And We'll Have A Real Good Time,

The title of this entry is ironic. Today would have been the eighth or ninth shooting day for me in "the Nest." It was going to be a good time; a "real good time." I had worked a few days already, and it was pretty damned awesome. The people I was working with were awesome. Tina Fey took time to chat with me. It was a lot of fun, and I was looking forward to having an exciting summer with them.

Then all hell broke loose.

Never wanted to give a ring to someone so badly.

My husband got sick and ended up in the hospital. He is still here, in the CCU at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital. He is on a respirator, heavily sedated. He has ben this way since last Wednesday. Today is day ten. I haven't left the hospital, really. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting by his side right now as I type this.

I pulled myself from "The Nest," as I wanted to be by his side for everything. I want to be here when he wakes up. I feel horrible that I'm not with my children, but my mom is there for them and my sister is in town. Once he wakes up and is off of the vent, I will be better. I will be able to walk away for a little while during the day. But I need to be here now.

I don't think I will ever work in front of the camera again. I am very fortunate that I am able to be here and work from the hospital. I literally got 2 kids cast on "The Blacklist" in the past hour. Talent Management is my calling. I'm good at it, and I can do it form anywhere-- quite literally.

So, my dear reader. please keep my husband and my family in your prayers. The entertainment industry doesn't stop for anyone. After all, "the show must go on." Fortunately, my show can go on by my husband's side-- Where I need to be.

So, Let Me...

Wow. Two blog posts from me in one day. How lucky are you?

I'm writing this blog entry because I got a letter from the Better Business Bureau from a mom that is angry that I removed her children from my talent roster. The reason I removed her children is because statements she made about her 13 year old daughter made me extremely uncomfortable. I don't want to deal with someone that makes me uncomfortable. They are, after all, representing my company when they go to auditions.

I have over 85 people on my talent roster. I am posting this so that they can respond to the allegations that Ms. Beer makes against me and my company. Once it is published on the Better Business Bureau website, I will be suing her for libel.

Here is the letter I received from the BBB of Metro NY:

You can click on it to make it bigger. Once it goes live on the BBB website, I will link it. I made my own notes in it.  This is the response that I sent to the BBB:

Ms. Beer made comments to me about her 13 year old daughter, which made me very uncomfortable. She referred to her daughter as an "adult" when I called her a child, insisted that she wear makeup to an audition, and referred to her as being "of child bearing age." I felt as though the child's welfare would be compromised, and Ms. Beer would do anything to get her daughter cast, especially since she bragged how her 13 year old was "constantly mistaken for being at least 16." I have been in this industry a long time, and I know that women are taken advantage of, promised stardom in return for sexual favors. I do not want to be responsible for any situation that Ms. Beer may put her daughter in.

As Ms. Beer stated, I refunded her $50 fee for each child ($100 total) immediately and removed them both from my roster. There never was a signed contract, as neither on of her children earned the minimum $750 required to enter into a one year contract. Ms. Beer continued to email, call and text me. I filed a complaint for aggravated harassment with the 5th precinct of Suffolk County, and they furthered the complaint to the Shrewsbury Police Department. (I am happy to scan copies of this complaint and police report.) 

As for making promises and not delivering, that is completely and totally untrue. People on my talent roster get work all the time, and I have plenty of people that will speak on my behalf. You can view the work that I am casting my talent in at http://www.facebook.com/CainCastingLI.

Ms. Beer threatened me. She threatened to defame my company if I didn't add her children back to my roster. I work with parents that will do anything for their children; not parents who will do anything to get their children famous. I truly feel that Ms. Beer would put the ideas of fame and fortune before the welfare of her children, and I will not work with someone like that.

I do not have any money or personal property from Ms. Beer. I did a lot of work for her two children, yet did not keep any of the money to cover my costs or time. It is my company and my choice not to work with her.

A note to all parents reading this: ALWAYS put your children first. Don't compromise their welfare to make them famous. Putting a 13 year old in makeup and a mini-skirt just spells trouble.

