Hollywood Days - David Moscow

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It's finally time to hear from my long-time friend David Moscow!

David and I met at a photo shoot for 16 Magazine. We developed a friendship despite the fact that we are about as different as they come. But that has made it fun and educational for both of us. As you read his blog posts . . . you'll see what I mean. Before I met David I remember going to a taping of his show Live In. (Anyone remember that show? How about Living Dolls with Halle Berry?) Years later I visited him on the set of Newsies where he was transformed (or forced?) into a singer and dancer. You wouldn't know it from David's byline, but he's been in a ton of stuff and continues to work consistently as an actor. He will be filming a new movie in the Fall in New York.

The first thing I should tell you about writing a blog page for Mrs Hagen is all the paperwork. Dirty language clauses, Wendy's right to final edit amendment, etc. In fact, just so you know, nearly none of this that you are reading is what I wrote. Most of my writing was unintelligible pagan x-rated garbage. And I wanna thank Wendy for cleaning it up and making it proper english.
I have horrible memory because Wendy tried to save my soul. It was in her Guardians apartment right along side the 101. She must have been 15. She explained to me that she had found god, that she was being born again (which looking back was such a mature and intuitive choice for someone that young) and that if I wanted I could come with her to church. I declined for many reasons but mostly not wishing to drink or eat a persons flesh. Wendy's failure to convince led me to a life of substance abuse which affected my memory (Don't blame yourself Wendy, even if my family does). So in writing this I don't have much to draw from, the images are flitting, dim and usually of Jerry's deli (which for some reason was the greatest place ever). Besides the aformentioned I also remember that Wendy was a short little thing with a ton of heart. She was able to make friends very easily, a talent I watched with wonder. (The last couple sentences were added by Mrs. Hagen).
But I digress. This focus of this blog really began at a photo shoot.

The Hollywood of my youth was such a small world. Everyone really knew everyone else or knew someone who did. These days, the town is gigantic with people coming and going each year. Their dreams of stardom growing or fizzling with the end of each pilot season. But back then it felt pretty cozy, us the lucky few. There wasn't rent to pay and if your parents could make it happen and you were particularly cute or interesting you got to have a pretty exciting childhood shuckin' and jiving (though this may have been just my experience). Anyway there was photo shoot. And this photo shoot (along with living at the Oakwood apartments) became the foundation for my social life in Los Angeles. I had just booked T.V. show and had transplanted to the left coast knowing no-one. I remember walking into the shoot and being terrified. I remember I had this terrible hair cut and rather large ears and the photographer kept asking me to move further and further away from the camera. I also had one of the personalities that snuck up on ya with a baseball bat. You didn't know I was there until it was too late, then we were friends cuz I told ya so. And I felt like the other kids all knew each other which didn't bode well for me sneaking up on anyone. But I emerged from the shoot unharmed with new friends. Close ones. Who lasted for years, which in Hollywood time are like dog years. By this logic Wendy and I have been friends for 140 years now. She has aged well, me not so much (that was Wendy again).

This pic is taken at some point during my UCLA years. David joined me and a bunch of my friends for dinner. And he survived.
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Stayed tuned next week (hopefully) when David will do a post (David, that means you need to write it - get on that buddy) about his experience on Newsies.

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