And in 5...4...3...2.

Yay, busy couple of weeks in town.

An awards show, a concert special and two major feature films...

Working with Lionel Richie was inspiring. The guy is like 60 or older and lean, mean, energy machine! Shows what healthy living can do for you. Also, I noticed how nervous some of the other performers were to do his music. that's sweet to see, hardly ever do. Guess The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, even Blake Shelton were a bit out of their comfort zone. Of course they all did a great job at the taping, which airs April 13, (CBS I think).  Appreciated that we got tickets for the show, don't always, that's for sure. Of course I always feel a bit awkward when I am in my cheap seats and start talking to people and mention I was, for example, a stand in or a host stand in. Sometimes it seems they don't quite believe me....why would I have such lame seats.....don't blame them for thinking that. But being hired by production and being "one of" production is not the same thing. Guess I am just a "puppet" for hire!

Before that it was the Academy of Country Music Awards. Stood in for Reba as host for the first time. That was fun....with a small but manageable level of stress....what can I say, "Dick Clark Productions" peeps make me nervous. Back to Reba, of course I stand in for about every host in town so why not her now too? It's a position I enjoy and appreciate!

I am working night shoots, started last night. There are two movies in town. One starring Russell Brand, Julianne Hough, and the other with Morgan Freeman and Jesse Eisenberg.  Last night was the Russell Brand film. Call time was 7:30 and wrapped at 6:00am. Long night, started out with Fremont Street full and busy! By the time 3:30 rolled around it was as quiet as a church and that's when Mr. Brand emerged for his scenes. Before that it was Julianne Hough and Octavia Spencer doing the crowd scenes...guess they don't have the same danger as being mobbed as he does. I had a pleasant night, if you count standing all night on Fremont Street pleasant. Anyone who works on sets knows that's the way it goes though!  I had been one of two considered to be Julianne's stand in but another girl was chosen. When I saw her I thought she made a better stand in looks wise than I would have.

Guess what? Now that the SAG and AFTRA* unions have merged as of 3/30 my sister is now SAG too! So she will soon be working alongside me on these films making almost twice as much as before as a non union actor...which still isn't much, you'd be surprised if you're not in the business. Anyway, in these times it helps! Of course now there are twice the union people in town than there were. That doesn't bother me though. Both myself and Karen have good reputations and histories with production here in Vegas so I don't think it will really affect either one of us in any real way.

Noticed that our local SAG leader, Steve Clinton came by at the beginning of the shoot just to check things out. That was a nice surprise.

*Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television & Radio Artists