You may or may not have seen the recent headline: Nick Brooks Charged In Murder Of His Swimsuit Designer Girlfriend Sylvie Cachay. Domestic violence (allegedly [I guess at this stage we must give him the benefit of the doubt]) is terrible enough, but this whole thing is just plain grosser when you consider that Nick Brooks is the son of the now infamous king of the casting couch, Joseph Brooks.
An Oscar-winning composer [Joseph Brooks] faces multiple rape charges after allegedly using the award and the allure of movie stardom to tempt young women to his casting couch…Mr Brooks, who wrote and directed the 1977 film You Light Up My Life, about a comedian who has a one-night stand with a director and which won an Oscar for Best Song, faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted of first-degree rape…Prosecutors allege that Mr Brooks posted adverts on the internet site Craigslist in which he offered to turn young women into film stars.
The adverts said that an “Oscar Award-winning composer” was searching for a “new face” — a beautiful “young girl between 18 to 22”. “He intimidated them. They were frightened and suddenly found themselves in his apartment for different purposes than they had anticipated," Robert Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney, said.
And you know what's really scary, is his credentials are REAL. So even if you did your research, it would seem above-board. But read on (full article here)...Most of the women targeted came from Washington state and Oregon in America’s Pacific northwest, and would have been tired by the time that they arrived to meet Mr Brooks at his flat on East 63rd Street in New York.
Once the women were inside, Mr Brooks allegedly told them to audition for the role of a prostitute in a scene that required them to drink a lot of wine.
“The part called for them to drink the wine in a seductive manner. He told them to be very comfortable with their bodies, to drink the wine and feel sexy about themselves as they became more and more intoxicated," Adam Lamboy, of the Manhattan Special Victims Squad, said.
That takes a lot of forethought, help, and deceit on his end, to be sure. So it's understandable that a girl might initially feel comfortable enough to make the cross-country trek. BUT BE FOREVER WARNED about auditions in anyone's home or apartment. Sometimes they're legit, but always be safe: request to meet at a different location, bring a friend, tell someone where you are going, and leave as soon as anything gets fishy.
All this serves to remind us, dear readers and fellow actors, that we must always be vigilant. Acting is a job, just like any other. It's not worth risking your health or your safety for. And, should anything bad go down (god forbid), then by all means REPORT IT. To the authorities or even just to whoever hosted the casting notice. Don't let one unfortunate incident snowball to dozens. Help a gal out.Gabby always says: 'Tis better to be alive and out of work, than to be dead or raped. Now... go forth and be awesome....
need gorgeous actress for "how-to-hypnotize-a-hot-chick" video PG-13Date: 2010-03-23, 5:39AM EDTReply to: XXXXX.org [Errors when replying to ads?]Internet company needs one gorgeous actress or female entertainer for an instructional video for men on how to use hypnosis to seduce beautiful women. Actress will play the "hot chick" role but need not actually be under hypnosis during filming (i.e., she's safe ['safe'? 'SAFE'????!!!!*]). Talent will have to know how to ACT hypnotized.Topic is controversial, so talent should not be shy about rocking the boat. Controversial????? CONTROVERSIAL?????!!!?!!? I think "illegal" is probably more accurate. Here's a hint for how to figure out if something is evil and wrong: Would you be ok if someone did this to your sister/mother/the love of your life? No? THEN YOU SHOULD NOT DO IT, YOURSELF.*And when you imply that your techniques, when applied in real life, are NOT safe, that is an even bigger clue that what you are doing is wrong.For consideration, please submit the following:Statement of age (be 18+)Resume/Portfolio, or links to sameAt least one clear photo (no glam, angles, or low-contrast backgrounds)Contact information and good time to call.* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests* Compensation: $500.00 for one day of filming, minus the value of your eternal soul....
Six-Time Felon Arrested in Actor's Murderby Lauren HorwitchJuly 14, 2006CourtTV.com reports six-time convicted felon Victor Paleologus has been charged with the murder of actor Kristine Johnson whose body was found Mar. 3, 2003 in a ravine in the Hollywood Hills. She had been last seen going to an audition... As previously reported, 21-year-old Johnson vanished Feb. 15, 2003 after telling a roommate a photographer had approached her at the Century City Mall and asked to take pictures of her for a movie production. A police sketch was created with the help of a woman who told police she was similarly approached at the same mall and had met the man in West Hollywood. Her boyfriend, a former law enforcement officer, had chased the man away when he became aggressive. Investigators began focusing on Paleologus due to the sketch...
I just saw that article online. Pretty scary stuff. A bit of advice for any actor who is approached by someone offering them a contract/work/audition/meeting/etc.: Do your research first. Find out if this person is legit. Ask for a reference. If your still uncertain - bring a friend with you to the meeting/audition. Tell someone where you are going and when, and that you will check in with them when you're done. If anything feels weird - listen to your gut! If you're worried about burning bridges - you can be firm yet polite. Explain that you're willing to continue the dialog so long as you feel comfortable (by meeting in a public place, bringing a friend to the meeting or asking for a reference).
Anyone that is legitimate and interested in working with you will have no problems with your requests. In fact, they'll probably admire your intelligence and professionalism.
.
