Summer 2001. I quit my job. A temp agency side-eyes me. Then a one-day notice for a "gay Sex and the City" pilot. TV-MA-SL: comedy, cold reads, no nudity clause, and a director in chaos.
In Episode 4 of Let's Talk About Hollywood, we rewind to the summer of 2001, before my first big break at The Hollywood Reporter. Then came the call: a spontaneous one-day notice to audition for a TV pilot the producers called a "gay Sex and the City."
This episode is a comedy of errors on a soundstage. TV-MA-SL: sex, language. I break down the mechanics: hitting marks, bad auditions, cold readings that go sideways — plus negotiating no nudity clauses when you're still working a 9-5. I was temping at a marketing firm and told them I wouldn't audition unless it was after 5pm. Rent was due.
The director was a mess. The network wanted stereotypical interracial couples on cable TV in 2001. The pilot was never made. The story? Still teaching me how to outlast Hollywood.
Inspired by Sharon Gless' audiobook memoir (and great physical book) "Apparently There Were Complaints"
If you've ever tried to act and pay rent in the same week, this one's for you.
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