My first acting gig in the 1980's

Hi everyone,

   I love this whole Steemit thing and it makes me want to come up with some content for others to enjoy. The only thing I have is some stories from my days in Los Angeles working in the entertainment business. I've been a professional actors for about 30+ years (no, I'm not famous or ever came close to fame, but I have worked in the Industry and have a few tales to tell). The first day ever working on a "set" was back in 1985 or 1986 I'm not sure, so anyway...

   I had just moved to Los Angeles and did not have a car, but managed to sign up with this Extra Agency (A company that cast all the extras in a TV show or Film) and the very next day they called me and asked if I would like to work on a new TV show called "Moonlighting". It was my favorite show to watch at the time, so I was thrilled and told them yes right away. They gave me my call time and where to show up. It was at Twentieth Century Fox Studios. I was living in Sherman Oaks and called the bus lines to find out how to get there in the morning. The buses weren't running as early as I hoped and I would probably be 30 minutes late (to my first day ever working on a set!) Well, I took three different buses to get there and got so lost and ended up by the beach. I asked some people how to get to 20th century fox and eventually I got there and was 3.5 hours late! I was running to the sound stage that the front entrance guard told me to go to. I was sprinting to get there and not looking where I was going and came around a corner of a Winnebago, which was for the Actors hair & makeup. This woman was walking backwards from the trailer as I came running around it and I ran right into her and knocked her down like it was a football tackle! As I was getting off of her I realized it was Cybil Shepard (The star of the show AND I'm three and a half hours late!). I blabbed on to her about how late I was and that I was an extra and I got really lost in Los Angeles taking the buses... She told me I was just so happening to go to the same place as she was going. I opened the door to the sound stage again apologizing to her for literally running her over and asked her if she knew the person I should check in with. She said "That would be Billy, 'Billy! would you come over here please'" Cybil had a strong Tennessee accent I remembered, nothing like when she was on Moonlighting, I was impressed. Then as Billy was running toward us she asked me my name. I told her my name was Joe and she said to Billy, "Billy, this is my good friend Joe and he needs to speak with you" she looked at me and said "I'll talk to you later, Joe". Well, now Billy was kissing my ass like he was kissing Cybil's. I explained to him that I was an extra and got lost and was really late. Billy said "No problem, no problem, you're a friend of Cybil's so it's all good" I wanted to tell him I didn't know Cybil at all, but I just kept my mouth shut. Billy started to introduce me to everyone on the set. He started with the wardrobe people telling them to give me a nice suit to wear and how I was Cybil's friend so make it look good...lol. Billy left and said he'd come back for me after they fit me. I told the wardrobe people the story about how I really "knew" Cybil and they got a laugh out of it and told me not to tell Billy. Billy came again soon and brought me to the Hair & Makeup people and told them the same thing that I was a friend of Cybils. I was starting to think this might get back to Cybil and she might not like it. Next Billy introduced me to the Producers, Directors, Writers it was just crazy. The Director said they had a scene to do in an elevator with Cybil and we should put Joe in there with her, since their such good friends. Next thing I know I'm in this fake elevator with guys on either side that do the actual opening of the elevator doors. Cybil comes in to start the scene and she looks at me and says "Try not to knock me over this time, Joe" and just said "I'll try" and we both had a little laugh. when I got my check later that week I realized that they had paid me for the whole day, even the 3 1/2 hours I was missing and lost. I know if Cybil Shepard hadn't been so kind to me I would have been sent home as soon as I checked in with Billy. So, Thank you Cybil Shepard, I have not seen you again in person to thank you, but maybe someday I will. that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

   Bye Guys    - Joe