go back in and audition for them. Or, I might be labeled as a opinionated person and not get an audition or part. So, I abstain. Because, I’ve dedicated so much of my life to my chosen career to let playground tactics get in the way. And I plan on making it.

The second reason I’ve concluded I don’t blog as much is because of facebook & tweeter! (Also, sites that I have to be careful about what I say.) Because it’s easy to keep everyone updated in 140 characters or less on a daily basis. So, if you’ve missed me blogging — you should be following me on twitter and be my friend on facebook.

Nonetheless, I had a GREAT year last year. One of my best. And this year has already proven to be off to a GREAT start as well. I’m am humbled daily that I get to do this…pursue my dreams. Sometimes I forget. Mostly when I’m frustrated about something not going my way or not getting in for an audition. It’s at those times I try to remember the most — “Hey, DaJuan…you’re pursing your dreams and they’re coming true!”

My next entry that I’m working on is about COMMERCIALS. I just wrapped my first booking of the year – a VERIZON National commercial. And it’s funny, an acquaintance of mine asked me, ” what are you doing differently now that has been making you book so much commercially?”

I’ll answer that question next week.

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2010 01 20 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink

Missing

I’ve been gone for a minute, but trust me I’ve been wanting to blog. There’s so much that has happened since my last post. And I never got to write what I wanted to about working on the McDonald’s commercial. Which by the way, is running! There’s a long & short version being aired.

But, I’m writing today because i saw a great movie last night, PRECIOUS. It’s been a while and many movies since I’ve been inspired to write, to act. All the performances in the movie were excellent – yes, even Mariah Carey. But, I wonder if hers was great because I wasn’t expecting too much from her. But, Monique – wow! If you haven’t seen her work before, this is a great time to start. Along with Monique’s performance of note is Paula Patton and Gabourey Sidibe. Simply put, amazing.

I wonder how much press this movie will get or how many theaters it will play in? It’s not really what you would call a mainstream/crossover movie. But, I think it’s enjoyable by anyone who watches it. My hope is since juggernaut Oprah and Tyler Perry are producers on it – it’ll get noticed. Go See it!

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2009 10 23 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink

P2

Just finished taping my second episode of Private Practice. Pretty nice to be brought back into that world and work with some great actors. Didn’t get to work with Kate Walsh the first time around, but it was cool to do so this time. It’s a great part that got bigger and I don’t think you’ve seen the last of me. Of course that’s all I can say…

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2009 09 17 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink

Table Read

So, if you’ve been following my tweets and facebook updates then you already know that I’ve been asked back to guest star on private practice. I’m still very very excited about all of it. My first stint on the show wasn’t that big, but I was thankful to have it & to work with such amazing people. This time around I get be more apart of the actual storyline and I’m digging it.

Yesterday, I had the honor to attend the table read and sit two seats down from THE Shonda Rhimes. She was actually the first person in the room. Very nice, very business and to the point…well, at least I thought. Once all the usual suspects to the show started showing up she was cracking jokes and conversing with the best of them. Which put me at ease and made her seem not so intimidating and scary to me. At the other end of the table were all the series regulars from Private Practice and they gave off the vibe of a close knit family. It was pretty cool to see.

I’m sharing all of this with you, not only because it was an amazing experience, but to take some of the nerves away when it’s your turn. (yeah, right!) I, also, want to stress that if no one told you before about table reads here it is: They are NOT the time to sit back and rest on your laurels of just booking the job. Just because you’ve gotten the part through the audition process, doesn’t mean you can’t lose the part at the table. I walked into that conference room 15 mins early, found my place at the table, got my script, got water & sat and got ready for business. Of course, when the other actors and crew, etc came in I stood up to greet them and engaged in pleasantries (especially with Amanda Foreman who sat next to me & calmed my nerves), but make no mistake – I was there to work! And let me tell you, everyone else there was too! It was very obvious.

Just like prepping for the audition, read the script the night before the table read. Or if you didn’t get it beforehand, get there early so that you can. Once you get there, check over the latest draft of the script for any last minute changes. It would suck to be caught off guard by some big word that you miss pronounce. One of my acting teachers always told me, the series regs have the job already – THEY can afford to mess up a little. YOU, need to go in there and nail it – every time! Again, I believe it’s one of those business things that sets me apart from the others – HARDWORKER!

…and then just like that it was over. Everyone thanked each other for being there and went their separate ways. Shonda started a huddle and the other execs began to listen to her notes. I wanted so badly to listen in, to be around such brilliance, but again I was there to work – which did not include eavesdropping. The guest cast hung around for a second and chatted with each other, myself included. The series reg cast thanked everyone and headed out, I’m sure back to work because they were shooting that day too.

Keep following here, facebook and twitter. I’m shooting next week and I hope at least one more episode in the future.

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2009 09 02 admin Uncategorized Comments (1) Permalink

August=Action

Can’t believe that August is already here? I have to say that the summer has been flying by. And I haven’t even finished my summer reading & fun. I’m taking new headshots tomorrow and it would appear that I’m a little excited & nervous. Who knew? They’re just headshots, right? Wrong. Out here they truly are your calling card. What the business sees before they even see you. Of course I don’t want to go too glamour shot or artistic that it takes away from the main purpose – ME! I could be nervous because this is the first time I’m dropping a lot of change for some shots. You know how I feel about that if you’ve read my other blog posts. And don’t worry, I haven’t sold out and gone with the $1000 photographer. No way. No how. But, I’ve always lived under the rule that you get what you pay for. And sure you can find some deals in this city and make them work, but I’m looking to step up my game in all areas this month. The last two rounds of headshots I took were like that. The first was a raffle I won with a photographer. And the second, we done by a friend who wanted to add me to his portfolio.

Which brings me to my “August = Action” plan. I’m ready to be a real player in this business. A household name. Step up the game. It all starts today. Now. Tomorrow new headshots. This weekend a new intensive acting workshop. And I’ll be tweeting & blogging the whole experience.

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2009 08 04 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink