Thursday, May 21, 2009

ABC Primetime skit with Rosario Dawson and Christian Slater

Hey Peepoh,

I just completed work on a skit featuring Christian Slater and Rosario Dawson. It's for ABC Primetime "Un-Broke: What You Need to Know About Money” ... here is the scoop!

Friday, May 29th at 9/8c
Schools teach us almost everything, but not "Money 101." For the basics on finance, turn to UN-BROKE: What You Need to Know About Money. It's an unconventional look at the fundamentals of everyday finance with all the facts about credit cards, mortgages, stocks and bonds, investing and 401(k)'s, in a fresh new format combining information and humor. The one-hour special airs FRIDAY, MAY 29 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Hosted by "Good Morning America' contributor and President of Ariel Investments Mellody Hobson, the special features Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, the Jonas Brothers, Christian Slater, Cedric the Entertainer, Seth Green, Sesame Workshop's Oscar the Grouch, Rosario Dawson and the E*Trade Babies, among others.

Hobson said: "Financial education is critically important, and 'UN-BROKE' proves that it doesn't have to be boring. The economic crisis was a harsh wake-up call that we can't keep doing the same thing in the same way. To me, that meant taking a fresh look at my own approach to financial education. This will make people laugh while they learn."

The special's take on basic money sense includes:

" Will Smith, who gets down to basics with a boardroom full of corporate finance executives.
" Samuel L. Jackson, who appears as a bestselling author of self-help books and who is "Broke as Hell and Not Going to Take it Anymore!"
" The Jonas Brothers, who teach screaming teenage girls the mysteries of the stock market. " Seth Green, who explains the fundamentals of a smart mortgage from his "crib."
" Cedric the Entertainer, who talks back to credit cards.
" Christian Slater and Rosario Dawson, who visit an office workplace to explain the importance of investing in a 401(k) retirement plan.
" The E*Trade Babies, who meet Mellody for an online chat from their high chairs.

UN-BROKE: What You Need to Know about Money is a co-production of Lincoln Square Productions and Overbrook Entertainment. The executive producers are Mellody Hobson and Rudy Bednar. A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.


Our Skit is about a lonely, everyday office, similar to hit TV show "The Office". It is full of worker bees who have a 401(K) meeting scheduled today. Obviously, no one wants to go until Christian Slater and Rosario Dawson show up to do the presentation. That's when the meeting room is filled to capacity. I play the "Shlubby Worker" who asks Rosario Dawson "are you single?" should be good for a laugh or two.

Special Thanks go out to Blythe Nailling and Geralyn Flood of Flood/Nailing Casting and Director Adam Feinstein and Crew for a great shoot and wonderful experience.

Tune in to ABC Friday 5/29/09 9-10 PST, 8-9 Hawaiian!

Mahalo, Ai

here is a taste.... Seth Green from Funnie or Die!

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

I just finished principal photography for a new Best Buy commercial with Will Smith!

Hey My Peeps,

Guess what? Futt, thats what... kidding!

I just completed principle photography for a new Best Buy commercial with Will Smith! Yup, er... well not exactly. It’s to promote his new movie "HANCOCK"! He plays a homeless superhero... oh, never mind just watch this clip:



The Best Buy spot starts after this clip:



We are the family on the boat that the whale crashes into. To make a long story, longer... we end up being the ones responsible for filming the whale using a SONY camcorder. Why SONY... because SONY made the movie, silly. It’s a tie-in spot for Hancock-Sony-Best Buy.

Anyway, we filmed the whole thing over at Falls Lake on the Universal Lot. Falls Lake was recently used for a massive tomb set for National Treasure: Book of Secrets with Nicolas Cage. It’s also recently been used for Evan Almighty (Ark sequence) and Pirates of the Caribbean: World’s End. It was pretty sick. We had boat wreckage and water skis, and swimmers in wet suits. The Lake was heated to 75 degrees so being in water for 5 hours was like taking a super long tub bath. The Producer said that we were going to shoot it in the ocean but we wouldn’t have lasted more then an hour being that the California water temperature is about 56 degrees... Thank God!

