Getting Ready To Move!

December 1st, 2009

Hi Everybody!

I am freshly back from Egypt – which was an amazing and indescribable journey! I had such a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed my meditations and visits to incredible temples in a land steeped in layers of history. Particular highlights of my trip include private dawn visit to the Sphinx, private visits to the Queen and King Chambers in the Great Pyramid and the Oracle Temple of Amun Ra at Siwa Oasis in the Great White Desert after swimming in Cleopatra’s pool! I am indebted to Elisabeth Jensen, Medhat and Shashi Yehia, Dr Morad our egyptologist and all those who travelled with me and made my journey so unforgettable.

This will be a short update….. as I should be PACKING! That’s right – the fantastic news we have all been waiting for….. my O1 Visa is all officially approved and ready to go!

I had my appointment at the US consulate yesterday and received my passport back in to my hot little hands this morning…. now I am in a mad flurry of packing and organising and sorting and……. phew!

So, it is with great excitement that I prepare to make the move to LA next Friday the 11th of December. 

It is also my great pleasure to confirm that I will be represented commercially in LA by Dina Ziegler-Panagiotou at Arete Talent Agency – www.aretetalent.com. Dina has over 30 years experience in the imdustry and has an impressive array of talent on her books. I look forward to working with Dina in the near future.

So – over the next few days, I will be spending time with family and saying goodbye (temporarily) to my dear friends in Adelaide. I look forward to catching up with everyone in LA and getting my teeth sunk into the business in LA!

Until next time, have a blast!

 

:)

Alicia

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2009 Rapidly drawing to a close….

November 6th, 2009

Well, am I right or am I right? 2009 feels like it has rapidly sped along, bringing me for the ride whether I like it or not!

It feels like forever since I last sat down to write about my adventures – but here I am at last!

I’ll start where I left off – India. I was blessed to travel to India for 3 weeks with Candace Silvers from Los Angeles and 13 other talented and amazing people for a spiritual journey in Rishikesh, at the foothills of the Himalayas. 

Rishikesh – the home of Yoga, the place where the Beatles famously travelled in 1968 to stay in an Ashram, and the birthplace of Anand Mehrotra – our other spiritual guide on this journey and Yin to Candace’s Yang.

What an amazing adventure! There’s too much to detail here – but it was an immense journey of self discovery for all involved…. we climbed mountains to temples, meditated in caves, swam in the mighty Ganga, participated in Diwali celebrations, did morning yoga, played with monkeys and elephants and made life long friends. We laughed, we cried, we broke through barriers – We talked about the universe and quantum physics and splashed each other with water. We jumped off a cliff and changed our lives forever. I took so many things from my journey to India – lessons about life and insights into self. I have come away a stronger and fuller person and am blessed to have had the opportunity. Perhaps my highlight of the trip was visiting the school children supported by Candace’s charity – New Possibilities Children Foundation. To see the smiles and joy in their hearts touched me deeply and was an experience I won’t soon forget.

For more information, check out:

www.candacesilvers.com

www.childrenofrishikesh.com

www.anandteachings.com

Apart from my trip to India – October has been a HUGE month! 

Firstly, there was the voting for the AFI awards. I have to say what an amazingly strong field of great Australian films it was this year! I really enjoyed tearing through my viewers and getting to see some fantastic features and documentaries. 

I have to say two films that stood out for me were:

The Combination, directed by David Field – and Beautiful, directed by Dean O’Flaherty. Admittedly, I might be slightly biased towards Beautiful as it featured several close friends and was shot on location in Adelaide,  but all in all, it was a fantastically written and shot piece. The Combination was a surprisingly powerful and emotional piece about marginalised youth which really packed a punch. I can highly recommend both of these films.

In other film news, The Boys Are Back is on release from this Thursday the 12th of November in selected cinemas. I attended the cast screening on Monday, and discovered a beautiful, emotional and delicately crafted film. Again, although I may be slightly biased, I found it to be very well written, with fantastic cinematography and strong acting – particularly from the leads, Clive Owen and Nicholas McAnulty. It was also a perfect showcase for the beauty of the South Australian coast. Let alone on a personal level, the opportunity to work with Scott Hicks, which was amazing. Look out for me at Katie’s wake….. ;)

I’ve also had the great pleasure of reading several scripts this month – mostly in the developmental and pre-production stages. It has inspired me to get off my backside and start working on some fresh projects myself, as well as some scripts that have been on the shelf for a while!

