Liesl Ehardt is an actor living in LA who spends notable time in NYC and wears a smile daily. Her acting adventures have taken her from the Stage to TV, Film and into Blogging, where she looks forward to sharing her thoughts, while remaining positive, and hopefully offering a refreshing outlook.
She holds a BFA in Acting degree and is a member of both SAG and AFTRA. Hopefully you will follow her on her adventure as she continues to take “baby steps” towards becoming a successful actor with possible hosting/personality spots along the way. Ultimately, she hopes to open and be an active part of her own Children’s Charity Foundation.
Blogger DVDs
Daily Blog
July 1, 2009
I am happy to report that the sun is back out and shining brightly! Therefore, I think it is safe to say that “June Gloom” is behind us and summer is in full swing, especially since temperatures reached 90 degrees in the valley this past weekend! Plus, there have been lots of people at the pool and barbecuing hot dogs and hamburgers in my complex. This always provides me the feeling of summer, and takes me back to when I was still in school, growing up. Summers were filled with travel, playing outdoors, swimming, and lots and lots of barbecuing on the deck with my family.
As you may have noticed, I have been a bit MIA, as they say, the last couple weeks. Although I have been keeping super busy with friends in town, jury duty, birthdays galore, events, and charity events; the acting front itself hasn’t provided anything really worth reporting. That said, I didn’t want to leave you all hanging for too long!
Right now, I am just happy to have my fabulous family in town visiting, something I always look forward to most and simply love! My extraordinary parents arrived in LA on Monday night and my oh-so-fun younger sister and her fiancé arrived on Tuesday evening. We all headed up to Santa Barbara this morning for more wedding planning, menu tastings, and overall good times! We all always have so much fun together, and there is never a shortage of good laughs or silly pictures, which always become marvelous memories!
All in all, I am sorry for not having more things acting related to report, especially since this is supposed to be a blog from The Actor! It seems that all things acting have taken a bit of a back burner for me in the past couple months, and I am at a place in my life where that really doesn’t bother me so much. I think the best way to express it is that things are evolving for me, and my wants and needs are slowly changing. Now, as to what these wants and needs exactly are, is still questionable.
So, as I continue to find my way, evolve, learn, and change, I hope all is going smoothly for every one of you on your own personal journeys and adventures. Also, I want you to know how much I really do appreciate each of you who takes the time to read what little old me has to write. I hope you all enjoy a summer clear of any shortage of sunshine!
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” – Mary Lou Cook
June 10, 2009
That’s right, the “Top Secret” ballots that I spoke of in an earlier blog are in, and the results are crystal clear. A year after the former SAG contract expired, Screen Actor’s Guild members overwhelming, 78% to 22%, voted to ratify the 2-year contract that goes into effect today, June 10th.
Though the members voted in favor of the contract, SAG President Alan Rosenberg stands behind the fight for more rights, which is what started the yearlong negotiation process, and ultimate contract vote, in the first place. In a statement made by him last night, and sent to every member of SAG, his unhappiness rings loudly through…
“The membership has spoken and has decided to work under the terms of this contract that many of us, who have been involved in these negotiations from the beginning, believe to be devastatingly unsatisfactory. Tomorrow morning I will be contacting the elected leadership of the other talent unions with the hope of beginning a series of pre-negotiation summit meetings in preparation for 2011. I call upon all SAG members to begin to ready themselves for the battle ahead.”
In contrast, actor and star of the award winning USA show “Monk,” Tony Shalhoub, with whom I had the true pleasure of working on that show, stated…
“This is a great decision for SAG and I’m so appreciative of everything the new leadership is doing to put the Guild back on track…they’ve obviously got the right ideas for making SAG stronger.”
Personally, I feel as though the entertainment industry has been a bit out of sync over the last couple years, starting with the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) strike that happened in 2007. Pilot season, which is when we actors tend to get the most opportunities for auditions and are out making our rounds for all the new shows in the network lineups, were quieter. Things just seemed slower all around.
For an actor, it is a step-by-step process towards being successful, although what defines success is different for each person. Therefore, having somewhat missed out on what is usually the busiest time for us, we can easily perceived it as a step back. That said, we must remember that everyone in and around the industry felt it too, and, so, it was a group step back, so to speak, in unison.
Regardless of where you stand on the vote, the results are in. We must now move forward under the new contract, and stay hopeful towards what the future of the industry might be, which is uncertain. Then again, uncertainty goes with the territory, so one must get used to it. I shall now hold tight and see how things change in the industry, as well as on the audition front, while looking forward to some exciting events happening for my family, outside of acting.
“Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life. Don’t let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.” - R. I. Fitzhenry
June 3, 2009
June gloom, as they refer to it, is in full swing, and so it is super smog filled, cloudy, foggy, gray, and even a bit cooler out at times with on and off drizzle, hence the gloom. But that won’t keep me from writing a quick update blog for everyone! On the acting front, all SAG members are quickly getting their “Top Secret” ballots mailed to the tallying location in Everett, WA by the 5PM deadline on June 9th, which also happens to be my marvelous mother’s Birthday. At that time, we should all have a better understanding of where the current entertainment industry is going, and what the possible future of it is. Though, like most things entertainment or acting related, there are no guarantees and certainty is usually uncertain.
On Saturday night, I had the chance to meet and talk with a couple of fabulous fellow actors at the famous Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, once frequented by Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable, and we had a truly enlightening conversation. I chatted with one of them in-depth about being an actor in LA, some of the differences between LA and NYC, as opposed to even Chicago or San Francisco. Our talk included some information he had gotten from an agent at CAA (Creative Artists Agency), one of the very top talent agencies, about the acting front in general, and its apparent slow down in pace, where it is going, and when a change might occur.
Needless to say, the conversations made me think, but then again, when am I not thinking…hehe. There is something I am pondering giving a try, but I am keeping mum, as they say, about it right now. Still in the realm of performing, it’s just a slightly new and different avenue, but one that I think I would be genuinely happy doing, and it happens to combine some of my favorites.
‘Till next time, I hope you are all enjoying spring and will have a wonderful rest of the week. For those of you experiencing some June gloom, hopefully you will be able to find sunshine through other elements and aspects of your life, while keeping things bright and cheery. If not, look on the sunnier side, rest assured that the sun will be out again, in all of its glory very soon as summer nears and the temperatures briskly heat up!
“The coast of California is the third foggiest area in the United States, after New England and the Northwest. Every spring here, the cool air that lies just off the coast — basically, a thick layer of clouds — is drawn inland by warm air rising in the interior known as May Gray and June Gloom.” – Melinda Burn
May 20, 2009
This past week T-Mobile celebrated the launch of its new Sidekick LX slide cell phone by throwing a pink carpet, celebrity-filled party at Paramount Studio. The celebration offered endless entertainment and fabulous fun amongst a sea of musicians, actors, models, socialites, press, and eager partygoers. In said sea was none other than…an iPhone user! GASP! Who was this iPhone user you ask? ‘Twas I…shhh, and, don’t worry, I kept it well hidden for the evening….hehe.
T-Mobile promotes their current phone as the “new café gadget” that is “faster and more social than ever,” which seems perfectly matched for Hollywood. Now, here would be the perfect place in my blog for me to enter my opinion or review of the phone, but truth be told, I know very little about it, and Sidekicks, in general. That said, the phone looks cute, brought smiles to a lot of faces and is sure to be a gadget making appearances at many cafes around the world, as advertised.
These types of launches are popular events each year, and, I have to say, they did a wonderful job! It was one of the most fun times I have had at a Hollywood event since moving to LA, and it consisted of a beautifully lit, spacious, laid back environment, with lots of free goodies, tasty treats, and divine drinks. They had an outdoor stage set up for musical entertainment, with performances by Weezer, who also provided a unique cover performance of Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face,” as well as Warren G, and Blink-182’s first live appearance since the band got back together. Each performance happened in between electrifying light shows timed to a wide array of music, spun by DJ AM and paired with Travis Barker on drums.
While mingling among the crowd, consisting of Amada Bynes, Anna Faris, Adrian Grenier, Kim Kardashian, Ashley Simpson, Pete Wentz, Kevin Spacey, Paris and Nikki Hilton, Pink, Kelly Osbourne, Nikki Reed, Bonnie McKee, and the infamous Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, among many others, I got a chance to be my silly self and pose in a fun T-Mobile shot that advertises the new phone! To top it off, all this took place on none other than Paramount’s New York Street, which you all know was the cherry on top for me! I hadn’t been back there since the Project A.L.S. Benefit a couple years ago.
Needless to say, T-Mobile knows how to throw a party, and it was an enjoyable evening all around, which can hopefully be seen in the pictures below. Bottom line, no matter what your phone of choice is, be it a Sidekick, iPhone, or one the many other handy phones on the market, anyone can partake in a little celebration and appreciate what those different from their own have to offer; that goes for phones, people, and life overall.
