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MARCH 3rd '03*Back in LA and back to work. I"M ON "ER"!!! Yes!! I have wanted to get into more TV drama and this is a great start. I have a very small role, but that will change in the future. It was great to be on that set that I have seen on TV for so many years. While I'm working, my agent calls to say that "Good Morning, Miami" wants to hire me for the next 3 days. Cool! Two hours later they call back to say that the scene had been cut. Dag!! The good part is that I still get paid for 3 days of work. I also ask my agent about pilots. I hadn't had a single pilot audition this season. She said she has been trying and that it should kick in soon for me.

MARCH 4th '03*Today while doing drop-offs I am able to get seen for a "Yahoo" commercial. I also get my first pilot appointment for Thursday.

MARCH 11th '03*I gotta tell you, I really enjoy what I do. Today I had a pilot audition on the Paramount lot. Shortly before I go in my commercial agent calls to say that the "IBM" spot I did back in May might be redone. Cool! They were checking my availability and seeing if I look the same. Since I cannot always get on the studio lots I try to make those trips as useful as possible. I pull out my trusty Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC to find addresses and drop-off to everyone I can while on there. Usually there are ones that I have an old address for, but there are always some that I find that I didn't know where existed. I run into Alan @ Gilda Stratton Casting, he got me an audition @ "Abby" several months ago. He said he thought there was something I was right in the Norm MacDonald pilot they are working on now. It is such an empowering feeling to take control of your destiny and that is exactly what I feel like I'm doing.

Get this, while I am plotting & planning another drop-off who calls my name. It's Peri Gilpin (Roz) & Patrick Kerr (Noel) that I worked with both times on "Frasier". I was surprised that they remembered me. It made me feel as though I'm making some headway in this crazy business. Just before I leave the lot "Good Morning, Miami" puts me on Avail. Yes!! Three hours later they book me for work.

MARCH 12th '03*I had to show a little back-bone this morning. Since I'm usually hired on "Good Morning, Miami" at the last minute sometimes I'm not on the call sheet.

As I'm checking in through the gate on the CBS Radford lot, I have trouble getting through---again. I waited patiently as the female security guard was on a phone call. I could hear that it was a personal call, no problem I'm a very reasonable guy, but 5-7 minutes is an eternity when you are waiting in a small office for someone to do their job of taking care of your needs.

While on the phone she was kinda half-way looking for my name on a list somewhere. This is the 3rd time this has happened with this particular guard. For some reason she didn't have a call sheet for "Good Morning, Miami". Okay, not her fault. There was also no fax saying I would be working on this day, again not her fault. At that point she should have been on the phone to solve my problem. This is my 10th episode and about the 30th time on the lot for this show.
The problem was that she wouldn't end her personal call to take care of me and it offended me. I am a really nice guy most of the time, but my "prick" side bubbles just below the surface and if I need it I can switch in a flash. I felt as though she didn't value my time in the least.

She finally got off the phone when I started to get impatient. I asked her "what the heck was taking so long?" She said she couldn't find me on the list. I told her that I felt she was being disrespectful, she said the same to me. I asked her who was she talking to on the phone and she should have been helping me. So she calls some other person who was of no help.

Finally, I called the casting office myself and was taken care of in less than a minute. I told her that I would go to set and bring her a call sheet myself. Of course when I got the call sheet I wasn't on it anyway. That wasn't the point; the point was that she felt her personal call was way more important than me getting to work.

Predictably, I felt really bad afterwards. She is someone's mother and/or wife I was talking to in that fashion. I didn't want to look like an actor who was trying to throw his weight around, but I also didn't want to be disrespected for no good reason. I mean if she was on an urgent personal call that would have been different, but she was just lolly gagging about nothing that seemed important.

When I brought her the call sheet we both apologized to each other. I think she saw this very casually dressed, young, black male, with dreadlocks and didn't take me seriously. I don't think she treats everyone like that and I bet you she will no longer treat me that way either.

Back in the saddle at "Good Morning, Miami". I don't know if the show will back next year or not, but I want to go on record to say that I think it is really funny. Anyway, as soon as I finished working my agent called to say that I'd been released from my avail for the "IBM" commercial. 38 minutes later I get a call to say that I'm on avail for a "Sun Microsystems" commercial.

MARCH 13th '03*This episode of "Good Morning, Miami" is really funny. The two guest stars in this episode, Anne Meara & Carrie Preston, are hilarious. I also get word directly from the Executive Producers David Kohan & Max Mutchnick that I will be working next week as well. Next week is the final episode of the season. I'm really glad I'm working this last one so that I can say goodbye to everyone.

MARCH 17th '03*AGAIN!! I get released from the "Sun Microsystems" spot. That's cool, maybe next time.

MARCH 18th '03*Today I had a really good callback for "Sony VAIO"; it was the same director that had me on avail for the "Boston Globe" spot several weeks ago. I even have a Sony PC at home.

MARCH 21st '03*Last night we wrapped the season for "Good Morning, Miami". I auditioned for the role on April 10th, 2002 and have since worked 31 days on 13 episodes of the show. Interesting how very few have actually seen me on the show, but that's another story.

The experience I have gained has been extremely valuable. Most of it has been technical and getting to see how things work at this level. The process makes a lot more sense to me now that I've seen it up close.

It was the first time I ever worked on a show more than once. I was treated very well in every way, even given gifts.

At this point it isn't known if the show will be back on the schedule next year, but I was told by one of the executive producers that I will be back if they are back. I have a good feeling about it.

When I arrived at work yesterday our stage and the "Will & Grace" stage was locked down. There had been some sort of threat called in to those particular stages. Therefore, it was necessary to secure the stages and our dressing rooms to search them. Nothing was found and we started work about 30 minutes late. That was kinda weird.

You never know what a 3 line part can lead to. Next year, if it happens, I look forward to doing more on the show.

MARCH 25th '03*Two years ago today I started a leave of absence from my survival job. I worked as a waiter & valet at The Standard Hotel on Sunset Blvd. My shift of choice---the graveyard 11pm-7am. UGH!! Boy do I have memories; and not all of them are fond.

It was a leap of faith. I didn't have much money saved, but I felt that in order to move to the next level I had to do it. I also had to ask myself if it would be more difficult to stay in the job or leave with the possibility of having to return. I chose to bounce and give it my best shot.

I had spoken to a fellow actor in New York about my decision and he said "just do it it'll work out, before you know it it'll be 6 months ago when you left." He used to work at The Public Theatre in NYC and when his position ended he just never looked for another day job. He is doing quite well in his acting career these days.

The last year has been unbelievable in more ways than one. Losing my mother late last year to cancer continues to be a monumental challenge in my life. The other extreme is that my career plan is working exactly as scripted. Sometimes even I can't believe how things are materializing. As a result, I was able to travel back and forth to the East coast to spend a lot of time with my mother before she passed and the rest of my family.

Just over a year ago my cash flow was really tight & I was planting the seeds to start doing commercial background work. I needed to supplement my income. Of course no one called to book me. It's funny, because now I'm starting get calls for commercial background work. Go figure.

Towards the end of last pilot season things kicked into a much higher gear. Exactly a year ago I booked a very, very small role in Tori Spelling's pilot for The WB. It wasn't picked up. My agent "really" didn't want me to do it, but I told her I "really" needed the payday. It was the first of 3 small pilot bookings that year. Today, exactly a year later, I booked a small role in a pilot of "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" and my agent and I decided to turn it down. It felt really good to do that. Hopefully if it the pilot gets picked I can get back in to read for it.

I am finding that my agents are becoming more important in my career. They never turn anything down without running it by me first. I'm an actor; I just wanna be on-set. This job today, I might have taken if I didn't have my agents input. I know I shouldn't have. It's kinda like a 6 yr old eating candy until s/he literally gets sick to his or her stomach, s/he needs vegetables too.

These days when I drive by The Standard Hotel I don't even always noticed it as it becomes more of a distant memory for me. That doesn't mean I won't be punching a clock somewhere in the future, but not without a fight.

So that's it! Two years down and hopefully many more to go.

On another note, if there is any doubt, drop-offs really can work. On Friday I dropped off photos for myself and a couple of dear friends @ "CSI Miami" and one of them went straight to producers this afternoon. Usually when I do those drops it guarantees that "I" won't be called in, but hey, it all works out in the end.

MARCH 28th '03*The last week picked a bit for me, I had 2 pilots and a film audition. The two pilots were from Whoopi Goldberg & Charlie Sheen, the film is the remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen" starring Steve Martin & Bonnie Hunt. I would love to land a part in any of these projects, especially getting to work with Bonnie again. Too bad, none of these auditions went all that well. I don't know I just made a lot mistakes. This cannot continue.

APRIL 3rd '03*Tonight I went to an event called Hollywood Happy Hour which is hosted by my friends Bonnie Gillespie & Kris Burt. One of the guests was a Public Relations agent. This is a particular area of interest for me. I am not in need of one at the moment, but hopefully I will in the near future. We are all just a gig away.

After the even was over I wanted to thank him for his time. I liked his style and what he had to say. Anyway, we exchanged business cards and parted ways. He called the next morning and said he wanted to get together to chat. So we are having lunch on Wednesday. Go figure.

APRIL 7th '03*Where are my commercial appointments!! Just kidding, it'll pick up soon I'm sure.