Although our call-time was 8am, we didn’t actually get into the water until about 1pm. The great thing is that we shot right through until about 6:15 when the sun was setting. Naturally, we were pressed for time but it seemed like we got all the shots in. We were all wearing wet suits under our clothes which kept things nice and warm. It was actually warmer in the water then out of it. The only challenge was that the wet suits did leak so with the extra weight, it made getting out of the water a little more difficult. So for me do to a gazzillion takes climbing out of the water on to the boat wreckage was challenging. I was like a baby monk seal flopping onto a dock... but wearing human clothes.

For more on Falls lake at Universal go here

for more on HANCOCK go here

Special Thanks go to my Agent Hugh Leon and his assistant Dawn at Coast to Coast.
Danielle Eskinazi casting and Doug Traer session director.
The Director Sebastian, Producer Mark, 1st AD Jonathan, 2nd AD Mike, and the great Crew at RSA for a smooth shoot.
My cast mates Sue Tan (Whale Wife), Christian Fan (Whale Son),
Christian’s mom Sunny (for taking pictures while I was in the water), and Francesca (the Best Buy girl).

Anyway, you should see it, Hopefully, in about 6 weeks so keep your eyes peeled and let me know. "Hancock" opens July 4th weekend so you know it’s going to be a big deal.
Now, I’m going to Disney Land!


B Good Y’all, Ai

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

SCRUBS viewing party & season 6 DVD release.

Hey Sportsfans (ZB actually stole that from me... kidding),

Anyhoo (I just pinched ZB with that one)... I was invited to a viewing party for the debut of SCRUBS 7th and final season. It took place about a week before the network debut and was held at the Pacific Design Center on Melrose Avenue just below West Hollywood. For those of you who live outside of LA, the PDC is a big mall like building that houses every thing you need to furnish your home. Mostly 'Shi Shi' stuff for high end homes. Although, I must admit, most of the spaces were empty. It is often used for post Oscar parties and conventions.

We arrived to a valet out front who took off with my SUV like he was late to pick-up his kids or something. Needless to say all valets in LA drrive the same way, RECKLESSLY. I am satisfied knowing I have auto insurance, a enough cash for a cab, and a good lawyer.

So we get up stairs and it's a really small, quiant, intimate space with a bunch of show rooms grouping together into a house-like atmosphere. Add a DJ, some cool sofas, hor d'eurs and drinks sponsored by Saphire Vodka... and you have yourself a very happening joint. They even had one room that had a revolving floor similar to those gaudy restaurants you find at the top of those high buildings. I guess the shindig was sponsored by Hollywood Life magazine because most of the people I did not know but I do say 'Hi' to a few who I do.

Close your eyes it's name drop time... Zach, Donald, Neil, Johnny C, Sam, Robert, Judy, Ken, Shaughn, Producer Randall and the man, Bill. It was good to see everyone relaxing and having a good time.

We were all pretty tweaked by the time they showed Episode 701 'My Own Worst Enemy' so needless to say, we were all laughing at the jokes. Bill made a little speech saying this being the last season, that we would go out with a bang. So Sportsfans, be prepared for some major wackiness, tons of cameo and guest stars from the past, and just plain old fun.

We left rather early at 11pm. I'll post some picture as soon as I get them developed... just kidding. I'll post them under party pix like McSoon.

Also, Don't forget to run out and pick up SCRUBS DVD Season 6 which drops this Tuesday. I do a short and probably boring interview on my experiences on the show. Also, Please comment back and let me know what you think. I have no idea if I'm even on it so no promises... Okie Dokie!

In the immortal words of one funny looking alien guy... Beeeee Gooooood,

XOXO, Ai

SCRUBS season 6 DVD on sale TODAY!!!

Hey Homos,

...Sapiens, that is... anyhoo, SCRUBS season 6 dropped today... I just ran down to Best Buy, Stood in a humongous line, and forked out $25 bucks to see myself on TV again... I'm a Narcissist, OKAY!!! In fact, I'm watching it right now.

