Leon Acord's Blog, page 8

I thought it'd be a fun beach read

Two years ago, when I first began seriously thinking about writing the book that ultimately became SUB-LEBRITY, I knew I didn't want to pen an angst-y, "woe is me, acting is hard!" tome.

"It ain't me, babe," as Bob Dylan once crooned.

Even during less-than-funny moments in my life, I've (almost) always kept my chin up and a smile on my face.

After all, in the scheme of things, I'm very lucky. At age 57, I've never broken a bone, required surgery,* or spent a night in a hospital as a patient.** I've been with my husband for -- GASP! -- almost three decades. I have all my hair. The dramas & traumas in my life have been "few & far in between."

So naturally, I wanted my "memoir" (ugh, even now, I choke even typing that word) to reflect that. To be a breezy, fun read. As I wrote it, I aimed for a summer release, and fantasized about folks reading it on vacation, while frolicking on the beach, flying to their destinations, or falling asleep in their hotel rooms or campers, etc.

But then 2020 happened. The world is now a very different place than when I entertained those fantasies.

One thing is unchanged. SUB-LEBRITY's "official" release date is June 14, just days away.***

But instead of now reading my book on a crowded, sweaty beach, or aboard a commercial jetliner, or in a hotel room (make sure they clean everything!) or on a ocean cruise (please God, don't!), I now hope the book serves an altogether different purpose.

I hope it keeps your ass at home!

Seriously. Especially if you have pre-existing conditions, or have no choice but to work in high-risk jobs. Avoid public groups as much as possible. Stay healthy. Its not over yet. Stay home and read! #AloneTogether

I also hope SUB-LEBRITY helps you smile even if/when it seems there's little to smile about.

If my book accomplishes nothing more than one or both of those goals, even temporarily, I'll consider it a rousing success -- and well worth the two years' investment.

P.S. And because it cannot be said enough these days, BLACK LIVES MATTER!

* Numerous laser eye surgeries don't count!

** Only as a concerned friend.

*** Though you can

So long to imaginary best friends

Its not very often you get to combine two of you biggest obsessions as they both come to an end.

Its rarer still when you get a chance to "go back in time" and clear up some unfinished business from years gone by.

This week, I got the chance to do both -- and then some.

This excerpt from

"Once Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, social media became saturated with political rage. Breaking through the noise to fund-raise and promote the show [,Old Dogs & New Tricks,] now seemed impossible -- and attempting to do so felt more than a little petty.

Okay, I thought, I'll take a break until the election, then resume fundraising efforts for the final season after Hillary wines and sanity is restored.

We all know how ,that,, ,turned out

It was the final nail in ,Old Dogs & New Tricks,' coffin. I wish we had shot a proper series finale, but I was resigned to the show's fate. Our last special would be our final episode ever."

We didn't lack scripts! That last special, "Where Were YOU When the Rights Went ON?" was to be the first of a ten-episode final season. Alas, after several stop-and-start attempts, we finally put all fundraising on hold.

Suddenly, its almost five years later. And it still bugs me that we never gave our loyal audiences a sense of closure with a proper series finale.

Well, most of show biz is still on hold, at least in Los Angeles, as we order our ring lights & set up our apartments and bedrooms as home studios. While we certainly couldn't ask our original cast to sit through ZOOM readings of all nine of those scripts, I thought it would be fun to get us together -- socially distant of course -- and give that un-produced, un-shared series finale script a public read.

Somehow Laurence -- master producer that he is -- pulled it together within days.

To separate it from some of those other ZOOM projects, we "podcasted" this up with music, sound effects, and even some occasional flashbacks. I think it works just as well as a radio show! Hopefully, it will be just as much fun for YOU, stuck at home, having now binged on almost every series the streaming platforms have on offer (including, we hope, ODNT on

As we came to the end of the "episode," I found myself deeply moved saying goodbye to these characters who'd been such a large part of my life -- and who have occupied such a large part of my psyche. See if you can spot the moment(s) I almost had to cut!

Now, once we get rid of Trump, and come to grips with COVID, we will -- yet again! -- try to resurrect fundraising to revisit the gang. If/when that happens, we'll either incorporate the groundbreaking events of this episode, or we will completely ignore them like Will & Grace. Or Roseanne.

