Whole lotta booking goin’ on!

Posted on July 20, 2011

Hello everyone!

Again, apologies for the crazy amount of time in between posts.  Lindy and I were blessed with a new addition in April, Lucas Oliver Lowe!  So I have been a bit preoccupied and lacking of sleep.

Nevertheless, we trudge on in this crazy, amazing, up and down acting career.  Since I posted last time, there have been many good things and one little not so good one.  I’ll start with the bad.  The Subway commercial I shot will not be airing.  It’s stinks.  You get so excited that you booked this national commercial, and you get so excited that it’s gonna air and people will see it and post on your Facebook page….and so excited about how much money you could make.  LOL!  This is why I don’t like to count my chickens (AKA use any money that I may make) before the checks clear.

But the good my friends, has been really good.  Most notable is the Guest Star role I booked on the Disney Channel show A.N.T. Farm.  The episode is called “ManagemANT” and it should air sometime in September.  I play a music producer named Hippo.  This job was incredible for many reasons.  I got to work with kids and have fun….and I mean fun.  You couldn’t find a drop of cynicism or snarkiness in anyone associated with this job.  Everyone was just there to have fun and make other people laugh.  We also got to shoot in front of a live studio audience which was really fueling for me…especially with the theatre background.  The audience energy + the kids’ energy was really, really cool.  The casting department on this job were the best, and they’ve started calling some theatrical (film/TV) agents around town to get meetings going for me.  So sweet and kind to help me out.  Had an agent meeting last week that I thought went really well.  We’ll see!!!

I booked an AT&T national spot that I thought was going to go the way of Subway because I saw it during the Master’s….and I wasn’t in it.  I thought I’d totally been cut and that was that.  But sure enough, they recut some of the material, and there’s now a spot running with me in it…for like 2 seconds.  I have a white hard hat on in a factory and me and this other guy are looking at his tablet that’s “on the network”.  You never can tell in this business, and soon as you think you can, you’re proved totally wrong.

I just got back from Minneapolis yesterday….which was freakin’ HOT!  God Bless SAG for having airport pickup and 1st class flights in our contracts!!!  I shot a Best Buy spot with Eugene Cordero and Dionysio Basco, and also a guy named John from Minneapolis.  These guys were the epitome of funny and we had a blast shooting.  Creating new stuff, improvising, and laughing pretty much all day.  That day was actually Eugene’s birthday, too, so the 3 of us went out after work and painted the town blue and yellow.  I put the free first class Bloody Mary to good use the following day’s flight back to L.A.  It should start airing in August.  It’s promoting 3D TV’s.

Today I recorded a character for the Adventures in Odyssey radio play.  This is a long running children’s project, that I was really happy to be a part of.  My character was Everett Delk, Alvin York’s best friend.  All the actors were sitting in a circle as we recorded.  It was awesome to get to look across and read with a partner.  Don’t get that opportunity too often.  I could do it every day.

So……things have been busy…..with acting and diaper changing.  Keep your eyes peeled for A.N.T. Farm, AT&T, and Best Buy…and your ears open for Adventures in Odyssey.  Things have settled down a bit with Luke, so hopefully I will be blogging more sooner than later.

Thank you so much for reading and going down this path with me!

From my office at the Grove Barnes and Noble

Posted on February 22, 2011

Hellooooooooooo!

I am over caffeinated!!!!!  Waahooo!!!

Okay, enough of that.  So, life has been a bit full, lately.  I just moved, which always sucks and drains a ton of time, effort, and energy…hence the gap in postings.  January was pretty dang cool.  I booked a national SUBWAY commercial!!!  It will probably start airing in April they said…which was weird, because they never usually tell you stuff like that.  I shot it in one day, way out in bumblefart, but I had the best time because the other actors were hysterical. Namely, John Farley.

I have a callback today for AT&T in a couple of hours, and earlier this morning I auditioned for www.collegehumor.com.  Pilot season is upon us, so hopefully some theatricals will start coming down the pike…is it pike or pipe?…and we’ll get some stuff rolling there.

I’ve also been shooting some sketches you can check out at www.motherapprovedcomedy.com.  Such a great group to collaborate with!  Kasi and Brandon are genii.

BING has been airing like crazy, and, as always, I appreciate the shout outs here and on Facebook when you see it.  Please keep it up!

Thanks for reading!!!

Hulk, Bluto, and reflections on when it doesn’t happen

Posted on November 29, 2010

Hello all!

