I'm Going to Be a SUPERSTAR!

(I hope when you read the title of this post, you got the mental image of Molly Shannon doing her character of Mary Katherine Gallagher from SNL)

Okay, maybe not a SUPERSTAR. But I did get offered my first major role in a feature film. My frequent collaborator and film mentor Kelly Schwarze has written a very funny comedy and offered me one of the leading roles (actually, he wrote the part with me in mind.) I can't give the story away but for those who love movies like "Office Space", this will be your kind of film. I read the script over the weekend and it made me laugh out loud. I can't wait to get started on this. We should start pre-production in February and filming after we wrap on "Vegas Schmegas" (we will finish re-shoots on that in March.)

Kelly decided that it was time to get back to just having fun, instead of worrying about commercial success (which hasn't really come with any of his previous feature films, although you can get one of his movies on Netflix, which to me is some sort of success even if there isn't any money in it). What's interesting to me is that I was thinking the same thing at the same time when I had a great idea for the movie that I'm currently writing. We both pitched our script ideas to one another the same day but Kelly got his done first. So if we can pull it all together we will make two feature films this year. (Mine will be financed mostly on credit cards, a la "Clerks".) Best of all, these films are really about getting our friends together and making a fun film, which is what I loved so much about "Supermodels", the love and generosity of time that everyone gave and the great time we had doing it.

Which got me to thinking about killing myself. No, not the way you think. See, when I write and direct I do it as Shae Wilhite. But when I do stand up I do it as Shae Denin (you can read why here). But which name would I act under? I guess Wilhite because that's what my IMDB profile is under and it would be simpler. But I loved being Shae Denin and there were a few years where that's really how I thought of myself. But now I think it's time to integrate my personalities and just be Shae Wilhite. I may use Denin occasionally when I do stand up but only with producers who already know me that way, for everything else I'll just be plain old me. I'll miss being Miss Denin though. She was a heck of a lot of fun.

Now I have to finish the script I'm working on so we can put it into production when we get finished with Kelly's film. And I have to start writing my acceptance speech for when I win all of those awards. "I'd like to thank the Academy for this award...and for making me a SUPERSTAR!"