By then, however, the Old Dogs may be Much Older Dogs & No Tricks, and maybe ready for a feature-film treatment instead! Hey, I'm certainly game!

But at any rate, I am thrilled our longtime fans and friends will finally get to see how it all ended for Nathan, Brad, Muscles, Ross, Lydia, Neal and Nelson -- and I'm delighted to finally give my characters the happy endings they deserve, at long last!

We offer this video the spirit of #AloneTogether and #LGBTQ #Pride. After the show, please click

And as always, wash your hands, wear your masks, thank your essential workers, frequent black-owned businesses,* over-tip if you can, and #VoteBlue in November, no matter who! And stay safe & sane.

* You say you don't know of any black-owned businesses? IT'S TIME TO FIND SOME!

Little pleasures keep us strong...

There's much to be angry about these days. I won't list here all the reasons Americans should be furious -- if you follow me on

But the truth is, we should be angry. Very angry. In fact, we should be FURIOUS! Fury is a great catalyst for change. And change is desperately needed in America right now.

But while I've recently realized, yes indeed, it actually is possible to remain in a state of constant rage, neither you nor I should stay there 24/7! Stress and anger wreak havoc on the human immune system. We must pace ourselves.

Just as anxiety kills the immune system, things like joy and calm boost it. And we must stay strong -- hell, we must stay alive! -- for the battles that lie ahead.

To find some semblance of peace these days, I've been watching news less,** and trying to focus on little things more -- little things that give me pleasure, things I either took for granted, or was completely oblivious to, or didn't have time for, until I was holed up for over 100 days (and counting) like a male Rapunzel (yes, my hair is almost that long at this point!).

Here are some of the little things I'm learning to notice, learning to appreciate, learning to do again, now that there's time -- in an effort to stay balanced and calm (most of the day!):

Grab that pussy!
Our cat Toby doesn't usually sleep with us, but he loves to jump on the bed to greet us in the morning. He's never more cuddly than in the early morning. Now that there's no reason to rush out of bed, I'm learning to enjoy lounging a bit, and cuddling and connecting with the kitty. He particularly loves to attack my feet under the sheets. (I also really love that I'm around to engage in his spontaneous bursts of playful energy that send him suddenly, unexpectedly bouncing off our furniture throughout the day and evening.)


And s-t-r-e-t-c-h-!
Without a day job or film set to rush off to, I have as much time as I need for yoga stretches as my coffee brews. Since lock-down in LA began, I'm having almost zero aches and pains. Taking that time also helps me shake off emotional residue from any stressful dreams, and allows me to begin the day grounded and peaceful. Listening to my coffee machine gurgle as I do those stretches, and noticing how Toby stretches alongside me, make me smile.


Check yourself or wreck yourself.
I no longer rush through writing my "morning pages," or worse yet, neglect them altogether. Journal-ing first thing in the morning always helps me "check in" with myself mentally and emotionally, as well as focus my intentions for the day ahead. It's like putting yourself in Wonder Woman's lasso of truth each morning: you cannot lie to yourself when you write morning pages -- that's especially beneficial to someone who, like me, quit smoking only 10 short months ago! (Thank you.)


Its a jungle out there!
Our apartment building is next door to a long-abandoned house. The view from our second floor dining-room window is a sea of green; the overgrown large trees gives our place the illusion of being a tree house! Now I have time, after I've written in my journal, to linger over my coffee, to gaze out the window, and to soak in the nature just on the other side of the glass. The fat, acrobatic squirrels perform circus acts, leaping from limb to limb. A variety of birds flit in and out. I feel like
National Geographic
as I spy upon the three feral cats who call this urban jungle their home. They've established quite an interesting hierarchy among themselves. They are usually peaceful, but then
WATCH OUT
!