APRIL 9th '03*Okay so today I had my meeting with the Public Relations agent I mentioned. I didn't really know what to expect, especially since I am not looking at the moment. I don't have anything to promote right now. We chatted over lunch for just over an hour. The stories were interesting of how that side of the business works, meaning dealing with your public persona. It would definitely take some getting used to for me to have anyone telling me what to say or even suggesting what I should say. He seemed to be connected and know what he was talking about. He also heard about my hustle and seemed intrigued as to why I do so much on my own. We ended with waiting to see what happens with "Good Morning, Miami" and going from there. Okay.

APRIL 10th '03*Tonight I was a guest at Actorsite's first mentoring evening. Yeah, get that!! Me as a mentor? Anyway I was nervous as heck. I had no idea what to be expect. There ended up being around 40 actors in attendance and spoke for over 2 hours. Those in attendance seemed to feel as though they got something for their money since it was free. LOL!! No seriously, I got some really nice e-mails afterward and even a card from a nice young lady.

APRIL 17th '03*Boy has it been slow these days. Actually it's pretty typical for me. TV season is winding down and pilot season is about over so I can only expect it to be quiet. I continue to spend a lot of time doing drop-offs. If nothing else it keeps me from realizing that it's slow.

Today while dropping off at Jeff Gerrard's office I was able to audition for another spot. While I was making my way in another casting director was coming out of the building and she said to me "just sign in". Huh? Okay, obviously I was right for whatever she was casting. I wasn't sure what to do, she then came back in and wanted my Polaroid/headshot/size sheet. I decided to just go with it. It was a national for "Buick". In reality I think they were looking for more Midwest types, but who knows.

As I was walking out I saw Jeff Gerrard and he said "hello" I told I was going to drop a photo in his bin. He said just to give it to him, and then he changed his mind and said "I don't need this you're on my wall". Huh?? Cool!!

APRIL 22nd '03*Today I had an audition for "SBC"; hopefully I'll get a callback.

APRIL 24th '03*I was doing a drop-off today at Francene Selkirk's office and she called me in to chat for a second. I'd seen her speak at the SAG Conservatory last year and she remembered me from there. I told her that I was just out "trying to create some heat" and she thought it was good that I don't wait for it to come to me. I told her that my first audition ever in LA was for her on July 29th, 1998. She couldn't believe I remembered. I also told her that I booked a job that I went to Japan for from doing a drop-off, she thought that was a good reason to do them. LOL!!

APRIL 29th '03*Tonight the guest speaker at The Actor's Evening/SAG Conservatory is, guess who? Yup, Francene Selkirk. We laugh because we just saw each other a couple of days ago.

APRIL 30th '03*Tonight at The Academy of Television Art & Sciences I attend an evening panel with John Wells and some of the cast of his shows, "ER", "The West Wing", "Presidio Med" & "Third Watch". He really seems like a great guy, genuinely happy and loyal too. I even got to shake his hand and tell him I worked on "ER" recently.

MAY 1st '03*I'm out of here; I'm leaving tonight for Las Vegas to the THQ AMA Supercross Championship!!! I also get a call for an audition for Friday. I won't be here, oh well. Dag! It's for CD Craig Colvin too. My last two auditions for him were callbacks and I feel I am going to book through his office soon. Oh well, I'll get 'em next time.

MAY 5th '03*While in Vegas I got calls for 2 auditions this afternoon. One is at Francene Selkirk's office, cool. Hopefully I'll get callbacks on at least one of these spots. I find out today that one of my commercial agents Linda Berman @ KSA is leaving. Her husband got a really good job in another state. I am really sorry to see her go, she is a wonderful lady, a great agent and I will miss her.

MAY 7th '03*YES!! I get callbacks on both of those auditions from the other day. They go pretty well so we'll see.

MAY 8th '03*The producers of "Good Morning, Miami" are scheduled to meet with Heather Locklear to discuss adding her to the show. It seems as though if she agrees to join the show will be back next season, but if she doesn't it looks doubtful. She was considering joining NBC's "A.U.S.A", but she declined after viewing tapes of previous episodes. My question is: Do you "not" bring back the highest rated new comedy of the season. I guess I'll find out in a couple of days.

I got an avail for one of those commercial callbacks that I had yesterday.

MAY 9th '03*That commercial that I was on avail for cut the role that I was up for, oh well.

MAY 11th '03*YES!! "Good Morning, Miami" get the renewal for next season!! I am very happy for the cast. I don't know if Heather Locklear is going to be joining the cast, but I did hear the Suzanne Pleshette won't be back. I don't why, but I did enjoy working with her. She is such a piece of Hollywood and quite a character.

For me it means potential. There is know guarantee that I will be back, but I have been told that I will be. Time will tell in August I guess.

Tonight I see Ashley Williams, who plays the female lead on "Good Morning, Miami" on NBC's "American Dreams". It was cool to see her in different role other than what I've seen for the last year.

MAY 12th '03*Today I get several e-mails and phone calls concerning "Good Morning, Miami". It seems kinda weird because they have no commitment to me really. The publicist that I met last month even called to congratulate me.

MAY 13th '03*I talk to Ashley Williams tonight and even she congratulates me on the renewal of "Good Morning, Miami". It's her show!! I guess she feels like I am part of it. I do too in reality, I just don't want to make role into more than it is.

MAY 21st '03*Today would have been my grandmother's 103rd birthday. I have a lot great memories of her.

Boy has it been slow, but I expect it to be this time of the year.

Yes!! My agents at KSA call me for a last minute commercial audition this morning. It is for "Cingular" at Joe Blake Casting. I booked a "USPS" spot about 2 years ago thru Joe, but it never ran. It was one of the best spots I had done and directed by Baker Smith; a top commercial director. The audition goes well, so we'll what happens if anything.

MAY 23rd '03*Tonight I check out a screening of "The Matrix Reloaded". WOW!! To be honest it's kinda hard for me to follow the story, but the special effects were awesome. Anyway, afterwards I ran into one of the costume designers from "Good Morning, Miami". Shortly after that, at a restaurant, I saw a gentleman who I recognized from "Good Morning, Miami". He was always at the tapings, I knew he repped one the actors, but I didn't know which one. Finally I introduced myself and spoke to him for a moment. He reps the male lead on the show, Mark Feuerstein. He was surprised that I knew Mark was currently in New York doing a play at Lincoln Center. He was leaving the next day for NY and would tell Mark I said "hello".

MAY 27th '03*Another same day commercial audition, this time for "Chrysler". It goes okay.

MAY 28th '03*This afternoon I take my 7 year old friend, Gabriel, to see "Daddy Daycare". It was a fun film, but the most fun part was seeing 3 people that I knew. When I return from vacation I am going to concentrate more on film than I have in the past. Television and commercials will still be my main focus, but I am going to add film to the mix.

MAY 29th '03*Tonight I attended a SAG sponsored "Conversations" event with James Whitmore. I didn't know a lot about him, but loved him in "The Green Mile". A great evening.

MAY 31st '03*A dear friend of mine from Virginia Beach is in town on business. She is staying about 50 miles away in Irvine for training with her job. She called to say that her and her co-workers were coming up to LA to hang out and did I know where to go. No. I don't often go out socially, so I don't know where the hotspots are. I used to work at The Standard so I met them there. Afterwards we went to the Bar Marmont. At that point 10 of the 12 people wanted to go dancing. Myself, my friend and one of her co-workers ended up at the Chateau Marmont. In front of the hotel the first person we see is Colin Farrell. When we went inside we rode in the elevator with Colin. He seemed to be a really nice guy and very energetic. My friends got a real kick out of seeing the celebs coming and going. We saw Josh Hartnett, Kirstin Dunst & Jake Gyllenhaal, Wanda Sykes, Wes Bentley, Hip-hop/fashion mogul Damon Dash among others.

A highlight for me was seeing Kirk Rudell, one of the supervising producers of "Good Morning, Miami". I got a chance to thank him face to face for keeping me employed last season. He had no idea what I was going through as far as my mother's illness was concerned, but it really helped me pay for my plane tickets to go home.  He was quite gracious and chatted about the show for a moment.  He also assured me that I will be back next season. That is really good news for me.

JUNE 5th '03*Tonight I attended another SAG sponsored "Conversations" event. The guest speaker was Phyllis Diller. What a funny lady, you can really tell why she is a star. Even at 85 years old she is bigger than life.

JUNE 9th '03*Tonight, William Gregory Lee, the actor friend that I moved to New York with from Virginia had a reading of a script that he wrote. I'm really proud of him and I think he will get it produced. I read several smaller roles and enjoyed hearing his words for the first time.

JUNE 10th '03*WOW!! I have a film audition today. I don't get seen for many films, but I am going to try to change that in the future. It's a straight-to-video film called "Gas". It seemed like it was kinda funny, but I was totally wrong for it.

JUNE 11th '03*YES!!! I am out of here for a whole month of vacation. I am going to Budd's Creek, Maryland for a motocross race, North Carolina with my brother to ride motocross and hoping to get to New York & Prague, CZ. I'm sure there will be plenty babysitting of my niece & nephew, looking after my little sister and yard work. I'm looking forward to it all.

