WHAT HEROES MEANT TO ME!
I am not sure I can find the words....
This will be the most difficult blog I will ever write, I was going through some difficult changes when I took on Heroes and it was just what I needed to boost my self worth and self esteem at the time...
What a Journey!
I remember the day my Makeup partner Lori and I went in to interview for Heroes.
I remember it like it was yesterday. What's funny is... I have the worst memory in the world, but when it comes to this show, I just cant seem to forget.
Anyhow, we were handed the pilot and were told to go watch it in a small room in the upstairs offices of Sunset Gower Stages in Hollywood, where one day it would soon become our new home to begin shooting the series you would all now know and come to love as, "HEROES!"
Lori and I turned off the light, popped it in the DVR and sat back and watched. We both began to size up the actors as we always do when taking a job, trying to figure out who would be the tough one and who was adorable, etc...
Laughing and poking at certain scenes and discussing it as we went along. When it was all through, we sat back and talked about what we had just watched.
I found the Pilot rather slow and boring to be honest and my favorite part about it was the painter (Isaac) we all now know and have come to love as Mr Santiago Cabrera. Yes, i thought he stole the show. I found him intriguing, Interesting, however; I myself love to paint obviously. I am an artist myself, so understandably so...right?
So after much discussion Lori thought this was the job for us. At the time, Lori and I were also being offered, Ugly Betty and Criminal Minds
So I have to say...I wasn't won over by what I just viewed, knowing we had other choices.
Needless to say, Lori being "The Boss" said this is it. So onward we went!
We went back to the office handed back the DVD, accepted the job, grabbed all our paperwork and began studying the characters and ideas behind Heroes and mapping out what would soon turn out to be four years of amazing challenges and memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
Little did we also know, that very soon we would be running two full Makeup Trailers all over LA on completely different times and shooting schedules, with as many as 6 Makeup Artists and Hairdressers at times, in each one. Lori and I would soon be a separate team to make this show come to life for Season One and so on...
Throughout our first weeks on the production it took some time before we got to meet all our cast members for Heroes. The show had 12 main cast members and extensive story lines, so it took us a few months before we met them all and as I remember it, the cast didn't meet all of one another until almost a year later. They never crossed paths.
We always found it amazing.
My Cast:
Milo: I remember my first days with Milo, instant connection between us. He was very focused and a great listener. He waited patiently to take my chair and I knew he was going to be one of my actors who would demand my best work. "Homecoming" was our true test and from there we would be an inseparable team for Peter and Future Peter. Milo has a very special place in my heart, we did everything together for his characters and it was very rare, VERY RARE, that someone else would take care of him. I just wouldn't have it! I love my "Golden Child!" as you all know him. :)
Jack : Jack and I became rather close in our work on the episode you all know as "Company Man." He is and always will be very dear to me. He is a class act and an amazing Actor. Jack was a great conversationalist and 100% invested to the show. His sense of humor always kept me going. He kept me on my toes. I am proud to have him as my friend and not to just be called his Makeup Artist. I love him dearly.
Sendhil: He sat in my chair and we still laugh about it, I told him "You will be my Favorite Hero." I was so smitten by his beautiful face and he was such a doll. Never complained, at least not in the beginning. LOL! I Love Sendhil, he will be lucky if he survives in this world without the grasp of my hand attached to him somehow. Always a trooper and true professional. Oh and did I mention he is an amazing Tennis player as well? ;)
Zach: What can I say? He was always my shoulder. I think Zach listened to me a lot. We had many chats, a few downs, but mostly I became very attached to him as well and had many great conversations in between shooting scenes with him. A true talent and warm soul. He always could make me laugh with his tireless humor. So much fun we had with all the blood. Let's also not forget Noah, he was our Trailer Mascot. :) I love me "My Zach!"
Adrian: He was the glue that held us all together during the rough times in every ones corners. What a humorous guy he is as well. Most people would never believe what a great sense of humor Adrian possesses. Adrian is so rich with talent, he is warm, loving and full of heart. He is so intelligent to me at times its frightening. What a true pleasure it was just to watch him work. I will never forget all his charm. :)
Ashley: What a class act. She will be my friend in life forever. Not an actress to me, a true friend deep down. She genuinely always cared about every ones well being. Never selfish, always kind. I love her immensely!
Ali: Classy, Sexy, Beautiful, Fun, Sweet...Caring and always cared about her character, wants 100% and nothing less. Always a doll and forever generous.
Hayden: She would cry on cue and we would all cry. No one liked watching Hayden cry. Funny and crazy that girl. She kept us all on our toes. She was like the Tasmanian devil that spun through the trailer and left us all bug eyed. I will miss her sweet face.
Cris: Also 100% in everything she does. Loved her character and she truly cared always about all of her surroundings. A true pro and what talent. She should feel proud of herself and her accomplishments on Heroes. Awesome Lady!
Greg: Grunny Bunny to me, If it wasn't for his constant laughter on set, there may have been days we wouldn't have finished. Greg kept us all going. I don't think i have ever heard him complain or get mad. Greg is just a warm happy soul that everyone enjoys being around, myself included.
Masi: He never liked the makeup chair, he will tell you that, but always came prepared and ready for action. never had to wait on him and was always 100% pro. A doll and a talent rich. I will miss him dearly.