Too, too much good TV!
I never had any intention of signing on for
Disney+
. I'm a DC guy, not a Marvel. I'm not particularly "into"
Star Wars
. And frankly, with few exceptions, I find Disney's animated features a bit treacly (and more often than not, disloyal to the literary source material). But after over 100 days and nights at home, and after binging
Unorthodox
and the second seasons of
Dead To Me


and
YOU
on
Netflix
, and
Mrs. America


and
Hillary


(and too many old TV series to count) on
Hulu
, then watching everything
Wonder Woman
-related on
DC Universe
, we were desperate for new viewing material.
Hamilton
proved too tempting to resist. Now I'm finding myself, like
Alice in Wonderland,
falling down

the rabbit hole, into a deep treasure trove of behind-the-scenes documentaries on dozens of classic films, the studio and the parks (I'm currently gorging a series about the
"Imagineers"
). I've also discovered Disney+ has lots of unexpected guilty pleasures (
Muppet Movie
,
Big Business
) and those fascinating
National Geographic
specials (I've already drained Titanic and Alcatraz!). Who knows what's next? If things continue as they are much longer, I might get to watch the entire Marvel and
Star Wars
line-ups. In order, no less!


Craig's (very short) List:
Looking for day jobs is no longer drudgery. First of all, there are so few gigs out there, job hunting now only takes up a small part of the day. Since I find only one or two possible jobs on a
good
day, I have time to craft really detailed cover letters. (Alas, so far, crickets. But I'm not giving up. I can't. Who
can
?) Likewise, perusing the breakdowns [casting notices] takes about five minutes. Pickings were already slim for actors over 55 before show biz went into hibernation. There had been talk of returning to altered, cautious film production, but that talk is now squashed by California's inability to control infections. So staying "on top" of casting news is now the easiest part of my day.


A Book Tour Without Putting on Shoes!
While I'd naturally prefer to be promoting my book the old-fashioned way, there are advantages to doing it all via remote. We even figured out how to offer
signed copies
of


Cook? Me? But I'm ... Out of Excuses!
About 100 years ago, when I was a young former farm boy living in SF, I became quite good at stir fry. (It appealed to this newly relocated Hoosier because (a) I love vegetables and Chinese food, and (b) cooking in a wok seemed so exotic and worldly!) Unlike all other cooking -- which I hated -- I loved making stir fry dishes. Alas, I met Laurence, who, for reasons I couldn't understand, enjoyed
all
cooking. So I let him do
all
the cooking! In the almost 30 years we've been together, he'd occasionally ask me to make a stir fry dinner. "I'm too tired after work," I'd whine, or "It takes too long to chop all those veggies!" . . . Well, guess who's not working now? Guess who can spend all day chopping vegetables now? So tomorrow night, we'll see if I
still
enjoy stir-fry cooking. I've already told Laurence, I don't guarantee that it will be edible. My goal, frankly, is just to not burn our apartment to the ground. Keep the baking powder handy! And the Alka Seltzer.

So those are just some of the little ways I'm staying calm, distracting myself from news, keeping peaceful, and filling -- I mean, appreciating -- all this free time!

Of course, if Congress doesn't soon pass additional economic life-preservers, I may call for marching and screaming in the streets sooner than expected!

But until then, let's stay as strong, and get as grounded, as possible during this impossible, unbelievable detour in American history. Let's enjoy those little things that define our good lives. Those things are what we fight for this fall. So get tough. Know what you're fighting for. Know what you're voting for. And be prepared for the ugliest presidential convention and election we've ever seen.

How about you? What new discoveries have you made? What are you doing to keep sane (and your immune system strong!) during this insane time? Please share in a comment below! #AloneTogether #StaySafe #SaveTheArts #VoteBlue #EndTrump

* I stay much less political on

** But enough to still stay informed!

Saying so long to (imaginary) best friends

Its not very often you get to combine two of you biggest obsessions as they both come to an end.

Its rarer still when you get a chance to "go back in time" and clear up some unfinished business from years gone by.

This week, I got the chance to do both -- and then some.

This excerpt from

"Once Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, social media became saturated with political rage. Breaking through the noise to fund-raise and promote the show [,Old Dogs & New Tricks,] now seemed impossible -- and attempting to do so felt more than a little petty.

Okay, I thought, I'll take a break until the election, then resume fundraising efforts for the final season after Hillary wines and sanity is restored.

We all know how ,that,, ,turned out

It was the final nail in ,Old Dogs & New Tricks,' coffin. I wish we had shot a proper series finale, but I was resigned to the show's fate. Our last special would be our final episode ever."

