Season 2 of "Boss" premieres on Friday, August 17 at 9 p.m. ET on Starz!

Golden Globe winner Kelsey Grammer, Connie Nielsen, Hannah Ware, Jeff Hephner, Kathleen Robertson, Troy Garity and Rotimi will be returning. Jonathon Groff, Sanaa Lathan, Tip Harris and Amy Morton will be appearing on the show this season. I'll be showing up on the screen every now and then with a recurring role that comes in later on in the season :)  

If you loved last season like I did, be prepared for an even meatier season. All I have to say, is that shit gets very real lol. 

Check out the trailer and make sure to tune in tomorrow night at 9pm ET/PT!

New Site & New Headshots

New Site and New Headshots! vis Janna Giacoppo : www.jannagiacoppo.com

Better late than never, I am building a website that will include updates on what I'm working on and/or preparing for.

This summer has been a busy one and I have been guilty of not updating this blog as often as I should be.

So in honor of my dropping the word "try" from my vocabulary, I will check in more often and I will have at least one new post up a week.

My musings will find their way here. 

Still working on the design of the page, but in the meantime, I'm excited about finally getting my domain up... starter site et all as well as my imdb!

http://www.derinadesida.com
Derin Adesida IMDB

Involuntary Vacation

When I was in elementary school, I kept busy with track, my viola & a couple Philly youth orchestras, academic extracurriculars for cool nerds, dance, playing outside like kids used to do, doing 24 tournaments, writing out the woes of middle school in my would be autobiography, and day dreaming about boys I was sure had not noticed me.

Hyperactivity was my solace and I am an adult version of my young self.

My assignment for this week is learning how to enjoy not being busy. 

June and the first half of July flew by and I adored June and July for doing so. Snuck a peek at the jet setter life for work and castings. Coached with an amazing Actor/Director. Had a couple close calls for huge ad campaigns. Bounced from class to fittings to castings to callbacks to class with the I've been placed on hold smile and back to class with the I've been released shrug to set to hair and makeup to the departure gate and arrivals and again and again and to rehearsals and to the stage and back to a plane and back to set and not in that order and not including everything. 

I was busy tired and it felt amazing.

I'm realizing that taking time to reflect also feels amazing. Rest is spectacular. Taking time to go train/read/get prepped for the next major thing is key.

I was doing so much going, I hadn't realized how I was due for some downtime to reflect on recent wins that warrant a couple smiles and a few "wows!" Focusing on how good the recent past has been, has made it easier to feel good in present which has made fearing the future (and  how long it'll be till my next gig) extremely difficult.

So instead of skipping town for the sake of hunting for a hustle, I'm working on being ready for what is to come while keeping it cozy. 

Kanye West @ Revel, Atlantic City!

I had an amazing time working Kanye West, Yemi Adeyemi, and the beautiful Kanye West ballerinas / stuntwomen again. For us dancers, this show was like a reunion in that it was a mash up of the different casts from past performances like Cochella, Essence Music Festival, and Saturday Night Life to a name few. Mixing work and play, I performed with some of my favorite people in the world and got be silly at Revel's daily pool party. 

Check out some footage my friend hooked me up with (Thanks Zoje!) and the reviews from Rolling Stone and Complex!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kanye-west-claims-the-stage-in-atlantic-city-20120707

http://www.complex.com/music/2012/07/10-best-moments-kanye-west-atlantic-city-revel-concert/his-dancers

 Here's some footage from our shows at Revel's Ovation Hall in Atlantic City. Hope you enjoy!

I love when God shows out and the universe is lined up with what I dream about :)

Once upon a time, a young lady watched a series in a day and decided she really wanted to be on its upcoming season with an idea of a possible character for a not yet written storyline . Fast forward to a few weeks and off 800 miles away, a call comes through. A ticket is booked 2 hours later, a plane is boarded the following morning, a casting session is attended that afternoon and my formerly imaginary role is landed 2 days later.

***

When I was a teenager, I had a grandiose perception of myself and my voice. My former self was to be major lol. Not mad at it all, in fact, I look back and draw from that child who knew that her way of seeing things could mean something to the world. I knew I would be a storyteller. To what capacity, I wasn't sure, but I felt drawn poetry, plays, movies and always felt as though I could predict an ending or add to one. My life was part of a story and when I put forth the necessary effort, my anticipated outcome almost always came to be.

