First Person

Shark Attack on Sunset Boulevard

In quick succession, five agents in five weeks have passed on representing me. They all used essentially the same reason:  "We have too many blondes with far more credits who are just like you."

Diving Deeper

I found that I had a special talent in perceiving other people's feelings and making them feel better. I refused to let myself, or anyone else, fall into sadness.

A Bit of English in Times Square

"Be careful what you wish for. It might come true!" my dad once said to six-year-old me when I mentioned my ambition to move to New York City and become an actress.

Casting Myself

I was willing to make one last big effort, and go out with a bang, so to speak. Making a feature film could be just that: One that I wrote and in which I appeared as the lead.

The Interview

I swore I would never wait tables again, but here I am—applying at one of L.A.'s finest Italian restaurants. I've come to terms with the fact that I need to make money. Instead of acting.

Learning the Ropes of Broadway With ‘Memphis’

Actor J. Bernard Calloway, who plays Delray Farrell in "Memphis," shares his journey with the show.

Bukowski and Popsicles in a Hollywood Meeting

I'm sitting across from one of the biggest directors in Hollywood, and he's trying desperately to remember the name of a film.  "Carla?  What's the name of that picture?  You know, about the pirates?"

El Pasado and Present

But there's something else.  Yes, he's a beautiful man, but he has another quality that I'm starting to notice. He swims like no one's watching. Like he's the only one out there.

Just Say No

An actor knows he can count on one sure way to land the audition of a lifetime—simply make plans for a much-needed, much-anticipated, much-looked-forward-to-and-carefully-planned trip.

One Child's Eyes

I slowly realize my whole life is about acting. Every day is 24/7 auditioning, acting class, new headshots, meeting with 'producers'—and waiting tables to pay for all of it. What happened to 'my life'?