wow, my last star date entry was 9 march! we blew by April and most of May! sorry, loyal blog followers, for the long radio silence, i guess i've been busy! i'll try to catch up!
the big news is i finally got back on set as a working actor opposite Bill Paxton in a BBC film project called Game Changer. cape town was a cheat for NYC, Alabama and Florida. i played an Alabaman judge and shot in the old Cape Town City Hall. such a cool location! and Mr. Paxton was a very cool and down to earth. it was a LOT of fun to be back on set and living the dream. i felt bad for the other actor whose cell phone went off during bill's close up, but at least it wasn't me! i normally leave my phone in the dressing room/honey wagon/motor home/caravan. that guy felt terrible. we all trembled. but bill was gracious. very bad form to say the least! number 1 on the call sheet was daniel radcliffe (aka harry potter). our paths never crossed.
he's had quite a rough patch with fame and fortune, but i wish him well. he has bodyguards and advance people making sure his accommodations are secure. i mean, he is harry porter, arguably one of the most famous people on the planet. it must such a burden after a while. i know what's it like to stand out as a tall, kubwa mzungu in east africa. it's gets tiresome. but on mr. radcliffe's level...off the charts. no wonder he came off the rails. i won't say poor chap, but things come with a price. for me, i'm content to be blending in in my new surroundings here in western cape. i would like to work some more however it's getting quiet for the winter.
other show biz news includes the ABC pilot OF Kings and Prophets getting picked up for 14 episodes to be shot before dec 31. so that will make things busy around here as well! would love to keep working, get on a roll. such fun to be back! check out:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4590930/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1
i also shot a new promo for a friend's new NGO, Building Kids. it's all about sending your old Lego bricks to africa so the less fortunate can develop their brain through constructive play! a fun shoot! here's the clip!
i also had small soiree the 19th at triggerfish to celebrate. it was intimate and very nice. not a big todo. just some close friends. turning 60 was annoying for the weeks leading up to it, but when the 20th finally arrived i was fine with it. as they say
...Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. (like my sister heidi. died at 53)
so... i'm glad to be a part of the living and especially being in Western Cape province. winter is here and it is stunning! growing up in LA i never got tired of the rare rain. well, this is called the cape of storms. let it rain!
meanwhile, i've been busy rebooting my Hollywood Acting Master Class (HAMC). it gives me a chance to teach art, to write, to direct, and be around actors! i have a lot of fun. after a class of 25 students in Nairobi, having 4 here in cape town was a bit humbling. but it doesn't matter, it truly gives me a sense that i'm giving something back and every saturday that i teach feels good. this new class i have 4-6 students. here's a wide sample of past and present work:
https://vimeo.com/channels/868367
one recent weekend a proud parent Johan, who visited cape town HAMC one saturday with his daughter nadia, flew me up to Nelspruit to teach his daughter and 10 others teenagers in a special intensive weekend Master Class. that was incredibly fun! and i really enjoyed the kids immensely. surf through this for more details...
www.hollywoodclass.co.za
Nelspruit is near Kruger National Park so we did a game drive and ended up at Elephant Whispers for an elephant "interaction and ride". it was amazing! these things are so huge and so quiet and so gentle. i'm told now that their spines are weak and shouldn't be ridden on, but i gotta, riding on top of a 4000 pound living breathing thing is quite a sensation! we did a 20 minute lap around their compound and it was quite a thrill! i was grinning til my face hurt! and easily topped the gorilla experience in rwanda! it was a thrill.
the latest development is a possible gig in Doha, Qatar!
they are looking for a director for a doco that would be 7 months in Doha, tax-free, accommodation, travel, time off, etc. i don't know many other details...the subject matter or the company/network behind it, but apparently i'm in the mix and waiting to hear. they say it starts June! so that's next week possibly if it's a go! june-dec. and it's 40-50 degrees (100-120!). oh well, i'm game and available! what an adventure that would be! COTW would be back in action!
so that's about it for now. all the news that fit to print.
thinking about getting back into the surf. getting kitted out with a body board, wet suit and flippers. there's a nice little beach break where i live. be fun to frolic in the surf again! even though winter temps could be harsh! i'm still in my rad pad on the 15th floor. always dramatic views. i suppose i'll give it up if Doha happens. IDK, feels like that's going away already. crickets since monday!