“Share our similarities, celebrate our differences.” – Scott Peck
May 13, 2009
As I began writing this blog, I realized it was 8 years ago today May 13th that I graduated with my BFA in Acting degree! I cannot believe it has been that long already. Although it seems like yesterday, and I feel as though I haven’t aged at all, I have, in fact, changed and experienced quite a lot, good and bad, since. In essence, I have continued to learn valuable lessons even after my schooling days.
Since graduation I have become an aunt; lived in what has become my beloved New York City; worked at Atlantic Records; experienced, first hand, the horrors of September 11th and how New Yorkers truly united as one to help after the fact; stood center stage on Broadway; walked down the middle of the street in Times Square with snow up to my knees after a blizzard; met and worked with Julia Roberts; moved across the country; gotten a CA license plate, something I always wanted growing up; had my identity impersonated on-line; guest starred on several TV shows; been at a party with Prince; gotten to play my cousin Zita Johann and recreate her famous scenes opposite Boris Karloff from “The Mummy;” been turned into a comic book character for “Scary Monsters Magazine;” spoken about acting to an auditorium filled with middle school students, which was a true joy; sat on a jury for a week long trial; attended red carpet events; received touching fan letters and am still amazed anyone is a “fan;” started my own card line; traveled to Prince Edward Island with friends, gained a love for sushi; appeared on my teenage favorite soap opera “Y&R;” felt an earthquake; and, among many others, was given the opportunity to document my journey as an actor here with FIB.
They always say that “time flies when you’re having fun” and seems to speed up as you get older, to which I can attest. Sometimes it seems that every time I turn around another year has flown by, and, as in today’s case, the next thing I know, 8 years have passed since I walked across the Taylor Theatre stage at UNCG and was handed my diploma, with my amazing and supportive family sitting in the audience rooting me on, something they continue to do today.
In that moment, I had no real idea what the future held. In fact, I had planned to move to LA upon graduation from college. But instead I detoured to NYC after getting a call from a friend with whom I had taken acting classes at HB Studio in New York, back when I was still in high school. She was looking for a roommate, so off I went, and I am so happy that I did. Honestly, I sometimes wish I had stayed in the Big Apple a little longer, but they also say “things happen for a reason.” I was, at that time, eager to move, and had I stayed I might never have experienced some of the above. Quite possibly, I may never have teamed up with FIB, and, therefore, this very blog may never have been written.
As some of you may know, LA and the industry have lost a bit of its luster for me since my arrival 5 years ago. I will be the first to admit that I may not fully appreciate all that this city has to offer, and it is a well-known fact that I prefer NYC over LA. That said, I was amongst the bright lights on Sunset Blvd. last night, just before midnight. As I drove down the then fairly quiet main part of the strip, I passed the Best Western Hotel, with beautiful Bougainvillea in fabulous fuchsia covering the front of it, right near the House of Blues. I was flooded with the emotions and memories of arriving at that very hotel, from college in Greensboro, NC, 8 years ago to work on a KRYStAL and Backstreet Boys music video shoot, filled with pure wonder.
I remember how exciting LA was for me then and how, when I arrived at LAX and walked out into the warm night air, surrounded by tall, sleek, palm trees, it was a truly magical place for me. Although I was to be in LA for only a couple days, I could not wait to be actually living here after graduation. Needless to say, as I passed the hotel last night, on what was just another day, so to speak, I realized just how different and rather mellow my experience and feelings are about LA and the same location today.
Suddenly, it hit me, and, in that moment, I decided to instantly soak up what was surrounding me. Once again, I noticed the unique Sunset Strip sparkle and the many famous landmarks it houses. Landmarks I often passed without really recognizing because I live here. I was quickly struck by just how lucky I am to live where I live, in the middle of a place so many only see on TV or in the movies, and it reminded me that LA is a place so many dream of one day simply visiting, let alone living.
This mini “ah ha” moment, as Oprah calls them, happened during what is a big year for me. I will soon be entering a new decade of my life; something that has contributed to my reflection, and even projection of what I want and where I want, or hope, to be in the future. Consequently, I am, once again, sitting here on May 13th with no real certainty of what the future holds.
Now, while part of that thought is rather scary for me, especially looking at my life outside of acting and seeing myself in a place so different from what I once thought, part is also very exciting and what life’s adventure is all about. Ultimately, even after graduation you never really stop learning or experiencing new things. No matter where you find yourself, there will always be life and lessons after “Pomp and Circumstance.”
“All of life is a journey which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there.” - Unknown
