Guest Starring

As an actor, being a guest star is one of the best (and most challenging) things to do.

*"Best" because you go and play for a few days, make some great contacts, and look forward to residual checks for years to come.

*"Challenging" because you're walking onto a set with a pre-set family. They all know each other, they have inside jokes and a familiarity that a transient guest star just can't fake. You're not in a holding room with the background actors or co-stars, but you're not a principle...it's a weird limbo.

In the past, I've done guest star roles where I spend my down time sitting alone in my trailer, thinking of Sacagawea (*refer to my previous post*). I've done awkward ones: where on my first day my character is in lingerie (in front of all these people I just met), or clumsily shooting a gun, or kissing the lead (with his girlfriend glaring at me from video village). Other times, like today, I really hang out with the cast and crew, jump right in with their jokes, goof around in between takes, and still jump back into being a professional once the cameras are rolling.

It's a balance that comes with time/with work/with confidence....and one begets the other. I'm sure of that.

My scene was pretty light, and I'm already wrapped for the day, which is great (and gives me time to get home, make Ina Garten's Perfect Roasted Chicken for dinner, and work on my scenes for the rest of the week). By the way, this chicken gets its namesake for a reason....it is a household favorite of mine, and it truly is "perfect."