argh lobsters...

Today we are shooting a scene of me cooking live lobsters! Argh. For some reason those creatures give me the heeby jeebie's.

The only time I have ever dealt with live ones was at Ballymaloe, and we killed them in the most humane way possible which is placing them into a pot of cold water and bringing it to the boil. That way, they fall into a coma and die peacefully. 

However, I don't remember them being too happy about it. They were thrashing about in the pots, and the lids kept flying off. Dierdre and I were jumping and shreeking every 5 seconds! 

I am sure that once the camera's are rolling I will focus and get on with the job, but I can't help feeling like I am going to be eaten alive by THEM.....not the other way round.

Gulp.

Method

So its all started now. This film deal.

I am out of the plush hotel and am now immersed into the world of method acting.

On Monday at precisely 8.50am I was picked up from the hotel, driven to a top secret location (the house where the film is set) put my chef whites on (which have been dyed a delicious skin colour) and the director announced 'action'.

I met my fellow actors for the first time on camera which was very surreal. METHOD!

So day 3 and i'm cooking up a storm. A lot of hanging around though.....

and....ACTION!

Hi hi,

So I got here in one piece. Seriously, the overnight train from Paddington to Penzance is hilarious! You get your own little cabin with TV and all, it even has a fold away sink for you to spit your toothpaste into. I had a very strange old man in the next cabin who clearly liked having a good old chat with himself every 5 minutes, with A LOT of unnecessary sighing and spluttering. Heh.

Anywho I got to sleep and kept thinking I was going to wake up in India on the train from the Darjeeling Limited, but no, I woke up to misty grey cornish skies. Hopped on the helicopter with 17 OAP's (with some serious bird watching equipment in tow) and 20 minutes later I ended up on Tresco. Helicopter flew very low.....but was quite exciting really. My tractor was waiting for me.

The island is amazing, full of all these different palm trees and exotic plants. I met the producer and line producer but my arrival is top secret, because Joanna (director) doesn't want the actors to meet me until Sunday. As a consequence, I have ended up in the plush hotel. Such a hard life. Yup, I got king size bed, Sky TV, amazing view from my garden....yup you heard, garden. It's luxury. Just as I thought things couldn't get any better, there was a knock at the door with a girl standing there with a bottle of champagne! She put it down in the room and then realised I was on my own, and gave me a slightly strange look. 'Thanks very much, that'll do nicely' I said. So this afternoon I have to have a huge lunch, and then my schedule is to down a bottle of champers for 1 and pass out....same for tomorrow too. Shucks.

Haaaaa. This acting malarky is a joke! 

So hope you are not all too jealous. Oh, and the sun is shining, and it's warm.

Blog neglect

I forgot about my blog. I did. For 7 months.

It's not funny, but it's true. 

Anyway, to pick up where I left off:

I went to Ireland for 3 months to Ballymaloe cookery school. Had an amazing time, learnt loads, met some lovely people.

Since then, I've been working as a freelance cook doing a variety of jobs from cooking for Cowes Sailing regatta, Force India F1 team, private cooking for families on holiday, kids parties etc etc.

I joined loads of cooking agencies in London. This job came up (which I misread as cooking for a crew on a film set) so I went along to the interview, and there was a camera in the room. It turned out that it was to 'play'  the part of a cook in a feature film?!

 Anywho, had the 2nd interview and mentioned that I trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama on the 3 year acting course......and got the job!

 It is 7 weeks filming on Tresco (Isles of Scilly) and I am cooking in the film. The Story is about a dysfunctional family who employ a cook when they go on holiday.....the rest is a mystery!