May 2, 2000
Today marked another milestone in my career. It was my first drunk audition.
I awoke this morning and received a page from my agent. Since we were scheduled to have lunch today, I assumed they were checking in with me to see what time I would show up at the office. Instead, I was greeted by Jim telling me I had an audition today at 3:30pm for a four-line role in a cheesy-sounding horror movie. Fine. My film career can use whatever help it can get. I told Jim to let the agents know that I would have to cancel my lunch with them, though, as a result.
Joel got on the phone. "No, we want to have lunch with you. We'll reschedule the audition." They couldn't.
Nina got on the phone. "Don't worry about going to lunch first. It's a four-line role. If you get it, great. If you don't, great."
"But I wanted to relax and drink a little red wine with my agents," I complained. That was the tradition we had established. Merlot for the talent, iced tea and coke for the agents, who would always have to return to work. But today, I would also have to return to work and would be stuck drinking a sensible liquid with my lunch.
"Ducey. It's four lines as a rowdy frat-boy. Having some wine will play right into the character. So we're still on."
Jim faxed me the sides for the audition. There was only one line available, but the stage direction for that line was "very drunk." It was as if the gods were begging me to do it. I agreed.
Yes, I did have a couple glasses of wine, and no the audition did not
go well. I think I did a good acting job with the three lines I had
to read, but I think I made the worng choice for the character. I
thought it would be funny if he were a lazy, whiny frat boy. So when
he has to get out and fix the flat, he complains more than anything
(plus he's drunk/sobering up/sleepy in the scene, too, which would
play into it). But once it was all said and done, they didn't seem to
react all that strongly to my choices and I realize that maybe I
should have given it more of a traditional spin. It's a tough call.
You want to make the audition unique, but a character with only four
lines, more often than not, is only there to serve the script, not to
be interesting and unique. We'll see if they buy the Ducey shtick. If
I get the job, I'll have to make sure there are cases of Merlot
available on the set at all times.