Hi Glenn and all,
Thank you for the story. I have often wondered the same thing
myself. I have a few theories having known actors. Many actors I have
known are really insecure people and I think they often turn to acting
to find a more confident alter ego. However, the dichotomy of that is
that the acting and entertainment business is the most insecure
business I have ever known. There are many "unknown" actors that end
it all, sometimes because they feel they just are never going to
"make" it. For many, having steady gigs isn't enough. They want to be
famous and, in their minds, only that fame equates success. Being able
to pay the bills and live comfortably isn't enough.
Being here in Hollywood, I have many actors and other entertainment
people as customers and friends. I hear a lot of stories. I have
several customers that I have known for 20 years, watched their
careers go up and down and either fizzle out or skyrocket. That's
Hollywood!! Look at you Glenn, you have had success as an actor and
when things weren't "happening" you took a 9-5 job. But you kept at it
and kept your head about you at the same time. Now, you've written a
script that has brought you some good cash, but more importantly
validated your efforts and is being produced with a healthy budget and
well known actors. That is a true success story to me (I'm proud of you!).
There is always, of course, just the simple fact that young actors
often party a lot, stay out all night long and then need "drugs" to
keep them awake, asleep, whatever, to exist. They get hooked on that
cycle and drugs alter your personality. You start making choices that
sometimes aren't rational. You often take more drugs because normal
dosages aren't working for you. Hey, I grew up in the crazy town and
have hung out at the clubs on the strip since I was a teenager. I've
seen a lot of stuff and some of it pretty shocking. When I worked in
the film business I was offered cocaine as payment when the producers
ran out of money. I have been in editing rooms where there was a table
of "coke", and other assorted sundries, and people just lined up to
take some often because we were pulling all nighters to get the job
done. This story doesn't just happen in the entertainment business.
It's all over. It's just your choice to do it or don't. That's it. It
isn't always a easy choice for various reasons, but it is "your"
choice. The killer for me is that I worked with some really talented
people that "screwed" up their lives with drugs. That's a waste to me.
There are thousands of actors that don't get into drugs or if they
have tried it or whatever, they don't let it get out of control.
Really we hear about the handful that did let it get out of control.
Monroe, Belushi, etc., it goes way back. I think these people had it
in their personality. I think they would have felt "it wasn't enough"
whether they were an actor or a plumber. However, if they were a
plumber they might not have been surrounded by the temptations and
availability of drugs. Who really knows? Life makes no promises but it
does give us all choices. Happy day all..........
Sue Heim
www.hollywoodpsterframes.com <http://www.hollywoodpsterframes.com>
(800) 463-2994
----- Original Message -----
From: Glenn Taranto <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 12:18 AM
Subject: [MOPO] Heath Ledger - Actors and Drugs (Off Topic)
Dear MOPO friends,
I wanted to post something about Heath Ledger's death but needed
to make sure I had some time to do it. This is a long post so you
may feel free to delete. Perhaps you will take a moment...
This thing about actors and drugs is something that has haunted me
for years.
I was on the high school newspaper at a time when Saturday Night
Live was in its infant stages and also at its height.
I thought I'd be cute and told my teacher I wanted to go to New
York and interview John Belushi.
She said, if you can get him to agree you can go. I guess she
figured it would never happen.
I called NBC from the office phone and actually got to talk to
Belushi. He said they were going to go to New Orleans in a couple
of weeks to do a show and when they got back we could set
something up.
Naturally everyone thought this was a big deal and they couldn't
wait for me to talk to him next.
I anxiously waited for that New Orleans show to come along. Jerry
Lewis' Broadway show Hellzapoppin' was supposed to have a big
special on that Sunday but when the show closed before it opened
NBC was left with a big gapping hole in their schedule. So they
sent the SNL crowd to New Orleans.
From what I read it was quite a party. The show, as I remember
was not that good. I suspect it had something to do with the fact
that a lot of partying was going on. The Tuesday following I
called NBC again and once again, miraculously, was put through to
John Belushi. The conversation was brief and I could tell that
this was not the "same" John Belushi I had spoken with before. He
was a different person. Seemingly not as upbeat.
He politely refused my request for an interview saying he'd been
misquoted enough in the press. When I pointed out that this was a
high school paper he stated the same and said he wasn't going to
do any more interviews. Thus ended my brush with Belushi and my
hope of going to New York to see SNL.