We didn't lack scripts! That last special, "Where Were YOU When the Rights Went ON?" was to be the first of a ten-episode final season. Alas, after several stop-and-start attempts, we finally put all fundraising on hold.

Suddenly, its almost five years later. And it still bugs me that we never gave our loyal audiences a sense of closure with a proper series finale.

Well, most of show biz is still on hold, at least in Los Angeles, as we order our ring lights & set up our apartments and bedrooms as home studios. While we certainly couldn't ask our original cast to sit through ZOOM readings of all nine of those scripts, I thought it would be fun to get us together -- socially distant of course -- and give that un-produced, un-shared series finale script a public read.

Somehow Laurence -- master producer that he is -- pulled it together within days.

To separate it from some of those other ZOOM projects, we "podcasted" this up with music, sound effects, and even some occasional flashbacks. I think it works just as well as a radio show! Hopefully, it will be just as much fun for YOU, stuck at home, having now binged on almost every series the streaming platforms have on offer (including, we hope, ODNT on

As we came to the end of the "episode," I found myself deeply moved saying goodbye to these characters who'd been such a large part of my life -- and who have occupied such a large part of my psyche. See if you can spot the moment(s) I almost had to cut!

Now, once we get rid of Trump, and come to grips with COVID, we will -- yet again! -- try to resurrect fundraising to revisit the gang. If/when that happens, we'll either incorporate the groundbreaking events of this episode, or we will completely ignore them like Will & Grace. Or Roseanne.

By then, however, the Old Dogs may be Much Older Dogs & No Tricks, and maybe ready for a feature-film treatment instead! Hey, I'm certainly game!

But at any rate, I am thrilled our longtime fans and friends will finally get to see how it all ended for Nathan, Brad, Muscles, Ross, Lydia, Neal and Nelson -- and I'm delighted to finally give my characters the happy endings they deserve, at long last!

We offer this video the spirit of #AloneTogether and #LGBTQ #Pride. After the show, please click

And as always, wash your hands, wear your masks, thank your essential workers, frequent black-owned businesses,* over-tip if you can, and #VoteBlue in November, no matter who! And stay safe & sane.

* You say you don't know of any black-owned businesses? IT'S TIME TO FIND SOME!

I thought it'd be a fun "summer beach read" ...

Two years ago, when I first began seriously thinking about writing the book that ultimately became SUB-LEBRITY, I knew I didn't want to pen an angst-y, "woe is me, acting is hard!" tome.

"It ain't me, babe," as Bob Dylan once crooned.

Even during less-than-funny moments in my life, I've (almost) always kept my chin up and a smile on my face.

After all, in the scheme of things, I'm very lucky. At age 57, I've never broken a bone, required surgery,* or spent a night in a hospital as a patient.** I've been with my husband for -- GASP! -- almost three decades. I have all my hair. The dramas & traumas in my life have been "few & far in between."

So naturally, I wanted my "memoir" (ugh, even now, I choke even typing that word) to reflect that. To be a breezy, fun read. As I wrote it, I aimed for a summer release, and fantasized about folks reading it on vacation, while frolicking on the beach, flying to their destinations, or falling asleep in their hotel rooms or campers, etc.

But then 2020 happened. The world is now a very different place than when I entertained those fantasies.

One thing is unchanged. SUB-LEBRITY's "official" release date is June 14, just days away.***

But instead of now reading my book on a crowded, sweaty beach, or aboard a commercial jetliner, or in a hotel room (make sure they clean everything!) or on a ocean cruise (please God, don't!), I now hope the book serves an altogether different purpose.

I hope it keeps your ass at home!

Seriously. Especially if you have pre-existing conditions, or have no choice but to work in high-risk jobs. Avoid public groups as much as possible. Stay healthy. Its not over yet. Stay home and read! #AloneTogether

I also hope SUB-LEBRITY helps you smile even if/when it seems there's little to smile about.

If my book accomplishes nothing more than one or both of those goals, even temporarily, I'll consider it a rousing success -- and well worth the two years' investment.

P.S. And because it cannot be said enough these days, BLACK LIVES MATTER!

