Grace LaRocca: Take Bigger Audition Risks

You can feel it the moment you hit record on a self-tape: your scene is strong, but the slate makes you stiff, your hands look weird, and suddenly you’re worried casting will click away in five seconds. We sit down with Grace LaRacca to talk through that exact spiral, and then we pull it apart piece by piece. From simple slate mindset tricks to cleaner self-tape presentation ideas, Grace shares what actually helps actors book work without turning the audition into a tech nightmare.

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to NOAA Film Scene with TJ Play-Doh. I'm TJ. And as always, I'm Play-Doh.

SPEAKER_00 0:06

We are live. Welcome back to Noah Film Scene. We are with Grace LaRacca.

SPEAKER_03 0:15

Hi, Grace.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Hey Grace.

SPEAKER_03 0:17

How are y'all doing? Good to see you again. You too, guys. You too. Thank you for having me on.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

We got her on. And you are known for.

SPEAKER_03 0:26

You know, a few things. I've played some really badass women in film. One of my favorites was like a you know shoot 'em up gun type, but I was also the innocence. It was um, I can't remember the movie right now, but I will remember during this interview. And then also I run um I do a lot of I used to do a lot of behind the scenes, which is running a mean, mean bass camp, a really good bass camp. So I've done, you know, I've been in the film world a long time.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Nice. So you and I met on our friend Olivia's film. That was actually my first feature film. Yeah, my first feature and my first well, I did one thing with speaking lines before that, but that's I count that really as my first thing. Uh-huh. The other was just kind of a web series. I don't really count it.

SPEAKER_03 1:08

I counts. I counts something for sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

So when I got there, it was kind of intimidating for me. I don't intimidate very easily, but I just I felt and then at my age, it felt like a long time since I was the new guy at anything. And everybody else that was there just seemed so experienced, and everybody was kind, but everybody had been doing it for a while. And I'm like, mmm, I hope I don't mess up. I didn't have a lot of lines, but you know, it was a little bit intimidating to be around everybody. Y'all all knew each other, and everybody was like, high school, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Like the click, the click in high school with like lunch tables. You have to like find you have to like set up.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

But it didn't feel it didn't feel isolating or anything like that. Just, you know, people with experience, and there was me. But yeah, I remember I remember you, you were very kind. And yeah, that was the big scene that we met, was the big ending scene where it was uh it was the convention toward the end of the movie. So uh a lot of the different actors were there for that one. I know there were some scenes. Uh I don't think Tatiana Piper was there.

First Feature Film Nerves

SPEAKER_03 2:25

No, but it was a lot of moving moving pieces and parts of that scene. It was a lot of a lot of different characters in that scene. It was that was such a fun scene. It was such a fun scene. And um, I did play a police officer, a cop, a fun, you know, kind of hopefully I was funny in it, but I thought you were, yeah, yeah. Did it come out funny?

SPEAKER_00 2:42

It did. It was it was funny, yeah. For sure it was.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Yeah. No, that was a really fun scene. Um what were your sorry, what were you saying though?

SPEAKER_00 2:50

No, just just that that that was where you and I met and worked together was on that film project. And you you, among others, stood out as just being very kind and professional. You know, people just I don't know, between takes people were friendly and it was a lot of fun. It was a fun dig scene, biggie.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

It was really fun because uh, first of all, if like them them directing is like our us, like our people. Like we're you know, I was so proud of her just doing her thing as an actor and also you know director and and then getting her friends involved with that. So I can't wait to see it. But I was actually, I'll tell you a little secret and that. So um, she had done we'd done my fittings and or not fittings, but like, you know, to make sure the sizes, and I was nearly pregnant then. So I hadn't told like anyone, anyone at all. And I was like, I told my um, I don't know if you remember Cody, but I was like, my my my tight my pants were tight. I was like, oh Lord, my pants are tight. But it was funny. I was very nearly pregnant then, so it was it was that was a really special. I was like, that was her that was my baby's first um acting gig. She was in my belly and she was acting, actually.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

So that was really it doesn't get any any better than that. She's starting from the very, very beginning.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

Yes, she is, yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

Has she done anything? Have you put her in has she done any commercials or anything?

SPEAKER_03 4:09

No, yes. She um she actually I love that um it was you know talking about me, but now it's like baby time. Um Sophie, her stamina's Sophia, she's the most little brightest little star in the world, but she did her first commercial um at three months old. And it was so cute. And she literally like she was like the ending scene of the commercial and she smiled at like three months old. It was really cool. It was her and I so it was really special that she was together. We were mom and baby together. And then she's done a couple other like photo shoots, and um, every time I audition now, she'll like run to it and be like, Audition, and she'll like say her name, she'll slate, like she'll say, I'm Sophia and two. Like, that's what she says. And I'm like, You're so cute. Like, I love that. She she wants to do it with me all the time when I have auditions.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

That's great. To me, slates are the hardest part, and she's already got it down, so she'll she'll be set.

SPEAKER_03 5:01

She's got it down with her twinkle in her eye already with that with slating. Yes. So, um, so what else? What were you gonna say, Brian?

