Rollin’ Up the Main-Stream

“Royal Pains” Hero Nurse Season 5 Premiere

The momentum is building! On the Season 5 premiere of USA Network’s fictional Hamptons based concierge doctor series “Royal Pains” (watch here on Hulu), I also had my popular debut. At one minute 45 seconds in, there I am as the “Hero Nurse” (how the production crew referred to me) unwrapping the good Dr. Hank Lawson’s bandaged head wound: see photo above. Even I was ecstatically surprised when the big moment was revealed: a two-shot with only another main character’s full frontal kisser (the lovable brother) and my face on screen! BAM! I am front and center; no looking in the background trying to spot me! Even if you happen to blink, there she is- the nurse in blue scrubs with red hair– that’s me!

At showtime, I was gymming it up to improve cardiac endurance, whilst none of the TVs were airing the channel. A blessing, truly. My mom was the first to text me: “U weren’t kidding! Serious screen time, bravo!!!” (compared to last year this time, or ever, she’s right*). Probing to clarify she was not joshin’ with me, she responded “great face time”. My mother is not the type to express a surplus of enthusiasm, knowing this, I should have trusted her three exclamation points as genuine.

Four-teen whopping moments on-screen and my fancy tickled to the extreme by having been seen on any television tuned in (AND future internet or DVD watchers!), eSpeciaLly my brother. His reaction “You did great!!!! … It was like wooooaah that’s my sister! Haha” = the biggest smile ever. I whole-heartedly adore independent projects, because, gratefully, these have been the platforms permitting me to sink my teeth into juicy, delicious, and beautifully ripened characters. In the past, this is the only way my family could witness me on their television : pop in DVD, press play. Thrilling enough for me I promise you; understandably lacking the same hoopla to my kinfolk as telling the dentist/co-worker to watch tonight at 9 P.M. This wish crossed my mind too…”Dad would b very proud, u’d be the talk of dunkin donuts & publix today lol” – thank you mom.

*excluding film premieres, including but not limited to, the Cannes Short Film Festival.

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On-Set Etiquette

-One person’s sole job is wetting the sidewalk, over and over and over again- all night for five plus hours to keep it wet and give that slick, reflecting light look the camera loves (technical term is a “wet down”).

-Another person’s duty is putting smoke in the air: more smoke, less smoke, walk it through the set or location, fan it because there’s too much, the haziness is overwhelming the scene.

-One man (sadly it is a male dominated business, but what isn’t) is on a crane with a big spot-light to simulate a helicopter flyover in the shot.

I have not even mentioned the director, the stunts co-ordinator, or the caterer.  The point is- that long list of “credits” at the end of every [big budget $300 million dollar budget] movie prove just how many creative collaborators are necessary to manifest the entertainment we all spend our money to escape into for a couple hours of unbelievable safe excitement.

These people are Living what they dream.  They simply do not last otherwise because the stress is so immense one must Love it to stay in this business of SHOW.  With so many cooks in the kitchen, havoc and head-butting are sure to abound.  And yet we choose to show-up and take more work opportunities because the thrill to be a part is so rewarding.

This week I learned a new title- staff assistant- a position responsible to the A.D.s (Assistant Director- no explanation necessary right, the title is pretty self-explanatory), of which there are three: the first A.D., the Second A.D. and the Second 2nd.  Usually, there are a handful of staff assistants to act as extra hands, eyes, mouths for the Assistant Directors.  One such ‘staff assistant’ informed me on a recent day of filming 180 staff assistants were on-hand for a huge location shoot requiring the shut-down of a large well-know New York street!  I live by the motto/sutra “Do unto others…” and there for am genuinely friendly and interested in most everyone on-set; one because I am so thankful and happy to be there and two we are all there to accomplish the same goal so LET US HAVE FUN!

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Twitter

Facebook  please ‘Like’ the fan page– I reciprocate

www.KatrinaPerkins.com  check out my IMDB link

Instagram see my world on KatrinaPerkinsTV