Strike is Over but No-One's Talking

I was overjoyed to see that a tentative agreement has been reached in the writers' strike and the machine can start up again within the next day or so. It's somewhat ironic that just as Hollywood can go back to work, they (or a large percentage of the industry) won't be able to talk. No, it's not a dreaded airborne 'lergy that's rendered thousands voiceless. Instead it's their cellphones that are down for the count.

Most of Hollywood has switched on to the Blackberry phenomenon, renowned for being the communication device of choice among producers, directors, writers, agents, actors, assistants and - well, anyone who aspires to be any of the aforementioned. Sadly, BB bit the dust today in the US. Not a few, not just in one area, but every single Blackberry device in North America has been reduced to a $500 phone book. Nice.

According to FOXNEWS:

An outage has disconnected BlackBerry smart phones across North America.
AT&T Inc. says the disruption Monday is affecting all wireless carriers.
AT&T first learned about the problem at about 3:30 p.m. EST.

There's no word on the cause or when the problem might be fixed.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion did not immediately return a phone call.

First there wasn't anything new to talk about for 3 months and now they have got something to say, nobody's listening 'cos they can't get through! I pity the poor assistants and unpaid interns across this town, who were no doubt dumped on from a dizzy height and will continue being abused until the BB service comes back online. Be brave, my friends, be brave.

Luckily I have a "normal" phone, which means I'm not affected by this problem. It also means I'm not a producer, director, agent or assistant and - unless the writers can call each other on their Crackberries and vote to end the strike, I won't be able to call myself an actor much longer, either. So get to it, Blackberry.

Can you hear me now?

RIP Roy Sheider

Iconic actor Roy Scheider lost his long battle with cancer and passed away today in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was 75. Roy was nominated for 2 Oscars; for the French Connection in '72 and All That Jazz in '79. But he was best known for his role as the police chief in 1975's Jaws - the first movie to make $100m at the box office. Who doesn't recall seeing that film for the first time and even now, some 33 years on, there must be precious few movie goers who haven't seen it.

I had the fortune of working with Roy, albeit briefly, on a little movie some years ago. I was only in one scene, but that was with him and I was taken by his charm and warmth. In fact, the warddrobe department put me in one of the suits set aside for the man himself. (A useless bit of trivia which may have more to do with the film's budget than the fact we both had a 30" waist - not bad for a guy of 69!)

Roy wasn't your typical leading man. He had a bit of a weathered look about him that, together with his skill and intensity, ensured his characters were never surface studies. Even towards the end of his career, in spite of his frail physicality, he remained as weighty as ever. He could still pierce you with a look.

Thank you, Mr Scheider. You remain an inspiration.

A Big Thank You

Just a quick one to say thanks to all those who responded to my blog - it wasn't intended to stir anything up. Merely my candid observation of a fan machine at work (nothing I've encountered before). Rest assured, I've been doing this long enough not to take anything personally. I am quite happy being an average looking character actor - as that's afforded me a much wider range of roles than I might otherwise have had.

My blog is merely a mildly lucid ramble about whatever sparks my interest - be it traffic on the 405 or, in this case, the GH forums. It is great to see people feel so strongly about their TV. Whether they love it or hate, they're watching and opinionated. And it's healthy to have an opinion.

Thanks especially to those who rallied to my defense - you didn't need to, but I am touched. And it's good to know you're out there. May you all have a splendid weekend!

Sincerely,
Faux Jax

Temperatures Run High on General Hospital

It was not without trepidation that I stepped onto a soap set to fill in for an actor on ABC's General Hospital. Very much a baptism by fire as these guys work fast - really fast. Like one take fast. That's fast - in case I'm being vague. Nevertheless I had a blast temping for the role of Jax. I was curious to see what the fans thought (and by fans I mean GH fans, not my own - lol). So after a quick Google, found I had been roasted. It seems the GH viewers are very protective of their Jax - as one might expect, seeing as he's been on the show for years and years.

