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Writer's pictureJoe Russell

NY or bust. Friars club show.


This mission, if I choose to accept it: Earn $1,000 in two weeks so I can pay for 2 months of acting classes at HB Studios in NY.

I plan on leaving for NY in two weeks. My girlfriend Laura and I will drive my 2001 Silver Hundai Elantra GLS across this great country using the southern route. We will stop in to the midwest for a day or two before continuing on to the big apple! We will camp along the way and stay at weird hotels where we hopefully will not be murdered. I start classes on June 15th so our goal is to make it there in 6 days total. When I traveled out here from Southern Illinois I was able to drive an average of 15 hours a day... so, that is the soft goal here as well. Go Hyundai go!

Yesterday, I was an extra on a show called Strong Medicine. They had me dress as an orderly and I mostly pushed around another extra on a gurney all day. He kept joking about what a great day it was for him because he basically just got to lay down all day working. He was an older guy and even fell asleep at one point during filming. I decided not to wake him since he had no real action other than just laying there. It was funny.

I brought a few of my characters in to showcase them for the casting director of the Orlando Jones show. I did the Irish Pirate, Sugar Water guy (from MIB) and the guy who is amazed by everything. It went very well but then they asked if I could play a stoner guy. I did my best, but since I have never been high and have only been drunk one time in 1997, playing inebriated on the spot without rehearsing probably looked a little forced. Tomorrow I will spend more of my time sending resumes out to some agents and casting people in NY.

The Friars club booked me for a 20 min set on the 31st! I need to write about 8 more mins of material so I can get through that amount of time. Will probably look for opportunities to play off the crowd a bit. Going to need more songs though, for sure.

Until we meet again...

~ Joe


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