Rather than telling you all about the different projects that I have gotten talent on my roster involved in, I invite them to comment and "testify" for themselves.

Enjoy.

-C

And If You're Real Good...

Okay, so I suck at keeping New Year's Resolutions. I said my resolution was to keep up my blogs. Well, that sort of didn't happen. But, I've got a really good reason for it... Lots of reasons, actually. I can just sum it all up by saying that I've been really busy. Not your normal, everyday mom type of busy.. I've been busier than Obama. At least he gets to play gold every now and again. (Not that I even like golf, but you catch my drift.) With working from home, running three companies, keeping up with my kids and getting in front of the camera every now and again, I have barely had time to breathe. I even started an eBay venture, trying to declutter my home and make some money for a Disney vacation. (So far, we bought the plane tickets...) Yeah, I've been inhumanly busy. The only person that I can think of that might be as busy as I am is my best friend Mechelle, but she doesn't have kids. She knows what it's like to be a business owner, though.

Okay, so I digress... This blog is supposed to be about me and the entertainment industry.  Today, I once again worked as the double for Camryn Manheim. I love Camryn Manheim. I think she's a great actress. I hope that I get to meet her some time. I need to get my 76 SAG days (or $18,000 for the year) so that I get my vested credit, which is why I'm doing some on camera stuff.

But, I've got a secret...

I like casting better.

There, I said it. 

I LIKE CASTING BETTER!!!!!!!!!

No, I actually LOVE casting. And I'm actually really, really good at it. For example, I cast eleven kids and one adult to work on Monday. I've got nine of those kids on a movie with Sarah Silverman, and the other three people are on a network TV show. They're thrilled. And seeing them thrilled makes me ridiculously happy.

To me, casting is like a puzzle. I'm given a list of different parts that I have to fill. I go through my roster to see who can fill what, then submit it to the casting director. The casting director sees if they agree with me, then they pass it on to the director. The director selects who the final cast is. I got 11 people cast to work paid jobs on Monday.

Excuse me while I pat myself on the back...

But, that's not just it. I've gotten a LOT of people a LOT of work. I'm teaching people about the industry that I love. I am helping kids build their college funds. I'm having a really good time doing it all, too. Whether it's for TV or film or even print work, I'm having a blast getting people work, giving kids experiences, and watching it all unfold in the final projects. For example, I cast a TON of people on Investigation Discovery's Deadly Sins. It is so cool to watch my talent on screen. And I know how exciting it is for them, too. That just makes it even better for me.

Someone sent me an email tonight saying, "I'm impressed with how much work you are getting your talent." Isn't that what a talent manager is supposed to do? I don't know why people are so surprised when others get cast. It's my JOB to get my talent cast. That's what they pay me for. Why would I take their money and run? That's what a lot of scam companies do, but certainly not me.

So, that's it. My bragging blog post. You can take a look at Cain Casting & Talent Management, if you'd like. And, if you want to work in the entertainment industry, you can also register and give it a shot.

I'm Very Versatile

Me. Fabulous me.

I am sitting in my car on the set of a movie as I write this blog entry. I have been working on the Warner Brothers production Run All Night for the past few days. It is a lot of fun being back on a movie set-- I haven't been on a big budget movie set since for more than one day since I filmed Not Another Teen Movie in 2001. After that, I did TV shows and low budget flicks.

Everyone has been asking me how I booked this job. To be completely honest with you, I am really focused on getting the talent registered with Cain Casting work. In order to do that, I need to register with a variety of websites so that I can access breakdowns and submit people for consideration. Before I fully register my talent, I see if the site is legit and effective by creating a profile for myself and submitting myself for a variety of projects.

One of these websites is Casting Networks, which is owned by Central Casting. I used to do extra work with them in LA, which gave me my start in TV. I did not register with Central Casting before registering on Casting Networks. This website has principal roles as well as background work listed, and everything in between. There are print jobs, commercials, film, etc for pay and no pay. It depends on what you are submitted for.

