Day 1. The Epic voyage and not so much plane journey.

The hunt for recognition, the American dream and full time employment as a credible actor.
 

Adventures of an actor....

And as the big ‘I am off to LA’ has sunk in I find myself sat on the plane opposite a blank screen (that should have been turned on 20mins ago) thinking What Am I doing?

Well firstly I could have very easily had another few hours in bed and not aimlessly stroll around duty free spraying myself with numerous perfumes, and consuming a mixture of Gin, Vodka and Baileys out of glasses the size of a thimble. A cocktail even Oliver Read would have been proud off.

Yet here I am wide eyed and bushy tailed. With business cards filling my wallet more than dollars, as many CV’s the average sized tree would shed a tear for and coloured photos at the ready. Not to mention a hard drive full of all filmed work I have ever done. I consider myself prepared. But I am out to LA to chase the dream, a dream shared by many but fulfilled by few. I suppose a congratulations is in order. ‘Well done Mark’. ‘Thanks alot’. I can proudly say that I have ‘pulled my finger out’ and made the plunge. But questions are constantly circling my head, and ‘choices’ stay at the forefront,  whether right or wrong only time will tell.

Worried about getting through customs is another. A worry I always find bothering my thoughts when entering America. Having never smuggled anything in my life I don’t know why this fear remains but you are made to feel like Pablo Escobar. A feeling that those of you who have visited the States will understand, and those who haven’t will be muttering ‘wanker’ under your breathe.

So what do I expect to get out of going to LA? Well in short, not much. Having not spent the £4,500 on a working visa and breaking the law in America isn’t something I often do. (Excluding the time I got arrested out there...another time).  Now not to sound negative but I am not naive to the understanding that I am a small fish in a big pond. Although I couldn’t disagree a talented fish at that. It was a question I was asked many times before leaving- ‘what do you plan to do?’ quite frankly, as much as I possibly can. But I’ve found it easier to make a list, so here it is;

                                  

Sure, the last two could be argued aren’t work related, but I can’t work all the time. Anything else that I decide to add to the list I’ll do so with a discrepancy at the bottom. For now my Grolsch has arrived, pretzels eaten and Robert Downey Jr portraying a English Gent has started.