Monday, June 8, 2009

Just do it...

...so, I did. I'm in a national TV commercial. About a month ago, my friend Erin, who happens to own a very successful casting agency here in town, sent me a message about an audition for people with cancer in treatment or cancer survivors. Let's just put it this way, the casting call was for a commercial for a very well-known sportswear/shoe company and their cancer fighting ally: LiveStong with Lance Armstrong. So, I went and talked to the camera about my story and then heard nothing. In the meantime, the kids were finishing school and I was dying to take the 4 day weekend at the beach. We were to leave last Thursday...

Of course, late Wed night, I got the call. It had taken the director until that evening to decide on the cast. They wanted me to come in and be an extra the next day. "Pshaw," I said. "Why cancel my plans for the beach if I'm not a star?!!" Well, Evan and my friends said, "It's Nike! - and it's for cancer awareness - just show up for the damn thing and leave for the beach a day late." So, I did and they didn't use me on Thursday afternoon. BUT, they did pay me as an extra and sent the other tall, thin bald woman packing and asked me to return the next day at 7am as a principal. (NB: our time at the beach is getting shorter and shorter).

As it turns out, the 'extra' thing was just a ruse to get another look in person at me and my competition. The director wanted someone bald, thin and sickly enough - enter me, woo-hoo! - to lie in a hospital bed and....sshh! the rest is a secret. I now have a SAG card, can say I worked with this wonderfully famous director of TV commercials and will be seen all over America towards the end of this month and into early July before Lance launches into his next Tour de France. And we left for the beach by 3pm last Friday afternoon.

In the meantime, today I was interviewed by a national magazine (as will the rest of my family) for a story to be published during Breast Cancer Awareness Month this fall. More to come...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! Can't wait to see it!!

deborah d. lattimore said...

magnifique!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!xoxox

sara aikman said...

Can I have your autograph? :) You have inspired so many friends, Gail, why not the whole country?