Another sixteen hour ‘off’ day, with no end in sight. I had to be off the ship by 8am and on a shuttle to take me to the airport for my flight which didn’t leave until 2:30pm. When I checked in, the computer asked if I wanted an earlier flight, so I said yes. That one left at 11am, getting me into Charlotte by about noon. My connecting flight wasn’t until 4:50.
I tried to get on an earlier flight again, but there wasn’t one. I had most of the afternoon to kill in the Charlotte airport, which is about as fun as spending the night in a paint store. I didn’t have much choice, so I set up shop and started to whittle away at my work pile.
If you’d have asked me twenty years ago what I’d be doing twenty years from that day, I wonder what I would have answered. I know for absolute sure I wouldn’t have said doing cruise ship gigs. This is definitely a detour I didn’t expect. I’ve sure had a lot of those.
One of my many faults I freely admit to is not paying as much attention to the big scene as far as show business goes. I guess I was just never that interested. I never paid attention to the Hollywood scene or bothered to make a big picture plan, and now I’m paying for it.
A whole lot of the people from my comedy generation are now reaping their rewards for playing the game correctly, and I couldn’t be any happier for them. Billy Gardell comes to mind from the show Mike and Molly. I heard it’s been renewed and that’s fantastic news.
Billy is one of the most likeable humans I’ve ever met. He’s got a magic I can’t put into words, but at the end of the day you just have to root for the guy. He’s not fake at all, and he’s worked his ass off for years to get this shot. I hope it’s a huge hit, he sure deserves it.
I lived in L.A. in 1997, and he was there then. I remember seeing him at a sports bar on a Sunday with a bunch of comics when we were all watching football. His eyes lit up as I walked in and he came over to give me a big bear hug and asked “Are you out here now?”
At the time, I was. He said “Good. You’re smart. You’ll do well.” He already knew that he would do well. He always had a confidence without cockiness and most everyone who has met him will tell you the same thing. I was thrilled when I heard the show was picked up again, but not just for Billy. There are also some other connections who deserve it too.
Carla Filisha is a wonderfully funny comic and writer from Chicago who moved to L.A. in the 90s with her husband Paul Gilmartin. They’re both my age, and they made the right choice by doing what they did. Paul was on TBS’s ‘Dinner And A Movie’ for years and it was a big success. He and Carla are both very funny, and they took a risk and it paid off.
Mark Roberts is another talent who was driven. I think he’s one of THE most all around creative talents I’ve ever seen. He’s amazing in front of or behind the camera, and all he’s achieved has been earned. His credits are top shelf, and if I’m not mistaken he’s in charge of Mike and Molly in a position called ‘show runner’. I’m not completely certain though.
That’s where my major mistake is. I should know the hierarchy of sitcoms, even if that’s not my ultimate goal. People I know personally are attaining significant clout in the inner circle of Hollywood, and I’ve been too stupid to give them a reason to let me join them.
There’s no excuse for it whatsoever. When I did live there, my good friend Keith Leslie worked as a writer for ‘Grace Under Fire’. I went to several tapings and knew many of the other writers on the show. In fact, many of those guys were at that sports bar the Sunday I saw Billy Gardell. I fit in well with that whole scene, and I wish I’d have stayed out there.
Everyone makes choices, and when I ran out of money I chose to move back to Chicago with full intention of going back to L.A. in the future. I’d just gone through the torture of testifying against my lifelong best friend in the bank robbery trial, and I needed to regroup before venturing out anywhere. Chicago has always felt like home so I chose to go there.
I’m not saying if I’d stayed all would have been Hershey bars and Archie comics, but - I was hanging out with people who turned out to have been on a path to good things. Who says I wouldn’t and couldn’t have been part of that? Carla and Paul were always inviting me over for get togethers at their house, and there were all kinds of talented people there.
John Riggi was a brilliant standup for years, but went to Hollywood and found himself a home. He’s got so many writing and producing credits I can’t keep up with them, but I should - if for nothing else to congratulate him when I see him. I always considered these people friends first, and I guess I still do. I’m happy for them all, but that’s not enough.
Had I played the game correctly, I could be in a position to work with these people on a professional level that would be mutually beneficial. I’m not looking for a handout, but if I’d learned the ropes out there I could have been writing or producing or maybe even had a role or two by now on some shows. Billy Gardell put himself in a position for success.
I was farting around doing radio and dodging bank robbery charges, but that’s still not a good enough excuse. I should have stayed out there, but at the time it wasn’t a convenient option. Plus, I guess I wasn’t really that interested in the whole Hollywood game. I really enjoy standup comedy. It’s my first love and always has been. Acting never thrilled me.
As I get older, the creative process is what drives me. Now, being a writer or producing a show sounds like a blast but I think I blew my chance. I’m not going to call my friends in Hollywood and ask them to give me a job. They probably get that every day, and that’s just not something I’ve ever been comfortable with. I got myself here, I’ll get myself out. I sure never thought I’d be doing cruise ships though. The best thing to do is just enjoy it.
My life has never been like the rest of my friends, no matter when that’s been. There’s been everyone else, and then there’s me. I’m used to it, so I won’t complain. I’m so happy for people like Billy Gardell, Carla Filisha, Paul Gilmartin, Mark Roberts, John Riggi and so many more. They’ve had their ups and downs too, but they hung in there and now they are getting what they deserve. I hope I get some kind of a payback for my hard work too.
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