If any of you GH fans stop by here, be assured I did my best on short notice to fill in for one of your favorites. Yes I'd love to be taller and better looking, but hey - you'd probably like that for yourselves, too. And a special message to Chandler - no, my cheeks are not surgically altered. They are God-given. As is my ugly face (thank you Shanda, I will treasure that comment). If I was to alter anything, it would be my calves. I have small calves and hours in the gym have done little to help. There. That's me.

Oh, and let me say that the whole team at GH was fabulous, warm and inviting. A great bunch and a pleasure to work with. Though, if the forums are anything to go by, it doesn't look like I'll be making a come back anytime soon. Unless of course it's to play AJ, brought back from the dead (good suggestion, Stacy!)

Will Gets His Star

So the other day I was driving through the grubby wasteland that is Hollywood and came across a crowd of camera waving fans. Fans of what, I wondered. Was it a premiere? No, in fact it was a Star ceremony on the Walk of Fame. The recipient - Will Smith.

Will had yet to arrive, so I pulled into a rare parking spot and stood amongst the excited throng, waiting across the street from Graumann's Chinese Theatre, to catch a glimpse of a true A-list star. After 30 minutes of jostling (and curses thrown at drivers who chose to stop and block our view), Will Smith arrived looking remarkably like Will Smith. He gave a sweet little speech about his meeting with Mandela and how the former President of South Africa shared an experience from his 27 years in captivity.

The prisoners saw one movie a year, and it so happened that they screened "In the Heat of the Night" that particular year. Mandela noticed an edit where something had been cut out by the censors, and asked through his channels what that might be. He discovered it was the scene where Sydney Poitier slapped Rod Steiger. At that moment, he said, he discovered the true power of film for change. If a Black man could be shown to strike a White man in an American film, then film was a powerful force.

Whether or not that made Will feel better about making $20m a picture, I do not know. I do know that Will always delivers. And even Elvis (albeit an Elvis impersonator on Hollywood Blvd), was captivated by the man of the hour. I managed to take this snap of him without him asking me for the customary 5 bucks. So we all went home happy, I guess. Some of us are just on a different list. The "no-one's really heard of me yet but they might one day" list. And that's promising.

"Yet" is a powerful thing, too.

You can throw the word at the end of any task or goal you've yet to complete or accomplish, and turn the whole thing around. Make it a positive.

Eg: I haven't started my diet..yet.

Or: I haven't done the dishes...yet.

You haven't done them yet, but the implication is that you will, sometime in the not-too-distant future. You WILL get to them. You WILL get it done.

So may I bid you a fond and festive farewell and wish that all your "yets" become yesses in the not-too-distant future!

Happy Holidays!

Lights On

Well we're there finally. My episode of Moonlight airs tonight at 9pm Pacific on CBS. Here's this week's storyline:

When a cult target a young woman based on their belief that she was responsible for their leader's death, Mick offers to help her.

I get to play the cult's leader, Donovan Shepherd, whose death may be a little less final than everyone would like to believe. (And whose most terrifying weapon is his hair) I couldn't resist but give a little snap of just how creepy this guy is. Definitely a departure from my Mr Nice Guy.

I don't think I'll be booking any baby sitter roles after this one...

I Saw the Moonlight

Great news. I get to play two of my longtime character dreams in one role. Can't go into detail (as usual), except to say I'm a guest star on new TV show Moonlighting, which follows vampire investigator (or investigating vampire) Mick as he solves crimes and battles evil. The show was Number 1 in it's Friday night slot last week, so a good episodic to get on!

I also read for a feature called The Human Contract, written and directed by Jada Pinkett Smith. Got to meet Jada, too, which was a treat. She was really warm and engaging and yes - she is gorgeous.

Moonlight airs Friday nights on CBS. Look out for a very different, follicly enhanced Gideon five weeks from now.

You won't be inviting this character over to babysit the kids...