Hire Actors in North Carolina

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I'd like to give a word of thanks to my long-time acting agent, Jackie Pressley of Capital Artists, Inc (CAI). Fellow comedian and actor Mic Cover got me in the ground floor with CAI around fifteen years ago.

Despite absolutely no acting experience, Jackie took me on anyway. At the time I was a hot-shot young comedian filled with a combustible mix of confidence and naivete. My comedy group frequently made the rounds in New York and Los Angeles, and we had the ears and eyes of some of the biggest producers in show business. I regularly fielded advances from Hollywood heavyweights like Sandollar Productions (Rosanne, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), attended exclusive industry parties with Jerry Seinfeld, and could get the head of casting at ABC on the phone with one call. There was even some buzz that one of the members of our group was in the running as the host of a brand-new show on Comedy Central called The Daily Show.

As you might imagine, I did some very high-profile auditions back then. I'm sure they were beyond awful. I had no idea what I was doing.

That's the true beauty of Hollywood. When you have a "buzz" going, your name can open any door. People will watch you and take you very seriously - even though you're really just a completely inexperienced country boy from North Carolina who just months earlier had never flown in a plane.

Fast-forward 15 years and I still go on auditions. I have a different confidence now, one that comes with years of experience and the comfort of knowing that the acting gig I'm shooting for won't make or break me. I still don't call myself an actor. To me, that is a slight on others who have studied the craft for years. I present myself as a "comedian", and Jackie sends me on auditions accordingly. On set, I'm professional, joke with the crew, and try and keep everyone laughing. It's all about knowing your role (literally) and playing to your strengths.

Jackie has stood by me for 15 years now, and I thank her for her hard work and determination. If you need to hire an actor for a commercial, TV or film fole in Wilmington, Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, or anywhere in the Southeast, contact Jackie at Capital Artists, Inc. Be sure to tell her that Larry Weaver sent you!

John Boy and Billy - The Big Show

I've wanted to appear as a guest on the nationally-syndicated John Boy and Billy radio show for years. I grew up in the same town as John Boy (Graham, NC), and I've watched their popularity skyrocket over the past 20 years. Guest coordinator Marci Moran graciously invited me to appear in December to promote my eBook Funny Employee Awards.
I arrived early for my appearance. The first thing that struck me was how much fun everyone was having. People were laughing and joking as they arrived at work. These are clearly people that enjoy their job - it's not an act.
Marci lead me from the Green Room into the Blue Room adjacent to the studio so I could watch the morning's broadcast. When it came time to do my bit, I lead off with some stand-up comedy bits that I centered around John Boy's hometown of Graham. I figured it was better to be funny than to plug my product. The risk paid off. After my bit, John Boy invited me to hang around for the remainder of the hour.
I even got to play a round of "Wordy Word" where I somehow beat John Boy and his partner. I'm not sure how I managed to pull that off with all the nerves.
I want to thank John Boy, Billy, Marci, Jackie, Jeff, and all of the Big Show crew for having me on the show. It was a thrill that I won't soon forget!

Celebrate the Living

“We celebrate the lives of the dead / It's like a man's best party only happens when he dies.” – Body in a Box, City and Colour
The reaper makes frequent visits to the critical care unit at Moses Cone Hospital. Yesterday, his presence cast a heavy shadow over Mom’s room. And even though he managed to break the spirit of the most optimistic of well-wishers, his intended passenger had no plans to leave just yet.
You can imagine my surprise when I walked in to see Mom sitting upright in a chair by the bed, laughing and telling jokes. “So you’re back from the dead again,” I asked. She just looked up and said, “You can’t get rid of a good mule.”

*****

Mom knew a thing or two about mules. She grew up as the daughter of a sharecropper in Person County, NC. Her sisters, Phyliss, Brenda, and Joan worked the tobacco fields alongside her brothers Robert, Paul, and Ricky. They didn’t own the land, or the tools, or the mules that pulled the plow. But they worked it all to survive.
Faming tobacco is excruciating work. There’s the planting, the hoeing, the worming, the plucking, the tying, the curing… And breathing that red dust all day as the hot Carolina sun beats you down. It was backbreaking work. I got a small taste working Uncle Neil’s fields as a kid. But that was just a weekend job for me. This was a year-round reality for Mom and her siblings.
Grandpa’s plan was a simple one: more kids meant more hands to work more acres. But more kids also meant more mouths to feed. And when they yearly harvest came in, and the landowner was paid for the land, and the tools, and the animals, there was little left over for the family. It was a losing proposition.
Mom saw marrying my Dad as a way out of the tobacco fields for good. Little did she know that her hardest labor was yet to come.
Mom’s brothers and sisters have been through some trials. But make no mistake – they embody the word “tough.” Ironically, the same hard work that would contribute to many of their health problems later on was the same hard work that gave them the resolve to make it through.

