If you are new to my blog, on Wednesdays I post about my experience in Hollywood as a former child/teen actress. If you want to start at the beginning of these posts go here.
-------
When I was working in Hollywood I got to attend some cool events. Like the Youth in Film Awards. And I got to dress all fancy. Fortunately, I had a friend named Tiffany. Everyone needs a friend like Tiffany who has a closet full of fancy dresses. I borrowed a dress for almost every single fancy event I attended. So Tiffany, this post is dedicated to you in all your fanciful glory. Thank you Tiffany.
Youth in Film Awards. And once again, Mario surrounded by the ladies.
At an Athletes and Entertainers For Kids event with . . . a professional football player. Anyone know who it is because I can't remember even though he was thrilled to pose with me and his armpit almost swallowed me.
I know my dress is overshadowed and over-golded by Elise Kim (founder of AEFK on the far right), but props to Tiffany for knowing that gold was the "in" color.
And the winner for the $25 Amazon gift card giveaway and copy of Totally Desperate Mom is . . . #14 Rebekah! Here is what you she learned . . . packing is just not fun. I have to agree, but it is a great opportunity to clear out stuff and simplify. Rebekah - please leave a comment with your email address to claim your prize!
Last month I spoke at Hume Lake Mother/Daughter retreat. I brought my dear friend Marissa with me, who I met working at Hume Lake in the summer of 1996. And as of Tuesday, she is my next door neighbor!!! So excited about that especially because she won't be smoking pot in her backyard. And said pot will not flow over the fence into my kids' bedrooms. It's the little things. Where was I . . . HUME LAKE!
I did two seminars: one on "Bold Faith: Trusting God with the Hard Stuff" one called "Simplicity and Contentment: Living the Un-American Dream." There was just a tad of irony and a ton of laughter that there was no space left at the official book table for my books because the main speaker and worship team brought . . . a lot of stuff. Jesus paraphernalia, if you will. So Marissa and I just jimmy-rigged (well, we just grabbed a chair, but I just wanted to use that word) this jenky (another good word!) book "table" and kept it simple. And laughed some more.
It was even funnier when we came back the next morning to find my amazing book table in shambles. Lucky for us, it was pretty simple to get it back in working order.
Marissa and I had a great weekend. We met some awesome people including Megan Fate Marshman. I when I say awesome - I mean it. Sweet, hilarious, honest, gifted, passionate, lover of Jesus. Her skills on the wiffle ball field were notable and she is my new favorite women's speaker. You can hear why here.
Speaking of wiffle ball . . .
It had been many years (maybe a hundred) since I had played.
I was gonna wear my jeans and running shoes. But then a new friend said, "You're not gonna wear that are you?" She asked me if I brought a headband. You bet I did.
So Marissa and I headed back to our room to find more appropriate wiffling attire.
(Far right is Lauren the "You're not gonna wear that, are you?" friend)
And then we played. I may involuntarily pee my pants when I jump rope, but I still have an ounce of athleticism in this mom bod so I almost nailed a duck in the lake. But there were some women out there . . . probably never touched a bat or a ball. And it was fun. And funny. Especially when one woman ran from second base straight to home. And then we had a woman who was heckling and I named her "Hecks" and then we made her play.
My Lydia loves animals. So we decided to have a zoo party at our house.
I booked an actual petting zoo to come to our house for an hour and ordered the cake pops by Missy (from a Plum District deal!) in advance. Everything else was thought up and/or purchased 24 hours before the party. Because I am just that Pinteresty. This party could have also been titled "A Playdate on Steroids" party. We had over 20 little girls running around our cul-de-sac and I didn't lose any.
So here are 17 easy steps to a zoo party for a six-year-old girl!
Activities included:
1. Sidewalk chalk. Mix it with water and you are painting.
2. Bike party.
3. Bike/Scooter washing station.
4. Jump roping station.
5. Watch and wait for the petting zoo to be set up.
6. Pet the animals.
7. Chase the animals.
8. Ride a pony. (Totally unplanned and unpaid for!)
9. See pregnant ladies. Including blogger and party thrower extraordinaire, Mel. She taught me everything I know about party throwing. I just don't do any of it :) I don't want to upstage her cuz she tries. God bless her. Maybe one of these days she'll pull of a kid's birthday party.