Whilst I didn’t hear anything about the audition I went for as discussed last blog, I was cast in a guest role for the upcoming new radioplay, “Starpol”. I appear as Commander F’Iner in Episode One, Power of the Emperor. I had a blast at the recording session yesterday with many familiar faces. Someone commented that I sounded like Frank Sinatra whilst recording! Whilst I personally can’t see the comparisons….. make up your own mind! Episode One available online in the coming weeks at:

www.starpol.net

Now, FINALLY to the news we have all been waiting for…… my O1 Talent visa to go and work on some projects in the United States has been conditionally approved! I have booked my consulate appointment and am starting to make the preparations to relocate….. Phew! So many things to do, and not enough hours in the day! 

I’ve also been invited to attend a Masterclass in Adelaide with Marcus Graham in early December before I plan to make the move to LA – how many things can I squeeze into my itinerary? Ha!

And if that is not crazy enough, I sit here on the eve of my departure to Egypt. Yep – that’s right – I’m going on another 3 week spiritual journey! Meditations in ancient pyramids and temples and journeys down the Nile (as opposed to journeys in Denial!!). I can’t wait!

So, to all, I bid a temporary Adieu, as, in true Alicia fashion, I still haven’t packed yet! I like to think of the Internet as my personal packing procrastination medium………

I look forward to sharing more adventures with you soon!

Until then, enjoy the sunshine…

Leash

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Busy, Busy!

September 15th, 2009

Well, it has been a while since I last updated everyone – but let me say it has been an INSANELY busy time for me!

I returned briefly to LA to organise the business side of things in a whirlwind tour over 3 weeks in August… and thankfully it was a very fruitful trip! Bek and I dashed from meeting to meeting – although we were able to slot some time in for shopping and catching up with everyone! I will update everyone further in my next blog – I should have tied up all the loose ends by then……

Unfortunately, our masterclass with Jason Alexander was cancelled at the last minute, but we had some very fruitful workshops with Casting Directors including Caroline Liem and Lauren Bass at AIA Studios. Also, we had some amazing new headshots taken with Mary Grace Mckernan in LA, with gorgeous makeup by Lisa Marie Deroma. They are very natural and really communicate my essence. I’ll be uploading the new shots on here very soon. In the meantime, check out the amazing work by Mary Grace and Lisa Marie via my links page. I highly recommend that anyone wanting to get new shots done in LA contact Mary Grace as she is amazing to work with and really gets results!

In other fantastic news, my O1 Visa Application was finalised last month and has now been lodged! Many thanks to my hardworking immigration attorney, Gil Brito at Beltran Brito for many tireless hours slaving away at the finer details of my case. Now, it is just a case of waiting for the outcome of my application. Yay!

Of course, I have returned home to more madness, as usual! When I arrived home, there was a lovely fat parcel awaiting me – almost half the films up for contention in the AFI awards for 2009. Phew! I almost forgot that we are swinging around to awards season once more…. Luckily, as a professional member, the kind people at the AFI have sent the majority of the films direct to me for judging in the comfort of my own home! For the ones they were not able to send to me, I have a fistful of film passes that arrive almost every other day, so I am taking my excited little self off to the cinema for an Australian cinematic extravaganza! I have made a very small dent in the collection so far and am looking forward to a bit of a filmfest this week, now that I have cleared some space in my diary……. I am very excited, as the calibre of Aussie films this year seems exceptional as always. I’m especially excited to check out Lynda-Maree and Bek in ‘Beautiful’. Otherwise, I’m not going to give too much away – my votes are secret! At least for now…… :)

In other film news, I saw Judd Apatow’s latest effort ‘Funny People’ last night in Gold Class…. it lived up to it’s title and was a very funny film. I was especially impressed with Apatow’s ability to nail the Australian persona on the head, with Eric Bana cast in the role of “Clarke”. It was great to see Bana return to his comedic roots in a way that an international audience have probably never seen. Think of Bana in ‘The Castle’ and as the Comedy Company clashic – “Poida”. I have to say it was an extremely funny yet accurate portrayal of the Aussie character, and was very well written. Two thumbs up from me!

