March 10, 1999
After reading the script and reading over my scenes, it hit me that this is probably the most serious of the three main characters. Ford is in the middle of a life crisis and has a lot of issues to sort through. The last audition scene (of 3) is mostly a fight/make-up scene, and a pretty forceful one at that. So serious Ford. Straightforward Ford. That was my assignment. And I tried to steel myself to the fact that they wouldn't be laughing during my audition, but not to let that shake me. I had to keep in mind that my character had the more important, albeit less funny, things to say. The lack of laughter was not a reflection of my performance. Don't let it shake me. Be ready for no laughter. Be ready. You can do this. Be strong.
After my first line of the first page in the first scene: Laughter. Before my second line: Laughter. After my second line: Laughter. And so on, ad hilarium. After I finished the first scene I could feel myself laughing and shaking my head. It just didn't seem right. It was as if my big brother had been in the room right before me and told everybody to laugh real hard when little Johnny comes in to do his scene. There was even one brown-noser that laughed just a little too hard to really try to sell it. This theory falls apart when you take into consideration the fact that I have no brother. So I guess they just really thought I was doing some funny stuff. Excellent.
This is all very similar to last year's pilot season, where I had a number of auditions where people just didn't get what I was doing, didn't find it funny, or just didn't feel it was the voice of the character. And then, a situation like this, where I'm just putting the standard dry Ducey delivery on the lines and they are big hit. Someone hears the words as they leave my mouth and it just sounds right. It makes you think how futile all the preparation in the world can be if you just don't click with what the bosses have in mind, if no matter how you spin it, the words are just going to sound wrong coming out of your mouth. That's the process, though, I guess. Love it or leave it.
Go on to the Network Test.