Minnesota Not-So-Nice

A few nights ago my friend Katie and I were running late to a film screening.

Really late.

The kind of late that turned my little red Yaris into a full out, balls-to-the-wall, racing machine.

LA has never looked so blurry. Except maybe that New Years Eve when I had one too many Tequila shots.

When we finally made it to the theater we were informed that the screening had been postponed by forty minutes.

Of course it had.

So, naturally, Katie and I spent this time drinking dirty martinis.

As we are sidled up to the bar, sipping our drinks and talking, a man over-heard our conversation and asked if we were going to the screening.

We were.

Now, some important facts you need to know about this man:

- He was very nice.
- He had lived in Minnesota for 15 years prior to moving to Los Angeles.
- He was drinking a large Margarita.

After awhile, Katie and I paid for our drinks and were getting up to leave. The man had not yet paid and was not making any effort to flag down the bartender (who was standing a few feet away.)

As Katie and I got up (the screening was starting soon) he looked at us, shrugged, and started to leave too.

Without paying.

HE DIDN’T PAY FOR HIS DRINK….IN FRONT OF STRANGERS.

Before I knew what I was saying I blurted out:

But don’t you have to –

At which point Katie squeezed my arm like a Velociraptor.

I stopped mid-sentence and started walking briskly out of the restaurant, whispering to Katie about all the freaks we encounter in LA.

Where was his shame?

Where was his dignity?

WHERE WAS HIS MINNESOTA NICE???

Maybe he had lost it in the move back to Hollywood.

Now, perhaps I’m over-reacting, but I have to ask: What kind of guy goes to a bar, chats with women he doesn’t know, and then openly shirks on paying his tab??

Apparently he does.

I was actually feeling pretty down about this. I mean, I know this could happen anywhere – but it didn’t. It happened in Los Angeles. The place where people write mean notes on your car and wear sunglasses indoors.

Sometimes all the crazy is just too much.

And just when I thought I needed a vacation to Minnesota, something incredible happened.

Now, I know this is a big leap – but stay with me.

I can finally talk about the big project Noah and I were/are working on. It’s a web series we are really proud of called Book Club. The only problem was we didn’t have any of the skills to get it made (other than acting and writing.)

We first pitched it to a production company, who loved it, but wanted to buy the rights to it. We were so honored by this offer but didn’t feel comfortable selling it.

So we were back to square one.

And then something amazing happened.

I just picked up my phone.

I called the most talented people I knew (who were also my friends.) All of them worked in TV and film. All of them have ACTUAL JOBS on actual TV shows. And asked them to shoot our pilot episode. FOR FREE.

And guess what?

Without hesitating. Without blinking an eye. Every one of them said yes. Every phone call I made was met with a resounding, YES! I started to feel like maybe that was the new phone greeting and no one ever told me!

Within 24 hours Noah and I now have…

-A director
-A director of photography (and a camera)
-Director of lighting (and lights)
-Script Supervisor
-A First Assistant Director
-A Sound mixer
-An editor
-A composer

These people are giving up their precious time and helping to make this dream happen for Noah and I.

And that’s when I realized that even though this city if full of people who don’t pay for their drinks, it’s also full of people who do.

It’s filled to the brim with people who will drop everything and share their time and talent to help out a friend.

So thank you to all of my generous friends. I’m taking you all out for drinks.

And I’m even going to pay for them.




More on Book Club later! For those actors that read this, we are holding auditions Thursday and Friday (May 13 and 14!) Email me for a character breakdown!