Friday, September 7, 2007

Audition the Actor or Audition the Fabric?

Audition the Actor or Audition the Fabric...

The other day while quilting with my friends, (I call them "The Master Quilters"--I am such a rookie around them!) one of them pulled out some fabric to check and see if it would look good as a border on the quilt they were currently working on. She said, "I'm just auditioning the fabric."

Auditioning? ...how that reminded me of Daughter #2, who is getting married in Dec. She is a super talented actor and screenwriter who has had her 'foot in the door' in Hollywood for quite a few years now. I used to drive her around to auditions and acting jobs before she was 18. Then they considered her and 'adult' and said mom couldn't hang out with her on the sets. I miss those days. Such adventures we had! Such great food on all the movie sets, too!

Here's a story about my daughter I thought you might enjoy:

A few years ago her agency called and told her she had been picked to work on "24" to portray a 'Dead CTU.' She answered "Yes, of course." But then she asks me "Mom, what's a Dead CTU?"
Yes, I will admit, we are one of the only families in America who never watches "24." I got on the Internet and had to do a GoogleSearch to figure out what a CTU was. I'm sure you all know it stands for Counter Terrorist Unit. Apparently the scene they were shooting would show these CTU's all gassed and laying dead on the floor. She looked like one of the actresses who's character was going to die. You see, a higher paid actress doesn't have to lay on the floor 'dead' all day as they film. Their doubles do it. And here's some Hollywood magic for you... to make them look like they've been gassed the actors have Alka-Seltzer with a little food coloring in the their mouths. Foams up quite well! Yuck!

So there was my daughter laying there all day with no clue about the show. But she did her job well and she did her best to look dead. If you blinked, you missed seeing her on that episode. She's on for just a split second but I thought she looked the most dead of all the Dead CTU's. Of course, I am her biggest fan!

Pictured right: Keifer Sutherland with a "Dead CTU"...sorry this was not my daughter, but it was the same scene. She was dead somewhere else in the room.


And I am sorry to report that we are still one of the only families in America who doesn't watch "24"...although we did watch the episode my daughter was in a few seasons or "Days" ago...isn't that what they call it on that show?

And by the way...

Here is a quilt I'm working on where I auditioned the fabric...

My latest project is a baby quilt for a young mom at my church. It's a random collection of some of Anna Maria Horner's Chocolate Lollipop fabrics. I was trying to decide which fabric to use for the border.


Fabric #1 was too bright.



Fabric #2 was too dull.





Fabric #3 got the part!

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Vivian, you've GOT to catch up on 24! It is only the best show in the world. You're daughter is so lucky to have been in CTU headquarters!

Your chocolate lollipop quilt looks great...so much fun for the eyes!

Thimbleanna said...

I guess my family is in the not watching 24 line with you. Oh well, sorry to have missed your daughter! But what an exciting life you've been leading. Your baby quilt is adorable -- what a fun baby gift!