JUNE 14th '03*Today I go a surfing contest in Virginia Beach and see a bunch of guys I used to Body board/Surf with back in the day. Several of them are doing very well in the sport. One, Jason Borte, is writing the life story of 6-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater. Another, Jeff Meyers, travels the world surfing for a living. I am so happy to see those living their dreams. Like me, they are really thankful for what is happening for them.

JUNE 15th '03*YES!!! Budd's Creek, Maryland AMA National Motocross Series. I get a chance to see MX/SX phenon James "Bubba" Stewart do what he does best. It's unbelievable what he can do on a motorcycle.

JUNE 16th '03*Tonight I sit in on my old acting class. I usually do this when I'm in town; it's great to see some of the early Meisner exercises in action. The students usually have some questions about New York & Los Angeles as well.

JUNE 22nd '03*Today is the day my brothers and I go motorcycle riding ourselves in North Carolina. I don't get to ride in LA so he thinks my skills are lacking. What he doesn't understand is that I study the sport like crazy through magazines, the internet, watching it on TV and actually going to the races. I study it just like my acting career. Of course I let him have it on the track. I beat him 3 out of 4 races. I could also barely walk at the end of the day.

JUNE 29th '03*Back on the MX track for myself and my brothers. This time I have a bike to ride all day. A wonderful young lady named Stacy who I met last week let me ride her Kawasaki KX100. My brother looked good, but I had to let him have it AGAIN. I won 4 races, he won 2. There was this double jump I really wanted to do and my curiosity got the best of me and I went for it. I had the distance, but got shaky on the landing and fell. I bruised my thigh really good. I think it's gonna hurt for a while. Damn and I have a lot of traveling to do still.

JUNE 30th '03*Bright and early to the train station for the trip to New York. It was cool riding the train through what most of America is. Lot of trees and rural areas. My thigh really hurts. I get to New York and have to go straight to Queens to get my plane ticket to Prague. It's a long day with 2 bags & back-pack. If I say so myself, I'm a trooper. It's 10:30pm when I finally get to my friend Genine's place in Harlem where I am staying.

JULY 1st '03*After a restful night I am all packed and ready to get to JFK for my flight to Prague. I consolidated my bags to just one for the trip. On my way to JFK I stopped my old spot on 57th to get a manicure. Yep, I used to get 'em done every two weeks. I don't do it in LA for some reason.

The plane for Switzerland leaves 2 hours late, there was a mechanical problem. Hours later I am in Zurich and the first thing I notice is that everyone smokes and I mean everyone. Four hours there and then off to Prague.

JULY 2nd '03*I arrive in Prague, zip thru customs and my brother is waiting. We can both hardly believe I am finally there. On to mass transit. I can tell this place has a lot of history.

JULY 3rd '03*So here I am in Prague, Czech Republic in a lot of pain, but trooping through. I can see why several Heath Ledger films have been shot here. This place is so old, it makes LA seem like it was built in the 70's.

JULY 5th '03*There are a lot "ex-pats" here, Americans living abroad. I'm not sure if that term means simply "Americans living abroad" or if they are sorta "anti-American". I'll have to ask my brother. I don't think I could live there for more than a week or so, I would always be craving to go back to work. A lot of time is spent "at the bar" drinking and smoking. I don't drink or smoke, but I enjoyed seeing how things are different than here in the states. I have to say that I've never seen so many women in my life. I don't necessarily mean like "hotties" though there are plenty of those, just females in general. Maybe it has to do with all of the fighting that has taken place. Today I went into a castle near the Charles Bridge in Prague. Unbelievable!! I don't know how old it was, but it was old. You could see where the soldiers would shoot potential invaders from. Crazy!!

JULY 7th '03*That was a quick trip and I am back on the plane to the US. This flight took forever, it seemed like I was flying over Europe for days. I think because I was flying during daylight hours the whole time. Anyway, I eventually got back to New York. Tonight I met a several people from the Backstage.com forum. It was cool to put faces to names that I have met online.

JULY 8th '03*It's great to be back in New York as always, I also don't regret leaving. There are so many stairs!!! I'm sure this was my sore leg talking. I knew when it was my time to move on and I listened to that voice. In the future I hope to spend more time there. Dinner with friends caps the evening.

JULY 9th '03*(In the wee hours of the morning) my train back to Virginia Beach is scheduled to leave Penn station @ 2:35am. The first red flag was that it wasn't on the schedule. Word is that it's stuck in Connecticut where there is a bridge malfunction. The next word is that it won't arrive until 4:30am at the earliest, which will make me miss my connection in DC. UGHHHHHHHHHH!!! It's not that big of a deal, it's just that my leg is still bothering me. I figure I can just wait or walk to Port Authority on get on the Greyhound Bus. Not a pleasant thought, I've taken the bus back and forth to NYC more times than I care to count. I check the schedule and it will be a 13 hour journey. I relent. I tell you, riding the bus really helps to keep me focused so that I won't have to ride the bus in the future. I call both of my agents to let them know that I will be back in LA on schedule. My theatrical agent says that it's already starting to pick up; my commercial agent has an audition for me as soon as I land.

JULY 10th '03*Early morning flight and I'm back in LA by 11am. My audition is at 12:05pm, gotta like that. It's a fun spot for "Bud Light". Welcome back to LA Stephon!! It's good to be back, I had a great vacation. I wouldn't change a thing except for my sore leg, but it's getting better.

JULY 11th '03*I have another commercial audition today, this time "Jimmy Dean" sausage.

JULY 12th '03*Today I attend the Network Upfront Preview at the Academy of Arts & Sciences. This is a preview of all of the new shows on the fall schedule. It gives me a heads up on what is coming up on TV. It also helps if I get to audition for shows that haven't aired yet.

JULY 14th '03*I have made the decision to increase my profile in the film world. Up to now I have specifically concentrated on Commercials & Primetime TV. I'm going to concentrate on studios films, the ones that usually get completed and released. I am not going to be turning other things down, but my focus will be on the big films. I figured "why can't have a scene or two in a million film"? Maybe I can. I'll at least try. Today I have an audition for "Little Black Book". It's a film starring Brittany Murphy, Kathy Bates & Holly Hunter. The audition, on tape, goes well.

JULY 16th '03*Today I have a callback for that "Jimmy Dean" spot. I don't think the producers/director were interested in me though, maybe next time.

JULY 17th '03*Tonight I do a workshop and the guest shares with the group that he always gets my postcards and I should give seminars to actors on marketing themselves. That is a real compliment. I told him that I'd plans for the future in that area.

JULY 18th '03*Not one, but two auditions for "Dodge" today. I didn't feel all that great about either one though.

JULY 28th '03*It's been pretty quiet audition-wise lately, but I keep very busy doing drop-offs. I had an audition scheduled for producers of "I'm With Her", a new comedy for ABC, but it was cancelled because they switched scripts. It was for Jeff Greenberg, the same CD that I booked "Frasier" through. I thought I was really right for it too, hopefully when they go back to that script I'll get seen.

JULY 29th '03*Today I have an audition for a big feature called "Terminal". This is really good news for several reasons. First, I dropped off the photo myself. I actually held off on dropping it off because I was going on vacation. As soon as I got back in town I dropped it off. Second, I had never been to this office before. Third, they do mostly A-list features; that is where I am focusing right now. When I get to the audition I see that the associate is someone that I met in a workshop years ago. She said she saw my photo come in and she called my agent. When I went in the room for the read the casting director, Debra Zane, said that she actually read my resume. She commented on the last line of the special skills section that says "Guess what. You're not gonna believe this, but I've never had coffee or any kind of alcohol. Never." She wanted to know if it was true. After joking around for a moment she stopped and said "you know what? I actually believe you". She should believe me, because it's true. Anyway the audition on tape went really well.

JULY 31st '03*Yeah!!! Bright and early my agent calls to tell me that I have been booked on "Terminal". It's a couple of days work. My scene is with Tom Hanks and the director is Steven Spielberg. I could get used to this!!

Three hours later my agents calls again to say that "Good Morning, Miami" has booked me for the first episode of the new season. What a fabulous start to the season.

AUGUST 1st '03*NO!!!! The driver-side door handle on my trusty Honda Accord broke today. Now I have to get in through the passenger side or reach around and unlock the driver-side door. IT'S TOO HOT FOR THIS!!! No, really this is good. It just reminds me that it is time to get a newer car. I'm going to try to make that happen this Fall/Winter.

AUGUST 6th '03*Drop-offs, drop-offs & more drop-offs!

AUGUST 7th '03*Today I participate in the reading of a script that a young lady I used to work with in New York with wrote.

AUGUST 8th '03*Back in the saddle at "Good Morning, Miami"!!! This morning we have the table read for the first episode of the season. I was happy to see the cast & crew again. I got meet Tiffani Thiessen; she is doing the first 3 of 4 episodes. Based on what I've heard from several people it seems that my character may be around quite a bit again this season. My commercial agent calls with a same-day call for a "Chevy" audition for Cathi Carlton Casting. I have booked 2 commercials through Cathi in the past. The audition went well.

AUGUST 14th '03*Show day!! What a long day. Today was kinda hectic, maybe it was because it was the first show of the season. I also missed a commercial audition. I hate missing auditions, but I guess I have a good reason. I think we've got some really good stuff. I always say that, I really believe the show has what it takes to be a "go to" show for NBC.

