May 1, 1997
Probably the worst thing about the business at this stage of my career is the need for and difficulty in getting representation. You need to convince someone to believe in you in a business based on fear and doubt.
If it's not a proven commodity, nobody wants it.
And still the search goes on for someone to believe in you...
Rachel and Candice, from ddk, my commercial agent, came to see the Tiffany Theater showcase and it seems they were pleasantly surprised by my performance. When they got to work the next day, they told Linda MacAdam, the theatrical agent in the office, that they would not answer her phone or help her in any way unless she set up an interview with me.
Linda MacAdam was not the warmest of creatures. She seemed quite preoccupied and was visibly suffering from the ravages of too much smoking. In between coughs, she welcomed me into her office and I sat down. About 3 minutes later, she finally spoke to me.
We discussed my creative input to such projects as Space Jam and Party of Five, two of the most frequently asked questions. She told of how impressed Rachel and Candice were by the showcase. And she told me how she has too many people in my category already and that she wanted someone to play 16-18. (I don't.) She also said my picture was not doing me justice and to get new ones.
She then played my tape while I sat there and watched along with her. She gave up a smile or two during the four minutes my pride and joy ran past her frontal lobe. And then she turned and said, "Good tape." And if nothing else ever comes of this meeting, then gosh darn it, it will at least be the first time in my career that someone in the industry objectively viewed my tape and returned a positive verdict. Now that has to be a step in the right direction. (That very tape is over at Joan Green Management hopefully having the same effect.)
And so she offered to give me some consideration over the weekend.
She said she'd take the tape home and watch it again (to catch all
those hidden nuances, I guess) and let me know on Monday.