Auditioning for 90210...

So, my brother was in town this weekend from Austin, and he took Blue and I to the Beverly Hills Hotel for brunch. Those of you who have checked out this bog, know that place has some memories for me. We brunched pool-side, and it was as glamorous as it should be. Then, afterwards, my brother wanted to find the Playboy Mansion and the Spelling Mansion. Thanks to his i-phone - no problemo. The magic i-phone looked up the addresses of both famous places and lead us there effortlessly on it's navi system.

"Don't you know where the Spelling Mansion is?" my brother asked me.
"No. I've never seen it, except in the tabloids..." I replied.
But that turned out to be a lie. I had seen it (or at least the roof) on numerous occasions. Turns out, the Spelling mansion is exactly on one of my daughter's bus stops. So I've been there dozens of times - only I didn't know it - AND the well placed trees and bushes that were planted to give the giant place privacy have grown up to do just that. So now all you can see of the legendary 'house' (sold in 2009 for $150,000,000.)is the lovely roof. But going there, realizing I see that mansion all the time - reminded me of my first meeting with Aaron Spelling.

'Beverly Hills 90210' was one of my first auditions here. I was still green as a spring day. The casting director was Johanna Ray. She was really cool and attractive, and I really liked her. I got through all the prelim auditions, and - lo and behold was up for the Jenny Garth part at the end. Back then, Mr. Spelling still had his big private office on one of the old Hollywood lots. So, when the final callbacks came around, they happened there. I really didn't know what to expect.

I was ushered to a lobby - nothing special, just the typical thing that I always saw at call backs - and there I sat with all of the other last standing contenders. I remember seeing Jenny Garth in the waiting area. Particularly. I knew she must be up for the same part. And by then, Shannon Doherty had already been cast (that was my understanding - I was up for that role, too, for a minute)But here's the deal - I was NERVOUS. I'm not sure why this audition was worse than some of the others. I guess maybe it was my biggest PART so far. This would have been a BIG JOB. And then, as soon as I got into the room (the waiting room) I could sense that Johanna Ray was really nervous, too. She was flitting around, getting things ready, going in and out of some inner room - and she just seemed NERVOUS.

Johanna came up to me and leaned in close so she could speak softly. "You'll be going in first, Jennifer." she said to me in her lovely English accent.
"Is everything ok?" I asked.
"It's been a nightmare. But don't worry - you'll be fine." she said, giving me not ONE drop more of confidence. SHE didn't look like everything was fine. SHE looked like something terrible had been happening. I imagined her getting chewed out by Aaron Spelling or some producer for some silly reason. And - of COURSE - I was more terrified than ever knowing that I would be going in FIRST.

Johanna and her assistant disappeared into the interior room. Then, after a while, the assistant came out and called me in. She ushered me into Mr. Spelling's legendary 'office', and THIS is what I saw : The whole place was wall to wall tri-colored shag carpeting. The 'tri-colors' were dark brown, mustard and baby shit brown. It was HUGE. A HUGE, open room with a FULL BAR immediately visible in the far corner. And when I say FULL BAR - I mean restaurant style. Mirrored wall in back, with shelves of booze stacked against the mirrors, horseshoe shaped bar with shiny bar tops,and glasses hanging from racks above - just ready to go. I looked over at that bar and immediately imagined 'J.R.' and all kinds of producer types drinking and doing blow off of the shiny bar - laughing and making DEALS.
The other thing that I noticed was that all of the furniture was baby-shit brown leather, circa 1981. And THEN, I took in the 30 MEN that were all sitting there in a semi-circle, waiting for their first victim to walk in the door. That would be me. They were all between 35 -45, I gaged. And right in the middle of all of them - in the middle of a baby-shit brown sofa - was Aaron Spelling himself, with his hand on his wife's, (Candy)thigh. THAT was pretty surreal! There he sat,surrounded by his men and his wife. Candy sat there, smiling, with her cotton-candy blonde hair, and her boobs pushed up to her neck. She looked sweet enough - they both did - but just something out of a BOOK - or a MOVIE. NOT REAL.

In front of the semi-circle of men - right in front of Aaron and Candy - was a chair. That was my spot. I shook hands with Aaron Spelling and Candy Spelling, and a couple of other people, and by the time I sat down in that chair - I WAS TOAST. Hands sweating, not able to think, practically dizzy - it was all so bizarre! I was terrified.

