Sunday, May 30, 2010

Alex's Privacy vs. His Personal Truths

By Pam

PhotobucketAlex has said of himself:
"I am a very private person. I have my life and I have my family..."
"I’m a very private person and my house is my sanctuary…”
"I'm very private and I have a real sanctuary with a little garden. I just go home and do my thing."
“I’m very private, and I keep a very low profile."
I don't know what Alex means exactly. Privacy can mean different things to different people, but I'm guessing he likes having a place where he can be “normal” in private. Somewhere where he can be himself without feeling like he’s under a microscope. This is different from being secretive about his private life. Alex has spoken of his family life on many occasions. Most recently, with the release of The Back-up Plan, he repeatedly mentioned in interviews that he has a son whom he cherishes. I learned Alex was twenty when his son was born and was present for the birth. I heard Alex say he fed his "bub" raw fish. All this I would consider personal information. Yet, Alex allows us to be privy to it. He's given us information about his mother, father and sister. He’s admitted he had a bit of OCD as a kid, “…quite a bit, actually. I wouldn’t step on a crack. It would take me an hour to get my shoes tied, because I had this weird OCD thing.” He has also mentioned his ADD in several interviews.

Then there's this:
"The closer you get to who I actually am, and ‘Stan’ [The Back-up Plan] has a lot of attributes that I have, the harder it is for me. The harder it is to put that on screen and to show my true self because as actors, a lot of us are very private with our true self. And [the reason] we’re so good and so comfortable on the job that we do, is because we can hide."
I really don't think we can see much deeper into a man's soul than this. Why would a person in his position, on the brink of fame, allow us to know such personal truths? Maybe to placate the people who need to know. It stops them from digging. It feeds them enough so they don't want to go knocking on the door of his sanctuary where he maintains his privacy. Don’t feel bad that he’s alone in there, though. He said about playing the guitar, “It’s a hobby for me, but I’m never alone if there’s a guitar there.”

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Alex Makes The Big Move

By Pam

Photobucket Next month, Alex O’Loughlin will be pulling up stakes and moving from Los Angeles to Oahu to film his new television series, Hawaii Five-0. The move will no doubt involve a lot of preparation. Setting up a new “home” in paradise sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

Though Alex is no stranger to long flights, the flight from LAX to HNL travels a distance of 2,556 miles and takes 5 hours 55 minutes. A first class, one way ticket will cost $1,097.10 plus taxes and fees. CBS, no doubt, will pick up the tab

Monday, May 24, 2010

Slinging Slang in Oz

by carol

I'm sure I have read and heard every interview done by Alex O'Loughlin.  Part of what makes them a delight to read or hear is his use of Australian slang in conversation. I immediately open another window and start looking up definitions.

Oz slang is a creative wonder. While they are fond of shortening nouns, Aussies will also incorporate word substitutions or comparisons to often make long figurative phrases. And of course, they rhyme (another subject entirely!)

The words listed below (not necessarily used by Alex) are recent additions to the Australian Dictionary of Slang. Please be aware, some are a bit racy.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Pam Goes to the CBS Upfronts

This video has been moved to our "videos" page.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Classically Alex: NIDA Trained

By Pam

Alex O'Loughlin graduated with a Bachelor degree in acting from NIDA in 2002.

TARA MORICE: Well, it's well known to anyone ever wanting to get into NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) that there are thousands of people who audition across Australia and how difficult it is to get in. So, in one sense, that's a great challenge. In another sense, it's a great fear.*
(Tara Morice, a 1987 NIDA graduate, is an Australian actress, singer and dancer)
Picture Alex attending NIDA classes, enduring the process and knowing when he graduates he will be prepared to take on the world. Do you think this education shaped him not only as an actor, but as a man? 
O'Loughlin's ability to empathise with other people and roles is "quite astounding," says Tony Knight, NIDA's head of acting.
Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting)
 

DURATION

The Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting) is a three-year, full-time course.


The Acting course prepares students for a career as a professional actor by providing a practical approach to acting in theatre, film, television and radio.


APPROACH

The course provides a practical approach to acting in theatre, film, television and radio. Students are given broad training in every phase of the actor's art.


Students are taught a range of vocational skills and the ability to apply these skills with imagination, intelligence, integrity and empathy.


The course's strong focus on craft and imagination develops the students' personal work methods and expressive communication skills, while using the tools of improvisation and spontaneous activity to enrich the imagination. In addition to skills classes in voice, movement and music, students are introduced to a variety of acting "methods" and are encouraged to develop their own individual approach over the three years of the course.


The course is concerned with developing two complementary aspects of the actor's art: craft and imagination.


Craft is that part of the actor's art which can be learnt by practice, guidance and technique. It involves the development of a personal work-method, as well as expressive communication skills. It also involves a commitment to professional discipline and the process of individual development through group activity and constructive personal objectives.


Imagination is that part of the actor's art which cannot be learnt, but which can be continually enriched by improvisation and spontaneous activity, by observation and awareness, by contact with all the associated arts and by exploration of the creative impulse.


ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
[Alex O’Loughlin] says he literally woke up one morning and knew he must apply for NIDA. They didn't invite him: he invited himself, at the age of 23.**
Applicants seeking admission must:

* have reached the age of 18 before the commencement of the course (in exceptional circumstances this may be waived)

* hold a Higher School Certificate or its equivalent from any State or Territory in Australia or overseas (in exceptional circumstances this may be waived)
* show at an interview a high level of intelligence, practical ability, artistic sense, authority, tact, potential and motivation
* be fluent in spoken and proficient in written English language (equivalent to an overall band score of 8.0 IELTS).

All subjects are compulsory. NIDA students are required to complete a confidential health questionnaire to demonstrate their medical fitness to undertake the course and to assist NIDA in its duty of care to students.


The primary criterion for admission to the Acting course is evidence of an applicant's talent and his/her potential for making a career as a professional actor in the arts entertainment industry.
TONY KNIGHT: NIDA can't cope with lazy students, point-blank. Undisciplined, unprofessional, selfish egotists - they're the type of people that will not have a successful time at NIDA. What I'm looking for is young people who take their art seriously.*
FIRST YEAR
The old problems with institutions resurfaced, and [Alex] found his first year there very challenging.
(From The Canberra Times: Alex’s Pearls of Wisdom, June 28, 2005)
First year work deals with the technical skills of voice, movement, music - emotions and intellect. All skills classes are linked with the acting classes, which emphasis open communication and the exploration of each individual's personal resources. Students are expected to suspend previous acting habits and seek to develop a personal, organic work method.

Text analysis, Alexander Technique, story-telling and a broad-based study of theatre history are also part of first year work. General Studies introduces students to aspects of contemporary culture.


First year work concentrates on acting, improvisation and rehearsal. Students work on self-devised pieces. Film and television exercises are conducted in acting for the camera, as well as classes in how to operate cameras, lighting, sound and editing equipment.


First year subjects are Acting 1, Voice 1, Movement 1, Music 1, History of Theatre 1, General Studies, Play Production 1, and Professional Development 1.


SECOND YEAR


First year work is extended and developed. Students continue to evolve individual work methods approaching character in action as they work on increasingly complex texts. Skills such as singing, make-up, dialect and various forms of dance are added to the course. Study of theatre history, literature and language and Alexander Technique continues.


Students also participate in practical workshops involving works by Shakespeare, Chekhov, comic and musical scene work and film and television exercises in acting for the camera. Each student presents a self-devised individual movement piece.


A variety of styles of plays are rehearsed and performed before public audiences.


Second year subjects are Acting 2, Voice 2, Movement 2, Music 2, History of Theatre 2, Play Production 2, and Professional Development 2.


THIRD YEAR


The third year of the course enables students to consolidate and refine individual work methods. There is a reduced timetable of formal classes, with time provided for private tutorials and greater emphasis on rehearsal and performance. There are also classes in theatre, film and television audition techniques. Students develop their own repertoire of audition scenes.


Advanced film and television exercises and workshops are held at NIDA by industry professionals and visiting specialists and at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) with AFTRS students.


Third year is organised to prepare students for the profession. Contemporary, classical or physical theatre productions are rehearsed and presented to public audiences. Professional directors, producers and agents are invited to productions and to audition showings. They work with students whenever possible.


At the end of the teaching year, a professional orientation course focuses on the practical realities of the entertainment industry; how to enter the profession and build and sustain a productive career.


Third year subjects are Acting 3, Voice 3, Movement 3, Music 3, Screen Studies, Play Production 3, and Professional Development 3.


Title of Qualification:
Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting)

Head of Course:
Tony Knight

http://www.nida.edu.au/Acting/default.aspx

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Is Alex O'Loughlin funny? Depends ...

by carol

What is really funny? Well, it depends …

The Back-Up Plan is the first leading man role for Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin in American films. It’s a romantic-comedy co-starring Jennifer Lopez, who has had success in the genre. How can you lose? Who doesn’t love comedy? Who doesn’t love romance? Well, read some of the reviews the film got and you’ll know who.


It seems comedy is defined not only by personal taste, but by gender, geographical location, culture, maturity, level of education, intelligence, context, shared experience and a host of other variables. Simply being in a theater where people are laughing out loud versus a quiet audience will affect the way you respond to what is happening onscreen.


Someone said “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.” Sounds right to me.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Fan Boards: You Think You Know

By Pam
I was recently on a fan board and got so frustrated with the posters, I wanted to give them a cyber smack.PhotobucketAlex has stated that his fans know a lot about him:
“… they’re so, comprehensive, with their study of me, and their research [laughs] of me…”
Sometimes that assumption that we “know” Alex can go too far and actually cause a rift between fans.