AUGUST 15th '03*Table read, "Good Morning, Miami" episode #2. This morning I tuned in to watch "Good Day LA". One of the co-host, Jillian Barberie, is going to be a guest-recurring character on the show. I wanted to see what she was like before the table read. WOW! This woman has a lot of energy. She's cool, hip and seems fun. She is perfect for the character on the show.

CUT to: 90 minutes later

I am sitting next to Jillian at the read and she is going to be absolutely fantastic.

It's as hot as can be and I'm on my way to Fox Studios for a producer session for "NYPD Blue". The associate casting director, Scott Genkinger, The role is a "murderous, thug type of guy". These roles are a real challenge for me. I'm not your typical "murderous, thug type of guy". I have to resist the temptation of trying to convince people that I'm mean. I have to just put "Stephon" in that situation and trust it. I just wanna have a good, strong read. It goes well enough, but not great. I spend the next hour doing drop-offs on the lot.

AUGUST 16th '03*Today I have a lot of running to do; just the way I like it. I start in the morning at a Talent Manager Panel @ AIA. I'm not looking for a manager, but I usually pick up some useful info. Next is to a seminar entitled "Succeeding in L.A.". Hmmm.......not a whole lot picked up here either, but I will try to simplify my resume a little. I then rushed back to AIA to catch Casting Director Jane Jenkins. Jane and her partner Janet Hirshenson are the people behind The Casting Company. They cast mostly studio films. I really wanted to hear what she had to say. All in all, it was good, productive day.

AUGUST 18th '03*GOOD MORNING, STEPHON!!!! Usually when my caller ID says "PRIVATE CALLER" it's my theatrical agent. The first thought that ran through my head was that I had been written out of the current episode. I was right. Oh well, it happens. At least I still get paid. Also, if I know anything about this show, it's that they re-write quite often. I could be back before it's over.

AUGUST 19th '03*Okay, get this. I wake up this morning @ 9am because I need to move my car. As I walk out my door I see a "GMM" script. WHAT!?!? I guess I've been written back in. I'm in and out of the shower in a flash and on my way. I arrive at the studio and within 5 minutes the director, Peter Bonerz, begins placing me in scenes. Peter is definitely in my corner; he just seems to make sure that I'm around. So, in less than a day I go from being written out to appearing in 3 scenes.

A call comes in for another studio film audition for tomorrow; I hope I can make it somehow. It's not looking good because we have a lot of pre-shooting to do for Thursday's show.

Oh yeah, I think I got a desk on the show. Meaning a place where I normally am going to be. A really good thing.

AUGUST 20th '03*Pre-shoots, pre-shoots, pre-shoots. I didn't think today would ever end. Trust me, I'm not complaining, I am glad to be working. The guest stars on the show this week are the "Queer Eyes For The Straight Guy" guys a.k.a. "the Fab Five". They have a funny scene totally playing themselves and are really nice people as well. After almost 12 hours on-set we are finished. A long day in sitcom world.

AUGUST 21st '03*Shoot day goes off without a hitch. I'm always amazed at how the writers come up with so much funny stuff while we are shooting. The actors always deliver as well. I haven't been booked on the next episode as of yet, but the casting director did mention something about it to me. I guess I won't know until I know.

AUGUST 25th '03*Okay Monday goes by without no call about "GMM". I do get an appointment for UPN comedy "Rock Me Baby" for tomorrow though.

AUGUST 26th '03*"Rock Me Baby" @ Susan Vash Casting goes well. Susan and her associate, Reyna, remembered me from previous visits to their office and postcards. They seemed really happy with the read and asked me to return for producers in a couple of days.

AUGUST 27th '03*Today I have the first commercial audition in the last couple of weeks. It's for "AT&T" @ Jeff Rosenman Casting. It goes alright, nothing special.

AUGUST 28th '03*Today I was on the lot @ Universal for a producer session for UPN comedy "Rock Me Baby" through Susan Vash Casting. The callback went great and hopefully she'll keep calling me in.
 
Afterwards I went into my trusty HP iPAQ Pocket PC and checked for the addresses on the lot so I could do some drop-offs. I really didn't feel like doing them....well because I was just tired. It was hot outside, my car was running hot, my agent was having problems e-mailing appointment info for today, Friday and I wanted get home to make sure I had the info.
 
As I was ready to pull off to go home I stopped and said "what the heck are you doing? This is where you shine; this is where your magic happens". I take my seatbelt off, break out my computer and get a move on with the map of the Universal Lot. After taking forever to find the first drop-off and on my way to the 2nd I run into Susan Vash and her associate Reyna Karp whom I had just read for.

Me: (to self) Oh Sh*t, I'm not a stalker.
(Normal voice from across the street) Hi!

Susan & Reyna:
You're still here?

Me:
I'm doing drop-offs.

Susan & Reyna:
Gotta take advantage of the pass, huh?

Me:
Yeah, you never know when you're gonna get back on the lot.

Susan & Reyna:
Yeah, I guess your right.

Me:
Ya know, I pull out my little computer (showing them) and look up all of the addresses and get to work. Susan & Reyna:
Wow! That is the coolest little thing.

Me:
Yeah, gotta help the agents out anyway I can. Myself too, I get 90%!

Susan & Reyna:
You're smart. We'll do one for you. LaPadura/Hart Casting is right next door to us.

Me:
You're kidding. You wouldn't mind?

Susan & Reyna:
No problem. (I give them the photo that I have in my hand)
(to each other) Who else is near us?

Me:
Ah ladies, you're the best! Well have a great, safe weekend and THANK YOU. See ya.

I proceed to try and make a couple of others that I can't find and call it a day. Tomorrow I have a pre-read for "The Guardian" @ Sony Studios and you can bet I'll be looking for more magic.

AUGUST 29th '03*My audition for "The Guardian" went pretty well. I later got more insight into what they were looking for and I would have done things a little different. I have to make sure I get the entire character breakdown from my agency. I also get a call today for "LA Dragnet" for Tuesday. I believe it was from one of the drop-offs I did yesterday.

SEPTEMBER 2nd '03*Cool!! I have an audition at one of the CD offices that I dropped off at while I was on the Universal lot last week. It's for "LA Dragnet"; the role is "B-Mo" a street hustler. I'm always a little apprehensive when I get these calls. I just have a hard time believing that an audience is going to buy me as a hard-core street dealer. There is a part for me in those stories, maybe the foot soldier that is now strung out on crack. I just don't think I'm the guy who brought 40 kilos of coke to the neighborhood. Anyway, there was a paramedic role that I wanted to be seen for instead. I called my agent and they asked the CD to see me for the other role. The CD said "no problem". I didn't get a callback, but I think they will consider me for the run of the season. I feel good about making the decision of requesting to be seen for the other role.

SEPTEMBER 4th '03*Today I had an audition for a SAG short film at CBS Radford. After the audition I had planned to do some drop-offs on the lot. It was blazing hot and I wanted to sit in the shade while looking up addresses in my Pocket PC. I finally found shade right next to the stage where NBC's "The Tracy Morgan Show" shoots. It is also the former stage of "Seinfeld". Several people had walked back and forth when finally a gentleman asked me if I was lost. I told him "no" and that I was preparing to pass out photos on the lot; ya know "get my hustle on". He thought that was great. I could tell that he was somehow connected to the "The Tracy Morgan Show". He suggested that I drop a photo to the show, but I told him that casting wasn't done on the lot for that particular production. I told him that I'd seen the trailer for the show at the Academy Network Preview and enjoyed it. Turns out he was the father of Marc John Jefferies; one of the kids on the show. He is also a producer and let me read part of his script that was just greenlit. I informed him that I recur on "Good Morning, Miami" also shooting on the CBS lot. He then invited me to come in to watch rehearsal. It looks like a really funny show that is a mid-season replacement. I said I hope it doesn't replace "Good Morning, Miami", but with the lack of advertising it will be challenging for "GMM". I watched rehearsal, which was quite entertaining and saw, former rapper, Heavy D who is also on the show. Who was directing? "Friends" cast member David Schwimmer. Peace!

SEPTEMBER 8th '03*Drop offs, drop offs & more drop offs!!

SEPTEMBER 11th '03*This day really hatches a horrible memory for our country and the world. I gave blood again this year in honor of it. I know I should give blood more often, but I can't stand needles. I will get better at it though and try to give more often. I also had an audition for a "Hyundai" commercial. I was to portray a husband in his early 30's. It's funny because I usually feel like I'm a bit younger than that. I am learning to leave that way of thinking alone and just do the work. There are situations in which I'm right about it........I think. Anyway it went well and we'll see what happens. Then I had an audition for "Eve", a new comedy on UPN, starring rapper Eve. I felt like I was ready for the audition, but it didn't go all that well. The CD was really backed up and I felt she was kinda trying catch up therefore it was really rushed. I explained what happened to one of my buddies and he gave me a little trick to prevent that from happening again.

SEPTEMBER 12th '03*COOL! Bright and early my commercial agent calls to tell me I have a callback later this afternoon for "Hyundai". YEAH!! The callback goes really well. I don't think I'll book, but that's okay. I'll get 'em next time.

SEPTEMBER 16th '03*Tonight I attend the season premiere party for UPN comedy "One On One". It was held at one of the series regular, Kelly Perine's house. He is a really, really great guy and one heck of a talented actor. I remember being in a commercial callback with him once and it was painfully obvious why he works so much. At the party I watched the show in his bedroom; I noticed that his room is larger than my entire apartment. WHAT!!! I better keep doing drop-offs!