I guess, almost adulthood hit and I got distracted from that version of myself. Then something traumatic  happened to me a little over a year ago that forced me back into a space of feeling empowered via my view of the world.

One day I woke up. Literally woke up. Knew that I didn't have to be around, but  to have been given an opportunity to continue to navigate through the world after something that could have been my demise, was a reminder of purpose. I decided that any and everything was and still is possible and that I had absolutely nothing to prove to anyone or myself. The fun started.

This isn't necessarily a "yay me! my life is grand" post, but one for me to put it out there that that's all of our stories. I always say that I can't wait for my bank account to match how i feel lol. Still working on getting to where I think "There" is. However, I do believe that we all come into the world with a grand purpose but because following through with our expected path can be SO trying, too many of us don't allow ourselves to live up to our light.

Disappointment is easier to attain than heartfelt success (in my opinion)

So daydream away, because there's nothing wrong with being a dreamer. Those are private screenings of the trailers for your upcoming life playing for you to look forward to.

Keep on truckin'

Reading scripts and Being prepared

Since I've been spending a lot of time looking at my laptop screen, I figured a Photobooth snapshot would be fun :)

This past few days have been seemingly uneventful, but I'm learning to savor these close to boredom moments.
One of my assignments for this year is to be prepared. In the past,  I've shortchanged myself by creating long term goals without actually addressing the babysteps that needed to be taken in order to get to that specific dream come true goal. These days, I'm all about subgoals.

Instead of looking at the sometime mundane things I need to do as tasks, I look at them as baby goals that have no choice but to lead me in the direction of the grand place I'd like to get to with my career.

From the comfort of my home, I'm able to put myself through my very own industry school by taking full advantage of the internet, Netflix and OnDemand :)

There are great articles and resources on Backstage.com, IMDB (the subscription for IMDBpro is well worth it), The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. With pilot season underway, knowing who is working on what is also a great start for prepping your auditions. I recently joined CastingAbout and any praise I can sum up for this site will still be underrated. Basically any past, present, or future project is listed on this database along with casting info. With a subscription (that is very reasonably priced), you're able to make notes on projects, casting directors, and casting associates, and hopefully see if you already have a working relationship with casting involved in a project you may be interested in.

So with IMDB(pro) and Casting About, any actor can arm himself with the helpful information on casting, producers, breakdowns, and similar projects.

Reach out to your agents, in a non pushy way, but in way that shows you take your career seriously if you see something you think you'd be great for. If you've recently worked on something noteworthy, even better. Send out postcards with your announcements to casting directors you'd like to be seen by.

Hopefully those auditions come through and when they do, don't forget to follow up with Thank You notes. Remember: In sight, in mind.

A lot of great new shows have been picked up for their second seasons, so I'm watching these new shows in addition to established ones that work for my casting types (or that casting directors I'd like to be seen by are working on). Its like those days back in elementary school where you welcomed into homeroom by the tv or projector up front. Plus, there is never any harm in watching great actors on a great series or in an amazing film... in addition to being and working in class of course. 

So I've been home a lot since I got back from Michigan, but I'm busy beeing it up. Reading some pilot scripts I've received. Mailing out thank you's, post cards, follow-ups. Reading up, reading up, ... and soaking up info. Watching good tv with good acting, good writing and good production. Submitting (with discretion) what I can submit for. Taking care of myself by eating well, working out, and getting great sleep and of course wrapping my hair up so I can take pictures in front of laptop while I work :)

Good luck on all the amazing things heading your way.

Build Them Up Versus Tearing Them Down

I'm an 80s baby and a performer. I feel privileged to have been young and impressionable while MTV bulldozed its way into the American mainstream though its becoming the most relevant fresh voice for pop music. I was influenced and I was impressed.

My parents knew to alert me (sometimes wake me up) whenever the powerhouses of pop were premiering a video or doing a live performance since reliving moment stopping moments through Youtube or via TiVo were something of a Jetson's episode at the time. I woke up for Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Whitney Houston.