SPEAKER_01 5:11

I was just thinking a friend helped me with slating because slating, uh hi, my name's Brian Plato on 5'9, feels very boring. And it was for a voiceover audition, and he goes, think of this. Put in your head, you're at the Marty Gras parade. And my friend was from he's from Canada. And he's like, Oh yeah, and Pete, you're having fun. Hey, that's hey, I know you. Who are you? You're where are you from? And then I kind of it made myself laugh. Oh, I'm Brian Plato and I'm five foot nine. I'm here from Meadow, Louisiana. And it just changed a whole feeling of just the sleep.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

And uh so I can't stand this. That's good. That's the tip. I'm always like the hands. I'm like, what do you do with your hands? Like, do you smile? Do you like cover your? I'm always like playing like honestly, peekaboo or something because I'm like, Yeah, like I look kind of crazy when I was showing you my hand. And then half the time my nails are like not done. So I'm always like, I'm sorry guys, I'm trying, I'm doing my best to get these slates out in my hands.

Slating Tips That Actually Help

SPEAKER_01 6:04

So mine is I'll groom in my then like two or three straight, or you know, the beard, or I forget to shave the top. So the lighting behind me, and it's just like a tiny centimeter of hair, it's hi. My name is Brian, and I'd like to act. And I don't know what to do with my hands. Right, I'm that's a movie, right?

SPEAKER_03 6:23

Yeah. And then they do the full bodies. And I'm telling you, the full body is like, don't don't do, you know, don't pan the camera up, but just like do that. And I'm always like, you turn, you smile, you turn, you do like it's just I mean, the casting don't you're gonna watch this now and be like, never again, Grace can never have a he doesn't want to sleep.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

But you know, I don't usually do the I don't usually do the side unless they ask. Maybe I need to, but I'm trying to hide things. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

But it's I guess I've never actually sent you when we've traded stuff, Brian, my my slates. I figure you know who I am. I normally so for the full body in Hunter McHugh started it for me because he'll say that you need to do a separate because I've always used my phone for mine. Yeah. So it's uh a repositioning the tripod and putting it a certain way, and then the lighting is different. And so I'll for the for that part of it, I'll turn the phone upright and then just tack it on to the end. And I always I'll step out and I'll show uh because I've got tattoos on my my whole arm, so I'll just kind of show that slow so they can see that there's nothing obnoxious on it and the turn. You like look at these guns and tattoos. Yeah, look at them.

SPEAKER_01 7:36

Look at the ink. Yeah, hire me for this. I do the still photo. I don't do a lot of things usually, just because of limited space. So there's always the the clicker in my hand, and then I'm like, Yeah, am I pumping up too much? It's hard for sleep.

SPEAKER_03 7:50

I love that we're like focused on slates. I'm gonna tell you the best slate I've ever done. Okay. The best one. And it's a shout-out to my boy Eric Hanson. Do y'all know him? He's awesome. He's great too.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

I know the name, yeah. I don't think I've done it. I don't.

SPEAKER_03 8:00

Okay, he's awesome. When you get a chance to work with him, he's wonderful. He um, we were doing like this audition. He was like my, you know, our act active boyfriend at the time, and in that audition. And we did the audition, we did the slate and everything, and he like and it's a new thing people are doing. I mean, I we can do it. Y'all can do it. You're tech technologically smart. I don't know the right words for that, but he now cuts it in half. Like you've seen it where they cut it in half. It's like you're staying there doing your slate, your full body, and the other parts of the screen is doing this. Have y'all seen those? Um like a collage. Like a collage. That's the word, like a collage. But yeah, and I was like, and that's the best one I've ever done. I'm like, that's literally, I wish I could just like just put different outfits on me and just do this the whole time. Like, because it was a wonderful one. Like, I don't know how he did that. I need to like look into that. It's probably super easy. But he was just we can talk.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

I can help. I do that for my posts all the time.

SPEAKER_03 8:48

You should do that too for your audition.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

It was still or moving. I'm I'm trying to wrap my head around it.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Video and in the same collage, the full body still.

SPEAKER_03 8:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Right next to the actual while the slate is going on.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

So it's not at the end, it's the whole time. It's a pretty slate.

SPEAKER_03 9:04

You know, it's not just a like a pan, you know, and it goes dark and then hands. It's like a really pretty one. So that should be a tip for all of us for acting and auditions, I think.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

We should do slates like that. I'm hesitant to change over. It's probably good, but I it doesn't say it on the instructions.

SPEAKER_03 9:18

I know, I know. You're like, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I just, you know what, just do it.

SPEAKER_00 9:21

Just do it. Just you know, you see this the auditions that you know the one percenter celebs do, and they take all kinds of risks. They do all kinds of stuff. There's a video game that I play, and I came across the audition that the there at the beginning of it, there's a cutscene, and an actor is is reacting to his planet getting attacked. And I saw it was the actual the game studio did the video and they showed his self-tape, and then he walked through all the motion capture stuff with the dots and all the stuff that they were doing. And he it started out, it he didn't start out here and here like we're taught. He started out kind of wide and stepped into the shot. And I I saw the one that the guy did that played the Joker in the latest Batman movie, and he had the camera following him down the hallway and doing stuff with Kane. Yeah, that's I would never get away with doing stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

Well, I mean, the the this is how I think about because sometimes, like, I mean, they're obviously at a different level, and we we pray to be there. We will we will be there.

unknown 10:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

We will be there.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

Offer only.