I hope you are returning from your turkey tryptophan comas!  I have been pretty busy and some spots have been airing!  As of now, my Home Depot and Toyota spots are running, and one for Bing.com has been shot but isn’t running yet.  I’m pretty sure the KFC double down days are over, but we had a great run, and it was great to hear from all of you that saw it air.  You can see all these spots on the Reels page in the commercial section, or by clicking here.

Haven’t blogged in a while and there’s much to cover.  If you need to go get some hot chocolate or a cocktail I’ll wait…

…okay?  So Toyota was incredible as I got to shoot with Lou Ferrigno (AKA The Hulk)!  the Hulk was my favorite as a kid and I used to do impressions of him all the time.  I think I’ve still got it if you check out the spot.  Totally easy day, and I was in and out in under 8 hours.  Liz Paulson was the casting director.

Bing.com was another great shoot.  It’s one of those, “What has search overload done to us?” trance ones you may have seen.  Melissa Feliciano cast it.  Over 2 days I shot about 26 hours.  We shot in a grocery store in the Valley and had a massive food fight!  Art department would hurl all sorts of stuff (Cartons of OJ, tubs of yogurt, croissants, etc) all over the place when the camera rolled.  They had these big plastic syringes that they would fill with salsa and queso and paint the walls with them.  IT WAS AWESOME!!!  I also had to spit canned quacamole…which is very disgusting…out of my mouth like Bluto in Animal House!  I hope they air the heck out of it.  I guess I always do, though!

Right before Thanksgiving I booked a radio voice-over spot for Sony HDTV!  It’s all about  getting one of their TV’s to watch the BCS National Championship game.  Which I personally wish everyone would boycott (The game, not the TV’s) in solidarity for a playoff system!  I mean, c’mon, Obama promised!  LOL!  And I’m just kinda spouting.  I’ll definitely be watching that game!  GO SEC!…………..I hope.

In a little bit more disheartening news, and the reason for my long pause in blogging, I tested for a pilot on Nickelodeon…..and didn’t get it.  And it wasn’t just a pilot.  It has already been picked up and episodes have been ordered.  It was a grueling process consisting of a first audition, a callback, a work session with executive producers, and then a “test” audition with the Nickelodeon studio heads.  They make you sign a contract before you go in so you see all the money you would make before your last audition…brutal.  There were 2 other guys involved in the test.  One was bigger than me and one smaller, so I was hoping they would go the Goldilocks route and pick the one that was just right….me….they didn’t.  This was a really hard one for me, in all honesty, because I grew up on Nickelodeon and being a series regular would be steady creative work and great money.

But we trudge on…

After processing and reflection, I am so thankful to even have the opportunity to test.  It gives some validation to the skills and gifts I have been given, and reassures me that my pursuits are not in vain.  I know a ton of actors that would be content with the opportunity alone, and so I am contented.  I know that this is a career with many tremendous ups and downs, and I did my very best which is all I can do…the rest is up to God.  And I have a strong faith that this is my calling and that there will be many opportunities down the road in all shapes and sizes.

So I am thankful…VERY thankful.

I hope this finds you all well headed into the Holidays, and that you get to enjoy it with friends and family!!!  Thanks for reading!!!

Toyota and success as it comes

Posted on October 15, 2010

Hey all!

I just booked and shot a national Toyota commercial!  This one really meant a lot to me.  The first vehicle I ever had was a 1990 Navy Blue Toyota 4×4 pickup truck.  I ran the “Yota” to death in the mountains of East Tennessee.  But she was a thing of beauty.  And then in LA I had a Toyota Corrolla…not nearly as exciting, but still…notable.  I signed a confidentiality agreement on this one so it’s hush hush til it airs…who knows when that will be.  Let me know if you see it.  It was cast by Liz Paulson.

Possibly the best part of this process, as always, was making new friends.  Jackie Geary, her husband Jamison Haase, and the hilarious Angela V. Shelton.  Jackie and Jamison actually live less than a mile from me, and are both with my rep at RPA!  Cue Twilight Zone music.  Angela pretty much got me through the shoot cracking me up.  She’s was doing Second City in Chicago and Toronto before moving out here.  So funny.

Jesse Dylan shot my commercial, Bob Dylan’s son…I know, pretty cool, huh.  Kinda looked like him and everything.  There were other people on set I would love to talk about, but, as I said before, confidentiality agreement.  Dang it!

Other than that it has been a tad slow theatrically.  Which is fine.  (This is also my excuse for the infrequency of my posts.  Consider adding me to your Google Reader lineup!)  This all takes patience, and I have nothing but the utmost confidence in Paulo and everyone at RPA.  I know they work hard for me, that they believe in me, and they have clients that work.  (Did you see Jackie and Jamison’s IMDB?…wow!)