I also have managed to sneak in last week an audition for a small role in the upcoming feature “Oranges and Sunshine” with Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham, shooting in Adelaide in 2010. It is a very well written script, and I cried my way through a majority of it – need I say anymore?

Whilst on the subject, I am currently reading “Women Who Run With The Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It is an inspirational read – highlighting the culture of storytelling to tell tales of the ‘Wild Woman’ who lives in the female psyche. A great read I can highly recommend to anyone wanting to unleash their inner wild side!

In other news, I am heading off on more world travels in two weeks today – I’m going to India! I am travelling with acting and life coach, Candace Silvers from LA and a whole bunch of other actors. This will be a bit of a down time for me, with yoga and meditations and treks aplenty! I’m looking forward to some relaxation, as 2010 is shaping up to be a monster of a year with plenty on the go already!

So – that is my world in brief for now…… I have many other things on the burner that I am trying to slot into the next few months, and I’ll update you all on my return from India. Refreshed and revived and ready to Go!!!!

Smiles and Sunshine,

;)

Leash

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Heading Off Again!

July 17th, 2009

Well, another month has gone by – where does time go? ?

As always, I have been busy busy and getting a multitude of things done. Most importantly, I’ve updated my showreel and had it uploaded to the site – I am really happy with how it’s shaped up…….. Thanks a bunch, Tess!!! Also thanks to everyone for all your kind feedback on it.

Otherwise, I am excited to announce I am heading back to LA for a whirlwind trip two weeks from today – yay! It is going to be an insane three weeks…. we’ll be meeting with agents, doing a comedy masterclass with Jason Alexander at AIA Studios, getting some more headshots done – not to mention, catching up with everyone! I can’t wait! More importantly, it’s summer in the US and I am looking forward to escaping the winter doldrums for a while!

Before that time however, I am heading off to Melbourne for a few days with Lynda-Maree to meet Kevin when he flies in from LA, followed by a few days back home and then a couple of days each in Sydney and Queensland. Phew!

Aside from that, I have been enjoying reading some Tennessee Williams – it’s always great to revisit the classics. I’ve also been to the movies this month, so here is my brief wrap-up of what I thought:

The Hangover – What an incredibly funny film! It was actually a very well scripted comedy with a strong narrative thread to carry the humour off. I think I spent the better part of the film in tears – I highly recommend it!

Bruno – I must be in the mood to laugh this month….. Bruno was very funny, but not quite as good as the Hangover. Whilst I love Sascha Baron Cohen, I find his films a little disjointed – with a weak narrative that feels basically like several punchlines strung together one after the other. Having said that, there were some extremely funny scenes and I admire the tenacity his style – it takes a lot of guts to pull off some of those stunts! Would recommend this more for a DVD night at home with some mates.

The Lucky Country – Obviously, I felt the need to counter all the funnies I had been watching and went along to watch this AFI award contender, an Australian Period drama. It was very well scripted and the cinematography was amazing. Very strong acting from the cast, however, it just missed the mark with me. I have to say I found it an extremely depressing film. Perhaps an indication of the excellent writing, I just felt uncomfortable throughout the entire piece. There was really no sense of hope offered at any point in the film, and without ruining the plot, the ending was somewhat bleak… Absolutely worth a view, particularly if you are voting this year, but just don’t go if you are having a down day! On the upside, the film was an amazing advertisement for rural South Australia with stunning vistas. Again, not sure if it is indicative of the climate, but it appears there are a few seriously confronting pieces of cinema coming out of the local film market at the moment…….

Anyways, that’s my two cents worth!

That’s it for now, but I will touch base again soon and let everyone know how my return visit to LA goes!

Until next time….. stay warm!

Leash

:)

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Welcome to My World

June 19th, 2009

Welcome to my first blog…….. First, let me say what an amazing year it has been so far!