Taking Smart Risks In Auditions

SPEAKER_03 10:28

Yes, we will be. Offer offer only, right? Um, but no, I you know, I feel like it's like do you get to that level and then you can just boom, do those risks, do those risks because you're at that level that you can do those risks and that you're getting those auditions, or do we just take risks now and either get X or they're like, that's interesting. I'm always kind of like, I kind of do this when I audition, and um I kind of just like I do one take of what they ask, literally what they ask. Um, and then I just do what I want. And I mean, that could like hurt me, but I mean, sometimes I've gotten the things when the the director's been like, I love the way you did that. Like they're like, you did completely opposite, and that was a good idea. And I think that's probably with all actors, they say that. But I think the ones I've like worked with, I've worked with a ton of it. I'm not gonna name jack unless you'll want me to name drop. But I've worked with some guys that are um, you know, pretty, pretty brilliant and they are celebrities and they are and they just don't care. They say they all have the mantra of like, I don't care. I'm doing, I'm creating, I'm doing what I want to do. I mean, they'll take it to the fact if they care, you know, of what the direct uh they take the directions and they just kind of they they like I guess they use that direction, they just but they like do it like they don't they just don't care. They they don't care, but they do care, but they don't care.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

And I'm gonna substitute the word care for worry. They don't worry.

SPEAKER_03 11:44

They don't worry. That's right. They don't worry, yeah. That I mean, yeah, that's but I've I've had people be like, I just they're like, I just don't care. I don't I don't care, I'm gonna do what I want to do. And I'm like, and then they like an hour celebrities, like in a new Hulu show.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

And I'm just like that's what it takes. But we really, you know, if if we want the job, we're not we're not being the character. Right. And we know that and we know we have to think about the moment before and we gotta envision things because we're just in a plain room.

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

But you forget when you're doing it.

SPEAKER_02 12:12

Yeah, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

And they encourage you to they're sorry, they encourage you to make it your own. I I haven't done a lot of in-person auditions, initial auditions, just a handful. Yeah. Most of my in-person stuff has been from callbacks. But in all of them, they'll tell you, make all right, now give me one, make it your own.

SPEAKER_03 12:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

You know, and they don't care so much about the lines, they don't care so much about what you do, just make it your own. And for me, in person is less pressure. I worry more. I I don't know if I worry, but I think more about what they think in a self-tape. Am I am I hitting the points that they want? Yeah. Are they gonna shut it off after five seconds because I didn't do something they want? And you try to keep all the stuff that different coaches and people from workshops tell you over the years, but at the end of the day, you have to make it your own. If everybody did it the same way, it's gonna be boring for them. And it's kind of hard to stand out from the pack, I think, when you do it like that.

SPEAKER_03 13:18

I was um I did twisted. Oh, go ahead. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

I was just gonna say, and I haven't I haven't really had in person. My era has been all self-tapes, maybe one in person. That was just an interview. So, but live in the room is like being on stage. Ooh, live in the room is you'd see their reaction if they're like just reading. Well, okay, you did fine. You know that they're not interesting.

SPEAKER_03 13:40

But if they're like, I'm in the in the era of let me tell you, black and white headshots. I don't know if y'all remember those, but like that was I'm like aging myself big time, like aging myself. Like black and white headshots, you have to have your like everything stapled, stapled to the back of your headshot, right? And then like your your resume, and then the the one inch or half inch like border. I don't do y'all know what I'm talking about. I do kind of okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

I do from watching TV and movies, not from my own personal experience.

Self-Tape Versus In-Person Pressure

SPEAKER_03 14:06

From back from the 40s, right? Like back in the day. Yeah, yes, that's like I'm from that error. Um anyways, and I would do in-person auditions, and it would be like some of them would be absolutely great, but then some of them, I mean, just you could just feel the energy like off of the casting direct, like you're saying that they're interested, but then some of them are just like, even if they're interested, they just have that face. But in a sense, they want you to succeed. That's what I've like learned with casting actors over the years. Like, um, I mean, I I don't want to like name some of the ones, but like some of them are very intimidated, but then they're just like that's just how they look. They're just face looks intimidated.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Yeah, and how would we feel after seeing 200 people and then at three o'clock we would walk in like yeah, they might love you, but they're like, I just yeah, I really got the removal to get the movie done.

SPEAKER_03 15:00

Yeah, I like the um I love the I kinda I'm like the I like the taped auditions. And then when I get a call back, then I'm like, let's do in person, because then I can really show you what I can do and show you my personality. Because at first I feel like when you first meet me, especially in like that kind of sense, I'm a little nervous, so I'm kind of like I'm a little shy in a sense. And then but if I can tape a few, I gotta get a few under my belt, and then I'm like, let's go, let's do this.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

So if I get the option I try to do in person, I don't know. I for for what you just said about the personality part, I feel like if I can get in front of them they can see you and show my personality a little bit. Yeah. I I at least I feel better about it walking away. I I did one the other day and I felt pretty good about it. It it's kind of hard to come through on tape sometimes because there's not there's not the interaction in between the takes that's going on. There's just the just the scenes because you end up cutting it together or separate however they ask for it, and you don't really accept for the slate. You don't really get to show much else of yourself. And I think it's good for them to see your personality and see that you're not going to be a problem child on set that you can get along, you know.

SPEAKER_03 16:19

Yes, for 12 hours. There's so many times on set I've worked behind the camera that they, you know, that that's that's an okay actor that's you know they hired, and then they're like, it's an absolutely miserable person, m miserable person, and they're just like, I they taped an audition, we got it, and now this is what we have. And I'm like, this is what we have now for 12 hours, a hundred dollars a week. So it is I yeah, it is with the the personality. That's a huge thing with them with I think filming and this this whole industry, really. I mean, even crew wise, you have to have that good personality because we're gonna spend a hundred hours a day. You know, we're gonna we're gonna see you more than we see our family or anyone else in the world.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

Yeah. Let's explore your crew work. Yeah. Tell us some of the different jobs you've had and things like that.