So, I created a Casting Networks account. I saw a lot of featured extra work, so I submitted myself for a few things. Shockingly, I was snatched up immediately by Kee Casting for a movie called Life Itself for a featured role. Well, I got there and, just like Staten Island Summer, the part was cut. I ended up playing one of the pedestrians walking by Morgan Freeman & Diane Keaton on the street. I don't do anything special-- just walk by. That was last Friday.

I went into NYC for a big audition for an industrial video that shoots for 3 days in San Francisco. I had time, so I went over to Central Casting and registered. (Personally, I think extra work is fun. I like to meet people. Plus, I'm pretty good at networking.) Make no mistake-- I do not want to do a lot of extra work. However, I will certainly do it if the opportunity arises, especially since I found out that any money I earn from extra work counts toward my pension with the Screen Actors Guild AND for health insurance. (I currently have my health insurance through my husband's job, but Obamacare is going to force us into the government system in a few years.) So, yeah, it would be stupid of me to turn my nose up again ANY work if if means security for me and my family in the future.

But, I digress.

Me and my kids.

When I got home, I received a text message asking me if I got the email to work night. I didn't. The text message told me to report to set and bring my blue Mazda to be a picture car. I said okay. Later on, an email arrived in my inbox, telling me where to go and to bring winter clothes. I confirmed everything and headed to the location. Incidentally, this is also the day that my daughter lost her first tooth, so it was a happy day.

I parked my car and went to holding, where I saw Anthony, the adorable PA from Staten Island Summer! We chatted for a few hours, and then I was sent home. They never got to the scene, as it sometimes happens. I was instructed to come back the next night with the Mazda.

I arrived the next night with the Mazda, which is parked next to the main character's house. It has been established on camera, so it MUST be in every shot outside the house. EVERY. SCENE.

Without me, by the way.

I was used briefly in a shot with the second unit, but I personally was not really established on camera. But my

car is. I was wrapped at 6:30am, got home in time to kiss my kids and send them off to school, and went to bed at . I woke up at, took a shower, saw my kids for a little, and headed back to set for a 6:00pm call time.

I got to set, grabbed some dinner, and put my car in its place. I've been sitting in my car for the past 3 hours. They are shooting behind me and can't see me in the car. That's fine-- it is freaking freezing outside.

Me in a cop uniform. Why? Stay tuned.

My hope is that they see what a great sport I've been and keep bringing me back. They are shooting some interiors tonight, so I am pretty sure they won't use me for that. Fortunately, I was given a call sheet for today and can cross off what they have finished. I truly have no idea as to how long I will be here, but I am so okay with that.

I really want to lead by example for the talent I manage. There was a guy on set last night that just complained and moaned... It sucked. I mean, be thankful for the work. Have a good attitude on set-- these crew guys (especially the PAs) have enough stress and don't need to listen to an extra --excuse me, background artist-- gripe. There are 17,000 other people ghost would give their left arm to be in your position. Be grateful. Do what you're told. Have a positive attitude.

That's all you need to get ahead. Oh, and some talent, of course.

Let Me Make You Smile

My headshot from 2001, my LA days.

Have I mentioned that I love the entertainment industry? I really do. Even all of the crap that comes with the people that think they're the hottest poop out of God's rear end-- I just love it. (And, yes, I wrote poop. I have 5 year old twins, remember?) Granted, I make fun of those self-important celebrity wannabes... I still love it. Those types of people give me plenty of writing material.

My maiden name is Cook. When I did my stint in Los Angeles back in 2001 - 2004, I went by my maiden name. Now I'm Candice Cain-- Yes, Candy Cain. It's my married name. I didn't choose it. My husband chose me, and I am old-fashioned so I took his last name. (Hey, it could have been worse. In college, I was friends with a guy named Cody Landis. If that led somewhere, I could have been Candice Landis.) So, when people try to do research on Candy Cain, they usually find all sorts of drag queens and porn stars-- So they think I'm full of crap. They treat me like garbage. Essentially, they have no idea who they are dealing with.