10. Eat snacks and chat about life and animals.
11. Hug your kindergarten teacher when she comes to the party.
12. Sing happy birthday and eat some cake pops and cupcakes.
13. Tatt it out.
15. Hug your Grandma who helped with all the snacks.
16. Give out awesome party favors. The Hagen staple, party music mix featuring "Christmas Must Be Something More" by Taylor Swift.
17. Prepare to write up a bunch of thank you cards.
THE END
Be sure to enter my giveaway for the $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of Totally Desperate Mom. A book of party planning for kids :)
If you are new to my blog, on Wednesdays I post about my experience in Hollywood as a former child/teen actress. If you want to start at the beginning of these posts go here.
-------
Welcome back to part two of my post featuring my old actor friend Andre Gower. Read Part one here. This is the VH1ish segment . . . where are they now? Juggling in stonewashed jeans? Sorry folks, those days are gone. Well, the stonewashed jeans anyway . . . read on. (My comments in red.)
Here's a little recap of Andre's career:
Entering Hollywood at age five, Andre spent 13 years being cast in over 100 commercials, television shows, print work, and movies both local and national. His first movie roles were in 1979′s The Man in the Santa Claus Suit, a classic Christmastime television movie co-starring Fred Astaire, and Kiss My Grits, a 1982 comedy caper. He followed in the footsteps of his sister, Carlena Gower, best known as young Angela in the classic movie The Towering Inferno.
Andre went on to fill the role of Derek on Days of Our Lives in 1980 before portraying Brooks Prentiss on long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless. Next came a co-starring role in the 1983 series Baby Makes Five, also starring Peter Scolari (Bosom Buddies, That Thing You Do!). It was during this time that Andre learned from Peter how to juggle, a skill Andre practices to this day.
(You guys, I totally remember this pic from the teen mags. It must have been viral because my memory is not that good.)
A lot of other shows followed: Night Court, Highway to Heaven, T.J. Hooker, The New Twilight Zone, My Two Dads, Hogan Family, Mr. Belvedere, Remington Steele, Knight Rider, A-Team, and many more. And of course, the movie cult-classic movie The Monster Squad and the TV series Mr. President.
Andre in an old Nike commercial. "Sky High" before "Air Jordan."
-------
Back in 2000, I lived in Las Vegas for a few years working in a creative and development capacity in the Hotel and Casino industry. We created and designed great projects and I was in charge of the materials and presentations that we created. It was an interesting experience and I learned a lot from those years.
After that, I actually shifted back to LA and was active in the industry a little more reading for roles, commercials and even teaching some classes to new actors. An old friend of mine from high school and I then started a production development endeavor where we shopped completed screenplays and treatments to our industry contacts and looked to develop some deals for some un-repped writers. I was also active in writing my own projects and treatments as well and learned a lot about that process.
It was then, that I began wondering how I could bridge my two distinctly separate worlds – growing up acting in Hollywood and the world of post-teen days (college, adult friends, Living in NC, business experience etc.). I came up with an idea to create a large-scale film festival for the city of Asheville, North Carolina. Since I was a UNCA grad and had many ties to the community and friends there, it was a no-brainer. I spent the better part of a year getting the project together and then went back to present the idea to people I knew. Everyone loved the idea and was behind it 100% - even the city itself…. I then realized I was no longer a part of the project I brought them and was dealing with a situation I had never been in before. Someone had all my ideas, notes, financials and artwork and decided to go about it on their own. (Ahhh bummer)
Without much legal recourse, I took the next year and rebranded my project, created a competing festival model and created my own company CINEMASOUTH, LLC to run with it. I had a lot of success in re-launching the new project and was even approached by the city (3 years later) to buy their crappy event from them and make it a success. We declined.
Worked for another year or two trying to get the project rolling and I decided to shelve it once again as funding issues loomed.
I learned A LOT from those years of trying to put something like that together.
Lead up to 2006, I have been in NC working for a friend of mine’s company that involves travel to sports events as well as still using my company to create and activate various projects and events myself.