As I read the 'sides' with Johanna Ray, I was acutely aware that I was letting her down. The papers in my hands were shaking. I was shaking. I could feel sweat starting to drip down my inner thigh in my short little micro-mini skirt. I could feel my voice shaking. I kept looking at little, old Aaron Spelling and his wife, sinking into that ugly couch - not able to concentrate on the EASY (let's face it) copy in front of me. In short - I SUCKED. TERRIBLE. Quelle horrible!

I left feeling mortified and a total failure. Certain that I would never see Miss Johanna Ray again - let alone Aaron Spelling or anyone else in that room.I should have been packed up and sent back to Texas after that humiliation. I looked at Jenny Garth and just shook my head as I left. Trying to let HER know that she had NO competition.I went back to Max in Korea town and hugged him tight. I needed something REAL to ground me. And Max was always that.

Funny thing is....that WASN'T my last audition for Mr. Spelling. He must have seen SOMETHING he liked (Lord knows what!), because he asked me in for every TV show he did in the coming years. We just had bad timing, though. Seems like every time I got called in for a Spelling show - I was pregnant.

The last time, I was auditioning for a bitchy nurse in a hot tub.My agent called me up.
"OK, Jennifer. So - Aaron's asking for you, AGAIN. You know the drill -they just want you to wear something tight for the call back. You know how to do this - push your boobs up, short skirt - you know how to do this."

"Ummm....I can't."
"You can't WHAT!?"
"I can't wear something tight."
"WHY NOT!??"
"I'm pregnant."
There was a long pause from my agent's side of the line. By this time, it was no longer Jeri Scott. This was YEARS later.
Finally she sighed and said, "Again?"

I went in to meet with Mr. Spelling anyway. It was in Beverly Hills - a whole different place. A lot less people were in the room, too.I wore a black jacket that was low cut, and covered my slightly bigger than usual belly, a short skirt, high heels - trying to look as though I were all legs. (pay no attention to that middle bit! These are NOT the droids you are looking for!)

By this time, Mr. Aaron Spelling and I were ALMOST friends. We were on a friendly basis, anyway. He smiled at me and said, "You're looking good, Jennifer. You look....radiant."
"Why thank you!" I smiled in return.
I read the scene, and when it w was over, I could tell he was pleased.
"That was just great, Jennifer." he said, then he whispered something to the casting director.
She, in turn, asked me to remove my jacket.
"Well...I can't. I mean I can...but I'm pregnant. I'm sorry." I felt bad about wasting their time - I had suggested to my agents that I not go at all. Aaron Spelling had a very STRICT 'you're not allowed to get knocked up while working on my show' policy. He actually insisted that every actress sign an agreement to that effect.
"OH goodness." Aaron sighed as he shook his head at me in a fatherly way. "Our timing isn't so hot, is it kid?"
"No. I guess not."
"How far along?" he asked kindly.
"Eight months."
"Well, you look great. You really do. But you know we can't use you. How many is it now? Kids?"
"Well, this will be number 4."
Aaron motioned for me to come over to him. He leaned over and took both of my hands in his.He held them and sort of patted them while we spoke. His eyes twinkled like you wouldn't believe. And as he spoke to me like that, holding my hands, I couldn't help imagining how fun it would be to work for him. He could be my surrogate, Hollywood dad. It'd be great! I'd bring the kids over to the mansion for a swim, Candy would bring out lemonade...I could see it all!

"We've been through quite a few years together now, Jennifer." he said sweetly. I nodded. We sure had. "And I hope you know how much I've wanted to hire you over these years. Would love to help you out with that little family. Remember 'Melrose Place'?"
I nodded sheepishly. I had been preggers for that one, too.
"I really appreciate it, Mr. Spelling."
"Well, I can't hire you to be in a bikini right now, but we'll work together one of these days. How about you take a break from having all of those kids - we can fit some work in?"
"Good plan. Thank you, again. So much."
Mr. Aaron Spelling kissed the side of my hand. "Good luck, kid."

Those were the last words I ever heard from him, and the last time I saw him. But it was not my last connection to Jenny Garth.

Hollywood is a small, small world.