so that's it. no other travel plans for now. i'm in ZA til my permit expires! i did visit my first digs when i arrived here...papyrus lodge. i left there last december. seems like perfect timing now. the lake is so low and the grounds felt so different. it was perfect for a season and a great place to land, but being on beach road is perfect for now. i still wanna migrate to downtown CBD (DTCT) sooner or later. but for now i'm at Ocean View...daily construction in the penthouse above me and all. oh well. it's only for a season. and maybe i'll be gone next week anyhow for Qatar!
now for some pics! thanks for following the blog!
best, ddm aka COTW
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| flat 1502. i have a very nice setup. |
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| view from my front door. looking up the Strand and Beach Road. |
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| the weather and tide are always changing! |
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| sunsets always amazing! |
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| me and my first HAMC CPT graduating class! |
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| Ocean View tower. a pinch of Dubai...or maybe a Doha precursor! i'm top floor on the right below the roof. first portal. |
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| certificates are huge in Africa. easy enough. |
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| Alabama judge callback. guess it worked! |
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| no thank you. |
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| CPT city hall. great location inside and out. |
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| A fun birthday card from Nairobi. |
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| now at Somerset Mall! |
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| papyrus lodge...after the long summer. not so magical. remember the before shots?? those sundowners? |
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| HAMC is like a reel set. we do auditions and scene work. be a pro! |
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| going from the bunker that was The Stable in NBO to these views is stunning! here's dawn out the back. |
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| kenya has power cuts, we have "load shedding", this all goes dark for 2 hours at a whack! |
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| reverse angle papyrus. not so sexy without the water! i left right on time! |
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| More HAMC. i love my students! |
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| A large plasma helps the teaching. |
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| mr. bill paxton. good guy! |
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| morin makes the makeup board. #26 on the callsheet. Judge Moore. |
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| cable car up table mountain. magical. |
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| holding today's mini-sides in my dressing room. |
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| #1 & #2 on the callsheet. |
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| ddm going thru the works. |
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| cape town. straight down. |
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| majestic Lion's Head. |
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| V&A Waterfront |
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| new secret eatery in CBD. |
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| the road to Hout Bay via Chapman's Peak. 007 chase-scene highway! |
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| table mountain and more Waterfront. |
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| Colonial architecture. cape town an easy cheat for Alabama or lots of places! |
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| the original eye-watch. always dependable. no charging required. solar powered. |
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| Shimmys Beach Club. CBD. |
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| ddm version 6.0 |
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| waiting for the start of the 5K Park Run. |
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| me and Betsy (middle) on a sunday ride. |
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| my hotel in Nelspruit. posh! |
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| Johan van den heever. thank you for everything! (he also paid for every kid's tuition!) |
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| this is a petrol station...Alzu. with real rhinos behind me. |
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| area map. cool wallpaper! |
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| At work in the conference room. 11 students. i didn't expect to have such fun! |
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| jizzel, one of my mighty-mites! 14 and very brave! |
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| nadia is getting quite good on camera now. her dad pimped me out! |
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| gate at Kruger. smells like a game drive! |
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| isn't "spoor" dung? so all of these animals made the shit list. cool! |
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| A defining moment. what a place! near kruger in Hazyview. |
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| me and namesake...Paul Kruger, also president of the Free State. |
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| Mugg & Bean on the Sabi River |
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| my full factory sponsor for the weekend...JOhan! |
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| elephant whispers. it looks like an elephant act...because it is! |
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| it was awesome hugging these huge beasts! |
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| elephant skin is porous. actually absorbs water. and all the wrinkles is so the mud will stick. |
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| meet Tembo. 6 tons of fun. huge! |
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| this guy is only 2 tons. |
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| it's higher than it looks! but what a view! |
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| who needs your own jet when flying domestic looks like this? i was seat 1A. Kruger to Joburg. |
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| the view from Dumbo. its real name too hard to remember. |
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| hard to frame rumbling along. it was absolutely thrilling. and much higher than an asia elephant! |
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| like a pony ride...for grown-ups...on giant pachyderms! |
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| Air Link pretty much to myself. very VIP! caio! |
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