Channeling Grace Kelly
“Wouldn’t it be fun?” I pushed a fold out of my dress, being careful not to wrinkle the perfectly ironed garment. “What was that Grandma?” “Wouldn’t it be fun?” my grandmother repeated the question with added excitement. “Yes! I’m so excited! Do you think they’ll like me?” I said, after gently shaking the daydreams aside. “Oh yes, definitely. I think you’re exactly what they’re looking for,” she replied. Turning again to the window, shining teeth reflected back at me, as I allowed the passing scene to lull me into dreams of lights, camera, action; a huge grin on my face.
I had stars in my eyes. In the past year, I gradually became a fan of female stars my age, and felt a deep sense of connection to the craft of acting. I imagined becoming the best of friends with girls like Christina Ricci and Gaby Hoffman. Now and Then was my favorite movie. I could recite all the lines and sing along with all the songs. My soul must have lived through the 60s and 70s because when I watched this movie, I felt comfort and remembrance of an era I had not lived through in this life. My grandparents had rented it so much for me from the local Blockbuster, that the clerk just gave it to me the last time I wanted to rent it. And the songs! My goodness, I wanted the soundtrack so bad! I dreamed about my grandparents gifting me the CD, only to wake up in the car on a road trip, tears welling in my eyes because it was not real. They eventually put it in my Easter basket the year after.
Christina Ricci was my favorite actress. Her performances in Now and Then and Casper intrigued me greatly. I wondered how she had started in the business, and before I knew it, I had stumbled upon the wonderful world wide web of fansites. The internet was in its infancy, and I can still fully hear that harsh dial up tone, and the anticipation of what I would discover next in the vast digital world. My curiosity of acting only grew as I learned about the opportunities these actresses had taken, and I soon decided to confide in my grandparents about my desire to become an actress. My grandparents were very supportive and wanted to make sure I had opportunities for success in life. So when we heard about a casting call in Beverly Hills, we knew this was an open door to my future.
As my grandfather slid our car into the parking space, the commanding presence of the Hyatt Regency was enough to make my nerves stir. Up until this point, my daydreaming had allowed any form of apprehension to be kept at bay. The butterflies had been let out of their cocoons, and they were enjoying a full on rave, equipped with a DJ, sweet beats, fog machine, and lasers. I do not remember what happened upon entering the Hyatt Regency ballroom. The next thing I do have memory of is being led to the people who were responsible for finding the hidden talent. They liked my look. They said I had the look of Grace Kelly. Whatever that meant. I had no clue who this Grace was they spoke of, even though my grandmother had told me the same thing a few times before. “I must really learn who Grace Kelly is,” I thought, as they continued to look me over. I must have answered some questions about my acting abilities, or maybe just about my personality, but most of the event is a blur. I remember being excited when a man invited my grandparents to enroll me in acting classes at Beverly Hills Studios.
One thing I must say is that I was painfully shy. The acting classes were fun, but my inability to get over my aversion to being the center of attention blocked my chances of success. I did get through all the classes, however, and had some good experiences along the way. I was able to film a commercial for Domino’s Pizza and get a few headshots taken, both of which were added to my portfolio for future gigs.
While taking the classes, I felt like I belonged to an elite group of actors. Yes, my head did get a little too big, and I thought because I was taking acting classes in Beverly Hills I was someone special; until I was humbled by a fellow classmate at my middle school in Yorba Linda. Come to find out, Sherri had also been taking classes at Beverly Hills Studios, and she had even done a few commercials already. She was very outgoing and bubbly, kinda the opposite of me. She was all too eager to rain on my ego parade, and humble me to the size of an ant.
My acting career never took off, and about a year after I finished the classes, we moved away from the beaches and cities of Southern California to the foothills and gold country of Northern California. With the passing of the years, I continue to look back and wonder what if. What if I wasn’t devastatingly shy? What if I was able to stand in front of a group of people and not instantly turn all sorts of red? What if I had tried harder to overcome this obstacle that kept me from my dream? Life is filled with what ifs, isn’t it? This was a learning opportunity for me, and I am now able to look back and appreciate that I even had that experience. Southern California still haunts my soul, and I long to return some day. It is part of me.
I still think about acting. I’ve overcome a lot of my bashfulness, and I find myself longing to show the world what I’ve got. Who knows. Maybe someday I’ll see my name on the program of a local theater production. I’ll just add it to the list of everything I want to be. Entrepreneur, tarot reader, writer, digital nomad, vagabond, actress…
Oh yeah, and I finally learned who that Grace lady was!
I loved reading your Channeling Grace Kelly post. You went out there, and gave it your all. Great photos. Love ya, My Girl 💜
Thank you for checking it out!