SPEAKER_03 17:00

Yeah. Um, so let me tell you one of my first, I'll tell you one of my first and favorite shows I've ever worked on in my whole entire life to this day. And I wouldn't even act in it. I was so green. I was so green. So when I was younger, I did a lot of acting. Okay. I did like commercials like sprint commercials and just things like that. Then I stopped for a while, took a break, and I got back into it, right? I did my first crew job because I would see the PAs once I'd be like, I can do this thing, I can do that, I can do that. Um, I did do that, but um but uh so, anyways, my first job was called Baytown Disco. Okay. Um, have you ever heard of it? No, okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

I don't think so. It's actually Baytown Disco.

SPEAKER_03 17:33

Baytown Disco. It's a great one. Um, it is a shoot 'em up, like just fun hot guys, hot girls. I mean, from day one, we were all a family. And this is, I mean, this is my first introduction to real crew work. And I was a um a talent, uh, what was I like a talent driver assistant, kind of. Like I was just driving the actors around. Like, I had no idea. Like, you know, I had to have a walking. I would be afraid to talk on the walking. I'd be like, hello. And they were like, Grace, go to two. And I'm like, okay, like, you know, there's that lingo. Um, let's see who was in it. It was Trav. So it's it's called Baytown Outlaws now. So you'll have to watch it.

SPEAKER_00 18:10

It's a shout-out to all the shout-out to my is that a skate uh about skateboarding?

SPEAKER_03 18:15

No, it is not. It is about um redneck guys and pirates and Dilobat Thornton and shooting up and all, I mean, just just Michael Rappapart rappaport. I mean, all kinds of people. It's a good one. So it's still if you ask anyone from that crew to this day, even the actors to this day, they will say that is their favorite show. Um, so I was the talent talent driver or whatever, and um I've I've since then worked as an assistant director. I've I've done, I've produced some things, I've directed some music videos, I've but that specific one was awesome. Um, and they we played a lot of pranks on that show. Um, it was with, let's say, Travis Fimmel from um Vikings. He's amazing. Love him so much. To this day, to interviews today, like you'll see his interviews and he'll he'll be like that red, you know, that redneck mite, like you know, his accent or whatever. Um, but he says that's his favorite film to this day. Um, but Billy Bob Thornton was in it, uh Klain Crawford was in it, um the directory, and I mean, just like it was just so much fun. There's so much love. So that one I was the talent um driver on that one, and I like wrecked the car and I like got the key stuck in the car. It was just a bunch, it was amazing though. It was a big family of, you know, we were all a huge family in that one. So that was one of my favorite ones. And I've also worked with Anthony Hopkins' crew and um Sir Anthony Hopkins, aka Tony. He I worked with him about probably four times, and he knew me. Like, he knew me on the second film. I was like, and he was like, hi Grace.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

And I'm like, I've made it.

SPEAKER_03 19:48

He knows me. Like, he's like, he's like, you're the boss. And I was like, I'm I'm the I am the I'm the boss. I'm the boss. Hello, Grace.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Has the car stopped spinning from your accident? Hello, Grace.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

I had him do that actually, guys. It was quite amazing. He's he's brilliant. Um, yeah, I've I mean I've worked with Al Pacino a little bit. He's um yeah, he's a little flirt. Literally little little flirt. Um, I feel like I'm literally name-dropping, guys, so I'm I don't mean to, but we don't mind.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

Okay, it's okay. Yeah, I don't want to be Billy Slaughter was yeah, his uh stand-in, permanent stand-in for a while.

SPEAKER_03 20:31

Yeah. Wait, for who?

SPEAKER_01 20:33

No, not not Al Pacino. Oh, oh, Dustin Hoffman. I got my small Italians.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Only Dustin Hoffman, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

At one point I was on the show and they can correct me.

SPEAKER_03 20:43

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 20:44

I was uh I was Kathorn's stand-in and then her body double for a while, like on one show um with uh Mark Wahlberg's team and um I think it was called Broken Broken City. Broken City. That was a good one. So I've done a lot of crew, I mean, gosh, I've traveled and didn't crew up in like Indiana and like this with little Disney codes and um and LA, just kind of all over. I've worked with James Spring. Just I could the stories I could tell, like I said earlier, is it's uh TMZ would call me and I would probably make a million billion zillion dollars, but you know, the stories you could tell, but don't want to say on air, so we're gonna talk after.

How Acting Started For Grace

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Not live. Maybe one day we'll we'll we'll pry that out of you. Yes. So let's jump back to where it all began. What was your I always say, what was the point that inspired you to become, but how did you get into this acting?

SPEAKER_03 21:39

So when I was little, my mom said literally it like when I could start talking, I would look at and like stay like point at the TV and says, I want to do that. Like I want to be on TV, I want to be in movies, like just like literally. And then I start I'm saying literally literally like like Kardashian, so sorry, I don't mean it.

SPEAKER_01 21:54

Uh it's all right. It's literally okay.