SEPTEMBER 19th '03*Cool!! Another audition from a drop-off. I have a producer session this morning for new NBC dramedy "Miss Match". I felt the session went well. Right after my audition I went straight to LAX to catch a flight to Phoenix, AZ to attend a wedding with a friend, SonHui.

SEPTEMBER 20th '03*Wow, for some reason that wedding really did a number on me. It was so beautiful to see two people that were so committed to each other. I have to admit, it got me to think about certain areas of my life. Ahem, I'll leave it at that.

SEPTEMBER 23rd '03*Today I go in for a SAG experimental film. It's called "Zero Options"; the role is some street hustler. How funny. They have me pick any scene in the script for my audition material. I chose one that was "non-thug-like". It was between my character and a little girl; I was helping her with her homework. I don't think they expected that, so they had me read a "thug-like" scene totally cold. I felt that it went well, considering it was totally cold.

SEPTEMBER 24th '03*Audition: "Pop Secret". It goes well; I am paired up with my dear friend Keilana Smith. It was quite interesting. Keilana and I have dated on and off for the last several years going back to my New York restaurant days. More off than on, but always in each others lives.

SEPTEMBER 26th '03*I have 3 auditions today. The first is for a UCLA trailer. I was called directly by the casting director. It went really well. Next was an appointment an "ABC Diversity Showcase". It was okay, I think I was rushing over the material and missing the beats. The last one was for producers for "NYPD Blue". I felt it went well.

SEPTEMBER 28th '03*Tonight I conduct a mentoring session at The Actorsite. I was asked to do it by the owner for members of the group. I was just sharing experiences for a couple of hours. It feels weird to be called a mentor, but it went pretty well.

SEPTEMBER 29th '03*Today I sent out an e-mail reminder for friends to watch the second season premiere of "Good Morning, Miami". It's amazing how many people are rooting for me, many I haven't ever met in the flesh. I really appreciate it. One young lady, Staci, got word that I booked a role in "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks. She happens to be really good friends with the casting associate that cast the film. She forwarded my e-mail message to her and the casting associate, Tannis responded that "Steven loves me" (my audition performance, that is). WHAT!!! Yeah, Steven as in "Spielberg". Cool!!! Here is the quote:

"one more thing...i talked to tannis and she said steven LOVES you! go get 'em baby! love staci"

The audition was like 3 lines, I couldn't figure out how he came up with all of that. I'll take it though. Maybe they were actually shooting all of the pre-audition conversation about me not drinking coffee. I've been doing research on Mr. Spielberg and I found that he doesn't drink coffee either.

SEPTEMBER 30th '03*This morning I get an e-mail from a friend of SonHui, the friend that I accompanied to the wedding last week in Phoenix. My heart starts racing as I am wondering what was going on. I call her and she tells me that SonHui is in the hospital. She had had a brain aneurysm. WHAT!!! A week ago I was right there with her in Phoenix. It threw me for a loop, you never really think that sort of thing will happen to anyone you know. She goes in to surgery this evening.

Cool! My agent calls to tell me that my time on the feature "The Terminal" has been increased to a week. That is great to hear, I am really excited about this project.

Also, tonight is the big night!!! It's the second season premiere of "Good Morning, Miami". I think the show was fantastic!! Some of my lines were there and some were cut. I think the show has a great chance to be very important for NBC in the coming years if they get behind it.

OCTOBER 1st '03*Bright and early I get a call to let me know that SonHui made it through surgery okay. I am dumbfounded by this whole thing. It adds to things I have been already thinking about in my life.

OCTOBER 2nd '03*Audition: "UPS". It goes well! My agent informs me that I will be working in Palmdale, CA for "Terminal". Palmdale is about 65 miles from where I live. She was calling to see if I wanted to stay out there in a hotel while I shoot or drive in/out everyday and get a mileage credit. I guess I was trying to be nice 'cause I just said "whatever is the easiest". Right after that I ran into commercial queen Margaret Easley and she gave me several good reasons to stay in Palmdale. So I called back and informed my agent. I get word that I booked the UCLA trailer. BUT! There seems to be some question about the union status. I don't know why the CD called me to audition if it wasn't SAG. So I called the CD and she wasn't really sure what the status and wasn't too helpful really. She just wanted me to do it and not worry about it. She said to call the director and check with him. I called him and he said that they were trying to get it covered by a SAG experimental contract. Cool! He calls back and said that it wasn't looking good for the SAG contract and would I be willing to do it anyway. I told him "no" I wouldn't do it non-union. That's unfortunate; I was looking forward to working with a new, young director.

OCTOBER 3rd '03*Today I get an appointment for new NBC drama "Las Vegas". I had dropped off a photo yesterday at the casting office and they called a couple of hours later. The role is a delivery guy. The audition goes well; hopefully I'll get a callback.

OCTOBER 6th '03*Audition: "Roadrunner Cable". The audition goes well.

OCTOBER 7th '03*Alright!! Tonight is the second episode of "Good Morning, Miami". I enjoy the episode until it is interrupted by the election coverage. Looks like "Ahnold" is the new man. Weird, to say the least. Maybe he'll help keep more jobs in LA.

OCTOBER 8th '03*Today I stopped by the casting office of "The Terminal" with a small token of my appreciation for everyone who works there. Debra wasn't there, but Tannis and Christiana were. Tannis greeted me with open arms; she was so happy that I was cast in the film. She told me how sure Steven was about choosing me. She reported that he said "This is the only person for this role". I auditioned on a Tuesday morning, they sent tapes overnight the same afternoon to The Hamptons in New York and he was on the phone Thursday morning with the booking.

OCTOBER 9th '03*This morning I have an audition for new Fox drama "Skin". I rehearsed it with my man Jon and was ready to go, but when I read it with the casting director the words wouldn't come out. I finally asked if I could start over, the CD said yes. The next time felt really good. It was taped for the producers, so hopefully I'll get a callback.
I stop in to see my commercial agents today because I told them that I am considering cutting my hair. I had my dreads stuff up in a hat to give them a hint of what I might look like without dreads. Also my agent calls with the final details of my travels plans for "The Terminal". They will put me in a hotel in Palmdale and give me a daily per diem for meals.

This evening SonHui calls me herself, she is on the road to recovery, thankfully. She sounds groggy, but like herself. It just goes to show that we aren't guaranteed another day or another moment even. There have been a lot things lately that have made think about my life. Tonight at the gym a young guy collapsed after leaving the sauna room, he was okay moments later. I don't know, I'm starting to think about family in a different way. I mean I am really close to my family; I talk to my little brother Todd in Virginia every day, several times a day usually. I think my thoughts are transitioning to having my own family. Hmmmm...........

OCTOBER 10th '03*This afternoon I go straight to producers for new ABC comedy "I'm With Her". I can't complain about my theatrical auditions, but I usually book more.

OCTOBER 12th '03*Tonight I spend time at Barnes & Noble doing more research on Steven Spielberg. I really want to know "how" he works. It's a small role that I have booked and I really want it to make it to the screen. I'll be doing a lot more research over the next 3 weeks.

OCTOBER 13th '03*More Spielberg research going on tonight. This guy is amazing!! I am so looking for to working with him & his team.

OCTOBER 14th '03*Today I have an audition for "Significant Others". I'm not really sure what kind of a show it is. I think it's like a reality show, but they are using real actors. Thankfully!!! Anyway, the audition is totally improv, which I haven't done in a while. My partner is willing to go for it and it comes off great. I don't know if we'll be cast, but we showed well I thought.
My agent calls this evening with my schedule for "The Terminal". Actually it's the schedule for the entire production. Wow, I can see exactly what days everybody is working in what cities. It looks like I am working for 4 days out of 7 days. This weekend I am going back to Virginia Beach, VA to attend my high school reunion. I don't know why I feel this way, but I am a nervous wreck. At the same time I am truly looking forward to it. Actually, it feels good to "not" know what to expect.

There is no pressure on me, I mean I wasn't voted "class president" or "most likely to succeed" or anything like that. I'll be surprised if more than handful of people even knew I existed back then.

No, I've never been married and don't have any children, at least not yet. I never went to college and there was absolutely no hint in high school that I would be an actor. It should be very interesting; I guess I'll see what happens.

OCTOBER 16th '03*WHAT!!! I have a print go-see today. I don't get those too often. It's a worldwide ad for "Nissan". Wish me luck, I'll need it.

OCTOBER 17th '03*LAX. Bright & early. Ready to Rock 'n Roll!! I'm off to my hometown of Virginia Beach, VA to attend my high school class reunion. Interesting, to say the least.
Can I tell you that I absolutely love going home? It's the best feeling. It's just so "regular", so "calm". Make no mistake my hometown has it's "issues" too, but compared to NY & LA I feel like I am in a time warp back into a time when things were more "simple".
So I show up at the reunion and recognize people right away. Many of the names came to me instinctively. Most people looked pretty much liked themselves with the additional years added. I don't know how I looked to others. Quite a few didn't recognize me at all. That didn't surprise me. I wasn't really known for much other than my skills on a BMX bike. At least that's all I remember. Some knew I had become an actor and had questions about it. Others found out and were kinda shocked by it. I can see why, there wasn't any of it while I was in high school. There were many people that I thought would be there that didn't attend. Maybe they'll be there on the second night.

