Great news from my Austin agent, Heather Collier at Collier Talent. She is starting to use Voice Bank for VO auditions for us client actors. I’m really happy about this. Though I haven’t done much VO work in recent years, that’s actually how I cut my teeth in this business. Back in the day… I did many, many VO jobs in Dallas and had some success in L.A. as well. When I moved to Austin, my first agent was DB Talent, the biggest VO agency in this market. I subsequently left DB in hopes of getting more chances at film / TV work and in the process sacrificed the VO work. So, this is good news. I’ve loved working with Heather and Collier Talent and this move definitely puts a smile on my face.

I realized today, that soon I will have been a professional actor for THIRTY YEARS!. Wow. If I’d only known then what I know now …I’d do a few things differently, for sure. I’d still join SAG, though…got a call recently that SAG was sending me a check for a reuse fee I knew nothing about. Nice.

Congratulations to Austin’s Rupert Reyes on the opening of this latest play, VECINOS, a production of his Teatro Vivo theater group. The Austin American Statesman has a very nice article today about Rupert and his important contributions to the Austin arts scene. Rupert is compiling an impressive body of work as he demonstrates that one CAN successfully multi-task as mate-parent-provider-artist…it just takes talent and dedication. Get ticket information for VECINOS.

It’s often been said that those who can’t do, teach. Sometimes that is true. But sometimes a person comes along who puts it all together as both ‘player’ and coach. I’m happy to say I know such a person in Colleen Patrick. Actor/Acting Coach, Author and Screenwriter/Writing Coach, Film Director…you get the picture. Do yourself a favor and take a look at Colleen’s website and see what some of her students say. She’s helped scores of actors move from “potential” to pro.

If you’re lucky enough to live in the Seattle area, do yourself a real favor and hook up with a real pro who can be that acting or writing coach you need to advance your career. Be sure to check out some of Colleen’s articles in the excellent movieScope magazine.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any casting information. Although it’s been very slow around Austin, particularly for SAG actors, I do have a couple of additions that haven’t appeared here before. I had the pleasure of working on KINGS OF THE EVENING, an indie film with a predominantly African American cast that shot in and around Austin a few months back. This looks like an interesting project and for an indie film, they took a lot of time shooting to make sure they got it right. A little more recently, I had the pleasure of shooting an episode of PRISON BREAK. I was in an episode called INTERFERENCE, playing a dive shop owner who sells Linc some scuba gear. If you’re a fan of the show, you know how that’s playing out. This job was one of those incidents where ‘less is more’. What was really just a day player role turned out to be a three day trip to shoot in Florida.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any casting information. Although it’s been very slow around Austin, particularly for SAG actors, I do have a couple of additions that haven’t appeared here before. I had the pleasure of working on KINGS OF THE EVENING, an indie film with a predominantly African American cast that shot in and around Austin a few months back. This looks like an interesting project and for an indie film, they took a lot of time shooting to make sure they got it right. A little more recently, I had the pleasure of shooting an episode of PRISON BREAK. I was in an episode called INTERFERENCE, playing a dive shop owner who sells Linc some scuba gear. If you’re a fan of the show, you know how that’s playing out. This job was one of those incidents where ‘less is more’. What was really just a day player role turned out to be a three day trip to shoot in Florida.

Here’s a link to INTERVIEWING HOLLYWOOD, a terrific site I literally stumbled upon. The title really does describe the purpose of the web site…interviews with scores of actors, writers, directors, producers and other filmmakers. I suggest you bookmark this site and visit it often. To start you off, since this is an acting site, is a link to an interview with L.Q. Jones. If you don’t know who L.Q. Jones is…well, you should. He’s been a working actor since the 1950s and I’m sure most of you have seen him in many, many films and television shows. I’ve known of L.Q. Jones for many years, first because he and I share a hometown, Beaumont, Texas. I should also note that L.Q. Jones appears in BATTLE CRY with my very dear friend Gregory Walcott. But, back to L.Q. Jones. This particular link is an answer to this question posed to Mr. Jones: “How did you get your first job in Hollywood?” Do yourself a favor, fellow actors and film fans, and check out this interview and lots more at the Interviewing Hollywood site.