SPEAKER_03 21:56

It's literally okay. Um also I I um started doing church plays and I uh really loved that and just love performing and did theater plays and just kind of loved that. And at I guess at like, I don't know, maybe like 10 or 11, I'm like, I wanna like do, I wanna do this. And my mom's like, I don't know how to do this because like we're in Slidell, Louisiana. We're in covet, you know, like we don't know how do we do this? And that was when it just started opening back into um, you know, the the doors started opening for film in New Orleans and um they were doing uh more commercials, more um, I mean, the the movies that had started there. I feel like I'm aging myself like I'm like 70 years old the way I'm talking, but I mean I'm kind of 70, pretty much the way I'm talking.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

I didn't want to say, but that's post-Katrina, that era.

SPEAKER_03 22:45

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:46

Like a long time, yeah. And um, yeah, everybody's gonna be like, is she like 70? Maybe 70. I feel 70.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

You look good for your age, doll.

SPEAKER_03 22:54

Thanks. I've got my urinades in right now, guys. My teeth. Um, but I I think it just always has has been in me to want to I've I've you know, I've always performed with violin as well. So it's like I've I've performed in orchestras and I've always been on the creative side. My mom could pick up any instrument, my she's an artist as well. So I think it just comes kind of in in me to to want to do this. And then um, you know, I started doing acting, or I'm sorry, behind the scenes, and I would get really close, like with Brian Cranston, and I would speak with him on things and like about acting and um and just kind of I went back into it because it's been my passion, my it's in my soul. It's like I feel when I'm on set, I feel like it's home away from home. Like it's home away from it's like home is home, right? You know, home. But like I'm on set, I'm home. It's like a family. It's like you get to create, create, like, you just get to be with all these people that are so creative and and create this world. So I think that's kind of the I don't know. I it started off when my my story is it started off when I was little. I literally looked at the television, I was like, I want to do that. I want to act, I want to be in TV shows, I want to move, I want to be in movies, and and that's where it started. Talk to my mom about that one.

Post-Set Crash And Finding Your Tribe

SPEAKER_01 24:04

Yeah, and I I totally understand what you mean on set, and it's so hard to describe. It's not that you don't love your home life, it's it's a different connection. And like, you know, I had to mention it this year, but Bill and Ted face the music. Yeah, I was there for like a week. Uh TJ's always teasing me about that because I love talking about that. I was deafs, photo double. It's cool. So cool. Thank you. But I love that you're talking about name dropping. I just one name dropped. Bill sadly. So, but just to be in that, because it's it's such a fantasy, and everybody's working together, and you're working so hard and it's long hours, that when it stops and that unplugs, it's a shock to your system.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

It is.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

You don't get sad, but you're like, oh depressed.

SPEAKER_03 24:47

You get a yeah, you get a you need a couple days. You do. It's it's almost it is. It's like a we're all like you said, we're all it's a machine. We're all working, and and the actors, from the actors to the crew to the security guards, like everyone is working to this one thing, and then you get one, you're exhausted. Two, you're I feel like it's like a depression, like a little like you know, like those people I just bonded with over this this script, whether good or bad, you know, like they're all good, right? But um, you know, you it is there is that depression there that sets in, and then you know, you move on to the next one and hope you get that one, right? As audition actors, and yeah, you go from there.

SPEAKER_01 25:24

And you were talking about Brian Cranston, the show where he was the judge. Um, Your Honor. Your Honor. Thank you, TG. Did you work on that one?

SPEAKER_03 25:32

I did not. I don't even know if I had an audition for that one. I feel like I did have an audition for that one. I apparently didn't get it, but I did. I worked on um, what was the name of it? Um goodness, it's on the tip of my tongue. Oh my gosh, what is it? I don't know, but I did I'm like, I don't know. There's they kind of like blend, they kind of blend in. I'm so sorry. I did, I didn't, your honor was amazing, man. How many local talented uh actors that we had in that one was like like just what was just go.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

I love it. Before we started, before we started, we were kind of wondering, did we work together? Do we just know each other on social media? And when you said Cranston, I was like, oh, I did one day on your honorist background. Were you there?

SPEAKER_03 26:10

Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

No.

SPEAKER_03 26:12

No, I wasn't, sadly.

SPEAKER_01 26:13

No, I we're just fam, we're just fam and just social media connected us, and that's it.

SPEAKER_03 26:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No. I mean, you know, it's like you like I I'm sure in in this in this world I've met you probably. I'm sure like we've at and at something we've met. It's like when I lived in Los Angeles, I was um, I was actually PA on a show. I walked and was like, I need to work, and then I somehow got the job and to work on a show. And the camera guy was a former camera guy that I act in a movie with, and he was like, and I'm like, I didn't know you were gonna be here. It was so cool because like this this world is so small in this and and Hollywood has per se. It's like you know, like we've met, I'm sure we've met, and you know, you kind of we know each other. It's just like high school, you just know each other.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Yeah. I still haven't met TJ in person. Yeah. One day.

SPEAKER_03 27:00

Wait, are y'all no?

SPEAKER_01 27:01

I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_03 27:02

No, I'm kidding. Like, wait, what?

SPEAKER_01 27:04

How I I I tend to do that. I I think it's obvious. 2019, because I go to Comic Cons a lot, I was Captain Crescent City.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:12

And it's it's like a black and gold Captain America.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 27:15

And then they had the pep rallies, and then I got interviewed a few times and people asked and take a picture of me. It was really fun. It was way before I started acting. And then uh somebody goes to interview him. I said, Yeah, I just knew this to get over my shyness because I think it's so obvious. And they go, Really?

unknown 27:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:31

No. So so I'm I'm sorry to to trip you up on that.