OCTOBER 18th '03*THE FORMAL NIGHT!! This means I have to wear a suit. Not my favorite thing to do, but without a tie I was okay. Tonight there where some who weren't in attendance last night. It seemed like everyone was married with kids. Or had "been" married with kids. I was one of the few that hadn't done either, at least not yet. Again it was great to see everyone.
Me being an actor came up several times. This is always a funny thing for me. I feel kinda goofy saying it. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but it just feels funny mentioning it among those who aren't in the business. A few had actually seen me in a couple of things on TV and thought it was kinda cool. So all in all it was a really good trip. I got to reconnect with some people I hadn't spoken to in a very long time. I'm looking forward to the next one.

OCTOBER 20th '03*Bright and early and it's already time to go back to LA. I'm sick as dog!!! WHAT!!! Yeah, I got hit with something overnight. I am not looking forward being on a plane all day feeling like this. But I guess I have no choice.

OCTOBER 24th '03*Today is busy!! This is a good thing, since it has been a little quiet as of late. First, I have a really good commercial audition for "Old Spice" @ Sheila Manning Casting.
Then I read for USA Network's "Monk" for CFB Casting. The role was a Rastafarian cook in prison with a Jamaican accent. Must be the hair, huh? Anyway, I work on the material with two of my actor friends and got to a good place with it. The audition went well, I'm not sure how right I was for the role, but it went well. That is all I can ask for. Lastly, I participated in a screenplay reading for a new film that is setup at Universal Pictures. The director is Franc Reyes, he directed "Empire" last year starring John Leguizamo. I was surrounded by a lot of really talented performers and it was a blast. Mimi Rogers was there as well. I got into that through a friend, Nicole Gomez Fisher, called me at the last minute to participate. Thanks Nicole!!

OCTOBER 28th '03*I guess this answers my questions on if I will be back on "Good Morning, Miami" or not. I think the answer is a resounding "NO!". It appears that I have been replaced in the role of "Robby" the stage manager. There is now a Latino female in a very similar role. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted and I must say that I am quite curious as to what happened. I asked my agent, but she was never able to get an answer from the casting office. I'll have to chalk it as something that seemed too good to be true. When I went back at the start of this season it seemed that I would be around a lot. The director, Peter Bonerz, in the last episode I worked actually requested that I have a desk on the show. I'm sure this is leading to another door opening for me. It's not everyday that 3 lines turns into 14 episodes!! Onward & upward!!

OCTOBER 29th '03*Today I have my wardrobe fitting for "The Terminal" @ Universal Studios. It is always funny to me when I am standing in my underwear just five minutes after meeting the always female wardrobe person. In most other lines of work that would get me arrested.

OCTOBER 30th '03*Yeah!! Cool I have an appointment for "The Shield" today. The role is an addict who is being shaken down in a crack den. Its fun and I think I am pretty right for it, I'll hope for the best. Regardless, I feel that it goes well.

OCTOBER 31st '03*Finally a commercial audition this week!! I get seen for a "Domino's" spot @ Ross Lacy Casting. It goes well. It would be nice to book a commercial or anything else these days.

NOVEMBER 1st '03*These days I'm looking forward to breaking through to the next level in my career. I'm kinda sitting in a great position, but I don't want to continue to be an actor who only does bit parts. I pride myself with being "patiently, impatient". Great things are happening for me, but I have to keep the pressure on to keep on a steady plane of progress. I think a change is on the horizon as far as my hair style goes, I am getting tired of wearing my hair in dreadlocks. I have already discussed it with my agents and I think it will happen sooner than later. Now that it seems like "Good Morning, Miami" is a thing of the past it may be a perfect time to do it.

NOVEMBER 4th '03*A friend of mine, Gwendolyn Oliver, had a script reading of her screenplay sharing her experience of having a brain tumor. Powerful, moving and quite beautiful to say the least.

NOVEMBER 5th '03*I receive a call from "The Terminal" production saying that I won't start tomorrow; it has been pushed to the following day. Okay, what's another day right? I mean I booked this role over 3 months ago. I'm patient, LOL!!

NOVEMBER 6th '03* INT. Stephon's stuffy studio apartment-7:07am-

SFX: (Phone ringing)
Stephon: (After checking caller ID: "Dreamworks") Hello?

Production: Stephon?

Stephon: Speaking.

Production: I'm sorry to call you so early, but Steven just arrived on-set and wants to shoot your scene today. Is it possible for you to come to set right away?

Stephon: Ah....yeah of course.

Production: Cool! Thank you so much. Look for me when you get here, I have very short hair.

Stephon: Okay, see you then.

So that was my wake up call this morning. I've had worse calls. All of the sudden everything is NOW! The location is in Palmdale, about 70 miles away.

Put clothes in the dryer from last night
Shower & shave
Fill my cars' radiator with coolant, since I have a leak
Go to ATM

I'm finally on the road. It's a beautiful drive through the mountains of Southern California. I don't think I'll ever get used to the mountainous views of this region. It's pretty flat in Virginia Beach where I grew up, so the is a real treat.

I arrive at the location. I can't believe this. It is the largest set ever built for a movie. They constructed a whole airport terminal.
I check in with production and get to my trailer and the first person is Lydia Blanco. I've known Lydia for a couple of years, we met doing workshops. I remember when she was new in town and a little frustrated with being non-union. Well here we are working together on a Spielberg production with Tom Hanks & Catherine Zeta-Jones. Dreams do come true.

The set is unbelievable to say the least. It is Hollywood magic at its best, you really get the feeling that you are leaving on a flight.
I am part of a group of 5 airport vendors. We are introduced to Mr. Spielberg and he seems like a really nice guy. Shortly after I see Tom Hanks & Catherine Zeta-Jones. Tom is very funny and engaging. Ms. Zeta-Jones is absolutely beautiful, very sweet and doesn't take long show why she is a star.

We are informed by one of the AD's that since Steven put us in this scene at the last minute we will get one extra day of work added. This is great news; it'll pay for my trip home for the holidays.
During one of the set changes I had a few words with Mr. Spielberg. I thanked him for the opportunity to be a part of his storytelling. I also told him that I thought I was the only man in the world who had never had coffee. He laughed and said maybe he & I are the only two.

The next 6-8 hours were spent rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest players in the industry.
After wrapping for the day, me and the other vendors checked in our hotel, met for dinner and called it a night.

NOVEMBER 7th '03*This morning's 6:30am call time came after a restless night. Today's shooting schedule said that the vendors would be in the first two scenes of the day and the very last scene of the day. The hours came and went. I slept in my trailer for a while, and then hung out on-set. We broke for lunch, and then afterwards we were wrapped for the day. 8 hours on-set, but they never got to our scenes. We will are scheduled to be back on Monday.

I signed out and shot some hoops with Diego Luna. I'm not a b-ball player, but I didn't know my game was THAT bad. I suck!!

NOVEMBER 10th '03*I'm back in Palmdale and my 6:30am call is welcome. I'm eager to work, but it isn't to be today. I wait, wait and wait some more. I hang out on set a bit and watch the others do their thing. Three of Steven Spielberg's kids make cameos in the film as well. 10 1/2 hours on set, but camera time for me. Back to the hotel, dinner and I hit the sack early.

NOVEMBER 11th '03*One year ago today I said what was to be my final goodbye to my mother. Without question, this was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. I miss her dearly.
Another 6:30 call today. The weather is quite brisk in the morning; I think the elevation is about 3,000 feet. I love seeing the snow-capped mountains in the distance. According to the shooting schedule the group of vendors that I am a part of is shooting first thing this morning. I get a little breakfast, into wardrobe & I'm ready to go. The big question is: are they ready for me? I sit in my trailer, reading a script, and doze off. Then there is a knock on my door. They are ready for me. Finally!! One moment I'm asleep and five minutes later I'm in a scene with Tom Hanks. Things change fast in Hollywood, well make that Palmdale.

A wonderful surprise for me today was the entire office from Debra Zane Casting visiting the set. It was Debra herself, associate Tannis Vallely and assistant Christiana Celeste. They picked today to visit because many of the people who booked a weeks work were working. They were genuinely happy for our group; they even stayed and had lunch with us.
 
After lunch it was back to work. We were finishing a huge scene from the previous day involving hundreds of background actors. Watching Tom Hanks is quite interesting. I don't see him as an "intense" actor; he seems very relaxed and just does the work. We wrapped another 12 hour day and it was back to the hotel.   Oh yeah, Mr. Hanks gave us all Lotto tickets.  He is a first class guy.....I didn't win though.


My envelope with Lotto tickets from Tom Hanks!

NOVEMBER 12th '03*I'm off today from "The Terminal" which works out perfectly because my agent calls with a callback for a "Domino's" commercial. The callback goes well; I'm due for some commercial bookings.

NOVEMBER 13th '03*7:00am and I'm back on-set for my last day on "The Terminal". Looking at the schedule it seems that my scene will be shot today. All of the vendors supported one another while they were shooting which was great. I watched Lydia do her thing and I was up soon after. A background actor in Lydia's scene got an upgrade to principal when he was asked to dance in the scene by the cinematographer. No lines, just dancing, I can't wait see that scene in the film.
 