North Carolina has a robust production history and is gaining back the momentum it had a few years ago. I am currently reading for various films and TV shows from here. I have worked on a few projects recently as well as some national commercials that shot here. I am currently attached to a neat small-budget feature hopefully set to start shooting this summer as well as a large film (small role) that I can’t discuss in detail (or death by stone... washing) shooting here this summer as well.
In addition to all that, I continue to be invited to personal appearances at major horror conventions and for screenings of MONSTER SQUAD around country. These are really neat as we get to meet great fans and make new friends. It’s really interesting how dear some people hold this film and what it means to them and it’s been 25 years! (AKA we are getting so old). I am always looking to be as active as I can be in the industry from a creative standpoint and/or acting platform. I work with local actors on auditioning and scene prep. And I have developed a new series, with a friend of mine in LA, that revolves around all of us former child stars. A neat project, that I will keep you informed on the progress. (I'd watch it.)
I have been married for 2.5 years to my wife Michelle (we got married in Vegas!) and have been renovating a house for 3 years. Almost done…hopefully. (Beautiful wife)
More of Andre over at his website - especially if you are interested in the entertainment industry - then and now.
------ Thank you Andre for taking time out to do this and congratulations on surviving marriage while renovating a house! And if you are ever in the SF Bay Area please come over and shoot hoops with my son. He is a baller. P.S. Sorry I don't know how to put the accent over your name on blogger. ----- GIVEAWAY TIME: Since Andre is most passionate about learning . . . leave a comment telling us something you learned this week - about parenting, life, food, fitness, movies, pop culture, hardship, Andre Gower, finances, dogs, juggling, etc. Bonus entry - go like Totally Desperate Mom on Facebook and then leave a comment letting me know that you did. And then you could win a $25 gift card to Amazon and a copy of Totally Desperate Mom if random. org picks you on June 12th.
Last week Elijah had an ortho appointment and as we were walking through the door I realized the awesomeness of my kids' outfits.
1. Lydia in her pajama bottoms and leftover fairy face painting from the day before. Yes, she went like that to school.
2. Elijah in his flood sweats that he says he will wear until he grows them into shorts. Along with his flip flops and sandals. Yes, he went like that (minus the flip flops) to school.
3. Jordis in her mismatched shoes (which you cannot see) along with a huge bruise on her forehead which you can kind of see. And of course, her everyday dress that Grandma got her from Costco.
So I told them to get on the couch for a photo and this is what I got. The perfect photo for a Hagen Christmas card.
If you are new to my blog, on Wednesdays I post about my experience in Hollywood as a former child/teen actress. If you want to start at the beginning of these posts go here.
-------
Do you remember this face? Teen Beat, Bop, Big Bopper, 16, Tiger Beat. It was all over it back in the late 80s and early 90s.
I was very familiar (in a BOP magazine way) with Andre Gower when Kerry and I ran into him at an audition at NBC. Between my Units belt and Kerry's XXXL Rugby, I think Andre was starstruck. After I got the role on The New Lassie (a year or two later), Andre and I ended up at a lot of the same events. By then we had moved on to Z Cavariccis (WHY DID THOSE EVER GO OUT OF STYLE?) and The Wet Seal. Andre has resurrected his blog so be sure to check it out when you are done over here - especially if you or your kid has any interest show business.
Here we are a few years later at some shindig with my partner-in-shin digging, Christina Nigra.
Andre and I recently reconnected thanks to this fad called the Internet. He was googling "groupies you meet at auditions" and found this post. He enjoyed surfing around my Hollywood posts and walking down memory lane . . . so I sucked him into memory lane and this Q and A.
You may remember Andre from the movie Monster Squad, over 100 TV commercials, the shows Valerie's Family, The Young and the Restless, Mr. President, or my favorite . . . Circus of the Stars. Andre has over 30 years of acting experience and yet, he seems to have turned out normal!
1. How
did you get into show business?
My Older
sister was in it before I was. She did tv and film in the 70’s and early 80’s,
most notably as the little girl in The Towering Inferno. I was always around it
and began working in commercials around age 5.
2. You
left Hollywood for North Carolina for about 10 years. Why?
