News & Views

The News & Views page is where you'll find updates on what MacLeod is up to and hopefully a thoughtful reflection or funny story here and there. This is the blog of my blog-site.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Getting Back to Set

Tomorrow I am going to be on set for the Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci feature, Julie and Julia. It should provide a nice way to reacquaint myself with film sets. The Film also has Jane Lynch, Chris Messina from Ira & Abby and Six Feet Under.

I Do Love Seeing Shows

This Friday I will be joining friend and fellow Middlebury Alumnus Liz Hammett for a show at Atlantic Theater called Port Authority by Conor McPherson. Good Things.

Pay The Man

It appears I've landed a promotional spot for Sprint.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Away for a while

It's been a while since my last post and one of my readers (you know who you are) was anxious for me to get back to it.

Last Wednesday I went and saw Top Girls at the Manhattan Theatre Club. The show was superbly acted. I found the play thought provoking and moving.

I've been away from the blog for a while because I have been very busy. I recently celebrated Derby in Stamford CT, with my friend from high school, Preston. After drinking ample amounts of Woodford Reserve, a Kentucky Bourbon mind you, I hopped onto Metro North to meet a friend for a concert at Joe's Pub. I fell asleep on the train, woke up as we pulled into Grand Central, went in-a bit groggy-went to the restroom, called my father because I had recently lost my ATM card (I still bank in KY) patted down my pockets and noticed something was off. I missed the unmistakable and familiar bulge of my wallet which was filled with everything but money. This concerned me. I put in a report with Metro North-not much else I could do-and hoped for the best. That night after an MTA employee graciously "comped" me a ride on the subway I decided I would go ahead and join my friend at the concert-better than going home and moping. I made the right call. Much (that's his name) and I went and saw the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble-an eight piece horn group with a drummer that can often be found playing in Union Square. It was a great show. My friend was kind enough to get me a subway card with a few rides on it *I still owe you by the way*. The next day I called a Kinkos that I had been in the past Thursday. To my great luck, they had my ATM card. One disaster averted, one more to go. It's now Sunday, I at least have access to my bank account. I join a friend on 2nd Ave to see the Yale, UCSD, and NYU MFA actors' showcase. It was very cool to attend. I told my friend about my wallet, he told me I was fucked. Afterwards we headed to Telephone Bar-I drank mostly Boddington's Pub Ale and Guiness.

Monday. Sweet Monday. What luck it brings. I get a call from Grand Central saying that my Wallet has been found. I retrieve the Wallet and to my satisfaction, not a single item has even shifted let alone gone missing. Even the three dollars I had in there remained perfectly wrinkled. To celebrate, I went to a Good Burger and got myself a Burger, Fries, Chocolate Milkshake Combo. It set me back fifteen dollars, which is absolutely absurd, but I was just happy to have my money back, my social security card back, my ticket from my middle school trip to Disney Land back. I have to admit it was a pretty damn good burger, and a delightful hand dipped milkshake made with real Vermont Ice Cream.

Throughout the week I had a few auditions for Student films to keep developing my audition skills. My sublet ended and I have moved back onto the futon in the kitchen of my good buddies' apartment. I went and saw a staged reading of a play by Jaye Austin Williams who just graduated from the NYU graduate program for playwriting. It was an extraordinary night. Passionate, terrifying, intelligent theatre. I recognized a performer in the piece was Christopher Burris with whom I did a staged reading of Dana Yeaton's play Red Shirts (then called Tennessee Southern).

Today, Friday, I had an audition for a heavily recurring role on the ABC soap "ALL MY CHILDREN". To get there I foolishly walked a couple of blocks in the rain. I was a bit early, so I made my way to the restroom where I set the hand dryer to work on my shoulders and hair. I do have to say, as one who never blow dries his air, it looked GOOD. It's always difficult to say how well or poorly an audition went. You really have no idea what the auditor is thinking. I finished up, she said very simply, "you're a fine actor, thank you." Sounds good, right? Well you forget, this is a soap. Maybe I'm just an insecure actor here, but I detected a tone in her voice that seemed to say, "you're a pretty good actor, thank you, but you don't have the style down, we're done here." Who can say, really? I'm not concerned with whether or not I get the part. That's a waste of hope and emotion. I concern myself merely with whether or not I do work with integrity. I stand behind all of the work and auditions I've done so far. Whether lousy or great, I've given all I could to each, given the time and resources at my disposal. Not to mention the fact that I still don't have a home.

So there you go Leland-hope that will keep you busy for a little while.