Right before my scene was to be filmed Steven threw in another shot on the spot. Another background actor who was working in the Starbucks was also upgraded on the spot and given several lines with Tom Hanks. Two people upgraded in one hour. Finally it was my turn to work. I had some other choices to help make my little bit of dialogue my own. I wanted my ideas to be heard so I waited until I was miked for sound and knew Steven was listening. I wasn't going to change the dialogue that was written, but I figured that I'd kinda throw it out to the universe when I was warming up before we actually rehearsed it. IT WORKED!!! After the second take Steven came over to me and asked me to add the line I was doing in rehearsal. It was over in a flash and Tom & Steven shook my hand and thanked me. Steven laughed and said "you've got the line of the movie". I just hope it survives through post-production.
 
Afterwards I, Lydia and the others hung out and watched production for the rest of the day. I also asked Mr. Hanks for a photo and he was more than happy to pose with me. 119 days after that drop-off it's finally done. Well not really, my promotional energy will continue to use it to get more auditions for studio films.
Since we ended up staying a little longer than originally booked we were in the hotel longer as well. I figured I was due more per diem money in addition to what I had already gotten, but I wasn't going to ask for it. Sure enough Lydia got hers and came and told me that they had mine waiting for me. I could get used to this!! Peace!!

This officially let me know that this surreal experience was OVER and I was going back to my regular life.  When I was leaving the set i started my car and the headlights wouldn't turn on.  WHAT!!!  Yeah, no headlights.  I fiddled with some things for a little while and they eventually came on.  Back to the hotel for a good nights sleep before driving back to Hollywood in the morning.

 
Lydia Blanco, Carlease Burke and Myself on-set "The Terminal".


Me and Tom Hanks on my last day on "The Terminal"

NOVEMBER 14th '03*Cool! I get to be a reader today. Henderson/Zuckerman Casting, who I have been a reader for in the past, has asked me to help out on an indie film called "In Your Eyes". It's a short session with the Producers/Writers/Director. It goes well and they ask for my headshot at the end. I also have an audition scheduled for and another project at this office next week.

NOVEMBER 15th '03*AIA Career Day is what is on my agenda today. Not so much because I'm looking for direction in my career, because I have to stay busy. Today is the one year anniversary of my mother's death. Without question, this is the most difficult thing I have ever been through. I don't know that it gets easier with time. It gets.........different. It has tapped the rawest emotions in my core self. I don't think I ever cried at a film before she passed. These days I rarely see a film where I don't shed a tear at some point. (You can keep that between us though.)

NOVEMBER 17th '03*Today I have a film audition @ Henderson/Zuckerman Casting. The film is called "Lost in Plainview"; the role is of a small-town, country guy. He runs into 2 girls in trouble and eventually gets killed. The audition is for the director and it goes really well. Afterwards I have a producer session for UPN's "All About The Andersons.

Screening: "Japanese Story"

NOVEMBER 19th '03*My friend, Jonathan Julian, has a commercial audition today that he thinks I am also right for. I call my agent and 10 minutes later I have my own appointment. It was for a "Dodge" spot and it goes really well.
Screening: "In America" After the screening I run into the highly-acclaimed director of the Jim Sheridan. I know Jim through a former girlfriend. He invites me to the premiere which is tomorrow in Beverly Hills.

NOVEMBER 20th '03*Happy Birthday mom!!! She would have been 70 today. Tonight I attend the Hollywood premiere of "In America". It was pretty neat; I even walked down the red carpet. I got off of it quickly so I wouldn't get in someone else's photo. I enjoyed the film for the third time and hung out for reception afterwards. I even saw a few people that I knew. Thanks Jim.

NOVEMBER 21st '03*Commercial audition: "Sears".
I have a dear friend who is one of the most talented people I have ever met and I mean ever. Her name is Erin Seaborg. The business side of acting, for her, wasn't nearly as exciting as acting itself. I asked her to give me some of her headshots and I would pass them around while I did my own drop-offs. She had attended some casting director workshops and I knew which ones. I would selectively drop off her photos at the places that I thought she had the best chance of getting called in. The last photo that I had of hers went to Zane/Pillsbury Casting. They cast NBC's "Miss Match". Brett Greenstein called her in and she booked the role!! She was non-union so she was able get her SAG card from it as well. The show aired tonight and she looked great. Congratulations Erin!!

NOVEMBER 25th '03*Yes!! My first pilot audition of the season. Hopefully this is a sign of what is to come for me. It is at Landsburg/Fiddleman Casting. Terri Fiddleman brought me in for the first TV gig that I ever booked. It was for "Friends". The pilot presentation is for ABC Family called "This Time Around" which is based on a movie-of-the-week. They went over my resume and saw that I have been working quite a bit and asked about the Spielberg/Hanks experience. I felt the read went well; I did everything that I wanted to do in the room. It would be nice to get a callback.

I thought this was kinda funny. I looking at this "Good Morning, Miami" fansite and the topic of the day was why was the show having a bad season. Someone inquired about the character that I used to play "Robby" they said "Whatever happen to Robbie? He was so cool". I gotta tell you I got a kick out of that!!

Screening: "Bad Santa". The star of the film, Billy Bob Thornton, did a Q&A session for SAG members in attendance. He is a really cool dude. I was even able to get a photo with him.

DECEMBER 1st '03*I have a producer session for "Reba". It's 2 lines. I have to stop going in on some of these roles. I would have passed if I had known more about the role. I didn't even go all that great. I am glad that they think of me, but I want them to think of me in a different light. After that I had a really good audition for "Progressive Auto Insurance" at Craig Colvin Casting. One of these days I am going to book at his office, I usually get close. I'll book in due time. I did a drop-off today @ April Webster Casting and ran into associate Mandy Sherman. She knew who I was right away and asked if I was still working on "Good Morning, Miami". She gets all of the postcards I send out. Maybe one day I'll get to audition for "Alias" too.

DECEMBER 2nd '03*Screening: "Open Range". Q&A with Robert Duvall, Annette Benning & Kevin Costner.

DECEMBER 3rd '03*Audition: "Miss Match". This is my second time reading for the show this season. Hopefully I'll get to work on the show. I see Ryan O'Neal on my way in to read.
Screening: "Monster". Charlize Theron is incredible in this film. I hope she gets her due.

DECEMBER 4th '03*Audition: "MasterCard" @ Alyson Horn Casting. It goes well. The session runner told me that she sees my postcards all of the time and was surprised that I do them myself. She even told me where I can get some really good quality glossy ones that are reasonably priced.

Audition: "Michelob Ultra" @ Kathy Knowles Casting. It goes really well and I am really right for it. The character is a stage manager/PA. I figure I'll just go in with a "Good Morning, Miami" feel to it. LOL!! While I am there I squeeze in to get seen for a "Washington Mutual" print go-see.

DECEMBER 5th '03*Screening: "Cold Mountain". Renee Zellweger steals every scene that she is in.

DECEMBER 8th '03*Callback: "Michelob Ultra". It flows like "butta". I've got a really good feeling about this one. Everything just seemed to click from the very beginning.

Screening: "The Girl With A Pearl Earring".

DECEMBER 10th '03*Tonight I am a panelist on the Showfax Actors 101 Seminar titled "Creating an Image: How to Create and Market Your Best Self". I am always nervous when appear at these events, but it seemed to go over pretty well. One young lady was so kind to bake brownies for the panelists, they were soooo good. Thanks!!

DECEMBER 11th '03*Finally!!! Booked!!! It's a "Michelob Ultra" national commercial. What a nice way to round out the year.

DECEMBER 12th '03*Audition: "Harley-Davidson". It goes well and I think I'm right for it. Also I get a last minute call for an "IBM" @ TLC/Loree Booth Casting. I get there and find that I am one of 3 guys requested for this spot. WHAT!!! When I arrived they didn't even have the sides. After we had the sides for about 5 minutes we received word those sides were no good. Ten minutes later we received another set of sides. Whew! Anyway the spot is being directed by the legendary Joe Pytka. I keyed in on this office about 3 years ago because I heard that Mr. Pytka uses actors over and over again. I got in the family by booking an "IBM" spot about 18 months ago. I'll hope for the best.

I have my wardrobe fitting for "Michelob Ultra" this evening @ Universal Studios. It's a madhouse over there; they are fitting like 12 people at once. It's freezing on Stage 25 so I am not in any hurry to take off my clothes to be fitted. I patiently wait until everyone else is finished. In 4 minutes flat I am finished too.

DECEMBER 16th '03*The big question in my life right now is: Can I make my 9:25pm flight home to Virginia Beach this Friday night? I expect an early call time, but you never really know. I never heard anything else about the "IBM" spot so I guess they moved on without me. Or they scrapped the whole spot.

The guest tonight at the SAG Conservatory is casting director Debra Zane. Debra cast "The Terminal" that I recently worked on. She also cast films such as "The Limey", "American Beauty", "Catch Me If You Can", "Matchstick Men", "Traffic" among others. It was great to get to hear her speak for 90 minutes about how she runs her office. That is one office I am really glad to have gotten into for films.

DECEMBER 17th '03*Things are not looking good as far as me making my flight home. In order for me to change my flight and leave the next day, Orbitz.com wants to charge over $1,100 dollars. Are they kidding? Nope, not at all. It looks like I will have to book another flight for the next day to be safe. I book another flight.