If you’ve ever participated, or even lurked, on a fan board you know that discussions can get pretty intense (hence the need for moderators). Tweets can become fact simply because … well, simply because! There can be a number of varying opinions on any given topic. Nobody’s right or wrong; it’s just a difference of opinion based on how one perceives the world. You’d think logic would prevail, wouldn’t you? Nope, not always.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Alex O'Loughlin Said WHAT!?!


by carol

"I'm sure he said it. It has to be true. I read it on the internet."

What?  Wait a minute!  That’s not what he meant!
 
My latest outrage over the decaying standards of the media has been triggered by headlines and stories about Alex O’Loughlin. 

Copied directly from my Google and Yahoo News Alerts:
Alex O'Loughlin calls sex scene with JLo 'awful'
Sify News Fri, 23 Apr 2010
Aussie actor Alex O'Loughlin has dubbed his onscreen sex scenes with Jennifer Lopez "awful".
Alex O'Loughlin: “Jennifer Lopez Sex Scene 'Awful!'”
By PopCrunch
“Awful” is the word Australian actor Alex O'Loughlin uses to describe his awkward sex scene with Jennifer. In fact, Alex was so uncomfortable pretending to share his bed with The Artist Formerly Known as J. Lo, he’s sworn off sex scenes — declaring that he would “be happy to never do another one again.”

When I read these alerts, I assumed that I must have missed this interview. Surely it was not the same interview that I had already read. It sounded familiar, but was it the same interview where Alex was asked how it felt kissing the Jennifer Lopez?

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Al’s Back-up Plan

By Pam
Like I’ve previously mentioned, I occasionally go over to Ebay to see what kind of Alex O’Loughlin memorabilia is being offered.  Some of it is pure sh*t.  What is there stopping me from enlarging the NEW !! RARE!!  photos that are being offered, right clicking on them, saving them and printing them out myself? I'm going to pay somebody to do that for me??  A posed picture of Alex as Kevin Hiatt holding a gun is hardly new, and can be found in every Alex O’Loughlin gallery on the internet, so it isn't really rare, now is it?
I remember the bidding wars for Moonlight episode scripts that came with exclusive photos of Alex as Mick St. John.  Several of these items went for over $1,000.  I’m amazed at what a fan would pay for something that Alex may have touched, or even glanced at for that matter.  I confess I’ve purchased a few autographed photos of Alex on Ebay to add to my collection.  They hang prominently on the wall of my laundry room, otherwise known as “the shrine.”

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Meeting Alex On The Back-up Plan Set

By Pam

(July 16, 2009) I had the best experience I could have ever imagined, though it had been the hottest day of the summer so far. Now I know why they call The Big Apple the gritty city. I got home from NYC that day with what felt like a layer of sand stuck to my skin.  

My friend and I had planned this trip after finding out that The Back-up Plan would be filming in the Tribeca section of Manhattan. We arrived in the city about noon.  As we left the Holland Tunnel and headed for downtown, my friend saw a film crew to her left (this girl doesn’t miss a trick).  There they were, Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin standing next to one another in what appeared to be a pose for pictures. We were in traffic so we had to keep moving, albeit slowly. We drove a bit further and found a parking lot on the next block.  We parked and hurriedly walked back to the film site.  Alex and Jennifer were in the middle of a scene.  Production people told me to move back because I was in their shot (And…?). There were a lot of people milling around and snapping pictures. We got a few.

We had made a small sign that read “FOR ALEX”.  As we stood across the street from the action, my friend’s nine year old twin daughters, who were dragged along for lack of adequate child care, held up the sign.  A woman in a sun hat and pink shirt came over, smiled and said she didn't want us to stand in the sun and wait because Alex was done with his scene. She said filming would continue on Duane Street at 2:00, and to show up there because Alex would get a kick out of the sign and the kids. She told us she was the publicist for the movie.  I was beginning to like having the twins along.


Monday, May 3, 2010

At My Age

 By Pam

I've been a supporter of Alex O'Loughlin's career since Moonlight first aired back in September 2007.  So, that's two years, seven months or 31 months. 

First, I Googled Alex O'Loughlin, then I You Tubed him. Next I went to Amazon and scarfed up Oyster Farmer and The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant. No, wait....I think I ordered Feed first. Anyway, I was determined to watch this man act in everything I could find. The more I watched the more I wanted to see. Maybe I just wanted to see him move and hear him speak. There was this certain grace about him. I couldn't go a day without watching Oyster Farmer.

UH OH! Could it be I was becoming addicted?  At my age?

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Alex the Working Man

 By Pam

Every once in a while I check Ebay to see what kind of Alex O'Loughlin memorabilia is being offered. Recently I came across this item. I found it interesting, not because of what it is, but for what it represents. Honestly, I had no idea that Alex has a "real" job.


Production Report...from the SET of MOONLIGHT (Picture of the report is unavailable as this was some time ago)


A copy of the daily MOONLIGHT production report that was filled out each working day on the show.


It contains production information such as actor set call time, meal times, make-up and the dismissal times for the actors, scenes worked that day, number of set-ups and script pages shot on that day....


It relates to union rules and pay, tracking the number of meal penalties, length of workday, etc, according to the Screen Actors Guild....