In the meantime, I have 3 national commercials so far this year…some really cool webisode work…and of course my Guest Star on Ghost Whisperer!  I am content.  I look forward to that next thing, whatever it is, but I am totally satisfied to take success as it comes.

Thanks for reading!  Hope this finds you well!

KFC BOOKING!!!

Posted on August 17, 2010

Woohoo!  The summer drought has ended with a national KFC commercial booking!

Fitting is tomorrow (8/18) and the shoot is Thursday (8/19).  Booked it through ASG casting…they booked me on my Honda gig last winter.

Can’t wait to shoot, and sooooo happy to have work this week!

Hope all is well with you!

Home Depot up and Mother Approved WINS!!!

Posted on August 6, 2010

Hey everyone!  I hope this summer is finding you at least somewhere near a swimming pool.  Hot one already…and the real heat hasn’t even hit L.A. yet.

Hopefully you’ve seen my Home Depot commercial running!  If not, you can check it out here.

Also, I worked on a project with a comedy group called Mother Approved.  It was called Phobias.  Little, short sketches where you guess what the phobia is in the video.  They’re pretty daggum funny, and they just won their category at L.A.’s iTVfest.  Which is AWESOME!!!  Kasi and Brandon are the creators of this hilarity, and I couldn’t be happier for us.  You can check out their site here.  If you just want to see my little phobia, it’s here on Funny or Die.

Things have been…well…a little slow.  Things in summer usually are.  This is when Hollywood takes their vacations, shows go on hiatus, etc, etc.  Summer spawned the rerun for good reason.  I had a few good opportunities last week that I thought were going to go through.  I had a callback for Ice Age 4, and commercial callbacks for Mountain Dew and Nicorette.  I also went in for the show iCarly 3 times for 3 different roles.  This is really amazing and keeps my spirits up…knowing that the casting people recognize that I do good work…they are just trying to find the perfect place for me.

Ice Age 4 was another one that I would’ve liked.  To be a cartoon…as some of you may know…is kinda the impetuous for me starting all of this around the age of 5 or 6.  Donald Duck impressions being the first sign of an entertainer’s life.

I was a little frustrated with 6 or 7 really cool projects not panning out, but ever-hopeful, I trudge on!  I’m glad you guys are here with me!!!

Greetings from here

Posted on July 9, 2010

Hello my friends!

I just wanted to say hello in there to all of you.  (John Prine reference)  Summertime is notoriously slow in L.A.  Most T.V. goes on hiatus which also tends to bring the commercial and V.O. opportunities down.  I’ve had a couple of small auditions, but nothing to write home about…or I would have.

I took meetings with a couple of theatrical agents here in town last week.  Both of them were really great guys and we hit it off well!  One has a conflict, however (someone who is my type), and I haven’t heard back from the other.  When you meet with an agent, he (or she) usually has to go and pitch you to the other agents at the firm, then they all decide who to bring in for a second interview.  And you don’t want to have 2 people of the same type on your “roster”.  They don’t want to have to split the auditions or have 2 of their clients competing for the same role all of the time.

My management is amazing…they got me a general audition with G. Charles Wright who casts the Middle on ABC.  It was just a get to know you kind of thing because they think I’d be right for the show.  He was really great.  Wore a seersucker jacket!!!  I want one!

Things should pick up mid-late August.  I hope you’ve gotten to see my Home Depot commercial.  I haven’t seen it yet, and I can’t find it on youtube.  I’ll be sure and post if anything starts to brew.  In the meantime, enjoy your summer!!!

DRIVE-BY Truckin’ Home Depot

Posted on May 18, 2010

Okay, so I’m running out of imaginative headings for these blogs.

Point being, my Drive-By Truckers video is up on Youtube and you can check it out here.  Please be advised that this is the EXPLICIT version!  I know some of you have a distaste for foul language, which I totally respect.  The clean version can be seen here.  I LOVE how it turned out!  It was great working with a hero of mine, Ray McKinnon, and my good friend, director Scott Teems.

I also booked a Home Depot commercial!!!!!  This is absolutely great!  I almost hit a spell with no commercials running…this hasn’t happened in 6 years!  But the day before I went to shoot Home Depot, an $11 residual check showed up in the mail from my old Honda spot that aired over the holidays…LOL!!!

The shoot was great.  2 days of drilling, sawing, and shopping.  Look for it to air sometime this summer.

