Letters From Bobby

This morning, President Bush pretty much said that he feels our financial pain.

How much further down the rabbit hole does this country have to do before it wakes up? This week, I feel like I have to adjust to life in a new Third World nation.

Maybe there’s a simple, scholarly answer to this but how come the government couldn’t bail out the blue collar auto workers they way it did AIG? If you know, tell me.

I told a few of you that I had an audition last month with an 85 y/o woman. A former actress, she’s the host of an AARP-type cable TV show with lots of good information for seniors. She was seeking a younger male co-host. Thanks to a friend and neighbor, I found out about the auditions (which were held here in Manhattan) and sent in a headshot/resumé. The casting folks contacted me for an audition. Before my appointment, they emailed me that she’d be at the session and to check out her website to see some video clips. In the email were the words “…Suzanne is 85.” On the website, her pics looked more like 65. She resembled actress Betty Buckley. I figured “85″ was a typo. That is, until I walked into the audition room and saw her seated in front of the camera. I didn’t know whether to say “Why you’re Norma Desmond!” or “Where to now, Miss Daisy?”

She was terrific. It may have taken a bit longer for her to get the lines out, but she got them out and we connected. I got a callback in Philadelphia last week. That’s where the show is taped. After the callback, I was one of the three New York-based finalists up for the gig. Last night, I got the email that the co-host spot was filled. They went with a local guy instead. I have a hunch current economic times had a bit to do with the decision. Instead of paying train travel and possible hotel to a New Yorker for the weekly assignment, they can save that money by hiring local talent. But…I was one of the top three from NYC. Ironically, the other two guys were from agencies that both rejected me for representation. So there!

The callback, by the way, broke up the room with laughter. Suzanne and I clicked again, in a bit of a Margaret DuMont/Groucho Marx way. I found her fascinating. She’s made herself employable at 85 and she does a top job with that show. She’s very hip vs hip replacement on the program. Very cool!

Not that I’m a rich guy, but I do have a few bucks for a movie. I’ve been pretty busy job hunting this week and I could go for some screen entertainment. Hard to believe, I still haven’t seen The Dark Knight yet. How I wish I could’ve interviewed Heath Ledger before he left us. That man was an amazing actor, like a young male version of Meryl Streep, and he did quite a lot with his short time down here. That’s a lesson for us all, I think.