I knew I needed new headshots. Before I left Chicago, the feedback I received at a casting workshop was that it was a) I needed more character shots to play the gritty characters that get cast in Chicago Fire and b) I’m better looking in real life. I attribute that to good living – a glass of red wine with dinner, olive oil on everything, running and facial moisturizers (I’m a big fan of Everyman Jack with spf 15).
So within two weeks of moving to LA, I ordered up headshots from Vanie Poyey. I like the look of her shots. The actors seem to pop in her pictures. She had a person drop out, so I had a choice – take the session the coming Friday or wait a month. I jumped on the Friday session.
To prepare, I picked up some new duds at Old Navy, Marshall’s and Macy’s. A couple t-shirts, a couple dress shirts and a navy blue suit. Sharp at that. Slim fit. And by slim I mean the jacket fit but the pants fit like a wetsuit.
The last thing needed was a hair cut. I opted for Super Cuts. Mind you, my hair style hasn’t changed much since high school. Tight on the sides and rounded on top. Not particularly challenging.
So I sit in the chair.
“How do you want it cut?”
1.5 on the sides and scissors on top. Again. easy peasy. My hair doesn’t really do much.
She clippers the sides. Perfect. She trims the top. Aces. Cleans up the neck. Gold star. I occasionally trim the eye brows, but I decide I won’t risk it. All she needs to do is trim my sideburns and I’m home free. She takes the comb and goes up the left side. Almost done. She goes up the right side and I watch in slow motion – the comb stops going up, but the trimmers don’t. Zzzzzzzztt.
“Oops.”
Headshots scheduled for tomorrow and she just put a divot in the spot just below where my sideburn meets the rest of my hair.
She says, “I’m sorry. In the 22 years I’ve been cutting hair, that’s never happened.”
Speechless.
She takes my sideburns clean off because that’s the only option for me not to look like I cut my own hair.
And then she charges me $16 for the hair cut.
I kept the headshot session. Through the magic of Photoshop and angles, you can’t even tell.