State of the Schwarz Part 2: The Future

Like any good story teller, last night's post was essentially about setting the stage. Now, with the stage set, let's take a look at the immediate future for Slic' Ric.

First and foremost, I'm physically, mentally, and spiritually, light years ahead of where I was at this point last year. Physically, I'm in the best shape I've been in since Freshman year of college when I took the flag football world by storm. Mentally, I'm still as sharp as a tack. Spiritually speaking, despite what people think, God and I are still pretty tight. That being said, I wouldn't exactly put me in the saint category just yet.

My film career, considering how completely random and unexpected it was, has gotten off to a great start. I'm definitely looking to build off of this momentum and I've got a plan. I thought I was done with Hall Pass but they contacted me this afternoon about doing some work Thursday and Friday night. If they would have asked me to work Saturday I would have politely declined due to prior commitments but this works out well. Big Momma's House 3, starring Martin Lawrence, just started filming in the Atlanta area as well and I'm pretty confident I can get some work on that movie too. This is all great exposure but being an extra/stand-in isn't going to get me to Hollywood. You're not going to see my name on the marquee as a lake party extra. If you know me, whether you love me or you hate me, you know that I'm an "all or nothing" kind of guy. It's go big or go home. I firmly believe I was born to "put an ass every 18 inches," to quote Cowboy Bill Watts, in some capacity. Taking this career, which is in its infancy stages, to the next level requires several things.

1) Stage Name: I have decided on Ric Starr (as mentioned in the tease from last night). Weazle you will receive royalties off of this if I ever do hit it big. It's short, simple, and rolls off the tongue (that's what she said). There's also a back story to it, plus I can still use the Slic' Ric nickname. I tried it originally as Rick Star but apparently there is some magician with that name. So, naturally like so many people do in the film and television industry, I decided to spell a normal name a little differently. It wasn't hard. Drop the 'k' and add an 'r.' Now you have Rick Schwarz, aka Ric Starr. I know we have some creative people in the blogosphere so if you have a better idea you can put it in the comments section and I will take it under consideration. Honestly though, I'm pretty set on Ric Starr. It's got everything you need in a stage name.

2) Business Cards/Head shots: Now that I have a stage name I can get business cards. For a truly professional business card though, I'll need to have some head shots taken. Hi ohhhhhhhhh!!!!!! The head shots are also necessary because in order to audition for parts you generally have to send in head shot photos. I plan on getting these in May or June because I need a little more time for the scar above my eye to heal.

3) Agent: Getting extras and stand-in roles is something I can pull off on my own through research and networking. However, to get the bigger and better speaking roles, it helps to have an agent. Right now I have People Store, an Atlanta based talent agency, at the top of my list. I've spoken with some people about the agent issue and People Store has received some pretty favorable reviews. The problem with getting an agent is that you have to have some kind of training or acting experience, which leads me to #4.

4) Acting Classes: I'm convinced, after watching wrestling for almost 20 years, that I don't need acting lessons. If I can carry out a bionic elbow from dirty Dusty Rhodes or cut a 2-3 minute promo on virtually anything, I'm pretty sure I can recite a Shakespearean monologue without any problems. Unfortunately talent agents don't share those same feelings. As a result, I have sent in my application to Nick Conti's Professional Actor's Studio here in Buckhead. If accepted, I will begin taking acting classes one night a week from 7:30-9:30, four times a month, starting in May. I am fully prepared to catch shit for this but it's a means to an end.

So now that we've planned out my acting career for the next couple of months, let's see what else is on the docket.

Tomorrow night Pmac and myself are going to be in attendance at Turner Field for the Braves-Phillies game. The pitching match-up looks like it's going to be Hudson v. Halladay so it should be pretty good.

This weekend I'll be in Athens for the Twilight Criterium although in all honesty I could give a damn about the bicycle race. Some people think it's the coolest thing ever but I just don't get it. Those of you that are fans are welcomed to prove your point. Twilight however is the only night of the year the ACC police lift the open container ban downtown. That usually leads to some interesting developments. I don't expect this year to be any different. BB, get ready!

Next Tuesday I'm looking to attend the my first Jimmy Buffett concert at Lakewood Amphitheatre. I'm not a big concert guy but I am a Parrothead so I'd really like to see JB before he retires, which cannot be far off.

The next season of Big Brother is also currently accepting audition videos through the end of April. Unlike The Real World, there are no age restrictions for Big Brother so I'm currently working on some material for a minute and a half long promo that I can submit. When it's done you will all be able to see it.

That takes us to the busy month of May.

May 1st starts the month off right with the Kentucky Derby and Mayweather/Mosely fight. I'll be dressed to the nines that day drinking mint juleps at the 1338 Derby infield party. It's going to be tough to match the Derby/Mayweather-DeLahoya fight day back in Athens several years ago (that was also on Cinco de Mayo) but I'm always up for a challenge. There had been some talk of 1338 attending the Derby in person at Churchill Downs this year. However, we decided on something much bigger and better. Details to follow.

May 8th Bad Boy Bell and Pat "The Dragonmaster" Lowe graduate from Georgia Southern. Depending on their celebratory plans for that day (which I would expect to be pretty big), I might just have to travel to Tybee and join the party. Congrats Big Dawgs.

May 21st just happens to be one of the greatest days of the year: it's Beach Bum. Nothing more needs to be said. It is an event and a spectacle unto itself. I plan on debuting my Only in America shirt that day. If anybody would like information on how to order one just ask me.

I'm going to use the off weekends to begin my expansion plan I developed a couple of months ago, starting with Virginia Highlands. I have a feeling I'll be a huge hit there. I'm well known within a certain circle of Buckhead venues but, to make "Ric Starr" a fully marketable brand name, branching out is a necessity.

As they say on set, that's a wrap. Thanks for reading. Questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, and accusations are always welcomed. Your comments will not be deleted.

A sign of things to come...