Kids, I just played the prestigious ACME Theatre Company and guest-starred in an improv show called “Hollywood Dream Role” with the most insanely talented group of people – here’s the vid lv j xx
Category Archives: Uncategorized
March-May 2010 sexyliciousblogalicious xxx
Kids, seriously,
I had such lovely intentions to write to you more when I got to the USA… but it has been such a mind-blowing experience that there has simply not been time.
March kicked off with me sitting for my Californian Driver’s license test. I had no idea that Californian law states that the driver must know how to apply lip gloss while reverse parking. It was all in the handbook, which included a superb pic and letter of encouragement from the Governator (“You can do it!”).
Locking down the license, I then became victim of a stabbing. Yes, Sophie my 1yr old, stabbed me in the eye with a rather gnarly looking, post-chewed finger nail, which was so effective in its precision that said nail managed to gauge out a scoop of cornea, narrowly missing my pupil. Nice.
It was all better when I hit the NBC chat show “The Bonnie Hunt Show”. She was just the most delicious and generous host and we had quite a giggle. (You can not believe how hot I thought I looked that day in the studio and then, when I saw it on the television, I looked like I might need to be moved in and out of my house by a crane).
Yay April… well, I turned 42 kids… yes… in this lighting it is hard to believe but it is true. My buddies found me a cake that was both shaped and coloured like a burger. It was so wrong and yet it tasted so wrong.
I also started my little appearances on Aussie brekky show Sunrise from LA. The 7 Network ‘bureau’ is next to the huge Westfield shopping centre in Century City so I just whipped myself upstairs, gave it a bit of showbiz, then it was back to the shops.
In April I got to have dinner with one of my all time idols, Phyllis Diller. An Aussie friend of mine knows her very well so he took me to see her. She is 92 not out and one of the greatest comedians ever. Phyllis was a pioneer for women in stand-up and I had the wonderful chance to let her know what an inspiration she continues to be. A true legend.
May has just departed already and I know each year we keep saying “where has that time gone” but in the words of young people… WTF?
LA is basically a big industry town and it is quite cyclical. January through till late March is ‘pilot season’… when comedy and drama pilots get made. April and May is decision time when the pilots get picked up to go to series or dumped.
I used this time to take a “Comedy Intensive” acting class with world renowned guru Lesly Kahn. It was 3 weeks of solid rehearsal based around sitcom and American joke rhythms and it really was one of the most exciting things I have ever done.
By the time the course was over, I found myself in late May, which is when the big guns from TV networks all over the world descend on LA to decide which shows they want to buy.
So as we enter June, we kick off the (in my opinion) best season of all…. the TV development season.
This is the time when little old comics (like me), come together with writers and producers and build a show. Kind of like build a bear… actually very like it. You just have to be braced for the stuffing part of the process. The shows that are picked up in Development season, go on to be the pilots for next pilot season… so each day really feels like we are on the road to something big… but who can tell?
Loads of love jmo x
p.s. are you impressed how much I have been on Facebook and Twitter? Seriously, it’s killing me.
Best friends with Bonnie, May 2010
Hi kids – here I am chatting to the delicious Bonnie Hunt lv Jxx (you might have to sit through an ad first though cos it’s embedded from a TV network site xx)
My first USA network TV stand up appearance
…On NBC’s The Bonnie Hunt Show, May 2010 lv j xx
Driving Miss J-Mo
Driving in LA can be a little tricky. Here are some no fail tips to drive like a local. It’s HollyVlog number 2!
Love J xx
HollyVlog! (March 2010)
Hey kids – it’s my very first video blog! Or is that Vlog? No wait, it’s a HollyVlog! Love J xxx
Hooray For Hollywood!
My Dear Friends,
I know it will come as a shock to you when I say One has been missing from One’s desk over the past few months, but here we are again six months after One’s last blog.
The Royal J-Mo caravan has been trixied up and put back on the road, this time for a few months in Hollywood. The sitcom pilot season is in full swing and it seemed silly to have another season go by without a little slice of the Mo.
The trip from Sydney to LAX was gruelling to say the least; the entire family were accidentally upgraded to business class thanks to some hurtfully handsome cabin crew on V Australia. Forcing myself to stay horizontal for 14 hours while sucking champagne through a glitter-pink- crazy straw certainly took me back to my halcyon days in the late 80’s, most of the 90’s and let’s face it, nearly every day ‘til about an hour ago.
Of course the theory of being upgraded meant we were in store for maximum relaxation and the holy grail of travel… sleep. The irony of being upgraded was that we were all so excited we couldn’t sleep… just drink and eat. There is nothing more attractive than parents of toddlers cruising through customs with booze rising like a spirit level in their eyes. Mummy needs a water.
My husband Dan and I have taken a delicious home in the Hollywood Hills up behind the Kodak Theatre and, in the style of the locals, are trying to take ourselves quite seriously. Never more seriously that when I am at the gym. Everyone seems to have their eyes on ‘The Burn’, while I am just trying to look busy until the hour is up. It can be very draining.
The change rooms are actually more stressful than the workout. May I ask you a personal question? Do you get uneasy when presented with a line up of multinational beaver? Not just furry patches, we’re talking full bear with a pink backpack. No judgement, I’m just saying that as I make my way back to my locker mummified from earlobes to ankles in my 8ft bath sheet I would prefer not to have an involuntary extrusion of my stomach contents, that’s all.
In order to be considered for lots of roles and not just those rare Australian ones (that’s not a knife), I have been working on my American accent. It’s been loads of fun as I drive through the LA streets. The local advice is just say out loud what you see… so a typical practice session would be seeing McDonalds, Carls Jnr, In & Out Burger, Burger King, Vons and … thank god I brought my All Bran over with me.
Dan and I renewed our vows at a drive-through wedding chapel in Vegas a couple of weeks ago. In our usual style with anything romantic like that, it was very deep. Our original wedding in Vegas was 4 years ago so we thought we needed a little top up. The little women were with us and they made it really special by eating chips throughout the ceremony. It certainly made it that much more emotional for us all when a crinkle cut caught at the back of the baby’s throat right before the “I do’s”. Nothing says “I Love You” like your baby hoiking in the background.
Had the best time a few weeks ago in the audience of Ellen (Yes some of you did spot me, well done!) and OH MY GOD she is gorgeous. She seriously looks about 20 in the flesh and I did lean forward to lick her on the face during the dancing opener but was stopped by security in the nick of time.
Last week I had superb fun auditioning for the team at Jay Leno. The gig was down at Hermosa Beach (about 45 mins from the private home) and at a club called “Comedy and Magic”. Well, the crowd were both. The gig was way too much fun and I was much less nervous to be in the green room with a big group of really established comedians who were also poo-ing their pants about going on stage. I have not felt real nerves since the late 70’s so it was a refreshing change.
The show went well so now we just wait for the next step. In the meantime I’m just heading to auditions, melting like ice creams in acting classes and generally having sensational LA times… today I even passed on having butter. I’ve really changed.
Hope you are way too well and I can’t wait to hear your news.
Love J-Mo x
February 2010