Finally a Flash of Me on National Television

Fancy title of a post I have here, but don't be fooled! I still am far from even having a small bit part on a TV show - just getting those auditions is a trek for the newbies like me. However, you may have seen my previous posts about the un-glamorous life in the background. I'm pleased to report that my work has finally come to fruition on television!

This Friday (yesterday), I was on the set on Grey's Anatomy for the third time in a week. I ended my day by going to the gym - with the memory that the episode of CSI:NY I had worked on back in early October was airing tonight! So, I stayed at the gym to watch the episode. I only appeared for a very split second in the beginning, but there I was craning my eyes to see a familiar flash of me on the screen as I pounded my legs down on the elliptical. And so...I caught a glimpse of myself (with bad posture, no less)! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the very first time I actually saw myself on network television as it was airing. A small step, but a step indeed! How exciting! Of course, if you weren't specifically looking for me, you'd barely notice the Asian chick in her black suit checking out the crime scene before the judge gets gunned down.

There, do you see me?

To update my list of shows I've been an extra body for, I can add popular shows such as House, Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother and Ringer. Of course, I probably won't be seen on air in light of the unfortunate out-of-frame placements and blurry background crosses. I might be visible in a couple holiday episodes of Grey's and Chuck, but I guess I'll have to wait until December for those.

If anyone spots me as Leena Cook on We the People or as myself chowing a cupcake down on Cupcake Wars, do let me know. I am poor at keeping tabs on my possible other instances of gracing the television screen.

Of course, I have some catching up to do in terms of building real television credits. The industry is all about credits! But in the meantime, I'm still there.

In my post "Life in the Background," I mentioned I was in a CF (long Korean commercial/story) with Korean superstar Lee Minho. Here is the brief moment in which you can see me in the same frame! I have a Toyota watermark on my face.

Say No to Asian Stereotypes!

Part of my ultimate goal in being in actress is to be a strong representative of Asian Americans in the media. Yes, there is that all too distant goal of being the first Asian American to win Best Actress, but I'll set my sights on goals I can more readily achieve for the time being.

It is to my great dismay when I see casting calls, breakdowns, or even sides which call for demeaning Asian stereotypes. Just recently I saw one breakdown saying "You must be okay with playing this stereotypical Asian role." Excuse me? I may be a no-name actress, but that's not okay. Is it okay to post something like "You must be okay with playing this stereotypical Black role"? No, it's not. But in this current day and age, some people still think that having stereotypical broken-English speaking Asian immigrants is funny and something Asian actors would be happy to portray.

I volunteered this past weekend at the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) 20th Anniversary Gala at Union Station. Besides devolving into a shy and flustered fan at the meeting of Harry Shum, Jr (Mike Chang on Glee), I met another Asian working actor who had been on the pilot of New Girl. He was very happy about how his role was just to play a dick - a straight-up dick, no Asian reference attached. While at first I thought that was a strange thing to be happy about, I realize he was very right to be happy. It's a great feeling to be able to portray a role which doesn't somehow mock or heavily reference your ethnicity.

Totally was too shy to meet him!

I want to one day help build the strong presence of Asian Americans in Hollywood and tear down the stereotypes. I'm an Asian American whether I like it or not - and I have an inherent obligation to my community. A friend commented saying that I should just find the humor in the stereotypical roles and accept self-deprecation, but I completely disagree. I don't mind putting myself (as in me, Felicia Hom, personally) down, but I do mind putting an entire culture down and putting down hard-working immigrants who probably have had the weight of the world on their shoulders. I'm not even the most politically correct person out there - but I can't take part in shitting on my own community.

The CAPE Gala! Photo by my dear friend Steven Lam!

Filming "Medium"

This past birthday weekend of mine, I worked on the short film "Medium." All of it was shot on 35 mm film. A promotional video for the project is embedded here below, with actual story info located here on its fundraising page:

I played the supporting role of Blondie. And for your picture hungry eyes, here are a couple of photos of me in make-up on set:

I also delivered all of my lines in Cantonese - which was a trip since my Mandarin is definitely much better. So, it was my first Canto film! Woohoo! It was a fun project to work on. 
The director, Sean, also graciously sent me a few stills from the film, currently in post-production:

One big happy HK family?

Oh la la!

"Don't Settle Until You're Dead or Damn Well Close to Dead"

I've encountered a lot of great quotes in the past year or so - many of which are very inspirational. Usually these quotes come from someone established, notable, and otherwise important.

I just got back from an acting class about an hour or so ago, where I was reminded of a well quoted, "I am enough" or "You are enough."

