Blacktress is watching her favorite Sunday night TV shows, (all of which she hopes to appear on one day) when suddenly it hits her, that not one of these shows has ever featured a blacktress in a major or recurring role. I hate America, she thinks. Ordinarily she might call Nirvana to complain about this. But just that morning the girls agreed to begin The 21 day No Complaining Challenge, recommended by Oprah.com. So she calls Iyanla instead.
May 28, 2012
Now Showing: WHITE FRIENDS
Posted by Blacktress World under weekly column | Tags: actor's journey, black friends, blacktress, blogs about actors, blogs for actors, blogs for women, diversity in the media, Friends, lack of diversity on television, los angeles, no black friends, no white friends, race relations, sociology and race, the adventures of blacktress, white friends |[5] Comments
January 10, 2011
Now Showing: HOMESICK
Posted by Blacktress World under weekly column | Tags: actor journey, actress, Archie Bunker, auditioning in los angeles, black actress, blacktress, blacktress world, cop shows, Crooklyn, Jennifer Aniston, los angeles, online column, Stevie Wonder, the adventures of blacktress |[5] Comments
Today, Blacktress finds herself walking onto a small studio lot with a self-assuredness that surprises her. In the last year she’s booked the role of a Ugandan refugee, a depression era jazz singer, a teenage Crip girl, and is in serious contention for the role of Chantal, a pre-op tranny hooker. Today, she’s up for a part far less challenging.
This breakdown reads like my bio, she thinks. Piece of cake.
May 24, 2010
Now Showing: Type is of the Essence
Posted by Blacktress World under weekly column | Tags: black actress, blacktress, casting director workshops, casting directors, dinner parties, essence, headshots, hollywood, leimert park, online column, the adventures of blacktress, the business of acting, typecasting |[5] Comments
Blacktress has just arrived at Get Cast Now Acting Workshops. This week’s guest casting director Rick Peterson, on the other hand, has not. But his reputation precedes him and it stinks up the place…
“He’s a snarky little asshole,” a workshop devotee cautions, while stapling her resume to the back of her headshot.
Twenty minutes later he barrels in, bitching about traffic. Blacktress hands him her picture. He studies it, then her, then the picture again.
“Ewww. You need new pictures. I hate this one.”
April 18, 2010
Photo Story: Survival of the Fittest
Posted by Blacktress World under photo story | Tags: actors in los angeles, black actress, blacktress, gold rush, griffith park, hollywood boulevard, model, oscar, photo story, photography, survival of the fittest, the adventures of blacktress, wild west |[3] Comments
Each year throngs of actors relocate to the wild wild west to take part in what could be known as the modern day Gold Rush: the pursuit of golden statues and golden stars on Hollywood Blvd. If they are at least half as lucky as they are talented, they’ll have a shot in hell. But leaning on a good smile and a BFA will have the weak clicking their heels back home before their studio apartment lease expires. Successfully navigating the journey requires adapting a skill set rarely taught in theater school. It’s a business. It’s a game. It’s a jungle out there. Go hard or go home. But on the road to Oscar there’s a lot of down time. Be bold. Be brave. Be Blessed. And good luck! Photographer Miles Feld and actress Diarra Kilpatrick take to Griffith Park to learn how the strong survive…
Click more to see the rest of this photo story…
April 5, 2010
Now Showing: The Law of Perception
Posted by Blacktress World under weekly column | Tags: black actress, blacktress, cop shows, hollywood, make-up, online column, santa monica, short actors, South Central, the Grove, Tom Cruise |[7] Comments
Call is 11am. Blacktress arrives on the set of Angeltown, a gritty crime drama, told from the POV of the cops, who protect the mean streets of LA. These cops seem to cover a territory that spans from south central to Santa Monica. This is perplexing to Blacktress and other actual Angelinos. But these are the kinds of details that don’t seem to bother the staff writers or viewers who live in other parts of the country. Blacktress has won the coveted role of, “Angry Crip girl in the Landromat.” She sits in the make-up chair next to Scott Oats, a devastatingly handsome and well known Blacktor. She steals glances of him as often as possible making the make-up lady’s job more difficult.
“Up, up, up. Keep your eyes looking up. ” Barb says for the third time as she attempts to coat her lashes.
Blacktress complies . But seconds later her eyes dart back over. Barb huffs.
Blacktress makes note of Scott Oats’ stubby legs dangling off the side of his swivel chair.
He’s such a tiny little man, she thinks. Aren’t objects supposed to appear larger up close?
“All the A-listers are midgets. The A actually stands for apple box,” Blacktress once overheard a woman telling her date in line for a Tom Cruise movie at the Grove.
March 29, 2010
Now Showing: The Iyanla Approach
Posted by Blacktress World under weekly column | Tags: actor journey, actress, auditions, black actress, blacktress, casting directors, crip, hollywood, los angeles, online column, runyon canyon, stereotypes in hollywood, the adventures of blacktress, the valley, typecasting |[12] Comments
Last week Blacktress and her friend Iyanla Howard went for a hike up Runyon Canyon. Their legs made sluggish strides. Their mouths moved a mile a minute.
“You have to be playing the character you’re auditioning for from the first minute the casting person sees you. And you can’t break from it until you’re back in your car,” Iyanla advised Blacktress while scraping dog shit off the bottom of her sneaker with a stick.
“But what if you’re playing a serial killer? Shouldn’t you at least crack a smile on the way out, so that they know you’re not nuts?” Blacktress asked.
“I wouldn’t. The more authentic the better.”
“Yeah, maybe even slice a couple people up, in the waiting room, too. That would really win them over,” Blacktress said, her tone sodden with sarcasm.
“See that’s too authentic. You want to be Hollywood real. Not Cleveland real.”
March 21, 2010
Now Showing: The LA Night Life(less)
Posted by Blacktress World under weekly column | Tags: black actress, blacktress, blacktress world, culver city, dreamgirls, getting older, hollywood, leimert park, los angeles night life, los angeles vs new york, online column, rush street, the adventures of blacktress |[6] Comments
It is 9:45pm on a Saturday night. Blacktress has plans to attend a birthday party, at a bar in Hollywood, and should already be circling the spot looking for parking. Instead she’s still in the shower casually belting (off key) the soundtrack from Dreamgirls.
March 15, 2010
Now Showing: Blacktress Isn’t Built In A Day
Posted by Blacktress World under weekly column | Tags: black actress, blacktress, blacktress world, hollywood, los angeles, online column, overnight sensation, santa monica, the adventures of blacktress |[9] Comments
If a woman, who looks perfectly put together, says it only takes her ten minutes to get ready, you shouldn’t envy her. She’s a fucking liar. A woman who only takes ten minutes to get ready doesn’t have to tell you. She looks like it. Stunning does not arrive in an express package. It comes by snail mail.