Oh, by the by, I did a short interview during the summer and the funny thing is, I'm actually in it. Me talking about my evil alter-ego "Rex". To see me is really easy:

1) buy the SCRUBS season 6 DVD... I did!
2) open the package using a very sharp object.
3) be careful not to hurt yourself.
4) Open the DVD player, place disk 3 into tray, close the DVD Player and press play if you have one of those really old ones that don't start on their own.
5) goto bonus features, then goto MORE.
6) goto "The Third Tier" and sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
7) after watching it, comment back and let me know what you thought like...
Dude, you looked fat; or You're stupid funny; or I like asian... cuizine!

Also, the DVDs are loaded with bonuses like commentaries and stuff so check it out.

Catch U Latah, Ai

Ps. This is not a paid endorsement by the show... they pay me yes... but they didn't pay me to say this.

Friday, May 25, 2007

AZN Asian Excellence Awards!

AZN Asian Excellence Awards!

Waddup My peeps,

It's been way too long since I wrote anything... so here I am, lying in my bed with my wife passed out next to me, two cats crashed at my feet (I have 5 and 3 kittens), watching the Dodger game... the game just tied up. Maybe I'll continue this in a sec. Also the battery on my laptop is down to 18 minutes. Ok, here we go... oh damn, Dodgers just took the lead 9-8 over the cubbies. Ok, AZN Asian Excellence Awards:

My Mom call me a few weeks back and asks me if the invite she received is anything special? I told her in a very toned down voice "Mom, it's a pretty big deal". So she tells me I'm her date and we start making plans to go. First off, it's black tie so I rent a tux. Second, It's at UCLA's Royce Hall to which there is no place to eat around. Third, Dodgers win behind closer Takshi Saito... I know it has nothing to do with the awards but he's asian, right???!

So Mom flys in on Monday and she brings some leis, my favorite flakey donuts from Napoleans bakery and a smile.

The show is on a Wednesday, May 16th and Mom and I decide to go to the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills hotel for a pre-party light dinner. On the way there, we encounter LA traffic, naturally, but this time it's a car fire on the 405 North bound. A new Audi was fully engulfed from the inside. I tell Mom, he was probably trying to light his crack pipe while texting on his blackberry all the while driving with his knee. I do that too, the driving with the knee part, not the crack-berry part. So we arrive at the Bev Hills about 15 minutes late but it's all good. Very old Hollywood. A bunch of 'Industry' types working on their laptops talking shop on the patio. We have a few appetizers and split. The bill... $80 for 2 appetizers and some bottled water.

We arrive at UCLA and park my Chevy Tahoe in the structure because I'm very low maintenence. We hit the Red Carpet at about 6:30pm and it is packed. We follow John Cho and decide to navigate our way through. I recognize a few people but don't stop. We get past the billboard wall and there is a slew of fans and students with cameras waiting to see their favorite stars. One guy says in a japanese accent, "Aloha" so Mom starts talking to him and as she leaves says "ALOHA" and about 20 people yell it back. We get to the end and I realize that we haven't taken any pictures so we go back and snap a few pics and see Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol and a few others.

We make our way to the VIP party and no one is there, naturally, because they are all stuck on the red carpet. We head to the back room for some sushi and drinks and sit down and start talking to Nobu Matsuhisa who was to be honored. We find out that he is opening a new restaurant in Hawaii so Mom gives him her business card in hopes of being invited to the opening. John Cho drops by to say Hi. I see Carrie Ann Inaba (from Dancing with the Stars) who is also from Hawaii. Quentin Taratino blows through and floors me, I am Star Struck. As we head to our seats I am complemented by Beau Sia on how beautiful my lei is. He is a very cool guy. I caught him on Def Poetry Jam. The Asian voice of our generation.

So the show starts with Far East Movement performing "Satisfied". I'm convinced, they are the new Beastie Boys, keep an eye out for them. We sit on stage right in the same row as Will Yun Lee and are near Yul Kwon from Survivor (Who I voted for as favorite reality star) and Jin (the Rapper), also Tamlyn Tomita, Kal Penn, Dat Phan and Russell Peters are all nearby.

Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park kick off the show. Grace towers over Daniel because of her heels, I'm sure they are about the same height in the real world. My favs were the comedians. Russell Peters rocks, Margaret Cho is always conscious of current events but Dat Phan killed. He had me rolling. Okay, Here are some show highlights:

Roger Fan comes out in a yellow track suit ala Kill Bill with bow tie and sunglasses.
Maggie Q looked awesome, very slim, but awesome (from Hawaii).
Rex Lee was very gracious and had a very humbling speech (that was cut in the broadcast)
Many of the featured presenters didn't show like Adam Carolla, Elisha Cuthbert, Bai Ling, Elisabeth Rohm, and few others.
John Cho grabbed Kal Penn's ass as he congratulated him on his win for best Film actor.
Mom kept telling me to go and be a seat filler so I can be on TV. I'm sure she aws joking.
There were a lot of commercial breaks that became much shorter as the program went along.
Rob Schneider (who I meet in a Chinese Restaurant bathroom in Glendale) offended a few with his brand of humor.
When they announce the nominees, a camera man stands and shoots the nominee until the acceptance speach is over. So, if you are a loser, you have to hide it and hide it well for a very long time.
The show started late at 7:45 but was over by 10p.
There was a few catagories that were NOT a part of the show like Outstanding Independent Film and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Television.
There was also a lot of MISSING Nominees. What's up with that. Represent. Unfortunate.
I didn't know Sharon Leal of "Dreamgirls" is half Filipino.
The tribute to Chow Yun Fat took the cake. He was extremely gracious and a real class act.

I had a great time. We even tried to get into the after party but didn't have tickets.
It was very empowering to see my Asian brothers and sisters all in on place to celebrate our heritage as Asians. I like what Kal Penn said "8 to 10 years ago there was no platform for Asians on I hope in 8 to 10 years there will not be a need for one". Inspiring.

I saw a number of people who I recognized but failed to place who or where. I don't consider myself a celebrity by any stretch of the imagination especially since I was not invited but was tagging along with Mom. I told Mom next year she can be my date. Hopefully, I'll have done something worth being invited and or recognized for. We shall see. 2008?

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Bud Light "Japanese Restaurant" Commercial

Hey Sportsfans,

As you probably know, I booked a national commercial for Bud Light. Here is just a brief run of how it went down.

The audition was held at Jessica J Casting which shares a space with Alyson Horn on Sycamore Drive in Hollywood. Incidentally, Alyson cast me in a spot by shopping.com a few years ago. So I sign in and pick up the script which is supposed to be spoken in Japanese. Although I am of Japanese decent and have studied Japanese from grade school through College does not necessarily mean I'm fluent. In fact, my japanese sucks... conversationally speaking. I'll admit, my translation sucks and my conversational skills differ dramatically from what I have learned which was very "text bookish" Japanese.

Anywho, I gave it the old college try. I was paired up with another actor named Aaron... Aaron Takahashi. We have a common friend, I discovered and were both pretty clueless with the translation. Also, Aaron T can be seen in a spot for Amped mobile rapping in a bathroom. So, back to the audition, I said "just wing it and do your best". To make a long story longer, I got the call back but I didn't see AT there... bummer.

Callbacks are located in Santa Monica at a production house called @radical.media. I am the first to go in and am paired with another actor Eiji Inouye. We exchanged greeting while waiting to be called in and I ask him what the proper translation to my one line is. He was a huge help and we rehearsed it a few times. The auditions are NOT nerve racking, it's the waiting that makes me nervous. I heard that the reason you get nervous is because you are judging yourself... that could not be more true.

So the call back goes smoothly, other then the fact that I felt totally intimidated by everyone speaking japanese in the waiting area. While waiting, I couldn't help but remember what a friend once told me... It's totally "UNCOOL" to speak another language when others who do not speak the language are present... especially those who are about to hire you like the producer, casting director and assistants. I was laughing inside and kept completely quite.

It must have worked because the next day my agent calls and tells me in on "Avail" which in laymens terms means you're on "Hold" and are one step closer to booking the job. I have been on "Avail" before and NOT booked a job so I would have to spend the entire weekend on pins and needles since it was Friday when I got the call.

