Q: I see you posting at all hours in your blog, in comments at others' blogs, on web-boards and forums. Do you ever sleep?
Q: What are BonBots?
Q: Why don't you ever answer the phone?
Q: I sent you an email and you never answered it. What gives?
Q: Why does Keith keep you away from your friends?
Q: Is it true that Keith only has an acting career because of you?
Q: You were a kid actor... and you moved to LA (twice) to pursue acting professionally. Do you ever miss acting?
Q: What do you recommend I read, if I want to become an actor? What about if I'm a kid actor? A voiceover actor?
Q: Will you look at my headshots? Will you look at my reel? Will you recommend an agent? Will you give me an industry referral?
Q: Can I take you to lunch and pick your brain, just for fun?
Q: How did you get into casting?
Q: How can I become a casting director?
Q: How do I become a reader for your casting sessions?
Q: How did you get your start as a writer?
Q: What does "Cricket Feet" mean?
Q: Your book has changed my life. How can I ever repay you?
Q: Why are you so open on your blog?
Q: What are you bad at?
Q: Why this FAQ?

Q: I see you posting at all hours in your blog, in comments at others' blogs, on web-boards and forums. Do you ever sleep?
A: Yes. I generally sleep about three hours for every 30 I'm awake (although, it's getting more like three for every 25 hours, lately). This causes my "nighttime" to change every day. I sleep when I'm tired. So, sometimes that's from 4am to 7am, sometimes from noon to 3pm. I've learned to roll with it.


Q: What are BonBots?
A: Bill Tarling (AKA WildOgre) introduced the term in January 2003 at the old Showfax message board, along with the theory that BonBots do most of my work so that I can save my energy for the most important interactions: dinner at Dan Tana's, walks to the beach, playtime with kitties, etc.


Q: Why don't you ever answer the phone?
A: Sometimes I do. But mostly I don't. And I don't really have a cell phone either. I grew up in a home where my mother based her business. Her answering machine was her office secretary. Because I grew up seeing phone calls as a drain on my mom's "me time," I think I adopted her tactics for preserving privacy and scheduled interactions. Email has further enabled this legacy. Also--like my mom--I don't do call waiting. I think instant gratification in phone expectations is overrated. A busy signal is a healthy thing to hear now and then.


Q: I sent you an email and you never answered it. What gives?
A: I get hundreds of emails per day. About thirty get answered. If you've asked me an actor question, it's likely that I've already taken a stab at the answer in my columns, in my blog, in my books, or--if you pose the question in a forum--you'll see me much more likely to answer it there. Especially with questions that others may have, I'm thrilled to answer in public. That way, the answer is there for others to see (and from which they'll hopefully benefit). Note: I don't do "private messages" at online forums. I hate them.


Q: Why does Keith keep you away from your friends?
A: He doesn't. He certainly helps limit access to me when I'm being pulled in ten different directions, but that's to protect me from burnout and I greatly appreciate that. I find it hard to say NO and I've learned that no one will ever run out of things I can help with, if I don't set limits to access. Keith doesn't mind coming off as the "bad guy."


Q: Is it true that Keith only has an acting career because of you?
A: Only as true as it is that I only have a casting career because of Keith. I've cast Keith a couple of times before, yes. He's acted in many more films than that. And there are other actors I've cast more often than I've cast Keith! Some of Keith's acting jobs have led to casting work for me. It just happens like that. This town is based on relationships and that's something to enjoy, not covet.


Q: You were a kid actor... and you moved to LA (twice) to pursue acting professionally. Do you ever miss acting?
A: Not really. Most former actor/casting directors I know say they'll always hold a fondness for acting in their hearts. That's true for me too. But I don't miss auditioning. I don't miss the pursuit of acting. And truly, if a super offer came along, who knows?!? I may consider it. But there are many people more talented and more passionate about acting out there. I'm always pleased that I get to cast them!


Q: What do you recommend I read, if I want to become an actor? What about if I'm a kid actor? A voiceover actor?
A: In addition to recommending that you do a search of my weekly Showfax.com columns for actors on any specific actor-type topic you're into, I'm going to give you a very comprehensive list of books to get you started. Here's my recommended reading list for actors. Here's one for young actors. And another for voiceover actors. Have fun!


Q: Will you look at my headshots? Will you look at my reel? Will you recommend an agent? Will you give me an industry referral?
A: Not likely. Read this.


Q: Can I take you to lunch and pick your brain, just for fun?
A: Not likely. There was a time when I had the time to get together, casually, with aspiring actors and "talk shop" over a bite, but that time is no more. I just don't have the time. I'm just that busy. Sorry, y'all.


Q: How did you get into casting?
A: I had interviewed a couple hundred casting directors for Back Stage West when Katy Wallin called me up and asked me to be her Casting Coordinator for Mr. Personality, a reality show on FOX (the one with guys in masks and Monica Lewinsky as host). I resisted--because I really liked my freelance lifestyle; plus, I was managing actors, a singer, and a screenwriter--and my first book had recently been published, so I was doing a lot of public speaking. But the pay was outstanding and the commitment was five weeks, so I did it to fund the production of my second book.