Then, when I tell them that I worked as an actress and used the name Candice Cook, and they do that research... Well, their tune changes. It's kind of comical really. I love watching people treat me like crap, knowing full well that they are going to eat crow once it dawns on them that they are looking up the wrong name. Sometimes I hand them the ketchup.

I'm nice to people that I like. I really am. I bend over backwards to help people. People I don't like? Well... That is an entirely different story. I might look sweet and people might tell you that I'm really nice, but I'm not. I'm sweet and nice to the people that I like. Otherwise, I'm incredibly condescending and sarcastic. I'm working on it, though. I really am.

In short, I've got an over-the-top personality. Everyone that knows me knows this. Other people, however, are somehow shocked. I don't know why. I'm larger-than-life to begin with. I'm 5'9" tall (plus half an inch-- but who is counting?) and I'm a plus-sized woman. (I'm working on that, too, though.) However, in the entertainment industry, this works to my advantage.

Big Hair? Check. Big Hips? Check.

A couple of weeks ago, I was going through the breakdowns for my talent roster. I saw a casting call for a woman with "big hair, big hips and a big personality." Honey, you can't get much bigger than me. That is exactly the way I started out my letter to the casting director, none other than the fabulous Desiree Kennedy. I was called that afternoon to come in for an audition the next day. I wore an orange shirt, black capris and my sandals-- And I did my hair rather big. (Take a look at the photo to the right.) I headed on into NYC and met Desiree. She's a doll-- We hit it off right away, talking about our names. (I went through a time when I was younger where I wouldn't answer to any name but Desiree, which was my great-grandma's name.)  

My go-see consisted of me pretending to bowl in front of a cool photographer. I didn't get his name, and was in and out pretty quickly. I was the biggest, baddest broad there-- All of the other women were skinny minnies. I felt like a fish out of water, and figured I wasn't going to get the part. Heck, I didn't even know what it was for-- Only that it was a paying gig for a nutritional company that could turn into a national print campaign. It was easy. It was fun. And, yes, I'd totally do it again.

You can imagine my surprise when my phone rang late the next day, and it was Desiree calling me to tell me that they wanted me for the shoot. I was going to be a "avid bowler" for a... get this... Metamucil print ad!!! 

Metamucil??? ME??? I'm 36!

Yeah, that was my thought process. However, I am certainly aware that fiber is for everyone. The majority of Americans do not have enough fiber in their diet. As a matter of fact, I actually do drink a fiber drink each day. It's good for your heart, circulatory system, digestive tract, etc.

But, I digress. 

I landed the gig and headed into NYC for the shoot on Monday. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! The photographer that took the test shots of me was the photographer-- a hysterical guy named Steve Lesnick. Not only is he a really cool dude, he's a fantastic photographer. I got into my outfit, hair and makeup, picked up my bowling ball and had an absolute blast shooting with him. I've never, ever, ever worked with such a fantastic photographer before.

As a matter of fact, the whole crew was fantastic: Marissa, Lana, Cecily, Steve and, of course Desiree. The time just flew by. We had a lot of laughs, and now need to wait and see if the pics are used by Metamucil for their national print campaign.

Me in First Magazine - March 2012

This was my first big step back in front of the camera. I mean, I did a makeover shoot in the beginning of 2012 for First For Women Magazine, but that was just using average people and unpaid. Anyone could have submitted for that and gotten chosen.  

This job was different. I was chosen from other talent that had submitted to be a part of the shoot. I worked with a casting director, producer, photographer and crew. I was paid for what I did. It was a professional job.

And I loved every minute of it.

Landing this gig gave me confidence. It reminded me of what I used to do before I had kids, and even before I got married. I'm really good in front of the camera. I also happen to be good behind the scenes. Now I'm working where I'm actually able to do both. Life is good.