So Monday comes around and because I was so burned out by the weekend, I took a nap at 10am. You see, I couldn't sleep so getting up every day at 6am does not bode well for me. Naturally, my cell phone does not receive the call from my agent to call him back... in fact I have 2 messages on my voice mail. DAMN IT! I AM FRANTICALLY TRYING TO GET A SIGNAL! IT'S 2pm and the message was left at 11am 3 HOURS AGO... ARRRGH!!!

I finally get in touch and am briefly scolded about the cell phone thing but the news is naturally good. I'm jumping for joy. You see, as a struggling actor, commercials are the livelyhood of the "Character" actor. Bit parts in film and TV are good for paying your monthly bills like rent and phone but commercial residuals will get you out of debt and help you to live comfortably for a while. It's a years salary, compared to my other job. That's why it's so important to an actors work... to an actor's life.

So the first part is the fitting. At the fitting I meet my counter part in the spot, Kenji Nakamura. Kenji and I talk a bit and I learn over the coarse of the next few days that he gets a lot of work as a Sushi Chef which is what he plays for this spot. He has been in "Fun with Dick and Jane" with Jim Carrey (a comic genious) as a... you guessed it... sushi chef. Anyway, aside from being scolded for eating the clients food (I screw up a lot), everything goes smoothly... until.

I am introduced to Mala, the producer, who approached me and asks me if I'm fluent in Japanese. At which point I do a classically, understated recollection of how my Japanese is sub par. I must have made her nervous, In fact, I'm sure I did as she called me later that evening to ask if I'm sure I can do the part in Japanese and that she did not see my audition but needed some reassurance that I fit the bill. I reassured her, my acting abilities far outweigh my ability to speak the language. An interpreter was hired anyway.

The shoot is located in Atwater Village near Glendale at a sushi restaurant called "Asia Sushi"... how appropriate... the name, that is, not the location. I mean, talk about the obvious name. I guess it's appropriate for Atwater Village. Don't get me wrong, the place is nice but it like calling a taco stand "Mexico Burritos". Anyway the call time is O-Dark-Early... 6:00am Ugggh! I get on set and as always, I'm introduced to all the crew especially Jeff Goodby the director. I find out through the magic of the internet that Jeff created the "Got Milk" campaign and has his own ad agency to which he directs most of his own ideas... an amazing guy. We get some grub, get dressed and are ready to roll by 7:30am.

The whole morning is spent with me and Kenji doing a bunch of close ups and doing the scene in English and Japanese and from every angle possible. You see, only a small bit actually ends up on screeen. There are so many different ways we do this one scene that you never know how it's going to turn out. The scene is me playing a waiter, and Kenji behind the sushi bar when something terribly wrong is discovered. The rest I will leave to the imagination until it airs. By the time we break for lunch at 12pm, I'm pretty much spent but am ready if needed. Naturally we are not needed for the rest of the day but end up staying until 4pm. It's ok, we get paid by the hour, overtime and all.

So heres the kicker, while signing out in the production trailer, I blurt out "So I heard a rumor that this spot is to run during the Superbowl". To which the production assistant says "that's the plan". Woooaaaaa, way cool. So sportsfans, tune in February 4th, 2007 and keep your fingers crossed that you actually see me.

Monday, August 28, 2006

The War at Home, Episode #203 "Super Dave"

The War at Home

Hey there, so I'll start off by saying that this event in my life was completely new in that I have never auditioned, been called back, and booked a gig all in the same day. Also, I have never been on a 4 camera show on the Warner Brothers lot. New experiences are always exciting!

Needless to say, I beat out a bunch of actors all from different backgrounds because I nailed the audition. For you actors, it takes a bit of luck along with a bit of talent... not to say I'm any kind of expert in any of this. But preparation is a part of luck. I was nervous but fully prepared.

My call time on-set is 11am. Relatively late for normal working standards which is great because I get to sleep in, eat a quick breakfast consisting of a granola bar and a naked juice, and not have to worry about traffic.