SPEAKER_03 27:36

Maybe, maybe people are just gullible. I'm a little gullible.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

I'm a little gullible when it comes to things. Well, I'm sure there are people are. You know James O. Jones, not only did he have a stutter, but when he wasn't acting, like he'd be on the talk shows and he struggled with that. I'm sure other actors too. You know, maybe they talk about De Niro that he's a little bit less vocal.

unknown 27:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

Not coming up with good words when he's being interviewed as opposed to his acting. But yada, yada yada.

unknown 28:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:03

No, I think yeah, I think so. I think that also can come with um for me, I can I can say that with like in-person auditions like I was saying earlier, like how um you know, you you have this craft that you've been working on, and then you go to the audition, you're just like, This is what I have. And you're you you kind of like to I guess it's shy or maybe just I don't know, just kind of um nerves. Probably nerves, yeah, nerves. And then and then that's why I'm that's when I'm like when the callback hits, I'm like, let's go, let's roll, because I'm here. I'm ri I'm here for it. But I'm I think with taping, it helps me with auditions because that first tape I can do a couple times and I'm like, I'm ready.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

Audition is knocking on the outside door, callback is like we're let's go, let's go to set.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Like, I'm ready to put your m put my mic on, please.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

So with your experience working behind the camera and on the camera for a while now, what's your take on what's going on in the industry with it slowing down? Do you see it picking back up around here? It seems like a lot of stuff has moved to Atlanta and even foreign Canada and Europe.

Industry Slowdown And Where Work Moved

SPEAKER_03 29:10

I a lot of stuff has moved um foreign, but I I feel like with my ta I mean, my gosh, so many people, so many creatives are having to find jobs outside of the industry, which is heartbreaking because you know, like people that have been, for instance, um, an art director I know, right? Um he's still doing some things, but he would be constantly going, going now he's trying to have to do other things, like, I mean, having to like figure out some kind of business to do on the side. Or I I feel like it will come back. I've I mean, I know, you know, I've heard, I think I said about six shows coming, possibly to New Orleans. Um, I know Texas is opening up and it's huge, like with Taylor Sheridan stuff is huge. Um, but yeah, I just I I do pray it comes back. I'm not sure if it's gonna be as booming as it was, you know, when when I was, you know, a youngster. But I mean, I feel like, you know, I I hope I I do hope it comes back because we we have to do something. We have to create, we have to, you know, we have to make movie magic. And what better place is New Orleans, Louisiana, or you know, just in Louisiana in general to do that. Because we've had it so long. So many people. It's just like um at what Samuel Jackson's um and Nola King, right? He's he's the guy. I worked with him years ago. I remember him, he loves New Orleans. He I mean he'll talk about this. He loves New Orleans, so it's like shoot it here, let's shoot here. Because the people, the actors, they love it in Louisiana. So, but yeah, I've heard, I mean, there's work, there's work everywhere, and people do travel. It's like we're kind of the circus in a sense of that you you follow the work and people follow the work, you know, you go where the work goes.

SPEAKER_00 30:47

I don't know if it still is.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

And I mean, for I as actors with the taping, I and that's one good thing about the taping is because we can audition from your house and you know, wherever and then go fly somewhere to shoot the, you know, as long as their work is local right now, right? You have to like work as a local. But but hopefully that will change and we can actually have the talent and go.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

Are you sag?

SPEAKER_03 31:09

I'm sag eligible. You know, I I haven't joined SAG because I still do, I don't have enough of the SAG jobs to do SAC. So I still do non-union stuff. And I like it. I dig it actually. I love the the non like the non-union independent stuff. I I did a really awesome role um that I was this, I was like this like sweet girl. And it was a it was called um I'm really bad at names lately. Not Bruiser, but Bruiser. I am bad. It was just really the kind of all go. But anyways, I had this role that was like the sweet girl, and then um in my bat and I like my purse, and all of a sudden I come out and I'm just like blazing guns. And and that was a non-union role. It was awesome, you know. Like I I got paid well, but uh it was it was awesome. And then I wound up like getting murdered and stepped on and stuff and had blood and and glass and stuff. It was awesome.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

Nice.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

I love the non-union stuff, but I haven't joined I haven't joined SAG.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

If it if it was here, like New York or LA, where everything, including background, is SAG, it would make sense to jump in once you're eligible. Yes. That's that's my next step is I'm I'm trying and I just want to be eligible to put it on the top of my resume and say, Eligible. Let's go.

unknown 32:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:24

You will. You will be. No won't be. This is the year, 2026. This is the year.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

I I have something very cool coming out. And TJ knows what it's about what it's about. And I can't say yet, of course, but it's the script was good, the people I were working with good, the cinematography. I've seen some of the stuff in camera, maybe some of the shots after before it's been fully processed. And I'm so excited about it that I could see it taking off. You know, I will say it's like a horror, and horror can take off real faster than it's like. But I don't want to say it out loud.

SPEAKER_03 33:00

I don't want to jinx. No, don't, yeah, don't jinx it, don't jinx it. Don't do that. That's like a, you know, just zip mm-mm break.

SPEAKER_01 33:06

Yeah. That's the hard part for me.

