----------------------------------------------- */ ----------------------------------------------- */ ----------------------------------------------- */ ----------------------------------------------- */ ----------------------------------------------- */ ----------------------------------------------- */ The Fabulous Adventures of Astera: Writer/Actress for Hire: My New Obsession

The Fabulous Adventures of Astera: Writer/Actress for Hire

Meet Astera (aka: me), a star in her own mind. Our plucky little heroine has embarked on not one but two difficult, low-paying career paths: writing and acting. Witness the menial jobs! The unreasonable demands! The quirky friends and family! And the glimmer of success just ahead! Through it all, Astera maintains her core beliefs: 1) She is destined to be fabulous 2) Everything is more fun with a cocktail.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

My New Obsession

I am admittedly behind the curve on this one, but if you are not watching Entourage on HBO, you should be. It has been described by Entertainment Weekly as “Sex in the City for guys,” but it is so much more than that.

The series is executive-produced by Mark Wahlberg and the story goes that it’s loosely based on his life. Essentially, it follows the Hollywood exploits of one actor on the verge of stardom, his washed-up brother, his dumbass friend and his best friend/manager. I think guys like it because there are a lot of hot girls, some nudity and swearing. And I like it because it’s a fictional inside look at Hollywood, combined with some pretty nice eye candy. If you’re into the pretty-boy thing, you’ve got the lead character, Vince, played by Adrian Grenier. If you like your men a little older or if you get off on power, you’ve got uber-agent Ari Gold, played by Jeremy Piven. (So funny, as always. Apparently, I was one of the few who liked his old TV show, Cupid, since it got cancelled after just a few episodes in 1998.) And if you just want a little slapstick, you can enjoy the characters of Johnny Drama and Turtle.

This is one of the few shows that my husband and I enjoy watching together. He rolls his eyes when I watch Desperate Housewives or Gilmore Girls, and I could never get into Nip/Tuck or The Sopranos. But now we can watch Entourage (and Lost, but that won’t start up again until fall), and pop-culture happiness reigns.

The only problem with Entourage is that it kind of makes me wistful for the L.A. scene. But I try to remember that since I have no SAG card, no reel and no connections, going back to L.A. to try to advance my acting career would be pretty much pointless. I’d just be doing what I did before…auditioning for student films that might never be made or getting cast in no-budget horror films where the actors are instructed to bring their own fake blood. (Seriously, that happened. Most of the actors, including me, walked off before the film ever got made. We think the director may have been delusional. But that’s not particularly unusual in the industry.) Sure, L.A.’s great if you’re a hot young actor taking in a few million per film. But for most of the wannabes, the industry can be a soul-sucking grind, causing lots of bitterness and burnout. Maybe one day, I’ll give it a shot again. But not until I’ve got a more established resume and reel to back me up. After all, I can't trade on my looks...I'm short, dark and flat-chested in a sea of leggy blonde silicone.

Anyway, if you’re sick of reruns and you want to do a little California dreamin’, rent the first season of Entourage, or watch the second season on HBO on Sundays. I bet you’ll be hooked.

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