I was asked to stay on for an NBC show, but declined to take the time and write my next book. Then I was asked back for another FOX show, Paradise Hotel. I learned they'd had to split up my job on the NBC show because no one person could do all that I'd been doing. So, when I came back on for the FOX show, I got a 20% raise and my own assistant. If it's possible, I had even more fun casting that show than the first one. At the end of that eight-week contract, I was offered a job in production for the show, but declined.

Instead, I put together my meager first casting resumé and submitted it to a filmmaker who had a "crew wanted" listing in Back Stage West for his $25,000 SAG Experimental feature film. I worked on A Dull House for six weeks, cast 10 speaking roles, and earned $100. (I don't work that cheap anymore.) I was hooked. In July 2003, I officially closed my management company and began casting SAG indie films.

In 2006, I was named one of the Top Film Casting Directors in Back Stage West's "Best of Los Angeles" issue! Such a huge honor!


Q: How can I become a casting director?
A: Start here.


Q: How do I become a reader for your casting sessions?
A: Good first start is to become an intern. All of my session runners, camera operators, and in-session readers come from my pool of rockstar interns, who have done far less glamorous work first. Like opening mail. Like filing headshots. Like sorting postcards. Like organizing demo reels. Like crewing the showcase. How do you get in line to do those boring things? Shoot me an email. That's a good start.


Q: How did you get your start as a writer?
A: By accident, really. I'd moved to Los Angeles to act and one of my many survival jobs was as an in-house temp/floater at Back Stage West. I mostly input casting notices, but the casting editor quickly noted my attention to detail and militant adherence to grammatical rules and style guides. I began transcribing interviews for several reporters and occasionally wrote blurbs for the editor. I was offered a staff writer position but turned it down. I'd come to LA for acting! I wasn't going to let my survival job turn into a career! Journalism School or no Journalism School, I was here to ACT!

Finally, Rob Kendt made me an offer I couldn't refuse: Interview casting directors for the paper's weekly casting column. An actor's dream! I got in front of casting directors who would never meet me as an actor! After two years of interviews (about a third of the entire casting community), I was offered a book deal with the parent company of Back Stage West. But the offer took longer to materialize than I wanted to wait. While I was waiting to learn the terms of my book deal, I read a book called The Self-Publishing Manual (which I learned about by reading Survival Jobs). [These two books changed my life entirely (one in 2002, the other in 1999).]

Keith and I decided to start a small publishing company and do my books ourselves. Then the offer letter arrived from Watson-Guptil. It was peppered with typos and grammatical errors. No way was I going to turn over my hard work (my baby!) to this company in exchange for a $5000 advance! Instead, we invested our own money into Cricket Feet, Inc., and published Casting Qs in late 2002.

I continued writing for Back Stage West through April 2003 and began writing for Showfax in April 2004. I missed the discipline of having a weekly column in that year off. There has been some talk of my column going over to The Hollywood Reporter eventually. Wherever it goes, I want to keep writing every week. It's a form of therapy somehow.


Q: What does "Cricket Feet" mean?
A: When I'm happy--really happy--I get "cricket feet." I rub my feet together with glee and I giggle. Keith and I joked in 2001 about our goal to keep ourselves in a joy-filled state as much as possible. If we could LIVE in "cricket feet," it would mean we were always happy, living our bliss. When it came time to name our company in 2002, Keith suggested "Cricket Feet." I balked.

"There's NO WAY we can call our company that! It's too personal." To which Keith replied, "That's what makes it a great company name. It's personal. It's unique. It's unforgettable." So... we did it. I figured--even if no one ever knew the real story--people would still likely associate Cricket Feet with something positive. It's the sound the happy insect makes at dusk. And crickets bring good fortune in many cultures.



Q: Your book has changed my life. How can I ever repay you?
A: Thank me when you accept your Oscar.

And if you want to do something nice for me sooner than that, write a review for any of my books over at Amazon.com. That sort of thing really helps with our sales.

But more than anything, I'd like to ask that you help others too. As you learn more about the entertainment industry, become a mentor to a newbie. Answer an email from an aspiring actor who stumbled across your website and asked for advice. Donate a copy of my books to the drama department at your old school. Share your toys openly and encourage others to do the same.


Q: Why are you so open on your blog?
A: I'm so open in my life. My blog just happens to be my online record of that spirit, that approach to living. I'm pretty much an open book. I'm "out" about my damage. A lot of public people try to make it look easy. I guess I not only like demystifying the Hollywood System, but also debunking the concept that strong, successful women aren't flawed. I'm not a fan of secrets. So, I live with integrity. Because it's what I'd like to see others do.


Q: What are you bad at?
A: I can't cook. Seriously. I burn water. I grew up in a single-parent household and we ate out a lot. Also, I'm left-handed, so anytime I would attempt to help Mom in the kitchen, she would freak out about how I was going to cut a finger off with a knife or burn myself stirring from the wrong side of the stove. So, I learned to go paint my fingernails in the other room instead of helping prepare meals. I know how to whip up some delicious guacamole, I make a mean bag of microwave popcorn, and my non-dishpan fingers with well-manicured nails earned me many thousands of dollars as a hand model. And I'm still afraid of knives. Very.


Q: Why this FAQ?
A: *shrug* Eh, I was bored one night and just started typing... like most things I write... it just came out and I didn't stop it.