Greetings Breeps!
It has been quite a busy start to the year for me. Currently filming on TNT’s “The Last Ship” with fellow Brits in LA member Mark ‘Rhino’ Smith and an indie film called “Kiss Me, Kill Me.” It’s true what they say, when it rains it pours. I feel very fortunate to be doing what I love and savor every moment and don’t take any of it for granted…
On a darker note I was very saddened to hear the news that one of our members lost his life last week. Darren Shahlavi was a British action star on the brink of stardom and poised to star in the remake of ‘Kickboxer’. Originally from Stockport, Darren was best known for his role in Mortal Combat and was just 42. My heart goes out to his family at this time, especially his sister Liz who has been a regular at Brits in LA events through out the years.
For me, this was a sudden reminder that life can be short and what we have can be taken away from us all at any given moment.
This got me thinking about what a strange place LA can be at times. It really is a character that plays a role in all of our lives. It’s very easy to get sucked up in all the glitz and glamour, the celebrity, the parties, the luxury. This town can take a hold of you like no other and through all of it’s sunshine it can still get very dark. After 15 years here, I’ve definitely had those moments. Being here alone and away from your family can also take its toll. However over the years I’ve seen so many broken people, who have been romanced by LA only to go back home depleted with their tail between their legs. Now I’m not going to get all preachy, because everyone has their own journey, but I would say when moving to LA to remind yourself that it’s a destination only, a place for you to create, a place for you to nest. Remember the reason you travelled so far as it’s very easy to become distracted and forget what is most important to you.
Community is such an important thing for me and so grateful for you all being a part of it.
Last week was a prime example of this… As most of you know we cancelled our 8th annual Toscars Award show due to conflicts and sponsorships, but thanks to Nadia Wit and other voices, we realized that it is still needed and a lot of people didn’t care about the glitz and glamour, but just wanted to be creative and a keep a sense of community. It’s the taking part that counts, right?
Well, yes in this instance. I’m so proud of Nadia for continuing the filmmaking aspect of it all with ‘The Spirit of Toscars’ taking it back to its grass roots. Teams were selected at random last Thursday at one of Brits in LA’s favorite bar “The Churchill” and teams are now underway making their parody films. For some members this truly is the highlight of their year.
Watch out for all the parodies online after Feb 17th and see all the fun, love and joy these creative members had.
Well, I truly hope you guys have a great week and that life treats you kind and you take a moment to stop, breath and savor the moments….
Much Love to All.
Craig Young