I make it to the WB studio about 30 minutes early. Check in with the 2nd Assistant Director, Yohanna, and is shown my dressing room by Chris, the 2nd to the 2nd Assistant Director. My dressing room is usually a "half track", which by industry terms is half of a tailer consisting of a couch, bathroom, kitchen, and make-up/desk. However, since I only worked on the show for a day (hence the term "Day Player"), my dressing room consisted of a 4x4 box in the back alley, in between sound stages 8,9,6,& 7. Don't get me wrong, the only thing missing is the bathroom and kitchen which I could do without. It means more trip to the craft service table.

So it's a standard issue day where they are running about an hour behind schedule. They are finally ready to pre-shoot my scene at 3:30 (originally scheduled at 2:30); which means we shoot it before the live audience arrives and again later that evening with the live audience. The set is like a comic book convention with about 50 extras dressed up in various costumes from aliens to old Babylon 5 uniforms. We run through the scene and Michael Rapaport is trying to get everyone on the same page. He's yelling "hit your cues" and we need to run our lines again. He can be pretty intense and for good reason, it's his show. So we shoot it a few times and have to break early because the live audience will arrive in 45 minutes.

I break for lunch at 4:15p. I get a meal ticket and head over to the commisary and eat chicken and veggies. Luckily I manage to finish before all the extras arrive as sometimes you can get caught with a bunch of questions if you look approachable which I basically have written all over my forehead.

After lunch we have what is called a speed read. I had no idea what that was. So I show up in the make-up room and basically the entire cast is there and we read through every scene that we are shooting live. But we speed through it with the dialog coach who makes sure that everyone knows their lines word for word. This technique is very similar to theater in that on Monday the cast sits down and has a table read. Tuesday & Wednesday are spent rehearsing. Thursday is spent pre-taping all the minor scenes. Friday is D-day.

So at 6pm we start the live show. They introduce the cast and everyone cheers. They start the first scenes and everyone laugh. To give you a little background, the show is similar to "Married with Children". The wrtting is funny and the scenes are shot live as you would see it if you watched the show on Sunday night, in chronological order. They did steal a few things from [Scrubs] like fantasy sequences. So what happens is when they shoot a scene live and switch to a fantasy sequence they yell "Hold"... the TV run the fantasy sequence and then they yell "and were back". They pre-shoot all that stuff on Thursday.

Anyway, my scene is the second to the last scene, which does not bode well for everyone. This means that the audience has been there for 3 hours and the pressure to get it right has to be high. The scene is Dave-Michael Rapaport trying to get an autograph from Zoltar, a fictitious hero played by Oliver Muirhead (who by the way is the nicest guy). This occurs after the signing has ended in the men's room and spills out into the convention floor.

So we start our scene and I'm paired with a background artist named Kenneth who tells me he is a "Guest Extra". I didn't know they had a hierarchy for extras but thats cool. The one thing about extras is that sometimes they can mess with your mojo. They try to do more then is necessary or they say something that they should keep to themselves. Perfect example, just before they yell action, Kenneth tells me "we are going to do this shot more then once". Thanks Kenneth, just the positive attitude I need to stay focused. Lesson one, if your backgound, speak only if spoken to.

Naturally, the first shot was wash. I came in to early because I wasn't sure of cue and I came off real tentative which garner a half-laugh from the audience. So I finally get some real direction from the director, Andy Cadiff and even a half-scolding from the Executive Producer, Rob Lotterstein, who says "you gotta hit that line like the audition". Yah, I can do WAY better. You see how the littlest thing can mess with you mojo.

So Dave and Zoltar are wrestling and the croud is taking this in and I yell "We must help Zoltar! Hootowah! (which is the battle cry of the "Galactic Sourjourn"). Kenneth and I, along with a few more extras, run in and grab Dave. At which point he yells "let go of me you freaks! I was just trying to get his autograph for my kid! He started it!" at which point I yell " You mess with Zoltar, You mess with all of us".

Okay the scene is solid up to that point. Until Larry-Kyle Sullivan comes in with his light saber on full power and yells "get off of him, leave him alone". The snag we hit is the timing of that; he makes a late entrance everytime which makes the director go beserk.
I really felt bad for Kyle. But I figure they can always cut it together. So ends my scene after about 7 or 8 takes which, by sit-com standards is 4 too many.

