Me and My Village Peeps

My amazing cast

 I am still smiling from such a terrific week at Sunset Gower Studios on the set of Village People last week. 

This was my first time shooting a multi-camera show – which means live with a studio audience – and it was so much fun! 

 

Everything about this experience was terrific – the script was great (written by the wonderful Meg DeLoatch), the director was fantastic, everyone in the cast was so crazy talented and so fun to be around, the sets were gorgeous, and I got to do what I love best!   

 

In the picture (above) from left to right is Sebastian Sozzi who plays Alexa’s good friend and co-worker, Remy; then the hysterically funny Rachel Cannon who plays Alexa’s cousin, Candace  (and who started the week with short blonde hair!), next to Rachel is the incredible Jennie Garth (Alexa); and then John O’Hurley (Peterman from Seinfeld) who plays Alexa’s father… I am the one with the big belly by the lamp.  I play Ione Wilson, a knocked up teen with a good heart. 

Me and my baby-daddy, Eric

 

After Ione’s boyfriend (Eric, played by Chase Ellison) breaks-up with her in the hospital, Ione decides to give her baby to Alexa (Jennie Garth), who ends up adopting not only Ione’s baby, but takes  in Ione, too!  The story is funny with plenty of aawww moments and it seemed like the studio audience really liked it. 

 

The pilot was directed by the uber-talented Jamie Widdoes, who brought with him his wonderful crew from Two and a Half Men.  Filming live with a studio audience is so much fun, especially with my family and so many friends in the audience to support me.  Because this was a pilot, there were also lots of writers, producers and network executives there to watch the taping so the set was full of energy which made an already great night even better.  I am still pinching myself to make sure I am not dreaming.   

 

For my character, Ione, it seems like things are turning out great however, for many real foster kids, things aren’t so great.  Not everyone is lucky enough to have an Alexa Landon rescue them.  Even when foster kids do end up in wonderful loving homes, the transition is difficult and painful.  That’s why Bags4Kids is such an amazing charity.  Headed by the loving LaJuana Moser, this non profit organization brings comfort and love to children who feel alone and scared.  Especially now at the holidays, they need help more than ever so check out their website www.bags4kids.org and find out how you can make a difference.      

 

OH! and I have a twitter now – so follow me @sadiecalvano

 

I hope to have more exciting news to share soon but for now, its back to reality – and its finals weeks – so, I better go crack the books.  

PREGO IN NEW PILOT

11-11-11 was a BIG day – a HUGE day… J. EDGAR opened nationwide (my first feature film) and I was cast in the new abc family pilot, VILLAGE PEOPLE, starring Jennie Garth (WOOT-WOOT!).  The show is sort of like Juno meets Parenthood.  My character, Ione, is a 15 year old kid who is in foster care because her parents robbed a jewelry store and went to prison.  Remarkably, Ione is relatively undamaged by all this drama, and is smart, funny, thoughtful and articulate…oh, there is one small problem though…  I am seven months pregnant.  In the show!  Again, like the smoking thing - this is my character – not ME.  Anyway, Ione is stupid enough to get pregnant but smart enough to know she can’t raise a child, so she finds someone, Alexa (Jennie Garth), to adopt the baby.  The script is super funny and I cannot wait to meet the rest of the cast and start working on it!

It is also super cool because for the past couple of years I have been involved with this charity called BAGS 4 KIDS that puts together comfort packs of stuff to help foster kids feel less scared and alone when they are taken into the system. So, playing a foster kid who puts her baby up for adoption will hopefully give me a chance to raise awareness about how people (like YOU!) can help make a difference in a foster kids life.  You can learn more about how you can get involved at www.bags4kids.org  Check it out!

BUTT OUT! Smoking Scene Left on Cutting Room Floor!

I guess Mr. Eastwood and his editors agreed that having a fourteen year old girl smoke a cigarette sent a very bad message – whether or not it was historically accurate and so, you will not be seeing me smoke in the movie after all.  Instead you will see me doing one of the things I do best and love with all my heart - EATING! haha   

from J. Edgar with Leonardo DiCaprio and Judi Dench

Here we are shooting the scene I am in that made it into the final release.  The dinner takes place just after J. Edgar’s father passes away and in the scene his mother presents him with a sapphire ring that matches one that she wears and which Edgar wore until his death.  That may not be very clear in the movie, but that’s what the scene was about when we shot it.

Oh – and while the meals they serve the cast and crew are generally delicious and one of my favorite things about working on tv and film projects – the food they give you to eat when you are actually filming a scene is almost always disgusting! And this scene was no exception.

Smoking is GROSS!

I am Sadie Calvano, the young actress who plays J. Edgar’s niece in the soon to be released bio-epic, J. EDGAR. 

In the movie, I act as if smoking is cool, and try smoking a Lucky Strike with my uncle.  But, when I am not acting, I think smoking is majorly UNCOOL – and would never smoke a cigarette - even if it was with Leonardi DiCapprio!

The cigarettes we used on the set were props, made of some sort of herbal mixture that doesn’t fill your lungs with tar and nicotine but, if you haven’t heard – the real ones can kill you.

According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 3,000 young people become regular smokers every day, which is more than one million new smokers a year!   The CDC also reports that Teens who smoke are three times as likely as nonsmokers to use alcohol, eight times as likely to use marijuana, and 22 times as likely to use cocaine.  Smoking is also associated with numerous other high risk behaviors, including fighting and having unprotected sex.’  (Information taken from an About.com article by Vincent Iannelli, M.D.)

Enough boring details, bottom line: smoking is GROSS! It smells bad, it makes your teeth and nails yellow and it puts the people around you, who have to breathe your second-hand smoke, at risk. 

I remember when I was about 8 years old going to see this exhibit at the Museum of Natural History and they had a smoker’s lung that was all black and disgusting.  The docent told us that if you smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for a year, it was the same as drinking a whole cup of tar! How gross is that?

I like Steve’s Martin’s line.  When someone asks you, “Mind if I smoke?”  Just reply, “No, mind if I fart?”  At least the farting won’t kill you!