James Kyson Lee: Always Kind, Loving, warm hearted and thankful. Tried to always learn, learn, learn. Always a pro and a complete gentleman.
Jimmy Jean Louis: This man can dance, his moves would set the trailer on fire, we should have put in a sprinkler system. LOL! I Love this guy, awesome man! Easy going, free spirited, humble and ripped! LOL! Jimmy is a soul like no other!
Santiago: My heart Santiago, the reason I agreed to do the job. When he died, my Heroes world started its slow crumble. He has always kept in touch and stayed my friend. What a joy he is and what a pleasure to work on and with. I love him dearly and he can do no wrong.
Leonard: Doll of all dolls. Adorable, Loving, Sweet, Kind. Losing him was like losing the brother I never had. Leonard was always missed on the show and never forgotten.
The Others...so many, I could never name them all! But all of them brought something special to the show.
To Our Casting Dept on HEROES! HATS OFF!!!!!
Along this ride I would find myself working at times 70 hours a week and sometimes as much as 6 days a week. It was tough and shooting almost year round was exhausting.
These people behind the camera and in front of it soon became my family and for 4 years my right hand!
Working so closely with James (Props) and Krissy (Wardrobe) I knew these were going to be my friends for life.
Our Loving Sound Dept. Kenny & Tommy
Our Wardrobe Nancy, Krissy and so many others!
Our Props James, Scotty, Reba, & Ross
Our Trailer Pa's Allison, Breese, & Ian
Our Grips & Electrics
Our Editing, Construction, Locations
Our Office and Accounting
Our Transpo Jeff, Wes, Al, & Ernie to name just a few.
Our Awesome Dp's John, Nate, & Charlie
Our Many Great Directors Allan Arkish, Jeannot, Seeth, Adam, and so on!
Our Script Supervisors Val & Merry :)
Our Jeph Loeb, Bryan Fuller, & Greg Beeman who brought so much Heart and Care into the show.
Our Writers and Joe & Jesse...
Our Producers Tim, Jim, & Dennis, & UPM Cathy
Our Cameraman Peter and all our Camera Dept.
Our Amazing Visual Effects Mark & Eric
Our Endless Hair Dept.
Our Makeup help Larry, Linda, RJ, Philly the list goes on!
The Amazing Tim Sale and Wendy & Lisa...Really?
I especially have to Thank Lori my Partner. She picked a good one and we have done some great shows! LOVE HER DEARLY!
I wish I could name everyone, but its just endless.
To all of u mentioned and not mentioned my heart!!!
Times I will never forget:
*My travels with the cast to Comic Con...I can still here the chant from backstage and the thump from the fans beneath their feet, waiting for the cast to come hit the stage. I was amazed and shocked. I felt like i had entered the backstage of a Beatles concert.
*My endless lunches with My Heroes on and off the lot, so many memories!
*Walking with my Cast to lunch only to sit under a Giant Heroes Billboard bigger than a bus with all of their faces on it. Watching people walk by and see them under the sign was genius! :)
*After wrap chats with Cast or Crew in the Makeup Trailer.
*The Fundraisers & Events.
*The International Tours.
*The Photo Shoots and Red Carpets.
*The Concerts Dixie Chicks, Band From TV, Prince.
*The Wrap Parties and Christmas Parties.
*Karaoke with the Cast in between setups in the Makeup Trailer.
*Potluck Fridays in the Makeup Trailer for our Cast.
*The endless pictures to grace our walls of our Cast and Crew in the Makeup Trailer. It became a museum point for everyone to bring there friends or family visiting the show for the day.
*The Espresso days of Adrian and Jack.
*The endless airbrushing of the boy's tattoo's.
*The endless pets of our cast in the Makeup Trailer.
*The excitement of all of us trying to get our hands on the next script.
*The famous slogans like "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World!"
*The football tosses in the parking lots or on locations.
*The Super Bowl Commercial shoot.
*The day our Action Figures came out, not to mention the books, comics, famous T-shirts, lunch pails, and paintings!
*The dancing of almost every Cast member to a song on the radio in the Makeup Trailer.
*The blood, cuts and Sylar slices? Who will ever forget those?
I could go on forever...
The laughter, the love, the long days...and now its just over & gone!!!
Not many shows get to take a ride like we did and what a great ride it was and will continue to be in all our memories for the rest of our lives.
Its like a dream ... did that all really happen in 4 years. Did it all really have to end?
As they say in show biz...The show must go on and so must we all!
I can't thank all of our fans enough for their endless support. The ones who stuck by us, even when the show got lost. Your invested time of writing, twittering, face booking, voting, calling, visiting, Comic-con, drawings, artistry, pumpkins, tattoo's, Easter eggs, Halloween costumes and anyway you reflected your love for our show. I can't say it enough a thousand times Thank you. Without the Love and Support from Fans like you our show wouldn't have survived passed a first season. Keeping any show on the air past a season is a challenge and you all made it happen for us.
Regardless of all the ups and downs...we all became a family and I will take with me all these Memories and cherish them forever.
They will always be my Heroes to me. :)
DR SEUSS: “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”
PLEASE FORGIVE MY SPELLING ERRORS, PUNCTUATION, AND TIRELESS RAMBLE...It is late, the tears are much and I just have to let it end here. ;)
