2020 was such a rollercoaster year for so many people, myself included. I can’t think of another year that I’ve experienced in which every week was something new and unpredictable. The mental, physical, and emotional highs and lows were constantly exhausting as all signs of what was considered “normal” continued to slip away.
That being said, some of the highs I experienced, were easily some of my biggest highs that I’ve had since moving to Los Angeles.
Back in January 2020, when in person auditions were still a thing, I’d gotten an audition to play the role of a rookie police officer. Like so many auditions before this one, I did everything I needed to do to prepare, and went into the casting office to deliver the best audition that I possibly could.
While I can say that the casting director was extremely polite during my audition, I wasn’t especially convinced that I’d done anything worth noting for the role. My audition time was scheduled near the end of the work day, which meant that there had been (at least) a few dozen other auditions that had been given for the same role. The casting director also had one of the best poker faces I’d ever seen, so if I’d impressed her I couldn’t tell. She thanked me for my audition, I thanked her for considering me, and left.
So imagine my surprise when, a few days later, I get an email from my agent saying that the production company wants to put me on hold for the role. Then, a few days after that, I get a phone call from my agent saying that they want to book me for the role.
Cliché as it may sound, I wanted to pinch myself every day leading up to, and the days of, the shoot. It’s hard to put in words how it feels to actually be experiencing something you’ve worked so hard to obtain for YEARS. I’m not easily emotionally moved but boy did I cry more than a few times throughout the experience 😥 😥 Tears of Joy of course.
There’s so much more I can say about the personal significance of this role. The fact that I booked this the same year that I was considering leaving Los Angeles… that’s the type of confirmation that you don’t just ignore.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy a brief highlight reel of my scenes as “Officer Lando” in Discovery ID Network’s “Betrayed” Series. The episode is titled “The Body in the Cornfield.”
