“I remember sitting in George Lucas’ office prior to Star Wars in mid 1970’s and telling him he was full of shit. Then walking out.I was wrong. He made the movie. Which I then saw screened at 20th Century and thought, ‘ok’.
Then it opened at the Mann’s Chinese on Hollywood and thought I shouldn’t have told him he was full of shit, probably.
I was not very tactful. My acting coach tried to make me see the error of my ways. She’d tell our class, the two guys who are the angriest guys in Hollywood are Sikes and Kim. (Evan Kim co-starred with Eastwood in one of the Dirty Harry movies). We were class mates and known to speak our minds. Evan was/is a great guy.
I liked Evan very much. We lost touch. Another wonderful Asia actor friend was/ is Eric Lee and another with 202 credits or more to his name George Cheung. 3 great guys I was lucky enough to study acting with and hang out with. I envied their martial arts abilities.
My background in the film business and my ‘bad’ attitude is why I tell people today you need to know what to do and what NOT to do when pursuing a career. Any career. I told a producer on an NBC show if he ever showed up on set I’d kick his ass through his teeth. Instead of firing me he gave me more days.
He actually paid me more and punished me by taking lines away from me every time I opened my mouth during a scene. Instinctively, he knew the best way of dealing with me.
Firing me would have ended it. By keeping me around and whittling down my part every little bit he humiliated me. ‘He doesn’t need to say that. Cut that line. Just stand there, Rex.’ On and on and on it went. At the time I was very ‘head in rectal canal.’
That job was with very big stars at that time. I made some good friends then, but that didn’t help me get more work.
It is far easier to burn bridges than build them but there is greater reward in building them.
Many shoots I have been on have been grueling and horrendous. Happy to report recent project ‘Shooting Star’ directed by Michael Feifer and produced by he and Peter Sherayko was a delight to work. Crew and cast were awesome.
That tone is set by the people at the top and as much by the crew who come to work. When people function as a team and support each other good things can be done and though the work may be difficult it can be enjoyable because the team makes it so.
In those bygone days I felt as if I was working and getting nowhere. I didn’t like the game of Hollywood showbiz. I didn’t like the suits. I felt the playing field wasn’t fair. I suffered from ‘woe is me’ syndrome. Etc etc etc… I had lot’s of ‘bad’ experiences.
I didn’t take responsibility for myself. It was a different day then. You couldn’t work your own deals as much as you can today. So I felt I had to rely on agents and managers. I made some ‘bad’ decisions. Went with the ‘wrong’ representatives. Made poor choices.
Instead of looking at it as all valuable, a learning experience and stepping stones to becoming a better person and navigating an adventure, I got resentful, felt hurt, disappointed, missed personal goal deadlines and became angry.
I FELT I deserved it and wasn’t getting my chance. MINDSET issues primarily. Blaming others and circumstances instead of taking charge of my thinking, feeling and myself.
One lives and can learn. The longer one lives the opportunity is to available to get better and better. Each day is a new day. Things change. It is what we do inside ourselves that makes the difference. Everything truly is an opportunity and a blessing if one will only consider it as such. Live and learn as they say!
Think the best and feel the best. Do not take anything personally! Bring your best. Be your best. Be nice, kind, helpful and go the extra mile. Show up to add value. When you do you make everyone and everything better. Assholes may stomp their feet and win for the moment but they don’t last long. Keep that in mind and celebrate everything!” Rex Sikes
“Mind Design helps me choose amazing thinking instead of habitual thoughts that aren’t useful. I form new habits in thought and feeling that result in actions that get me my goals. The possibilities are endless.” Robert Bogsten, Marketing Copyrighter, Turku, Finland
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