Down With an Abscess

That's what the very tanned backpacker said to her friend as I passed by. I assume she meant a fellow traveller, laid low from incessant walking and sporadic bathing. I was only feet away, when she followed up with "that looks like Denis Leary!"

It's not the first time I've heard that. And no - I don't mean the abscess bit. Yes, I bear a resemblance to actor Denis Leary. That's the one I get more often than not. Once in a while I get a "Willem Dafoe" and so, it would appear, does Denis Leary. I recently caught an episode of Rescue Me, in which Denis' character is offended to be told he looks like Willem Dafoe. Hahaha.

Maybe there's a project for all 3 of us. Where we're long lost siblings or different versions of the same man in different dimensions. Or genetically engineered clones. Or maybe not.

When I first arrived in LA, I ordered a coffee. Here follows the exchange:

Barista Guy (after a long beat): Are you him?

Gideon (after an equally long beat): I'm sorry. What?

Barista Guy: Are you HIM?

(Gideon smiles and shakes his head, getting uncomfortable)

Barista Guy: Are you.... Brian Adams?

Yup, that's what he said. I was a little taken aback. Don't get me wrong, Bryan's a talented guy. But he's pushing fifty. I'm not. Just yet. Lemme enjoy my thirties a little bit! It's as bad as my half brother, Matthew, who wished me a happy 46th birthday this year. And he wasn't kidding. Geez! Thanks for stealing a decade, pal. And that's family!

But if anyone knows Denis or Willem, feel free to tell them their doppelganger's waiting in the wings.

All Aboard as Train gets a Premiere!

Horror movie Train finally pulls into the station - the Graumann's Mann Chinese station, that is. Next month on October 16th, the blood will be spilled at ScreamfestLA, which, as you might correctly guess, is not a festival of romantic comedies.

In Train, a college wrestling team travelling abroad unwittingly boards the wrong train. A train that will take them any destination but safely home. I play the role of Willy, who within minutes, wishes he'd stayed on the platform. I have to admit that I was quite appalled by some of the gore while we were shooting. Yes, I knew I was making a horror and I had read the script. But the extent and graphic nature of the violence seemed unprecedented. If Hostel stepped over the line, then Train plows right through it.

It's a premiere, but no invite-only giftbag garbage. Just popcorn and Pepsi. (Sadly Mann's doesn't do Coke) So, if you like a little flesh and blood for dinner, be sure to book tickets soon, as they're bound to go quickly. Then head on over to Graumann's at 9pm on Thursday 16 October.

I'll be the one crouching in the back with the baseball cap pulled low...

(By the way, if you really want to milk the train experience, you could always catch the subway to Hollywood and Highland - and Graumann's mere steps away)

You Looked Better on MySpace

And who doesn't, right?

Well, me for one. I am one of only 26 humans who is not on MySpace. Neither am I on Facebook anymore, after tiring of downloading a new application every time someone sent me a message - only to discover that it's a blanket message, that I've been "bitten by a zombie" or been given a picture of a gift?!

Much happier here in blogland, where I can drop a line to everyone (and no-one) if and when the impulse strikes. Today, I was cruising through some photos and spotted this gem - clearly a Banksy or Banksy rip-off. Either way, thoroughly amusing. I took the snap last year somewhere in LA. Don't recall the location.

If only taggers were more creative, instead of scrawling gibberish that only they can understand. I'm sure they consider their skills somewhat artistic. I wish they could raise the bar a little. One of the more recent "street exhibits" I saw, was a murky white scrawl across the windows of Doughboys on Highland. Day after day, I would drive past and day after day, the writing remained. It appeared to have been drawn in glue and was clearly (sorry) indelible. A few weeks later, Doughboys closed down.

Were the taggers responsible? Were they demanding ransom in exchange for their top secret tag-removal solvent? Who knows? But within days, another, almost identical place had opened up. Same tables. Same chairs. Same food? Hopefully not.

As some of you may recall, the breakfast Doughboys served me... How shall I put it? Oh, why not? It sucked eggs.

Maybe taggers aren't all bad...

Greetings from Jersey

I spent the actual moment of my birthday - the stroke of midnight on the 12th - on the New York subway, travelling from the airport to my hotel. Only long enough to dump the bag and walk with buddy Ron towards Ground Zero, where 2 enormous beams of light cut paths into the night sky. An eery memorial to what were once the twin towers.

Ron and I were in town for the release of Greetings from the Shore, a film we both were in. Later that day in driving rain, we struggled out of the city to New Jersey and hopped between movie theatres to do poster signings. In the photo, from left to right is Ron Geren, Lars Arentz-Hansen, me and star Kim Shaw. Only Kim is on the poster and I would occasionally have to admit not being the guy on the left, while Lars had some young kids say that he'd lost a bit of weight since the poster shoot (thinking he was the guy on the right!) Sorry, but Paul Sorvino was not at the table that night.

It was good to see the old crowd again. Indeed, we hadn't all been together since the filming, and it was good to catch up with director Greg Chwerchak and writer/producer Gabrielle Berberich.

"Greetings" is showing in the East coast for the rest of the week. Check it out if you get the chance. It's a great little coming-of-age indie and the lead, Kim Shaw, in her first movie role, is definitely one to look out for.

I Love Winter

As Paris Hilton might say, "Summer is so hot!"

It's been unbearably, some might say unconstitutionally hot this year. And I'm over it. It was fun for perhaps a week, but that's it. I was bred for colder climes and my DNA simply cannot stand long and steamy days. Don't get me wrong - steamy can be good. Just not the solitary steamy kind of day, which saps one's energy before one's even left the house.

The heat aside, I've had a few interesting auditions. What do you wear as an Angel? You can't very well wear jeans. Nor can you wear a simple white shirt, as what pants do you put on? Black pants will make you look like a waiter and anything else just looks casual. And casual just isn't angelic.

What did I wear? A bathrobe. Yes, folks, a plush white bathrobe and flipflops. Pretty darn sneaky I thought. Until I stepped out of the car and worked up a rich and rewarding sweatiness. Nothing like a rosy cheeked glow for your audition. The casting director even decided to take a photo of "the first time anyone's come to see me in a bathrobe". Wonderful. Scratch that one.

Otherwise, I've read for a bank robber (role), a janitor and a house of horror host. I'm hoping one of these things will pan out. If not, I'll be off to New Jersey next week for Greetings From the Shore, the award-winning coming-of-age indie which opens on the East coast. I play one of a group of foreign busboys who provide the menace and, ultimately, romance for this postcard to summer holidays. Check out more details HERE