The Joys of Playing an Old Lady in a Commercial

Now I can say, been there, done that. Yesterday I shot a commercial in Silicon Valley for a start-up in the diabetes space. I played the TV watching lady of a certain age with clicker who turns to the camera and says her piece about this new diabetes home delivery service. I was paired with a beautiful older actress, Carolyn, who did the exact same shots...Here's the idea: the company will most likely test market both of our faces to diverse groups...Carolyn has that wonderful lean, angular elder lady with steel gray hair look (think Jamie Lee Curtis, the old Candy Bergen, a bit of Dame Judy Dench), and I have that Latina/notsurewhatshe is look. I have a feeling my market's bigger! They may want to do it again in Spanish.

About the age I play - I am not as old as I portrayed: According to the client, I look like the "aspirational" age 65. "You look the way someone would aspire to look at 65." Well, if he says so. He also told me that he and the director had looked at 60 actors' headshots before selecting the two of us! (Thank you, Eduardo Soler Photography.)

We shot in a simple California tract house, in the living room, and had hair and make-up by Erica Carr (see her make-up portfolio at www.ericacarr.com) , who is on the move, in movies and HDTV from the Bay Area to LA to NY. She did a real number on my skin - first using a thick French moisturizer, which she applied with a brush, and it felt like bathing in velvet. Then she airbrushed my entire face, literally blowing the silken foundation by Mac onto me from an airbrush machine! That's different - the theory being that by air brushing onto your skin, it air brushes away any imperfections, and this was an HD shoot, and that way I would look flawless. And, I did. She did a number on my eyes, but I am a "waterer," so she had to redo them a few times. Green eye shadow, something I've never tried, and fuller lips (was there a plumper in there?).

As for hair, she went in with that curling iron, like Karen of Davis, and made my hair look perfect from every angle. Thanks again Matine, for this ideal long-lasting cut.

The shoot went beautifully. I had arrived with various wardrobe selections, and they went for the plum flowing Eileen Fisher jacket and the multicolored Pashmina wool shawl my brother gave me last Christmas. The shawl, however, became my background, as they draped it over the large white chair I was sitting on to make a superb multicolor background in pinks and purples. Thanks, Charlotte, for the Chinese collar jacket (second time I used it in a film) and Tony, for the great shawl.

They fed us a lovely lunch in the garden, ordered from Andronico's - you can still get a real (not roll) turkey sandwich at A's.

My part was taped after lunch...I prefer before. That way you don't have to worry about your teeth and a little burp in between your words...Got it done in 3 takes.

I felt so good afterwards that I took the top down and drove the Miata to Santa Cruz for an afternoon beach walk and sunset view. The balmy weather had brought out everyone from newborn to 90. What a place! Have never seen so much boating activity in the harbor, by the lighthouse, which was being decorated for Christmas.

Stay tuned for photos of my wondrous day...