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Yeah. But I want to know now. Like those but you're hoping it's talk.

unknown 33:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

We'll share stories uh off, you know. And we've talked about it a little bit here. People might be able to figure out that's all I'm gonna say, but ooh, it's gonna be a good time.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

Yeah, it might flip over it. Hopefully it'll flip and you become sag eligible. That would be that would be awesome. Yeah. No, I don't, I don't right now, I don't have I've just been auditioning. I um I haven't had much not anything in the works right now. Hopefully, if someone's watching this, you know, you'll hire me and I can you know eat next week, but you know, not in the I've just been auditioning. That's that's what I've been auditioning with. And and um not just love not just like local casting directors all from all over actually. So it's which is a plus because you know they're actually actually seeing, you know, seeing and wanting to actually see me.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

Do you have one agent or multiple agents in the different territories?

SPEAKER_03 33:57

I have my um action talent agent. I have my my girl, my home girl. She's like the queen, I think. She's she's she's top. She's top. So I've had multiple agents before, but um my my home my home girl's the one I have.

SPEAKER_01 34:11

Right, right. I like Jim Gleason. He has his LA agent and his Southeast agent. You know, yeah.

Agents Self-Submits And Getting Paid

SPEAKER_03 34:17

I did have an um LA commercial agent for a while. And I got some work from her, but I mean, really, um I think that I also I let me tell you this, I also look for myself too. I don't know if y'all do that. I self-submit and I also if I find something, so I found this um this movie called Clocks years ago. We shot it. It was like during COVID, we shot it, I think, or right after COVID, like right when it was like kind of getting over and people were kind of opening doors again. Um, I found this audition. I it was a really amazing role. It was so good, it was so cool. Uh it was like I was like demon um possessed, and I like was crying over this this thing with a baby, and then um I hung it like hung me, and I was like, it was like a stunt included, like being hung and all this stuff. Uh it was like the open instinct, it was like bam, right off the door, and I was like, that's a that's an awesome role. It was very emotional, it showed a lot of range. It showed a lot of range of a lot of crying, and I and I really love I love that part of of acting. I love the drama, like getting into the nitty nitty gritty of it. Um, but I self-submitted and I wound up booking it. I well, I self-submitted, I texted my um agent's agent, and she like jumped on a board once I got like once I was like in it, like with the cast and director. And yeah, it was uh it was cool. But I do I did definitely do both. I hustle and I I'm like, if I really like something, I'm like, hey, I need I need you help. But sometimes if it's like a not a you know high paying something, I'll I'll just self-submit and hopefully I get it and do get some, you know, get something on my resume.

SPEAKER_01 35:46

When you self-submit and book, do you still give your agent their percentage?

SPEAKER_03 35:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

I had that feeling about you as a person, but I also was like, maybe I should have asked this when we weren't live.

SPEAKER_03 35:55

Yeah, no, I do. I do. Even if it's I mean, sometimes she'll be like, no, it's okay. But like most of the time I do, I send it over because it's like she works hard for me. And I am like, she's like a ma like a mama to me, and she's she's in my corner and I trust her. And that's you know, that's hard to find in this industry. So I absolutely give her what even if she had nothing to do with it, I absolutely give her a lot of things.

SPEAKER_01 36:15

And then it's you know, like you said, you reach out and say, I booked this on my own, it's an indie, I'm doing this small part here, this is what I'm making. And boom, how much I say, how much do you want? Because I I f I get lost in the percentages. And sometimes I don't need that. And then, oh, it'll be this much. Okay. Yeah. So it's the there not that there's a a thought, but before coming into this biz, and certain younger actors or new to the biz actors, like, why would I give my agent money? They didn't do it.

SPEAKER_03 36:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:43

Because they're your agent.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

Because they're in your corner. They're gonna protect you. They're like, they're they're your like, you know, man, you you're fighting, but they're like, let's you can do this, you can do this, you know.

SPEAKER_01 36:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:54

If they're the type you weren't give the money to when they don't book you, go look for a new agent.

SPEAKER_03 37:00

Yeah. Let me tell you, I had I'm not gonna name any names of this one, but this is a really popular one. Y'all may could figure it out if you if you really dig hard enough in it. But I had an agency when I was really little, little, little, right? When it was black and white pictures, did work for, was like almost joining SAG. Okay. And I was really busy. And somehow I took a break and I came back. And this is before Angie. So I came back and I was like, and I'm not gonna talk bad about her, I'm just gonna tell the story, and then y'all can make a decision of what what how it how it was. Um, I came back and she um she like fussed me. She was like, You could have been famous, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I'm sorry. I just that wasn't my I just did something different. I'm sorry, it's just not my path right there. And and yes, I wish I would have stayed with it for a while. Then I, you know, whatever. So I'm like, I'm here now. So I started auditioning and I booked um a commercial and it was a SAG commercial, got a good check, and I never got the check. And I was like, Well, that's you know, that's kind of weird. And and then I like reached out and I didn't hear her back. And I was like, Well, let me just reach, you know, things, people are busy, whatever. So I reached out again and they pretty much she kind of like attacked, no, no, no, reached out again. I had to call SAG because I was like, I don't know where this check is. Like, and they're like, Well, we said you're okay. So then I reached out to her and then they kind of like attacked me of saying that I didn't I didn't give them percentage. It was like kind of like call me a liar. And I'm like, you've known me since I was like nine, like eight or nine years old. Like, you know, I'm not that you know my family. Like, so um that's why I'm like, when you have someone good in your corner, keep them, do give them what they deserve. That's so yeah. So I broke ties with that that agents. And uh they're good agents, though. Like, I mean, just it just when I got older, it just wasn't a good one for me. So I have friends that have them. Y'all may have them, who knows? But uh just not for not for me.