*****

So there’s Momma sitting in the chair, chatting away. “We’re going walking down the hall tomorrow. And when I get out of here, we’re all going down to see Robert in Texas.”
It seemed impossible just hours ago.
Heart attack? Stroke? Pneumonia? Spinal fusion? That was yesterday.
Today the sun came up over Moses Cone, and with it a reason to celebrate.

Tribute to a Strong Mother

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." – Ephesians 6:13

I always loved that Bible verse. There’s so much meaning in those final two words. On Friday I saw it written on a sign outside the old church down the road: “And having done all, to stand.” I pondered its meaning anew…

My sister called early this morning, “You need to come on back to the hospital. Momma’s not doing too good.” That’s all that needed to be said. I had heard that message before on the day my Dad passed away.

And as I made the long drive back to the hospital I had left just hours earlier, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Is this it?”

*****

Mom has overcome tragedy many times. She’s suffered more heartache than anyone should have to bear. From the tragic death of her father –- a man I never had the privilege of meeting –- to the unimaginable loss of her daughter -- my sister and best friend -- to Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever. Next her younger brother died in a horrific auto accident, then her Mom passed, and finally her husband, my Dad, lost a nearly fifteen year struggle with heart failure.

Through it all, my Mom soldiered on. Never wavering, never stumbling.

That was Mom’s way. She faced each tragedy, each day, with a workman-like attitude. By the time a crippling combination of Fibromyalgia and Osteoporosis forced her into an early retirement, she had accrued a full year’s worth of sick days. Momma didn’t take sick days. Least not for her, anyway.

She took care of my Dad through countless hospital visits. She took care of us all. And when Dad’s heart finally stopped beating, there was a bit of hope in the air. His long battle had carried a heavy burden. And despite the sadness, a weight had been lifted. I was excited for Mom – excited to see what she would do; excited to see what she would become.

Just a few weeks later I sat by her bedside as she awaited triple bypass surgery.

It was unexpected. She reluctantly went to the doctor about some tightness in her chest, and hours later she was transported to Duke Medical Center for life-changing surgery. As we talked through the night, she didn’t complain. She said she’d get through it, and she did.

Over the past five years, Mom has suffered through immeasurable pain. Heart attack... Fibromyalgia... Diabetes... Back surgery after back surgery...

Over those same five years, Mom has traveled the country and visited Mexico. She’s walked the beach. She’s hiked the mountains of Colorado. She fulfilled a dream that her and Dad shared of seeing the Grand Canyon. She’s soldiered on…

Her back pain recently got so bad that she could no longer walk without a walker. This hurt her pride, but she didn’t show it. The neurosurgeon recommended spinal fusion, along with removing some fragmented vertebrate and the insertion of pins into her spine.

This surgery was serious. The best case scenario was several days in the hospital and four weeks in a nursing facility. But Mom agreed. After all, there was more of the country she wanted to see.

The surgery went well. The aftermath didn’t.

*****

When I arrived at the hospital this morning, the prognosis wasn’t good. A heart attack… possibly two. A stroke. Pneumonia. The odds weren’t in her favor this time.

When everyone had left the room, I took her hand and leaned over. “Mom, are you going to make it,” I asked. “Oh I’m going to make it out of here,” she said, “but it ain’t going to be easy.”

I don’t know if Mom will live to see tomorrow. But I do know that when the doctor pulls the curtain for the last time, and when that final breath of air comes passing through her lips, she’s not going to leave this world lying down.

She taught me today what the sign on the church means.

“And having done all, to stand.”

 

Continued: Celebrate the Living

MySpace Featured Video

A few days ago I blogged about converting some old Selected Hilarity VHS videos to DVD to YouTube. Two of those videos, The Floor and The Sign Language Gorilla are featured on the HOMEPAGE of MySpace.com today. I'll post more later on how this affected our page's popularity, and how we were able to capitalize on it (if we can). Until now, go enjoy the videos and the hilarious comments...