Here’s a link to INTERVIEWING HOLLYWOOD, a terrific site I literally stumbled upon. The title really does describe the purpose of the web site…interviews with scores of actors, writers, directors, producers and other filmmakers. I suggest you bookmark this site and visit it often. To start you off, since this is an acting site, is a link to an interview with L.Q. Jones. If you don’t know who L.Q. Jones is…well, you should. He’s been a working actor since the 1950s and I’m sure most of you have seen him in many, many films and television shows. I’ve known of L.Q. Jones for many years, first because he and I share a hometown, Beaumont, Texas. I should also note that L.Q. Jones appears in BATTLE CRY with my very dear friend Gregory Walcott. But, back to L.Q. Jones. This particular link is an answer to this question posed to Mr. Jones: “How did you get your first job in Hollywood?” Do yourself a favor, fellow actors and film fans, and check out this interview and lots more at the Interviewing Hollywood site.

Feb 10	Could the Writers Strike Be Coming to an End? – NPR Could the Writers Strike Be Coming to an End? NPR - 21 minutes ago by Andrea Seabrook and Kim Masters All Things Considered, February 10, 2008 · Movie and television writers may get back to work this week. …
Feb 10	Agreement Approved, Writers Strike to End – eFluxMedia eFluxMedia Agreement Approved, Writers Strike to End eFluxMedia - 35 minutes ago Since the strike began, the WGA stated several times that they would only sign an agreement that gives TV and film writers a percentage of the residuals … WGA sa..
Feb 10	Writers strike left big winners, losers in its wake – MSNBC Writers strike left big winners, losers in its wake MSNBC - 47 minutes ago Rene Macura / AP The Writers Guild of America strike , which lasted three months, irrevocably changed the TV landscape. There were victims, of course, … Strike Could S..
Feb 10	Writers' Strike Nearing A Resolution, Just In Time For Oscars – MT.. Ottawa Citizen Writers ' Strike Nearing A Resolution, Just In Time For Oscars MTV.com - 1 hour ago By Shawn Adler, with additional reporting by Jeff Cornell After nearly three months and approximately $1.9 billion in losses, the writers &#3..
Feb 10	Vote to end strike set for Tuesday – Hollywood Reporter Vote to end strike set for Tuesday Hollywood Reporter, United States - 2 hours ago By Georg Szalai and Nellie Andreeva The writers strike could come to an end Tuesday when guild members are scheduled to vote on lifting the existing … WGA..

Feb 10	Could the Writers Strike Be Coming to an End? – NPR Could the Writers Strike Be Coming to an End? NPR - 21 minutes ago by Andrea Seabrook and Kim Masters All Things Considered, February 10, 2008 · Movie and television writers may get back to work this week. …
Feb 10	Agreement Approved, Writers Strike to End – eFluxMedia eFluxMedia Agreement Approved, Writers Strike to End eFluxMedia - 35 minutes ago Since the strike began, the WGA stated several times that they would only sign an agreement that gives TV and film writers a percentage of the residuals … WGA sa..
Feb 10	Writers strike left big winners, losers in its wake – MSNBC Writers strike left big winners, losers in its wake MSNBC - 47 minutes ago Rene Macura / AP The Writers Guild of America strike , which lasted three months, irrevocably changed the TV landscape. There were victims, of course, … Strike Could S..
Feb 10	Writers' Strike Nearing A Resolution, Just In Time For Oscars – MT.. Ottawa Citizen Writers ' Strike Nearing A Resolution, Just In Time For Oscars MTV.com - 1 hour ago By Shawn Adler, with additional reporting by Jeff Cornell After nearly three months and approximately $1.9 billion in losses, the writers &#3..
Feb 10	Vote to end strike set for Tuesday – Hollywood Reporter Vote to end strike set for Tuesday Hollywood Reporter, United States - 2 hours ago By Georg Szalai and Nellie Andreeva The writers strike could come to an end Tuesday when guild members are scheduled to vote on lifting the existing … WGA..