They shoot one more scene to wrap up the end and we asked to stick aound for a curtain call. During the curtain call we run out as we are introduced and the crown claps, not cheers, as it's nearly 10pm and they have been there for nearly four hours. I don't blame them. I would have liked to go home sooner also. After the curtain call we say our thank yous and introduce ourselves to the other cast members who we did not directly work with like the very hot Kaylee Defer. Michael Rapaport gives us a nice job-hand shake-hug and we go our seperate ways.

The one thing I was struck by was the rich history on the Warner Brother lot. Every sound stage has a plaque with a the movies and TV series that were shot there dating back the the 1930's. That was really cool. If you get a chance, take a tour. I made the mistake of getting lost trying to find the commisary and wondered on to the back lot streets. That was way cool. Overall, I had a really good time and a very memorable experience.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Season 5 Wrap Party in Las Vegas

You know your lucky when you get to party in Las Vegas, at the Palms, with the cast and crew of "Scrubs".
Ok, so wifey and I fly into Vegas, Baby, and check in to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. We hit the pool, which is a wave pool with a fake beach, kinda phony for a guy from Hawaii, but fun non the less. Check out the casino and shopping. Grab a bite to eat. Sleep. Get ready and leave for the party at about 8:30 pm.

Of course, I forgot my camera again so we buy a not so cheapie, disposable "Palms" camera for $20... what a rip ___. Anyway, we breeze by the red carpet and paparazzi and get in the club... RAIN. This place is huge. I literally thought that no one was there because they have a huge dance floor, and a huge bar on the next floor, all within plain view from the entrance. I could see a total of 20 people. I was ready to turn in early. Little did I know everyone was on the super secret VIP third level.

We grab some drinks and head up 2 flights of stairs to the back bar and a bunch of rooms that resemble a hotel room with couches, over looking the dance floor. That's where we find everyone. There were about 200+ cast and crew people jammed into this little area or group of areas abot the size of a luxury box at some sports stadium, not that I have ever been in one but you get the idea.

We first run into Christina Miles who plays "Gloria" and we kinda hung out the rest of the evening together. When you see the photos you'll understand. We ran into everyone on the show and behind the scenes. I won't bore you with the sordid details but we had an excellent time getting drunk and whooping it up. I will point out a few highlights:

The first person I ran into was Robert Maschio "The Todd' who is the sweetest guy... he paid me a complement.
I ran into Bob, he plays the colonel doctor and was the very first person I met on the set, my very first day.
Christina did an encore of her kiss with the hook handed security guard played by Producer Randal Winston... I was rolling.
I finally found my buddy Travis litteraly hiding out by the bar playing it cool. I was happy to see him.
My wife was bold enough to ask Zach and Donald for a photo op in which they we so graciously abliged.
Bill Lawrence made an announcement that he is looking forward to season 6... however nothing is for sure in Hollywood.
Zach told us the interns were only supposed to be on 2 episodes but Bill felt good about writting us in and bringing us back.
Donald told me to have fun tonight... he was feeling good and was wearing a necklace that lit up with the words "single".
Johnny Kastl booked a Reebok/NBA commercial that will air soon... we have the same commercial agent.
We saw but did not talk to Mandy Moore. Ditto with Sarah.
MIA were Ken Jenkins John C. McGinley, and Judy Reyes.
Neil Flynn was the tallest one there. Randall Winston was second.
Everyone looked so different all gussied up that I didn't recognize a bunch of crew members... I also had my beer goggles on.
We missed the after party because I was ready to throw up after smoking a cigar and drinking shots of Crown.
We got a goodie bag containing an early release of [scrubs] season 3 DVD.

I felt like a dork all night... I couldn't remember names, faces, directions, and I was constantly beating myself up instead of asking for help... see what a dork I am... damn alcohol. I think I'll quit drinking from now on.

We had a fun time and a semi memorable night, due to heavy drinking and smoking (of cuban cigars not weed).

Look for pix to posted on the website... hopefully soon.