Ernie Hudson on his worst non-acting job, auditioning and more!

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Ernie Hudson is probably best known for his role as Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters, the warden in OZ or his role in his current series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

But, he’s been on stage and screen for years also appearing in Las Vegas, Law and Order, Desperate Housewives, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle and was on Broadway in last year’s,  Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

In his new film, Doonby, he plays Leroy, a blues musician who quits his life on the road to settle down with the woman of his dreams.

He’s a truly talented guy and gave a wonderfully candid interview. We talk about how he got his start, the worst non-acting job he’s ever had, if he still has to audition (and when he does, his tech savvy way around it), his new film Doonby and so much more!

For the full interview, click onto the audio link above or download from iTunes.

How did you get your start?

Ernie Hudson: I grew up in Michigan in a small town, Benton Harbor. Then through a series of life changes, ended up at Wayne State University and discovered theatre there and just fell in love with it. Started acting back in 67, somewhere around there, and worked in Detroit. I got a scholarship to Yale after I graduated from Wayne State, went there and came out to Hollywood and did a film with Gordon Parks. I went to University of Minnesota for a while because my wife at the time was working on her degree and then when that marriage ended me and my two sons came out to California. And we just got a little place and did what actors do.

Basically, I had got into college and was really trying hard to find– my grandmother raised me and wanted me to find a good job. And I really tried the good job thing and did a lot of different things and never really felt comfortable until I walked in the theatre one night and saw a play and I just felt at home. And I think it was when I did my first play, I just knew how to do that. I think all the jobs I had, I always felt like ‘they’re going to fire me at any minute and if they don’t they should fire me at any minute.’ Whereas, with this I just felt,  ‘okay I can do this.’

What was the worst real job that you had?

Ernie Hudson: Well, probably the worst job I had actually while I was in high school, I was working at a foundry. My brother got me a job there when I was in my senior year of high school and so I would leave school at noon and I would meet him and we would drive up and I’d work from 3 to midnight. And my job was shoveling dirt in a room that was filled with this black dirt that they would use for the molding machine. They had a conveyor belt that just kept going continuously, so I had to shovel through the dirt for nine hours a day, filling these things up. And you never had the satisfaction of filling anything up because the conveyor belt kept going and you were just shoveling all day.

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Trailer: 127 Hours

127 Hours: This is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clemence Poesy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life.

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clemence Poesy, Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan

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San Diego: SAG Short Film

My name is Nicolas SIMONIN, Award-Winning Director of the movie ”DERAILED” (check the Trailer here or the Website www.detour.fr) which have received 3 awards and 7 festival selections so far, among them the next ScreamFest in LA in October.

This is an audition call for the 24th, 25th and 26th of August 2010 in SAN DIEGO.

PLEASE SEND YOUR HEADSHOTS, SHOW REEL LINKS and RESUME to: DETOURVINCENT@GMAIL.COM

Here some details about the parts:

[VINCENT] LEAD

Male – 25 to 35 to play 30 – No race limitation.

Athletic, comfortable with physical challenges in acting.

Vincent is a late father, unable to manage the pressure of home life. Free lance journalist, Vincent tendency to move from places to another, and chase people’s life is still very strong. Being a stable father was never easy for him. This is why sometimes, violent impulses emerges. Controlling his internal violence is his strongest challenge.

[CLARA] SUPPORTING

Female – 24 to 33 to play 26-30 – Caucasian

Thin, Athletic, long or medium length hair, pale skin, comfortable with physical challenges in acting.

Clara is a strong short woman. She learned life by fighting verbally with men. She though that Vincent was the one. Someone she could trust and stay in peace with. But Vincent’s violence is more and more difficult to control.

Clara has no choice but to be stronger than ever to face Vincent.

[THE ATTACKER] SUPPORTING

Male – 30 to 40 – No race limitation.

Athletic, comfortable with physical challenges in acting, stunt abilities, unshaven face.

The Attacker represents the bad impulses of Vincent. He is Vincent’s rage, his dark violent face.

Pay: Vincent (lead, 3-4 days of shooting): Deffered+Meal+Dvd+Credit+Exposure(festivals+web:Ucla research project with an Audience of 2 000 Internet users that will Market the film on Social Media)

Clara (supporting role, 1 day of shooting): Meal+Dvd+Credit++Exposure (festivals+web:Ucla research project Audience)

The Attacker (supporting role, 1 day of shooting): Meal+Dvd+Credit++Exposure (festivals+web:Ucla research project Audience)

Trailer: Black Swan

Black Swan: It’s the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter’s professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her. from trailers.apple.com

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder Read more

Zach Braff on returning to theater, overnight success and new challenges

from broadway.com

You’ve been away from the stage for eight years. What attracted you to Trust?
I really wanted to come back to New York theater with something I liked. It didn’t matter if it was in a 99-seat theater or a Broadway house, I just wanted to find something I related to. I read a bunch of stuff and felt there was a lot out there that was entertaining, but not much that related to me as a 35-year-old guy going through what 35-year-old people think about. When I read Trust, it finally felt like a perfect match. Not only was it funny and dark—which clearly I like—but it was young, sexy and smart. Most of all, funny. If you’re going to do something for months, it’s good to pick something you personally respond to.