A high school friend of mine just mentioned she encountered another long unseen high school friend randomly who said she had settled into her job.

Then this quote came to my mind:

"Don't settle until you're dead or damn well close to dead."

- Felicia Hom

Now I know I am not influential on the majority or even a small corner of the world nor do I wield any sort of credible power, so I can't really count myself as being "quotable." But as I was reminded earlier today, "I am enough." And so be my quote.

Earlier today I was also reminded over at Bill Dance Casting of that thing called passion. The way of an actor truly is a tough one - what with all the training and training that goes beyond mere acting and general immersion into the arts, but that's what one must do for something he or she loves.

Life in the Background

Background work isn't considered acting and seems to be unanimously shunned as something you should never put on your resume. Indeed!

However, I have found myself doing background work several times so far in Los Angeles. You may have seen my post earlier this summer about Japanese clubbing, in which I look nothing like an actual Japanese clubber.

Nurse Felicia... in the future Dr. Hom's scrubs (I mean my sister)

In the past couple of weeks, I have been everything from a guest at the wedding of Korean superstar Lee Minho, a nurse on "Body of Proof" and just your average gal passing in the background of "Cougartown." I must admit it was a bit cool to see Jeri Ryan and Courteney Cox as I had watched "Star Trek Voyager" and "Friends" in my youth (a time when I actually watched TV). I wasn't exactly starstruck as I have now grown used to seeing actors and actresses - but Lee Minho was a total surprise since he doesn't prance around Hollywood very much. He was of special meaning to me because he rose to fame while I was living in Seoul. I even included him on some of my English worksheets as all my students knew who he was and watched him on "꽃보다 남자." Crazy! I'd never seen any Korean stars when I lived in Korea - so unexpectedly, a couple years later, I end up seeing one in a random corner of central Los Angeles.

Agent Hom's backside might appear on "Chuck"

Background work does have some pros as I do get to see all these stars, but also get to learn more about the shooting and production process.

Now, an acquaintance of mine mumbled something to the effect of, "You don't want to be stuck in the background forever, do you?" Why, no, of course not. But until I end up actually booking the job and demonstrating that I am a better fit for various roles, it seems I will be consigned to hover in the background until I can bring the A-game. That, or make the A-game. This reminds me that I am nearing the deadline on my one-year goal statement and still have to self-produce!

Track Back to April

The following is a short we filmed for our Actors/Directors/Writers Workshop at Film Acting Bay Area. It was filmed back in April, but only has now come out with a rough cut. I was written into this at the last moment, hence I only have a small part. You can, however, briefly see my pink bunny pencil case on the desk next to my pink laptop in front of another actress. Pink power! I'm also wearing my trademark dirty pink backpack which I have dragged all around the world with me - from UCLA to Seoul to every country I visited in between in Asia and Europe and throughout China and back.

Adult Education from Doniphan Blair on Vimeo.

This may or may not be edited more as this is a rough edit.

Say Hello to September

It is the early morning of September 11, 2011 as I write this entry. I've been a bit sporadic with my updates as of late, but if you must know, here are a couple of photos taken for me by a photographer by the name of Daniel (for free!) in the last week of August:

I kind of like the messy hair. I also look very Asian and cute.

This is supposed to be my 'professional' shot. I was prepared to bring my suits, but I forgot them!

Anyway, I have a lot more shots - some featuring my pretty long silky hair and a few shots where I'm wearing glasses - like a librarian. By the way, I got a haircut in the first week of September - it's about mid length now, but it'll be long and silky again in no time. And I just changed my mind...I'll add the librarian shot...can't resist showing how much more intelligent I look with glasses my dad would have worn.

Why yes, that is my hand. What do you require?

Enough with the vapid face time, what else have I been doing? Well, I've had some various training, took a trip back home to San Francisco, am back for more various training and auditioning. I also got around to doing a wee bit more of blogging.

First, here is a brief entry on my experience with race/racism in America, posted at Rollinglobe for continuity's sake.

Finally, I started two new blogs, Acting in SF and Beginning LA Actors, dedicated to keeping both myself informed and any other beginning actor who happens to stumble across the blogs. Knowledge is power, and I fully intend to expand mine.

Oh yeah, and I tried putting together a demo reel by myself (with my purely new beginning editing skills). I do have a working version, but that begs the question - to have this demo reel or not? I definitely want more opportunities to showcase my acting chops because I know I can do better and am better than some of my various rivals. That being said, this is a continuous fight to improve and get better! I really want to get to the level where I can blow my competition out of the way instead of getting pwned! :)