SOME MAY CONSIDER THIS BACKGROUND. I'M JUST HAPPY THEY NEEDED AN ACTOR WHO COULD DRAW

Its nice getting a featured role, without actually realizing it till you see it at a screening. 

Who said going to art school wouldn't pay off... again. As showcased in this promo, tonight on TV LAND, I'm on TV! To be more precise, The Jim Gaffigan Show's 2nd season premiere's at 10/9C PM, and I have a featured role on it.

It's non-speaking mind you, but shall we say I am an integral part of the plot of the episode.
Of note, there are two shows premiering tonight, I actually think that the show I'm in might be airing 2nd, at 10:30/9:30C PM, cause I just checked the viewing guard, and the episode is listed at 10:30/9C entitled "The Trial"  so who knows. Heck watch them both. The man's funny, and the episode I'm in is hysterical, even if I wasn't in it I'd laugh. 
As soon as I get a few images of it, I'll add them to this blog. 
On Thursday night, June 16th, I was lucky enough to go to a screening of the episode, and afterwards, we the people in the audience were treated to an interview with the stars of the show, Jim Gaffigan and Ashley Williams who plays his wife on the series, and Jim's real wife, Jeannie Gaffigan the co-creator/co-writer of the series. And it was really interesting listening them discuss how they developed the series, and why it eventually landed on TV Land.

I don't want to give too much away, but, Jim writes a tweet that shall we say backfires badly. And he goes to jail, then trial, for it. Lots of guest stars appear including Judy Gold.
As for me, I was very lucky to  nab the assignment.  I actually worked on this three weeks before I played a Court Room Sketch artist on Bull, and on that I'm actually drawing.
On The Jim Gaffigan Show, I'm pretending I'm drawing. The art showcased was actually done by another artist. The funny part is that in order to get both jobs, I had to prove I could actually draw. I had to send samples, showcased what art supplies I used. Besides sending my head shots, I had to send pictures of my hands front and back.
It wasn't till I got to the set of The Jim Gaffigan show, did I realize I wasn't gonna be doing the art. I also was told to bring my own art supplies, and once I got there was also given art tools to work with. 
The highlight of the entire shoot was at the end. As everyone else wrapped, I was told to go to set. I actually thought I was just picking up my own art supplies I had left there. But instead once I arrived, I discovered that I was gonna be the star of the show. So I was directed to sit in my spot, and prepare to well act. I was now confronted with 3 cameras facing me, One aimed at me from the front and the other cameras were behind me to see what I was was pretending to draw, and a third angled on the side for another perspective. So now, instead of actors seated where they performed during the scenes we were added sequences to, the people behind the camera were now in their place, telling me how to react to what was occurring. For example, instead of Judge Judy old occupying the judge's chair, sat the director. And they all were telling me where to sit and how to react to what I was pretending to be capturing on my sketch pad. It was like watching film clips of the making of Silent Movies and you see the director barking at orders to the actor on camera. Neil now look at the judge, now look at the defendant, now look at Jim. Draw. Draw. Draw. All in all we spent approximately 20 minutes shooting me. I wish I could get that video. And then my job was done, they yelled thats a wrap, and they seemed happy with what I did, so I was happy. 
Whats fun for me now is seeing how they edited the show together and to discover how I was featured in the plot of the episode. And for once in this gig, I wasn't just a blur or an accidental sighting in the movie, I like to call Where's Neil?
The other funny part in all this, was when I got the call to work on the pilot of Bull, which actually occurred weeks before the Jim Gaffigan call, I never thought that 3 weeks after filming the Court Room scenes in The Jim Gaffigan Show, I would return to the same Court Room in Yonkers, New York to film another court room scene there for Bull. And in fact it was the exact same Court Room! I guess small world, right? I just hope I get as much screen time in that episode, as I got I this one. 
So you see dad, sometimes your son can be right. When I decided to ditch my music future, my dad's idea for a way for me to make a living, instead to try to become an artist. Once I was accepted in The High School of Art and Design, I knew some day that my decision would turn out to be the right one. I just never knew that being an artist would help me land a non-speaking featured role on a national television show. I guess dreams can come true, even if not in the ways that you imagined them to be.

Until next time,
Neil