* Numerous laser eye surgeries don't count!

** Only as a concerned friend.

*** Though you can

My first taste of racism...

Like most feeling Americans, I've watched the events of the last week and a half unfold with a mixture of horror (at Trump's attempts to turn the USA into a police state) and immense pride (in that so many would risk their health to gather and protest.

Far more talented writers than I have shared their thoughts of George Floyd's murder, and on how America has responded in shock, horror then anger. So I want to share with you a short bit from the first chapter SUB-LEBRITY, about when I first truly noticed "prejudice" (as it was called then):

"At the time, many rural white Hoosiers wore their racism on their sleeves. They tossed the n-word around casually, as there were no blacks in their orbit to take offense. It would be years before I realized the n-word was actually offensive. It would be even more years until I’d actually interact with people of color. But I got my first taste of prejudice early, in kindergarten.

One day, a young girl and I sat down at a large doll house to play. There were two rubbery doll “families” to choose from. One was a white mom and dad, with daughter and son; the other was an exact replica, same color clothes, but with black skin.

Having been raised to be a polite young man, I gave my classmate first choice.

“I don’t want the chocolate family!” she snarled, as she snatched up the “vanilla” dolls.

I remember being surprised that she’d be so openly, unashamedly ignorant. I couldn’t understand her attitude, her apparent disgust at the thought of playing with the “chocolate” dolls.

I still don’t get it."

Show Biz Sleeps But Art Never Rests

Its Day #42 of the Lockdown here in Los Angeles. On almost every one of those 42 mornings, I have thanked my lucky stars I live in a state that takes the COVID-19 threat seriously, and that puts human life above capitalism.

On a national level, our alleged leaders continue to lie and block and desperately attempt endlessly to paint a pretty picture, when the reality is anything but optimistic. (Go to my

Meanwhile, in Cass County in Indiana (where I went to high school), a Tyson pork plant is a hot spot with over 600 confirmed cases (probably many more by the time you read this).

My elderly parents live just minutes from that location. One of my nieces lives nearby and is an RN at a hospital; another niece lives even closer to the plant and works as a social worker for local at-risk youth. And a great-nephew is a guard at the State Prison in the next county.

And since my parents lost Tammy, my only sibling, last year, you can imagine why I feel an extra-added reason to stay healthy and vigilant!

So what does one do with all this generalized, floating anxiety?

As show biz hibernates, the powers-that-be deliberate when/if/how to resume production, and whether/how to incorporate our new world into their old story lines. And a city full of artists and craftsmen (and women) have been keeping themselves busy (and a mostly locked-down populace entertained & inspired #AloneTogether) with at-home concerts, daily Shakespearean sonnets, Zoom table readings of plays & TV shows, and the like.

I'm so inspired by what I'm seeing. But I'm also very frustrated. Not being a musical artist, I can't pluck a guitar live on Facebook, or produce the stunning musical parodies of my friend Amanda Gari.

But one does what one can with the tools one has at hand.

Laurence and I had a blast at our "virtual book party" for SUB-LEBRITY last week on Facebook. Its been great fun sharing my "almost-live" readings from the book, and posting daily Old Dogs & New Tricks episodes, on social media.

Since we're not out of this nightmare yet, we're just getting started with on-line offerings!

Tuesday, May 5 at 8:30 pm PST, Arvin Bautista (the wunderkind who helped me bring ODNT to life), Laurence and I are hosting a live Zoom "ODNT Watch Party!" We're sitting down and watching the first season of ODNT, and answering questions from guests. I've never actually sat down with Arvin and just watched the show, so I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you'll join us! Click

And that's not all! I'll be doing one last "almost live" reading from SUB-LEBRITY soon. This time, I'm reading "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Hates You," the chapter in which I share (and finally respond to) some of my post-Cindy Brady hate mail. Since the language contained within those notes is just too vile, too evil, for innocent me to read, I'm recruiting some of my favorite actors (Mo Gaffney, Ray Abruzzo, Wendy Worthington, Curt Bonnem, Bruce L. Hart, Amanda Gari and many more) to help me out with this one! Stay tuned!

