Thousands Try for Role as an L.A. Actor

 by Barry Owens

There was no bit part, no walk-on, not even a slot as an extra for the thousands of actors who queued up outside the Tribeca Grand Hotel last month, in a line that coiled twice around the building, hoping for a 60-second audition.

Homemaker Linda Alexis awaits her turn to audition at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Photo: Allan Tannenbaum

The only reward for the lucky few who passed the audition would be a chance to audition again for-well, for a chance to go to yet more casting calls. But the eventual winner would stand in lines in sunny Los Angeles, live in a rent-free apartment with $50,000 in the bank, have the use of a car and work with an acting coach and publicist.

The winner would, in short, be afforded a chance to live comfortably as an out-of-work actor.

"Man, imagine that," said Joseph Arnone, a 26-year-old exterminator and aspiring actor from Queens who took the day off to audition.

It was a common refrain from those in line, many of whom said they had taken personal days or called in sick to work to attend the audition on Oct. 22.

The auditions were part of a talent search by cable network TNT for a dramatic actor or actress.

Five semi-finalists were to be chosen from each of three cities-Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York-to compete in a final audition in Los Angeles that would determine the winner.

A spokesman for the network, which bills itself as the "first and only network for drama," said there are no plans to broadcast the taped auditions and that the contest was simply a promotional effort to raise the network's profile.

"We're not here to humiliate or make fools of people," said Mark Pettit. "This is not a reality show."

Many of the actors' auditions were, however, shown on large monitors in the hotel's lounge. Those waiting for their turn before the judges could watch as fellow contestants either nailed a scene or struggled with their lines.

"I try not to watch," said Colleen Graham, an aspiring

Thousands lined up outside the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Photo: Allan Tannenbaum
actress who lives in Downtown's financial district. "I don't want it to influence my performance."

Others, too, couldn't bear to watch.

"Oh, no, he's losing confidence," a young woman stage-whispered to a friend as Kalif Johnson, a 21-year-old contestant from Philadelphia, stumbled over his lines and was forced to read from a script to complete his performance of a scene from the movie "Jerry Maguire."

"At least I stayed in character-kept my composure," he later said. "That should count for something."

Outside, hopefuls studied their lines, nervously chatted or hammed it up for roving TNT cameras.

Linda Alexis, a 59-year-old homemaker from Atlantic City, N.J., was hoping to start a new, more glamorous life in Hollywood.

"I've served my sentence, now it's my turn," she said.

There would be no trip to L.A. for 38-year-old Pierre Brown who had flown in from Miami, Fla., the night before.

"If I don't get the call-back, I'm headed from here to LaGuardia," he said. When his number was not called, Brown grabbed the bag he had stashed beneath his bar stool and made for the exit.

It was back to Miami for the part-time actor, who said he would be waiting for the phone to ring. If not an acting gig, perhaps the phone call would mean a day's work in his real-life role as substitute teacher.