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Friday, June 1, 2007
Hello to all! Mike has been very busy with auditions and homework as he tries to wrap up the school year. Attending an online
correspondence school (for actors, athletes and others who have scheduling challenges due to their chosen careers) continues
to present some problems. And when most other kids are already into their summer vacations, Mike is usually still working
on his school work to make up for all the lost time at auditions and jobs during the school year. This year is no exception!
Anyway, after the pilot season (mid-January to mid-May), things have slowed down enough for him to spend more time on
his school work. However, things are just beginning to pick up around here so no rest for the wicked!!! vbg
It was a good thing for the slowdown because Mike has finally changed his hairstyle (after 3+ years!) and, in the process,
has had new photos taken for his updated headshots. We will be uploading them any day now so please be patient. In addition,
we will be revamping his website in the near future so keep checking in...
As for news, after Mike refilmed the "Buzz" pilot presentation for MTV, he has received numerous callbacks but
has not landed anything at this point. At the same time, we have scaled back his auditions so he could focus on taking the
California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) in addition to his regular class work.
As a young (< 18) actor in Hollywood, competition for roles increases as you move into your mid-teens... 15, 16 &
17. The reason is that due to California state law, production companies (regardless of where the project is filmed) MUST
provide a state-approved tutor at the production company's expense throughout the entire filming schedule for any and all
kids under the age of 18. And, as one might expect, that gets expensive!
So what production companies do for projects that have no roles younger than 15 years of age, is to cast teens older than
18 who look young enough to play the younger roles. The fact that minors are also restricted in how many hours a day they
can work also creates tactical problems for producers when they need to work the cast longer than minors are allowed.
The end result is that, as an actor grows into the age range of 15-17, they find fewer and fewer roles available that
do not advertise the infamous words, "18 to play younger," in their casting notices.
Fortunately, there is an option for kids such as Mike. And that is taking the CHSPE. Widely misunderstood, many would-be
Hollywood parents think it is the same thing as a GED. Unfortunately, it is not. It is a test of whether a student possesses
academic proficiency comparable to the minimum requirements for graduation from high school. Nothing more.
However, if the CHSPE is passed, colleges do not recognize the result for entrance requirements. The only purpose of this
test (for actors) is that it allows them to be cast in projects WITHOUT the production company being required to pay for a
tutor. In addition, passing the test also removes the labor hours restriction. The result is that kids like Mike have the
opportunity, with hard studying, to level the playing field against older kids who might otherwise be taking those younger
roles.
However, to pass the CHSPE, Mike has to pass 2 sections which include an English language arts section (2 parts, multiple
choice and writing skills) and a mathematics section. Very few kids pass the first time they take it (no earlier than the
spring of their sophomore year) because few kids have had the advanced math by the time they sign up. It is a hard test and
takes several hours to complete...
In Mike's case, he passed both parts of the English language arts section and just missed passing the math section. In
the next few weeks, he will be taking the math section over again. He does not need to retake the sections he already passed.
Mike's agent and manager have assured us Mike's career will begin to accelerate once he passes the CHSPE and is able to
compete with older kids not only for roles around his age but, since Mike is getting taller and filling out with a wonderfully
deepening voice, he could be going for roles in the 18-19 year old range. I guess we will see!
In any case, Mike is busy trying to study for school as well as this upcoming test. And while many who do not fully understand
the life of a young actor may think they lead lives of leisure and ease, think again! Some things couldn't be further from
the truth!
Thanks for your patience and keep checking back for the new headshot photos. Mike looks really great!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Just a note to let you all know that HBO has ordered 10 episodes of the new television series, "12 Miles of Bad Road,"
starring Lily Tomlin and an all-star ensemble cast including our Mike as Lily's grandson!
We are awaiting word on how many of the episodes will include scenes with Mike. With recurring roles, you never know.
Sometimes only one or two, sometimes almost all of them. Anyway, they are going to begin shooting either in August or September
and the series pilot is scheduled to make its debut in January of 2008. As always, stay tuned!
Friday, March 24, 2007
Sorry for the delay again but life continues to be very hectic out here in LA. Mike has been very busy with auditions and
callbacks and we are currently awaiting word on a number of projects.
First, Mike landed a national public service announcement for the Partnership for a Drug Free America. He shot the spot
a couple of weeks ago and had a blast. The PSA is now in post production and should be on air in the next month or so. Let
us know if you see it! Congratulations to Mike for a job well done!
Next, Mike is currently on hold for a guest star role on an episode of Jericho (CBS). That does not mean he has booked
it yet, just that they want to have updates to his schedule for any potential conflicts. Sometimes you book the job, sometimes
you don't. For example, Mike was recently on hold for a new Disney show (Wizards) and was released at the last minute. When
you are released, it is quite often because the role has been rewritten out of the episode or perhaps they decided to change
the age of the character. There could be any number of reasons.
We are currently awaiting word on callbacks for a TGI Friday's restaurant national commercial, and another PSA for the
California Department of Conservation.
Finally, we just received word from director/producer Bruce Hickey, that the pilot Mike shot for the television series,
"Buzz" is going to be re-shot as MTV (and other networks) are showing considerable interest. If you recall, Mike
has a series regular role on the show. We will let you know more as we find out.
"Buzz" Television Series Website
Monday, January 22, 2007
More good news! Myrna Lieberman, Mike's manager, called today to let us know that HBO has picked up the "12 Miles of
Bad Road" series!
Lily Tomlin stars as the matriarch of a wealthy Texas family (the Shakespeares) whose real estate business and absurd
wealth complicate the simplest family matters. Gary Cole and Mary Kay Place also star in the new one hour comedy.
As noted before, Michael plays the role of Cameron Shakespeare, the grandson of Lily Tomlin's role. See the IMDB link
below for more information about the series. Congratulations, Mike!
"12 Miles of Bad Road" on IMDB.com
Friday, January 19, 2007
Surprise, surprise! Mike booked a print modeling job without going to an audition! Today we found out Mike will be shooting
a print job for MGA Entertainment this Monday. Evidently they saw his headshots on one of the casting websites (or here???)
or else his agent sent out a headshot to them at their request. Either way, he booked the job! Way to go, Mike! 2007 is off
to a great start!
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Happy New Year everyone! Mike and all of us in his family wish all of you the very best for a healthy, safe and prosperous
new year! Sorry for the lack of updates during the holiday season but now that things have settled down, we can get back
to business.
First, congrats to Mike for booking the Goody's department store print job! Mike is to appear in their in-store display
ads as well as on their website. We are very proud of Mike as his modeling career continues to develop along with his acting.
One other note... Mike has been practicing his guitar for about 3-4 hours a day for the past 2-3 years and is getting
quite talented. Besides getting another guitar for Christmas, he recently purchased a digital recorder to start recording
his songs he has been writing. For those of you on MySpace, Mike is has a page there and will be posting some of his music
there in the near future.
Still, despite Hollywood's usual holiday slowdown, Mike is already busy out of the blocks with 2 more callbacks and another
audition for a guest star role on another television show. Keep checking back for any new developments...
Mike's MySpace.com Profile
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