I
actually left after I graduated high school as I had an opportunity to play
basketball in college which was a long-time dream of mine. I didn’t want to
pass on that opportunity. I decided you can always read for parts and act. You
only get one chance to play basketball in college.
Some of
my closest friends are from those years and I don’t regret one minute of it. I
had a great time in college, got an education and loads of memories.
I have
been back and forth in Hollywood for the last 10 or 12 years.
3. What
was your favorite show/movie to work on? And who was your favorite person to
work with?
Hmmm. I
worked a quite a few great sets. The largest and most encompassing experience
was probably working on The Monster Squad. It was a big budget film with lots
of locations, special effects and creatures.
The fact
that is has had a huge resurgence in the last 5 years and a special edition DVD created solely from fan demand has certainly made it very important to me.
There were a lot of great people on that production (Cast and crew). Obviously
Fred Dekker (Director) was a great guy as was Shane Black who then was a fresh,
young writer who became one of the biggest names in screenplays.
Anthony Michael Hall, Zach Galligan, and Andre a the Horror Con in Baltimore. September 2011
I did
work with George C. Scott on the tv show Mr. President for 2 seasons. That was
a something to remember. I actually wish I could recall more stuff than I can.
He was a force to be reckoned with and quite an experience to be around. That
show also had the likes of Madeline Kahn, Conrad Bain, Johnny Carson and Ed
Weinberger.
The most
memorable was probably doing Circus of the Stars - twice. Even though it’s just
a one-time shoot, as you know, it is months of training and learning. There is
no experience like that out there. It was incredible to do that at such a young
age.
4. I
didn't know you too well, but it didn't appear that you were crazy or out
nightclubbing with your parents. What do you think the key is for a child actor
to stay grounded?
Mostly
having solid support, good parenting and people watching out for me. I also had
a pretty good balance of industry life and “normal” life. I had a lot of
friends that weren’t in the business and was always involved in team sports and
activities that weren’t connected to Hollywood. (Note: Andre went to high school with our friend Russ. You know, that Russ?)
Plus I
wasn’t a dumb-ass. I was never one to look to get into trouble. I was able to
navigate growing up in the business and stay away from the pitfalls and
problems that some seem to be unable to avoid or either ran into full-steam.
But, this topic is a whole blog itself!
5 . I did
Circus of the Stars in 1990. One of the greatest experiences of my life. Do you
feel the same about it? How long did you train for that and how many bruises
and blisters did you get over that time period?
I was
fortunate enough to do the show twice. When I was 10 and again when I 14. I did
an aerial act called “The Double Cradle” with Tracey Gold and then had a solo
act on the “Low Wire” (which is very different from the high-wire). I can’t say
enough about the show itself, the people that ran it and the people you met
doing it. To be friends with these extraordinary performers from all over the
World that have these amazing
talents was just very cool.
I was
introduced to the show from a great friend Peter Scolari (Bosom Buddies,
Newhart etc.) who taught me how to juggle when we worked on a tv show called
BABY MAKES FIVE. He had done COTS the year before and was doing it again so he
brought me out and introduced me to the producers and trainers and they put me
through a few work outs and offered me a spot in the show.
I trained
for about 3-4 months each time. The first act (double cradle) was set up in a
warehouse over at the fairgrounds in the Valley. They also had the tiger act in
the same building so I got to spend 2-3 hours every morning before school
flying through air next to 9 tigers!
The
second time I spent at Bob Yerkes yard the entire time training for the Low
Wire (which is only 8-feet high, but has a spring on one end so the wire
actually sways and bounces as opposed to the taught High-Wire). That was
another 3 or 4 months straight every evening running, jumping and flipping on a
steel cable.
I have
been friends with Bob Yerkes ever since we first met and I even stop by his
house to say hi or work out from time to time. I will go jump on the
trampoline, walk the wire or fly on the trapeze when I get a chance. I even
used to go every Thursday and Saturday to work out with famous stunt men
learning how to fight for the camera, high falls, choreography etc.
The
things I did and learned from that time have stayed with me and I still enjoy
them.
And thanks to YouTube we can all enjoy the Circus.