More than 2 decades later, I still do an 80s 2 step I learned in the I Wanna Dance With Somebody video and can't help but smile at this younger version of myself who needed her doses of entertainment like she needed water and barbies. Lord knows I was capable of making my disappointment known via a talented tantrum if I missed out on enjoying something new from my power pop 3.  

I had to know the new songs, the new moves, and if my mother would let me, I also had to mimic the new hair styles. These superstars and their pop peers had a power in their presence simply because of their talent and hypnotized their audiences worldwide. Our superstars could do no wrong.

National Inquirer has existed for as long as I can remember, but everyone knew it was joke. Aliens borrowing such and such. Someone's love affair with a robot. Who and who' secret time capsule. They were ridiculous make believe stories for adults and even when the story could happen in real life, the need to see our superstars in their less than glamourous light just wasn't a priority like it is now.

I'm not judging anyone for how they choose to entertain themselves, but I miss a pre TMZ entertainment world. I miss not knowing about my idols demons. I miss only seeing the great and talented when they choose to gift  the world with their ability. Knowing now what it is to pursue a place in this world, it is impossible to Be On 24/7. How can we expect this of the people who help create our lives' soundtracks or portray unforgettable roles we love to love?

I can only pray that I will hone what I know how to do to the point of reaching artistic genius like the MJs, Winehouses, and Houstons, but even from where I am in my development, I relate and empathize. 

For you artists out there, the decision to live through your art can be lonely and painful at times. Your ability is of the heavens, but you exist on earth. Folks love what you do without understanding the person you are. Escapism might become your way, but I hope that you find light in something that doesn't lead to your self destruction. There is a power within you that led you to take on this frightening world of entertainment. In spite of this talent and this power, you are human and should not be judged for the mistakes you make as a human being as you're figuring out how to navigate yourself in this world.

I really wish the vices of our greats weren't punchlines for gossip sites and that the ordinary weren't in a position to berate people, who against so many odds, are still out of this world in spite of their problems. 

In an ideal world, we would build up those we see slipping rather than bully them further into their demise. 

RIP Whitney Houston. Your beauty and talent contributed so much  and influenced so many. Your naysayers will never distract from this fact. 

Michigan Lotto

As soon as a I step off the plane, I see this. Hope its an indication of great  residuals lol

So I was flown to Detroit to film a commercial for the Lottery.

An hour plane ride from Chicago and 45 minute cab ride later, I found myself in the really cute town of Birmingham MI. Dropped my stuff off at the hotel and wandered around some. Passed beautiful little boutiques and cozy restaurants, but my star spot was an amazing cupcake shop called The Cupcake Station and had an amazing time with their peanut buttercup chocolate

Game Changing Cupcake... all was more than well

As the realities of winter in the midwest set in, I picked up spicy tofu and broccoli filled pad thai from Sy Thai and walked my frost bitten behind back to the hotel. Ate and went to bed early re: 7am call time. 

Production team was amazing and super sweet. The Ad agency and the clients were also on set for my 27 wardrobe change shoot.

John, Owner of Priss Salon and producer of his own cosmetics has styled Kerry Washington, Aretha Franklin, and for the movie Sparkle, working on one my my many looks

Long but fun day.

Can't wait to see the finished copy!

Officially a Member of SAG!

I'm official! 

I did my first SAG commercial a few years ago and have since worked on few more SAG projects. Because my focus was mainly dance, I wasn't exactly sure if joining SAG would give me an advantage or be to my detriment since a lot of dancer work is Non Union.

A few projects more,  I hit that dead end of Must Join status which meant I couldn't play both sides of the Union/ Non Union fence. My days of going near a SAG set were on pause till I coughed up the intimidating initiation fee of $2200. 

I still love dance but I've also falling in love with acting. I became AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) after my role on NBC's Playboy Club, so technically, I was then on the Union side of the fence but restricted to only AFTRA projects. The limitation sucked so I knew joining SAG would be necessary if I wanted to get the most out the industry... especially with Pilot Season creeping up.

Got some great news this week about booking a Principal spot for a commercial, so I went for it. Came out of pocket, filled out about 20 pages of legal industry forms and now I've joined an amazing union comprised of the best :)

Talented company

A gang of docs to read through

 

Clearly I was excited about my SAG tee shirt lol