This week I’m doing some photo double work for an AT&T commercial.  I’m not booked as principal talent on this one, so no residuals, but 2 days of work on set is still an excellent and well needed paycheck.  Also, if I’m truthful, I’m happy to accept the humility that it brings to not be the “talent” on set.  People treat you a lot differently, and it only takes a couple of times for the director to yell, “Can we get the REAL guys in here” for me to feel the pangs of my ego shrinking.  This is a great opportunity, not only just to be on set, and for the cash…but also for my character.  It wasn’t long ago that I was changing trash cans as a P.A., before that, working at a factory that makes milk jug caps, and before that, cleaning up after cows on the farm.  But a couple of national commercials later, a Comedy central pilot, and the Ghost Whisperer….it’s amazing to see how one’s feeling of importance can swell.  And I NEVER want to be one of those arrogant actors.  I trust that God and my friends and family…heck, even you guys reading this…will help me to keep that Matt Lowe from never seeing the light of day.  And no, that doesn’t count as me speaking of myself in the 3rd person.

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Smoked and AVAIL for Home Depot!!!

Posted on April 29, 2010

Hi all-

Been pretty busy lately.  I booked a webisode series called “Smoked” with some guys from Dreamworks.  Webisodes are short TV-style programs that are created for use on the internet.  Many producers are using this vehicle to launch their own shows in the hopes that it will gain a following on the web, and then become viable as a program on either a cable or a broadcast station.  There are a number of shows that started out this way on Comedy Central.  The most famous one probably being “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” on FX.

“Smoked” takes place in a marijuana dispensary, for the most part.  I’ve never been in one of those places before, but it’s totally surreal.  There is weed EVERYWHERE!  It totally smells like a college dorm room.  The story revolves around me, my sister, and our childhood friend, Ben.  There’s a ton of crazy characters that come in and out of the shop, and in the first few episodes, a proposed tax on our “product” leads to some pretty hilarious misadventures.  Jenn Gaw was the casting director, and her, my other actors, and the crew have become really good friends in a short amount of time.  5 shoot days, and 3 of them are night shoots.  That means my call time is around 8pm and we shoot til around 7 am.  Crazy, right?

Not to mention that on Wednesday morning I got home around 7am, slept for 4 hours, went to a Sears callback at 1pm, then a Home Depot callback at 3pm, then a short nap, then back to set at 8pm Wednesday night.

Hard to believe that under all that delirium I’m on AVAIL for the HOME DEPOT spot!!!  WooHoo!  Hope it works out.  It would shoot later next week.  I’m just kind of drilling and painting in the spot.  It doesn’t really call for my acting prowess, but the cash is green either way!   Prayers are totally welcomed!

Tonight is the last night of shooting for “Smoked”, then I go and record some more VO for Medal of Honor from 12-1pm tomorrow (Friday), and then I’m probably going to sleep all weekend.  Rip van Winkle style.

And not to beat a dead horse, but if you’re reading this and didn’t get a chance to see my Ghost Whisperer scenes, you can watch them here.

Thanks everyone!  Hope all is well with you guys!

Overwhelmed…in a great way.

Posted on April 11, 2010

“I just spent the night in the woods, is all.”

Well, the airing of Ghost Whisperer has come and gone.  I was truly overwhelmed by the response from everyone!  So many people contacted me…through this site and on facebook, to say hello and that they enjoyed the show, were proud of me, and to congratulate me.  It was really an amazing blessing to hear from so many people.  It was a dream come true to do this role, and to hear that family and friends were proud and happy…well, in a world full of a lot of disappointments and rejections…it made up for all of them!

As for myself, I was really happy with my work!  Being theatrically trained, I always have a concern that I’m going to give too “big” of a performance.  Big facial expressions, gestures, vocal projection.  But I thought the performance rang really true and honest.  I remember shooting it, and I had some real moments where the character just clicked.  I had amazing fellow actors, and the director established a really safe environment where we could try some different stuff and be free to create.

I think all of these things came through in the final product.

I will say that I thought some of the music and scoring was a bit distracting at times.  I realized that I hardly ever notice scoring on other shows, but it pulled my attention  from some of the scenes in the episode.

If you were unable to watch or record the episode, you can see it on a number of websites if you Google it.  The episode is called “Dead Eye”.  I’ll put it up on the site here in a couple of days.

Thank you all again for being such great supporters of me.  I’m really thankful for all of my family, and to the Johnson City Press and WJHL for getting the word out.

Blessings to you!  Keep checking back, I auditioned for some commercials this past week, and had 2 callbacks for feature films!!!

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