DECEMBER 19th '03*Today is shoot day for the "Michelob Ultra" commercial. I get a 5pm call time. Obviously I will not be able to make the 9:25 flight tonight so I cancel the original ticket and take the hit with the change fees. It's a lot better than $1,100.

The shoot goes well. My character is a producer at a dance audition. It is due to start running in February.

DECEMBER 20th '03*Finally, I catch my flight home for the holidays.

DECEMBER 21st '03*Today is the big day for my hair to be cut. Yup, the dreadlocked look is over for me. I've had dreads for 9 of the last 14 years. I'm just ready for a change. I've been trying for about a year to do it, but needed the right time set of circumstances. I didn't want to do it while working on "Good Morning, Miami" because I didn't want to possibly threaten a good situation. About the time that ended I was cast in "The Terminal". I didn't shoot until almost 4 months later; obviously I didn't want to change things from how I looked at the audition. So finally the zero hour is here. My little brother, Todd, does the honors. In 20 minutes I'm completely bald. WHAT!!!
 

Stephon with the slickness!!

Next on the agenda today is motocross riding with 2 of my brothers. We are really competitive, so there is a lot of "smack-talk" when I'm not at home. One of my brother's has a Honda CR125R and the other has a Suzuki RM125. Predictably, I came out on top. My brother's are quite talented, but they will never beat me on a motocross track.
 

Stephon flying on Suzuki RM 125!!  That's one of my slow a$$ brothers in the background.

Something else I usually do while riding is to get shaken up somehow....someway. At the end of the day I wanted to take a lap around the expert/Supercross track. It was a little wet, but I was doing OK. Then the whoops came. WHAT!!! I'd never ridden through real whoops before. I ended up somehow twisting the throttle wide open and going over the berm into the trees. When I say the trees I mean literally. I flew through the air and hit 2 trees 4-5 feet above the ground. I landed with a thud and was stuck under the bike among the saplings and vines. The first thing I did was to move my extremities; I wanted to make sure nothing was broken or worse. After a moment I was able to get up. My brothers and the other riders had gone back to their vehicles to pack up for the day, so I was out there alone.

I didn't want anyone to see me so know one would know what "really" happened. I got stuck 3 separate times. Finally someone came looking for me, but I was really in the woods and you couldn't see me from the track. It took me 15 minutes to get out of there. As I made my way back to the truck my brother was coming to look for me. He wasn't very happy as I explained what happened. Later that night I self-diagnosed myself with several bruised ribs. I need to develop more fear of getting hurt. I have a dream to be able ride at one of pro races as a "celebrity". That even sounds funny, but I can dream right? While we're on the subject, I also want to ride in fighter jet.

DECEMBER 25th '03*Christmas morning is here. My niece and nephew got everything they wanted and more (personally, I think it's too much). One of the highlights was my 5-year old nephew getting a motorcycle. All I can say is that this kid is a natural on a bike.

DECEMBER 28th '03*More motocross riding today with my family. I absolutely love this sport; I will do this for a long time. I am still the champ among my brothers. I am more worried about my 5 year old nephew beating me in 4-5 years than my brothers. LOL!! Don't tell them.

JANUARY 1st '04*HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Actually I am traveling today. What a great day to travel, it almost seemed like the airport was closed. I saw rapper/actor Ludacris on my flight. He was in first-class, of course, I was in with the regular folks. I also saw "Gilmore Girls" casting director Jamie Rudofsky from JaM Casting on the flight. When I got back to LA only one of my bags was at baggage claim. After a whole day of trying to track it down through Continental I received a call from "Joe". He had taken my bag by mistake; he said that he had the exact same bag. Fortunately, he didn't live far from me.

JANUARY 5th '04*It's time!!!! I am back in the saddle making the rounds doing my drop-offs. I gotta let CD's know that I have cut my hair. So I am burning up the pavement dropping off my photo around town. I will re-shoot in a couple of weeks.

JANUARY 9th '04*My first audition of the year! My agent wasn't thrilled about me going in on it, but I wanted to. It's just a line or two, but it stars Cameron Diaz & Toni Collette, Curtis Hanson is directing and David Rubin/Erica Arvold are casting. I felt it was smart for me to get seen and who knows. I love that my agents don't pass on things without me know about it. The role is a bartender and he is suppose to have actual bartending experience. How funny, I've never even had a drink much less mixed one. I felt like it went well. I also read for "Charmed" at Leslee Dennis Casting today. The role is a young ER doctor. I was happy with this audition as well. I'm glad I am getting seen with my new short hair style.

I go to the doctor today because my ribs are still bothering me from when I ran into the trees riding motorcycles while on vacation. It's official, I have a cracked rib. I knew something was wrong inside of me. The doctor said bones take about 6 weeks to heal. It's been almost 3 weeks; so I guess I'm half-way there.

JANUARY 10th '04*Yes!! A Saturday audition. I go in for a guest lead on "The Shield" today. Often times when I go in for the gritty shows it is a drug dealer who is selling a bunch a product on the streets. I do not really like going in for those roles, but this one fits me much better. It is the foot soldier in those stories, the guy who works for the bigger street dealer. The guy who will rat you out if any pressure is put on him. The audition went really, really well. I hope to get a callback, but if I don't they will bring me back for something else I'm sure.

JANUARY 12th '04*Gotta love those same-day calls. I didn't have anything scheduled for today, but some things came through nonetheless. First my theatrical agent called with a producer session for "Charmed". It's for a different, smaller role than I auditioned for originally. It's for a dad! That's cool because I actually believe I could be a young dad now that I've cut my dreads. The read of a couple of lines goes pretty well. Quick, fast and in a hurry.

The second audition was for a "Honda" commercial, which also goes well.

JANUARY 13th '04*YES!!! My agent calls today to tell me that I have a general interview with Dawn Steinberg. Dawn is the Senior VP of Talent & Casting @ Sony Pictures Television. The interview is scheduled for Friday Jan. 23rd. I am quite sure the meeting came from meeting Adrianna Porcaro in a workshop last week. Adrianna works for Dawn; I guess she thinks I am someone that her boss should meet.

JANUARY 14th '04*Audition: "Saturn" @ Ross Lacy Casting. Goes well.

JANUARY 15th '04*Drop-offs, drop-offs and more drop-offs!! Also, it's time to re-shoot photos. I think I am settled on how I am going to wear my hair. Very, very short. I will call John Ganun www.johnganun.com to set up an appointment to shoot on the 23rd.

JANUARY 19th '04*I have an appointment for a pilot today, the "Untitled Method Man/Redman Project" for Fox. I would really like to get a callback for this, I think I am right for it and it goes well enough. I think. While on the Universal lot for the audition I did a couple of drop-offs to try create more opportunities.

I also have an audition for a "Johnsonville" commercial @ Craig Colvin Casting. Usually when I audition for Craig I get a callback. I ran into Craig while I was there and got to show him that I cut my hair. He told me that Kevin Smith is directing the spot and that he really liked me for a spot for a "Boston Globe" spot that I almost booked last year. At the last minute the ad agency chose someone out of New York that they had worked with before. That was really good news, I had no idea Kevin Smith even knew I existed.

JANUARY 21st '04*Cool!! I get a call from one of those drop-offs from the other day while I was on the Universal lot. It is straight to producers for UPN's "Rock Me Baby". This is my second time to producers for this show this season. The all laugh again, we'll see what happens.

JANUARY 22nd '04*Auditions: "Sci-Fi Channel" promo & "Avis" commercial.

JANUARY 23rd '04*Audition: Indie Feature "Twisted Path" @ Henderson/Zuckerman Casting. I read for 3 different roles with producer/director/writer. The read goes well and they set me up to come back next week for a role in a different film. I occasionally work as a reader at this office, Cathy & Dori are wonderful. Before leaving, I showed Cathy my new vintage Van Halen concert tee shirt that I got for Christmas from a dear friend. Last time I was there I wore my Led Zeppelin tee. Cathy is a big rock music fan like me.

I also had my general meeting at Sony Pictures Television with Dawn Steinberg & Adrianna Porcaro. The meeting went really well. Dawn went over my resume and asked questions about some of the shows I worked on. She told me what shows they have on the air and what pilots they are working on. She seemed genuinely interested in me. She asked where I was from, what was direction I wanted my career to move in, etc. The meeting was wrapped up with Dawn saying that they will be going over Breakdowns from Sony projects and trying to get me auditions with those casting directors. Who says generals don't exist anymore?

JANUARY 28th '04*YES!!! I had my photo session today with www.johnganun.com and I felt like we nailed it. I even got a parking ticket in the process. I'll take that as a good sign.

JANUARY 29th '04*Auditions: "McDonald's" @ Ross Lacy Casting. Goes well, but I think I might be a little young looking for the spot. Also "Burger King" @ Terry Berland Casting. This one goes really well, I hope to get a callback. I portray that typical office worker, which I get a lot.

JANUARY 30th '04*Oh Noooo!! I missed a commercial audition this morning. Yup. My, normally reliable, pager didn't page me. It's technology and it's going to fail occasionally. I usually check it just to make sure but I forgot and by time I checked it was to late. Oh well, hopefully I'll have another one soon.

Still more??  Okay, click here "My Long Ass Bio" Chapter 4

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