Grant Wilfley Cattle Call for two feature films

I swore to myself that I would not waste my time going to one of these cattle calls. Last time I went to one of these, I had to stand outside for hours in a huge line of people just to fill out some forms and get a quick digital snap-shot taken. So it was no surprise to head out into the city and see hundreds of people with headshots and resumes in their hands, shivering in the cold waiting to get inside to the doors of the church where they were holding the "auditions".

This cattle call was at least at a decent location over by W.59th St and 9th avenue at the church of Saint Peter the Apostle. it's definitely a huge area to hold a throng of people, though there were just TOO many people to bring in at once.


I recall being in this church before when I was on that movie "Don't Mess with the Zohan" starring Adam Sandler and ended up being a horrible experience. I knew that the location of the church sounded all too familiar and when I got to W 59th and started walking across Columbus Circle,the flashbacks of the horror became all too clear. I will never forget the 3 days/nights on that shoot with NO food and No respect at all. Oh did I mention NO waivers for being out in the cold miserable rains...The list goes on, though I will stop here on that "Zohan Mess"!



I really know how things work too well and how to work the system. Why in the world I still don't have my SAG Waivers...Ask the "GOD of SAG Waivers" I wish I knew why I am still a non-union loser after all this time.



Moving on...So I got there and luckily I saw my friend "D" in line as soon as I crossed the street. Talk about luck b/c this means I avoided having to wait in the line wrapping around the end of the block. Eventually after standing outside for about a half of an hour, which wasn't too bad, we got inside to the church where there were rows of chairs for our next step to sit down and fill out a form which consisted of everything from your name to your bra size. Oh yeah don't forget color and make of your car, if you have one. Very Important information...



The two movies that they were "auditioning" for was an untitled "Nancy Meyers Project" and oh yeah...the movie that I auditioned for on a callback which I didn't get and would have meant a feature role and instant SAG..Named "The Sorcerers Apprentice" . Yes, I auditioned for the role of a Russian Woman and was really close to getting it, though it didn't happen.

Here is the original blog of my devastating failure and how I blew an opportunity of a life time:

http://annietalentsearch.blogspot.com/2009/01/call-backs-for-sorcerers-apprentice.html

So you can imagine how I felt even going to this cattle call. It's humiliating and embarrassing at this point. There I was offered a "Golden Opportunity" and it was stripped from me in an instant.

I'm sure the entire New York Actors Roster will be called for the one thousand people scene that they plan to shoot in April of this year. I'm sure I'll get a waiver for being in a crowd scene. Lord knows I was right beside Julia Roberts in "Duplicity" which is showing on Movie Trailers right now and I got NOTHING out of that.

Life is a long lesson in humility by --- J.M. Barrie --- I think I have humiliated myself enough and need to move on..

Sigh ;(

Wilkomen 2009! Bienvenue!

Finally made it to my callback for the Sorcerer's Apprentice, a Disney film. Spent the last two weeks up in Canada Land for the Christmas Holidays. Being around with family and Friends was great, though I could not stop thinking about this audition.

I entered this new year with "Great Expectations" knowing that I had a booked audition to come back to. This wasn't for some lousy "cattle call", this was for a real role/part and a chance to really get ahead after all the crappy lousy non-rewarding background work I have done in the past.

Perhaps I focused on it too much and this is why chaos ensued. It wasn't horrible, though not my all time best. I hope I get another call back to re-audition. The fact is when in this lifetime will I EVER get a golden opportunity like this one again?? The following describes that days events:



The call back was as expected where they wanted me to partner up with a Russian man and to see how that would look on camera. So from the very start in the waiting room, I come in with my Russian hat and start with "I'm Herer for ze callback, Yes!" Seconds later, Julie the Woman who initially auditioned me came out and said Hi and introduced my partner to me.



This man was probably union and very snobby. I tried to talk to him, but he was like dead wood. Normally you want to talk to your partner to get a feel for what they are like and it helps to connect in the audition process as we may end up working together.

I asked him who sent him here and he goes "St. Clair" agency. That was the extent of our communication outside in the waiting room. So I got ZERO vibes from him, and was called in shortly after to come into the room.

The Woman Julie who initially auditioned me was there plus 5 other casting directors this time in the room. I didn't get intimidated and went right into character with this dead wood of a man. We both get into the scene which is basically where the Russian man has this huge urn that he found at some flea market.

So he is opening up this urn with a crowbar and the lid is really heavy so he is grunting and moaning. My part was to basically get angry and be the wife and nudge him on to what he is doing and what an idiot he is. All of a sudden he gets the lid open and POOF a big black smoke and some evil spirit like a genie appears. The Russian Woman is taken aback in utter shock and races out and screams. This is what I did, only too assertively.

There was this huge backdrop they put in behind us as a green screen. So when I did the SHOCK thing, I ran out to the the corner wall, grabbed the backdrop curtain and down it came! It was SO embarrassing. Luckily they had a step ladder handy and immediately fixed it. I got one more shot at it as the director was explaining what he wanted from the character.That was it. Said Thank you and Good bye. No hints if I will hear a word from my agent, nothing.

This is worse than American Idol, b/c at least with Idol, the judges tell you right then and there if you suck and didn't get the part. Now it's this huge waiting stressful game of did I get it or not. If I don't get called soon, then I guess it's gone, and then I will wonder what I did wrong for weeks.

The only good thing is that by "breaking the curtain" at least they will remember me. Don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing. I have no idea. I wish I knew. So that's the latest.

Now I'm even more stressed out with the unknown. Sigh ;(