6. Did
you have a subscription to any of the Teen magazines? And who was your TeenBeat
crush?
I never
had a subscription, but I was in all of them so I had/have hundreds of teen
mags in storage. (MUST FIND THEM!)
As for my
teenage crush?....I don’t know if there was only one. Being friends with all you
cute girls of that day made it hard to narrow it down. (Vote Andre for President)
Andre and the ladies - Bottom row Hilary VanDyke, Alyson Hannigan, me (Wendy Cox), Christina Nigra. Top row: Soliel Moon Frye. And then a bunch of dudes like Jason Marsden, Stephen Dorff, Brian Austin Green. . .
Same day. Same crew at Magic Mountain.
7.
Favorite TV show now and favorite TV show 20 years ago?
Then - Jeopardy
Now - Jeopardy
8. You
still work in the industry - what are the biggest changes for a child actor now
versus what was happening back the olden days?
I think the exposure is the biggest change. The vastness of
programming and outlets for kids to work these days is enormous. Back in the
day there was no cable, barely any pay-channels and there wasn’t a ton of kids programming like there is today.
We now have multiple shows and even whole networks geared
directly to younger audiences. So the basic amount of work has increased
exponentially.
Back in the days of yore…you had your show or movie, some
magazines and that was it. Maybe you got on Entertainment Tonight or a talk
show but that was kind of it.
Today…the internet has made it possible to have constant
exposure 24/7 all around the World. Add to that the digital entertainment
publications, websites, gossip sites, social media, blogs etc., you could be
literally everywhere at once.
That has to create a different mindset then 20 years ago and
I can only imagine how it actually affects young people when they are trying to
develop a sense of self or determine what and how they experience the World.
Growing up is hard as it is, doing it in that environment is something totally
different.
Plus, the money is a lot more these days!
9. Would
you let your child get into show business at a young age?
I think so, as long as he/she was comfortable and actually
wanted to be there. I wouldn’t force them and hopefully, it would never be a
case where I had to rely on my child’s income to live.
When that’s the case, you start getting into some dangerous
territory that borders on insane. Parents end up in a lot of trouble when they
have to rely on their kids to provide. It should actually never be used to
fully support others and only be a small supplement -if anything. The money
they make should go to them for their future (more than just the Coogan money)
and that money should be managed professionally or at least diligently.
10. Starbucks,
Peet's, or The Coffee Bean?
I ‘m not
a coffee drinker. I am a tea fiend. They all have decent tea!
11. What
are you most passionate about?
Learning. Well then Andre, you'll probably like learning about what I just found on YouTube. Have you seen it?
12. What are you doing now? Ahhh . . . you guys will have to come back for next week's post for the update on Andre!
Now go check out Andre's blog and come back next week to find the "Where Are They Now?" scoop.
Welcome friends, family, randoms, lurkers, blog addicts, fellow desperate moms, and Bono. This blog consists of mostly funny stuff that will make you feel better about yourself. Lots of mom comedy, non-Kodak moments, and un-fashion tips. On Wednesdays I write about my life as a former childhood actress complete with posts about how the entertainment business works, actors I met (or stalked), people and animals I worked with, my Hollywood friends, and photos of former teen heartthrobs. And if that’s not enough to draw you in to follow me . . . I have done some amazing giveaways. A rubber chicken, millions of doll hairs, and unlimited supplies of air. Come join the party.
At an Athletes and Entertainers For Kids event with . . . a professional football player. Anyone know who it is because I can't remember even though he was thrilled to pose with me and his armpit almost swallowed me.
Welcome friends, family, randoms, lurkers, blog addicts, fellow desperate moms, and Bono. This blog consists of mostly funny stuff that will make you feel better about yourself. Lots of mom comedy, non-Kodak moments, and un-fashion tips. On Wednesdays I write about my life as a former childhood actress complete with posts about how the entertainment business works, actors I met (or stalked), people and animals I worked with, my Hollywood friends, and photos of former teen heartthrobs. And if that’s not enough to draw you in to follow me . . . I have done some amazing giveaways. A rubber chicken, millions of doll hairs, and unlimited supplies of air. Come join the party.
