There's No Place Like Home

After weighing all options, I have decided to take a break from LA and move back home for a few months to regroup. It's a GOOD thing, people.

The most recent exploit in the entertainment world I experienced was a 15 hour day working the show "Dexter."I totally saw that baby on set too!


Highlights:

• Playing arcade games with John Lithgow
• Knowing the child actor, Jake Short, who was guest starring on the episode
• Learning a new card game, Jungle Speed!
• Meeting a crew guy from Hudson, OH!
• Having the AD, John, remember my name :)

We shot on location in Redondo Beach, which is gorgeous! Definitely the best beach I have been to so far.

Last Film I Saw:

Jennifer's Body

I have to admit that I saw this film purely for my desire to watch Megan Fox's extreme talent light up the screen. Riiiiight. Had it not been for the wide success Juno received, I doubt Diablo Cody would have ever had this film brought to life. I did enjoy Amanda Seyfried's performance, who managed to hide Megan Fox's dead pan/annoying delivery most of the time. Except for their pseudo-lesbigay scene....I mean was that really necessary? And Johnny Simmons, who plays "Chip", Amanda's boyfriend, was absolutely adorable! He made me laugh every time he was on screen, thank god someone did. If you see this movie I guarantee you will leave it an Amanda Seyfried fan. But for the most part, I would classify this movie as a definite RENTAL.

New Obsession:

GLEE

Let's be honest...who ISN'T watching this masterpiece? Another cool tidbit: back in March when I was working on HUNG at the Paramount lot, me and my friends passed a wardrobe truck with a bunch of red and white football Jersey's. We could only guess what show they were for...little did we know they were outfitting the characters/extras of GLEE.

Guilty Pleasure:

Gossip Girl

The plots are highly unlikely, and the acting is mediocre (cough Blake Lively cough), but the show is YUMMY. Even my mom is into it (though she would never admit it.)

"Amateurs practice till they get it right, professionals practice until they can't get it wrong"

Surf's Up

Here in Cali it's always summer. However, certain times of the year are better for surfin than others. Most recently (yesterday) the waves were PERFECT. Me and my surfer buddy, Julianne Celeste, decided to take advantage of soem killer swells in the area. Gnarly.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3BlAnNg8A8

Secret Life of The American Idiot

This past Monday and Friday I had the pleasure of doing background work on the Show, Secret Life of the American Teenager. At this stage in my career one does background work on various television shows and movies in the hopes of attaining the much sought after SAG voucher. So far I have worked the following shows:

*Hung- definitely the nicest set
*Easy A- the most fun set, even though I had to drive all the way out to OJAI :(

*Iron Man 2- the most A-List filled set, super long days though :D

*It's Always Sunny In Philadeplhia- easiest day, I even got to get my face painted!

*Secret Life of the American Teenager- possibly the most nonenoyable experience ever

Friday we filmed on location at a high school in Van Nuys. All the main actors were there, since I don't watch the show I was not that excited lol but it was still cool to see them! It's nice because they are all really humble and don't think they're "above" talking to the extras or hanging out on set rather than rushing to their trailers between takes. It seemed like we were all really back in high school, and they were the group of popular friends that knew each other since kindergarten. I got to talk to Darren aka "Ricky" for a bit, and he was very, very nice. I don't like how they are doing his hair though, he looks like a knock off version of Dylan from Beverly Hills, 90210.

BH 90210, now that was a good teen show. Not like most of the stuff they put on TV these days, including Secret Life. I mean it's from the makers/producers of 7th Heaven so what can you expect except cheesy dialogue and unrealistic situations. I wish television shows aimed at high schoolers today would stop trying to sound realistic and relatable and just go for something completely unique and different! Kids are in school all day, every day, when they come home they don't want to flip on the TV and see an extension of their boring school on screen (ahem, Secret Life.) That's why Gossip Girl is so popular, it gives you a look into the world of the rich and scandalous character of New York city. I would not praise it for it's groundbreaking writing or acting, but is it entertaining? You bet. Point is, we need shows today that make us either laugh, or think. Like Glee, this show is going to make show choirs HUGE again all over the country, not just in the Midwest.

I'm not trying to dis Secret Life, because at the end of the day would I trade places with any of those kids...yes. BUT since I have to stand around and watch them try to act their way out of a paper bag filled with boring dialogue...I will willingly accept my place as a hall walker for now ;)

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What I'm Watching:

I just watched "Rachel Getting Married" the other day. Many people had told me it was a terrible, depressing movie. But I loved it, actually. Sure, it was a movie to kill yourself to, but the acting was so raw and spot on. I totally forgot Anne Hathaway ever did Princess Diaries, her breakout role. The camera angles and cinematography created such unique visuals, you actually felt like you were there witnessing a woman's life break down. Thank god for indie film makers, right?