And finally, later in May, the entire ODNT cast is reuniting (virtually, at least) to perform a Zoom table read of three never-produced, episodes! More info on that is coming soon, too, as soon as we work out all of the technical details!

And, of course, the e-book SUB-LEBRITY *The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote has been doing pretty well on Amazon! Thank you to everyone who's purchased and read a copy, and bless those who've taken time to post a reader review. On top of everything I've listed above, I'm busy preparing the paperback release which, hopefully, will still happen on June 14. But only if those printing press workers can go back to work with confidence in their safety. And then, the audio book, and then. .. and then ...

I'm beyond grateful to be healthy, that my loved ones are safe, and that I have so many things to keep me occupied, to keep my mind from playing "What if...?"

How are YOU filling your time at home? Which artists are keeping you entertained online? What shows & movies are you streaming?

Let's talk! I'm not going anywhere! ;-)

One of the most important reviews is in...

Hello everyone! I hope you're still washing hands, still wearing your masks, still staying home as much as possible, and still staying sane.

Ever so briefly, I was almost able to forget about the current horrible state of affairs on Tues., April 21. Because the e-book of SUB-LEBRITY dropped on Amazon. And it was a morning of nerves, followed by a day of lovely notes from early readers.

The general reaction so far has been quite similar to the reaction to Old Dogs & New Tricks back in the day. Then, I was told episodes were packed with both laughs and drama, and the end credits always came way too soon. Now, some readers have told me they've laughed and cried, and some were stopping or slowing down because they were reading it too fast and didn't want the book to end too soon!

Music to a writer's ears. I couldn't be more grateful.

But perhaps the best reaction so far (other than Laurence walking around with a silly-proud smile on his face), came from Erik,* my first boyfriend whom I discuss in the book, and who is now a good friend.

I was nervous when I saw it was he who was calling. Gulp! But his reaction, as soon as I answered, immediately put me at ease. He said he loved what he was reading, not only the stuff about him, but the rest of the book -- as he was almost done. But like others, he said he wanted to slow down and savor the rest before the end.

Then we talked about our early days, and that "Cruel Summer" I detailed in my book. Of the bad times, yes, but also of fun moments that summer. After we hung up, some thirty minutes later, I realized that perhaps I gave a somewhat incomplete picture of that summer.

Yes, it was pretty horrific, as anyone who's read the chapter knows. But there were laughs and moments of lightness, despite the gloom. And I will forever be grateful to Erik for feeding me sandwiches and orange juice during our afternoon trysts in his mom's basement in-between sitcom reruns.

And for remaining a very, very good friend for over -- oh dear God, that many??!

Do YOU have an early boy- or girlfriend early on with whom you're now very good friends? Please join & let's talk!

*Not his real name.

#AloneTogether #StayHome #FlattenTheCurve Buy SUB-LEBRITY at bit.ly/SUBlebrity

And then, everything changed...

Hello everyone, and welcome to my first blog entry.

What a weird, wild time to be alive, huh? I hope everyone is staying safe, staying clean, staying home, listening to the experts & ignoring a certain megalomaniac. Please call your parents, check in with friends, leave a note for your neighbors. The biggest lesson from this, apparently, is that we need to depend on one other now to get through this.

Its going to be a long haul. Life isn't going back to normal any time soon. If you need help, do not be too embarrassed to seek it out.

I keep thinking of the London Blitz, that period from Sept. 1940 to May 1941 when the Nazis dropped bombs on London and other English cities almost nightly. I find the courage & spirit of the British people during that time very inspiring, and similar to what our better angels are demonstrating now.

I also know, having lived through the Reagan/AIDS 1980s, the 1989 Earthquake and 9/11, that you simply cannot conquer the human spirit. The worst of times brings out the best in people. (Well, most people anyway.) We will get through this, although the cost is sure to be substantial and the lessons hard.

Meanwhile, take advantage of the technological age we live in. Stream your favorite movies & binge those TV shows. Read your favorite books on Kindle. Cook your best dishes. And as you do, keep shaving, keep getting dressed, and try to get some fresh air every single day.

I'll be back soon to plug my book SUB-LEBRITY ad naseum, but for now I just wanted to say "hello" and take a collective breath with everyone!

Leon