SPEAKER_01 38:48

That's overt keep your money. And uh uh an agent two years ago now got arrested for doing that, went to jail because he wasn't sharing the money. I don't remember all the details, don't quote me on anything.

SPEAKER_03 39:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:01

Um, but it could also just be a personality thing.

SPEAKER_03 39:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

You know, and maybe a miscommunication. And then you go, Well, it's time, and I'm not looking. Don't worry, Suzanne. Yeah. But you may say, Oh, you know, I want to see what another person can do. But that's yeah, you just talk with your agent, you communicate, but yeah, when I've heard some evil type stuff of especially with the money, and it's yeah. I'll leave it at that because I have not experienced that personally.

SPEAKER_03 39:29

It was sad. It was a sad super sad thing because I like known that person so since I was like nine, you know. It was I was a little girl, like she knew my family, and it was just kind of like uh, but it's okay, like no hard feelings. You know, I found my girl, my and I love her to death, and that's why I like especially try to, you know, I try to do right by her, you know, as much as I can do right by her.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

So Yeah, I feel like things work for work out for a reason. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:54

Speaking of working out, we've worked out our whole conversation, I think, and I think it's time to go. Oh no.

SPEAKER_03 40:05

This has been so fun. Let me name drop some more, right?

SPEAKER_01 40:07

No, no, part two, come back in a few months.

SPEAKER_00 40:13

So maybe after Todd drops, we'll get we'll get some of the castle.

SPEAKER_03 40:16

Oh my gosh, that would be so fun. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 40:20

It'd be nice. We are starting to learn to have more than one guest. That would be fun to do that with a cast.

SPEAKER_03 40:26

Oh, yeah. Can you so you can actually have more people on here?

SPEAKER_00 40:29

Yeah, and we can do multiple. It gets a little chaotic, but we've gotten a little better about it. Probably not for a live, probably for a a recorded one. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:39

The the interviewer has to kind of direct the questions more. Yeah. Yeah. And and then it would be up upon us to balance it and make sure people aren't being left out.

unknown 40:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:49

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:50

And people talking over people and things like that. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:53

Well, I appreciate this NOLA film scene, guys. This is awesome. I know y'all had to like twist my arm a bunch of times, even made me come here when I couldn't talk even, but now I'm finally here.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

So You got sick. This is the time you were supposed to be here. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:07

I love it, Gabby. Thank y'all so much. I hope I hope I hope I wasn't as well.

SPEAKER_01 41:11

You were very entertaining and we love name dropping. Yeah. In the sense of the story. I wasn't really. That's just my stories.

SPEAKER_02 41:18

That's my story, y'all.

SPEAKER_00 41:19

That's that's why we're here. We love hearing people's stories, and I mean, stories are meant to be told, right? Yep. Yeah. That's what we're doing. And we're storytellers.

SPEAKER_03 41:28

And let me tell you, I met some of let me just real quick, I've met some like of my best friends working in this industry. Like, yeah, just from I mean, really just people that just get it, how my brain works, they just get it. You we just all kind of get it, you know, and like y'all get it. And and I think that's I think that's really cool how how we've all become a family and through this wild, sad, crazy, amazing, terrifying industry.

SPEAKER_01 41:56

You find your tribe. Yeah. I say that about the Comic Con people. There's people in New Orleans I can make a joke with some, but they don't get my geek stuff. When I go to a Comic Con, I can mix the two and no effort, and people on they may not laugh, but they understand the reference. Yeah, they get the reference.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 42:15

Crazy could you share your socials with us.

SPEAKER_03 42:19

Yes, yes. So my Instagram is the Grace LaRaka. And I'm Facebook's like just my name, Grace. Oh, it might be Grace Hickson. It's Grace Hickson on Facebook. But you can also look me up on a Grace LaRaca. And then my TikTok, I'm not really great at the TikTok. It's Grace with the Face. And that was because a camera guy, like, I don't know, he'd like named me Rome. I don't know if you all know Rome Enterprise. He named me Grace with the Face. So it's Grace with the Face on TikTok. And it's I'm I'm kind of I'm not really funny, but I try.

SPEAKER_01 42:47

I try to be funny on I think we need to expand the TikTok to expand our base to get people back to the show. It's just yeah, we're older than you and we're hesitant, you know. Go to TikTok.

Socials Final Thoughts And Goodbye

SPEAKER_03 42:59

Too. Yeah. I mean, I don't have many followers, but I have some. So on TikTok. On Snapchat, I have like a freaking ton, which is I don't even know how I have that many. And I'm like, I'm I don't even I've like like I I guess it's like twenty thousand or something on Snapchat. I don't do I used to just tell stories. Yeah, I know. I I used to just tell like crazy stories kind of like now and diff with different faces and I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 43:25

I've never I've never used it. I thought I just thought it was like WhatsApp, like a communication tool. I've never used it.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

I just thought I used it for the I used it for the filters to make a lion face or you know, yeah, well that's post that.

SPEAKER_03 43:38

Yeah, well I would do that, but I would tell stories of like right just crazy stuff that's happened in my my life and but I don't ever do it anymore, so maybe I should should get back on it.

SPEAKER_01 43:49

That's what you have to do to keep your presence known so the industry goes, I want that person. See? Yes, we've helped each other out.

unknown 43:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 43:57

We need to see we need to all come together. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

For sure. Excellent. Well, Grace, it's been great talking to you. Folks, we loved having you. And we will see you next time. Thanks.

SPEAKER_03 44:07

Thank you all so much. See y'all next time.