Go watch it. Now. :D

The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien

Hey Everybody!



So I finally caved and made a freaking blog. Oh well, if you can't beat them, blog about them, right? I had quite an extraordinary day because I got to go to a live taping of Conan!! Plus Millie (my mom) is in town! So it was my birthday gift to her... hope you liked it.





We arrived at Universal Studios where we were escorted to a designated position in line...outside...in the 90 degree heat. Whatev, anything for Coco. The young interns dressed in hideous gray business suits handed us our yellow tickets and blue wristbands (not to be taken off unless you wanted to get yelled at and chased off the lot.) After an hour and a half of waiting they started taking groups to the restrooms...exciting stuff I know. Then after another hour they finally began taking groups of us into the studio!!! Let me just say right now I am a HUGE Conan O'Brien fan. I used to sneak out of study hall when I was in Middle School to watch his reruns of his show on Comedy Central... that's devotion. So Millie and I walk in, beaming cheek to cheek like two toddlers in a toy store, and take in the beautiful architecture and design of his sound stage. It was bigger than I had expected!! I went to a taping of Chelsea Lately last summer and was shocked to discover how SMALL her studio was, but she is not Conan :D We stared at all the crew setting up their expensive cameras equipment. We spotted the stage manager pouring a certain carbonated beverage that I am not allowed to tell you into Conan's mug on his desk ( it was diet coke, shhh!)



The "Page's" (overpaid set babysitters who escort the audience members in single file lines and tell them where to sit.) Directed Millie and I to the left side of his audience. And we had t split up in order to get good seats!! :( What the heck Conan!?!? The row above where Millie was sitting was taped off for vip people or something. Towards the start of the show one of the Page's brought 4 people dressed very nicely in through the side doors (exclusive access to Conan's World behind the scenes.) Fishy? I think so!

This pathetic guy named Jim came out first to "warm up" the crowd (like we needed it?) and tell us when to appluad. It's really tricky, there's this sign that lights up that says: APPLAUSE. Super hard to follow omg. After some tasteless jokes, Andy Richter (Conan's charity case) came out to relieve this fool of his duties. Andy introduced us to Conan's band (Max was not there, he's touring with Bruce Springstein or something lol) And they were AWESOME!!! I love big band music and to be able to hear people who are amazing at what they do, play their instruments together was exciting! But after all this delay I was ready for the main even: The Cone Bone himself: Conan O'Brien.

Andy announced him, the curtains parted, and in walks this 7 foot tall ginger wearing a nice suit and perfectly quaffed hair. :D

I just about peed. I could not contain my excitement, I didn't know whether to cry or burst out laughing. Embarassing...

First guest.... JONAH HILL!!! I think this kid is truly hillarious. He's taken the overweight, awkward, imposing, funny guy to the next level. I mean, have you seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall?? Brilliant. It must be extremely hot under those lights becuase Mr. Hill was sweating profusely. The makeup lady had to keep running out to give him tissues. No big deal, I sweat a lot too... I mean I "glisten." He brought a clip from his new film "Funny People" with Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler. I cannot wait till this movie comes out. I'm a hardcore Judd Apatow fan, so if he's directing it, I'm watching it.

Second Guest...Cheryl Hines. Whoopdi doo! We got to see a clip from "The Ugly Truth" in which she makes out with her weird co-anchor husband...cool! But there was one cool thing! Remember how I said the row above Millie was taped off for some peeps...it was Cheryl's Mom, stepdad, niece, and...another random guy family member! So when they cut to them in the audience you can totally see Millie in the right corner of the screen, clapping and laughing it up like a tv star.

Third Guest... comedian Dan Naturman. I think he had one funny joke that actually made me chuckle for real. No hard feelings, Dan.

And in the amount of time not even close to how long we waited in line, it was over. Conan grabbed the mic and thanked us all for coming and then he and Jonah schmoozed their way out of the studio. Millie and I sauntered off the Universal Lot, taking it all in. We had just seen Conan, in the flesh, pale as a ghost.

It's days like this that remind me why I live in California, even if I am across the country from my family. Oh well, maybe if Conan were in Ohio I'd THINK about going back.

Probably not though.

Until Next Time,
Melissa Rae Morgan