There’s some kinky content in the show. Did anything make you uncomfortable?
None of it made me uncomfortable at all. If you think about movies, dark, twisted things happen all the time. The things in Trust are risque for theater, but it’s not like I was intimidated by it all. And it’s all handled by [playwright] Paul Weitz so carefully—the [kink] is more of a metaphor. People will understand when they see the show that there’s a motif of S&M, and not much else.

What’s the most uncomfortable thing you’ve ever had to do onstage or in front of the camera?
Oh my God—I did nine seasons of embarrassing things on [Scrubs]. There’s no one thing that sticks out.

Has anything about your return to the stage terrified you?
Of course. It’s scary—I haven’t memorized a whole play in a long time, so that was daunting. Luckily I’ve got it now. You never know how an audience is going to respond, which can cause anxiety. Fortunately Trust is a comedy, so you can tell pretty quickly how they’re responding—so far, our responses are amazing. You know, you do nine seasons of a comedy, but you never hear the laughter because it wasn’t shot for a live audience. You know people like it because it runs a long time, but you rarely hear laughter. To have the instant feedback of laughter or silence in theater is so gratifying.

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First Look: Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go: Kathy (Oscar® nominee Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION), Tommy (Andrew Garfield, BOY A, RED RIDING) and Ruth (Oscar® nominee Keira Knightley, PRIDE & PREJUDICE, ATONEMENT) live in a world and a time that feel familiar to us, but are not quite like anything we know. They spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. When they leave the shelter of the school and the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.

Click here for the trailer

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Why Actors Need Websites – 6 Money Saving Tips

Imagine this: You are in your car (or walking to the subway) and you suddenly get a call from a casting director. They are interested in submitting you for an upcoming project, but need to forward your headshot & resume to the director within the next 30 minutes. You’re not at your computer, so you cannot email your materials to them. And you’re nowhere near their office, so you cannot just drop by with a physical copy of your headshot/resume. What can you do?

Or, imagine this: You are networking at an event (like the Tribeca Film Festival) and you have met so many people that you have handed out your last copy of your reel. You run into an agent who has seen you on stage, but comments that he would like to see your film work. He asks if you have a reel to give him. Sadly, you don’t, and it will be at least a week until you can get more duplicates made. What now?

If you are a business-minded actor, you would have a website and neither case would have been a problem! You could simply tell the casting director, “Drop by my website, where you can download a copy of my headshot and resume, both formatted for printing.” And for the agent, you would be able to say, “Here’s my website. Not only do I have my reel posted, but I also have clips from a few of the other projects I have done, including some singing and a few commercials.”

Having a website is one of the most important promotional tools an actor can have, second only to a good headshot. A website allows you to provide interested parties with a more full look at your body of work, your personality, and the way you run your business. And it allows them to do it in their own time, at their pace and leisure, which is vitally important in the larger, more competitive markets. The easier you can make it for a CD/agent to get to know you, the better chance you have of making an impact with them.

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Top 11 Reputable Casting Websites

One of the things that can get me incensed as a career coach is when casting websites pop up promising to give actors access to stardom. Some sites make it sounds like an actor’s big break is just around the corner, and all they need to do is pay a fee and they’re in! But most actors know that success comes with good training, strong relationship building, and the ability & wherewithal to seize an opportunity when it presents itself (also known as tenacity.) The trouble is, even the smartest actor has heard at least one rags-to-riches story, and the allure of a quick win sometimes overshadows common sense.

So, to combat the many unscrupulous characters baiting actors with empty promises, below you’ll find are 11 of my favorite reputable websites where casting notices can be found.

Actors Access
Backstage
Actors Equity Casting Call
Playbill
SAG Indie
Now Casting
Casting Networks/LACasting.com
Casting Networks/NYCasting.com
NYCastings.com
Mandy.com
Craigslist

Any of the others not listed here typically have the same notices that are on the above sites. If you are in LA or NY, I would caution you if paying to use any website other than these listed- it probably wouldn’t be worth the money. Of course, there are exceptions and I am sure a new website will come along and blow away the competition. But as of now, the above sites are the most reputable for those in the major markets.

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Trailer: Conviction

Conviction is the inspirational true story of a sister’s unwavering devotion to her brother. When Betty Anne Waters’ (two-time Academy® Award winner Hilary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18 year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice (Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver), Betty Anne pours through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor (Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo), meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny’s arrest. Belief in her brother – and her quest for the truth – pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of exonerating Kenny (from trailers.apple.com).

Director: Tony Goldwyn

Cast: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo, Peter Gallagher, Juliette Lewis

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Trailer: Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go: Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley) live in a world and a time that feel familiar to us, but are not quite like anything we know. They spend their childhood in a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. When they leave the shelter of the school and the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins, Nathalie Richard, Andrea Riseborough
Director: Mark Romanek

View the trailer after the jump

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