I owe two people a huge debt of gratitude for helping me get the role in the commercial: Smelly, and Spanky.A.K.A., my niece and nephew.
Whenever I’m around those two, I break out the A material, and it always kills. So when I went into the Hallmark audition with two young kids, I was in the zone.
The director asked the girl to create an animal out of Play-Doh, and wanted the rest of us to figure out what she'd made. The second her hands went to work, I rapid-fired guesses at her: “Fish! Sheep! Platypus!” She laughed so hard she could barely finish. It was a bear, by the way. Some shoddy work. She didn’t get the role. Tough town.
Then it was my turn, and I kept riffing as I molded a dog, then a monkey (natch.) I was so proud of the monkey that I turned it to camera and made them get a close-up. The ad people in the room loved it. The role was mine.
Okay, it might have helped as well that I was wearing a wedding ring (I keep one in my glove compartment – strictly for professional reasons) to enhance my fatherly aura.
Also, I happened to drop by my agent’s office before the audtition, and she now thinks she’s my good luck charm. You would, Laura. Don’t spend that 20% in one place..