Later when I got to know Dan Ackroyd's father through a mutual
friend he intimated that was how Belushi was. Often fueled by
drugs he could be one person one day and another person the next.
He said if I had called on Wednesday instead of Tuesday Belushi
might have said yes.
Five years later, in 1982, when I heard Belushi died of drugs I
wasn't surprised. It was almost as if that was where he was headed
anyway. A disappointment certainly but not a surprise.
I've never done anything stronger than aspirin. Subsequently I
never got the whole drug thing.
A year and half later, in 1983, I was working for the accounting
firm Touche Ross. It was without a doubt one of the most
depressing jobs I've ever had. Way down deep in the bowels of the
Capitol building in New York There were two older
women, different as night and day. Iris, the tough old Irish
broad, and Irene, the well-dressed, gentile Jewish lady. As nice
as these two women were to me this was not a job for a young man.
Getting slips of paper from accountants and finding the file, then
replacing the file, then getting the file, then replacing the
file, then, well, you get the idea.
I would sit there hoping each audition I went on would help rescue
me from this miserable existence. One day, on the radio, came the
announcement that a rising young actor by the name of James Hayden
died of a drug overdose.
I had seen James Hayden in two plays, AMERICAN BUFFALO, the one he
was currently starring in, and just a few months earlier as
Rudolpho in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE. His performance as Rudolpho
was heartbreaking. I knew here was an actor of great importance.
Just beginning his career and soon to be someone everyone would know.
When I saw him in AMERICAN BFFALO his ability was cemented for me.
There comes a time in many an actor's life when they realize. OK,
maybe I have some talent but THAT guy is an actor! That's how I
felt about James Hayden. The same way I felt when
I saw a 21 year-old Sean Penn in a play called HEARTLAND. There's
something special there. I wish I had whatever that was.
And when I heard James Hayden had died from a drug overdose it
caused me to wonder very deeply, what is it that he had, that I
wanted that wasn't enough for him? He's starring on Broadway in a
play with Al Pacino making 15 hundred dollars a week. I'm stuck
here in the basement at this lousy job with these two old women.
If anyone should be putting a needle in his arm it's me.
I was haunted by all these thoughts for quite a long time.
Unfortunately, to a lesser degree, I still am. Now that, once
again, drugs, whether intentional or not have claimed Brad Renfro
and Heath Ledger these thoughts come racing back to me. What is
that they have, that I want, that's not enough for them.
Now these questions go far deeper than just fame, fortune and the
chance to be in prestigious projects. It goes to the heart of life
and living. Enjoying what we have. What we've been given. Enjoying
the journey, the people we meet and the friends we make. The rest,
as they as they say, is bullshit.
Now the irony of it all. In 1991 I wrote, directed and starred
in a play that more or less dealt with my feelings about James
Hayden's death. After struggling in New York for ten years I
finally got an agent who a year later asked if I wanted to move to
LA to try my hand in television. I did and I've been here ever since.
New York or LA there's been some success mostly it's all been a
very, very, VERY difficult career. And through it all no drugs of
any kind.
Unfortunately Heath Ledger's death will not prevent another
successful young actor from O'Ding. That's the sad part for me.
There will always be a successful actor who finds something
missing in his life and will hope what ever he's looking for will
come in the form of some kind of drug. And always there will be
another young actor with less talent but with equal or greater
desire to have that career left wondering what is it that they
have, that I want, that isn't enough for them?
Glenn T.
----- Original Message -----
From: Joseph Bonelli <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Heath Ledger 1979-2008
Latest press releases (I'm at work at a New Orleans public
radio station) say that the apartment was not owned by
M.K.Olsen-- that's an official Olsen announcement.
Joe B in NOLA
PS-- Can't get over the shock at the death of this fine young
actor.
Susan Heim <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote:
I just saw that he was found in the apartment of Mary Kate
Olson who was out of town. What a tragedy to such a young
life.
Sue Heim
www.hollywoodposterframes.com
<http://www.hollywoodposterframes.com/>
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Del Belso <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Heath Ledger 1979-2008
Yes, this a shocker. My jaw dropped when i read your
message. What a pity...he was such a talented guy.
Richard Del Belso
> Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:55:25 -0500
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: [MOPO] Heath Ledger 1979-2008
> To: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
>
> A shocker:
>
> Academy Award nominated Heath Ledger found dead
today, age 28. Here's a
> link:
>
> http://www.tmz.com/
>
> Scott
> MoPo List Owner
>
> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com
>
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