There have been up’s and down’s but overall I feel that I have grown so much as both a person and an actor. I spent the first 3 months of 2009 in LA, where I worked with some fantastic acting coaches – David Kagen, Brett Rickaby and Paul Messinger at David Kagen’s School of Film Acting. Lew Callihan for ‘Police Tactics’ at Aaron Speiser Acting Studio. Sam Christensen and Samantha Bennett at Sam Christensen Studios for the ‘Image Proces Intensive’. I was blessed to stumble across Candace Silvers and participate in her life classes, and finally the entire team at TVI Studios for Boot Camp! During this time, I also worked with some inspiring fellow actors who made me strive to achieve more, and I made some lifelong friends whom I love dearly! What a journey – to those who travelled it with me, I thank you for your love and friendship and ongoing support.

Since arriving back home I have madly been laying the foundations for some projects in the back half of this year, and 2010. I have been tweaking some scripts and working with two of my besties, Lynda-Maree and Bek to produce a short that we have collaboratively written (Watch this Space!) and have been honoured to have been involved in two short film projects – ‘A Fly On The Wall’ and ‘Medicine Wheel’ – in support of my dear friend, Tess O’Flaherty. I am also in consultation with another actor, Steve Parker, for an exciting project that is in the final stages of planning and I am very pleased with the way the script is shaping up on this film too. I am also looking at producing my first piece of Australian theatre next year……….. so – busy! busy!

I was also honoured to join a theatre masterclass last Friday the 12th of June with esteemed director, Michael Hill – thanks to Actors Equity. It was a great opportunity to touch base with many familiar faces from the local industry and see what everyone has been up to! Not to mention honing my theatre muscles again after so much film and television training in Los Angeles. :)

I have also been indulging somewhat, and am taking the time to read a lot more books and am enjoying reading some classic Pinter plays and Tennessee Williams…. and we call this work?? Ha! Not only this, but as Sam Christensen would be happy to know, I am continuing to work on my Image Process homework to discover more and more about myself every day. What a joy!

I have also recently taken up Kali (a form of martial arts) with my girls, with the long term expectation that we can do our own stunts… he he! I am starting to feel like I am improving slightly at this form of stick, knife and hand combat – but I still sometimes catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror looking more like E.T than a seasoned street fighter. Sigh. Some things take time, I guess………

I also really need to get back on the pole, and have been inspired to do so for the upcoming “Le Grande Revue” for Miss Cara Brown’s birthday at which I will be performing. Watch out world! Only problem is, I conveniently forgot about the muscle ache and death bruises that come as a result of being off my game………argh. No pain, no gain – right??????????

So – I think that’s probably it for now, but as we all know, I like to write, so check back regularly to see what’s going on in my world….. There’s so much happening in the pipeline I expect plenty of updates headed your way soon…..

Until then, I want to thank the many who have inspired me this year to get up and be better…… to my girls Lynda-Maree, Bek and Ceri – words cannot explain the strength you give me and the love I have for you all. To Mum, Dad, Kristin, Nana and Grandpa, Sonya, and the rest of my family and friends in Adelaide – thank you for believing in me and giving me all the support in the world to go chasing my dream. To our LA crew – Shawn, Kevin, Mo and all the crazy bunch, Michelle, Stacey, Nick, Scott, Victor, Lamorna, Rochelle – thank you for accepting us into your family and loving us for who we are, and making the journey fun! To Erik and Kathy, Petie, Tess, Steve and all my fellow creatives who are always willing to open the door for me and SHOW ME THE MONEY! Or, sometimes, lack of it……………. To all my teachers and my new friends across the globe from my classes in LA – I have learnt so much from each of you and treasure our time together in the creative womb…. To Jaimz and Fuzz – thanks for helping me out with things I have no idea about! To my agent Chris, who constantly lifts me up and supports me and champions me, no matter what.

And finally, to Shane. Whom I miss dearly, but who taught me more about myself than anyone else. I feel your presence with me every day and know I will get there with your help and guidance.

So for now, it’s goodbye. Until next time, my friends – STAY AWESOME!

xoxo
Leash

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