Confessions of a Struggling Actor

I feel that I've lost a little of the momentum and focus I had in my life over last week and the start of this one.  Maybe because I've been so busy, perhaps I just need a bit of a break to sort the rest of my life out.  My room's still a tip and I ended up doing dishes til 11.15 last night and my evenings this week are now all booked up.  At least it's pay day tomorrow, though most of it will disappear immediately.

Friday night and Laura's birthday celebrations were great fun.  An evening in Islington with the birthday girl, Janine, Mark, Jen and Rona amongst others.  Started by meeting for a couple of jars, followed by copious amounts of wine and food nearby.  I had a very interesting dish which I think is Danish in origin.  It was had mashed potatoes with rashers of a cross between bacon and gammon (lovely!), frikadellar (a kind of meat dumpling), gherkins, apple sauce and gamel dansk - a kind of spirit in a shot glass.  That set me up nice for the night, though I was surprisingly sober in my thoughts, words and movements all night.  We intended going for more drinks and in search of dancing before it was decided that home was best, so back to Laura's for tea, biscuits, crisps and a veggie sausage.  Thoroughly enjoyable company and a decent night's sleep.

Saturday was a fairly early start, esp. when woken by a text from Moray at 8am.  Ye Gods!  Dropped back off briefly, but was up a little while later anyway as I had an recall for another short at 1pm.  Got there, but it seemed that the reception had no details of the audition.  i bumped into the guy that I originally auditioned with and we managed to get in touch with the organiser, but only after finding out he'd left to only mobile that we had the number for with his girlfriend.  Still the audition went very well - I had them rolling about with my take on the character, so I know that I must have impressed them.  Find out soon if it's a goer.

(In other audition news, I had one last night (which I'm not too fussed about) and another yesterday that I had to cancel as the dates clashed with Barbados.  I've also applied for a production of Richard III, which would be amazing as I haven't performed Shakespeare before and Buckingham is one of the roles I've studied.)

After a couple of pints with my fellow actor (Bailey - nice lad, brother's band playing on Wed which I've now been invited to) I went home to watch the rugby.  Not very exciting and kept up my record of never having seen Scotland win at rugby since I came down to London (as I'd missed the France and England games).  I then watched 'Crash' and was very impressed, but don't know if it was a better all round film than Brokeback.  After that went round to Andy's for a back garden bonfire.  Lots of aggression taken out with an axe and enjoyed a little chat with various people there round the fire while steadily finishing half a bottle of Bells.  I headed home with a very pissed Geir feeling none the worse for wear.  Again.

It's strange, but since I gave up weed, I don't seem to get roaring drunk anymore or even want to - the times that I drink a lot, it seems to have a negligible effect on me.  Most annoying as it means sobriety nearly all the time, which isn't as much fun.  I'm still having trouble quitting fags 100% too.  Am contemplating having the odd toke every now and again - maybe just at weekends.  However, I know that I can't have it round the house as the temptation is far too strong.  Anyone who says that it's not addictive is wrong.

Sunday and it was football day.  I watched all of Goals on Sunday and was well inspired to go out and add to my tally.  Unfortunately we lost 2-0, but I got credit for sticking at it, having 2 of only 3 shots that we could muster.  Also ended on a bad note with one of our regulars breaking and dislocating his index finger in one fell swoop.  The screams could be heard all across Wormwood Scrubs.  A few pints after (I'm drinking too often I think) and then home to lie in pain while watching Ch4's 50 greatest actors.  No sign of Newman, Crowe, Spacey, Lemmon or Morgan Freeman!!  What were these 'actors' thinking?  Great to see Alison Steadman and Gena Rowlands, welcome surprises to see Sinatra (underrated by many IMHO) and Rod Steiger there, but have Pitt and Winslet really done enough to be 'all time' greats? And much as I admire him and would have him somewhere in the top 50, no WAY is Johnny Depp the 2nd best of all time.  Maybe in the future, but not yet...

Yesterday was Monday, so that will tell you how exciting work was.  Only excitement was the application for R.III.  Audition in an Irish pub in Fulham in the evening, then home to watch Film 2006 and The King of Comedy and wash me pots.  Quietest night for a while tonight, just popping round to visit pals as I'm missing a birthday party because of Barbados.  Then Wed I have a gig, Thurs a meeting about the theatre company, Fri is birthday drinks, Sat another birthday party (why are there SO MANY birthdays in March!!) and football on Sunday.  I REALLY need to keep the next couple of weeks quiet...