Mojave
Mojave By RettaMichaels “The Queen of Gay Romance”
Mojave
I started this life between Vegas and Bakersfield, California in the backseat of a 1967 Dodge Polara. I know it's something one doesn't want to think about, but I find it rather neat.
Because I was born in the Mojave desert, my parents named me Mojave Gene Marshall. Yup, MGM. They say I roared like a lion when I cried. I say I was upset they named me after a desert.
I grew up in Tarzana, California. Tarzana, surprisingly, is a quiet little town in the San Fernando valley. Yeah, you hear about it a lot, but you don't think about it being quiet. It is.
When I turned 15, a friend and I decided we'd had enough of our parents and moved in together.
How I had enough money was I started doing a lot of things as odd jobs. I got a job as a 'go fer' for a rich guy when I was 12, and he'd palm me $100 bills for everything I did.
I started off small time. It'd come to about $1200 a week, and when that's tax free, you smile a lot and thank him profusely.
By the time I was 14, I had bought a house for $75,000 up the street. I had the furniture I wanted bought, and had the utilities turned on. I started sleeping there more nights than I was home because of my parents never ending arguing... Name the subject, and they'd argue about it.
Needless to say, the summer of my 15th year, the guy who was having me be his gofer, got a job directing a movie. He asked if I wanted a part, so I said, “Sure!”. Needless to say, that got me in the guild and union. (Screen Actors Guild).
Being in the guild, you have to have a card. Having the card, you can go apply for work on movies, and if they hire you, you get paid a lot.
My first movie with him paid $30 grand. It was lump sum, but I also made over $80 grand working that year as his gofer. It's a great big smile when you look at it and say, 'I paid taxes on $30 grand and cleared $105,000!'.
Needless to say, I could afford to move into my place permanently. As a part of that, I had a friend named Rayne who moved in with me. I'll tell you about him.
Rayne and I went to school together. Wherever he was, I was. When I learned something as a hustle, Rayne was right there beside me. When I started working for the guy, Rayne was there working beside me. He'd do the guy's yard work and I'd do the errands and would go to the store and everything for him.
The part I got in the movie was really good. It wasn't real hard, so I wasn't worried about acting. Here's why...
When you act, you have to become the character. If you don't, you're overacting. Here's why...
Think about how you are in a room carrying on a conversation. Do you talk like you're wanting the neighbors to hear? No. You're talking normal and you act like yourself.
When you're acting the part, you're that character. The character is a 'real' person in the movie, so be the character who is a person. If you do that, you'll do fine.
The key to it is this. You have to know that character. If the character is a rugrat, you don't speak like you're a Shakespearean character, you speak as a rugrat would speak. Don't over do it, just be the character.
What is cool is this... He had me act and the actors in the movie all thought I was great. I sort've smiled at that thinking it was great they liked how I was doing, but I also thought they were doing it as a big joke.
What changed for me is this... He got to editing the movie with someone who was another director. That guy was working on putting a movie together and said he wanted me.
In telling the studio he wanted me, he took the clips I was in and went and showed the studio. They said they wanted me and I got called in.
Me getting called in, I wondered why they wanted me. A small part of me thought I was in trouble, but another part of me wondered if they thought I didn't do a good job. I asked Rayne about it and he said, “Nah, they probably want to hire you on as a runner like he did. If so, make sure you get just as much.”
Anyway, I went to the meeting. I didn't dress up because I figured they'd have me running all over the city, so I rode my scooter and wore shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt.
When I got there, the lady at the front desk took my name and directed me to the guy's office. When I got to his office, he motioned me in and said, “Sit down! Sit down!”. So I sat.
As soon as I sat down, he leaned forward and clasped his hands. “I saw you acting in the movie and have to say you did a wonderful job.”
“Thanks!”
He gave me a look, “I'd like to get you signed to a three movie deal. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Sure! That's no problem!”
He smiled, “I'm told you're wanted in another movie already. A director saw you in it and said you're exactly who he wants. I'd like to get you on over to a different set so you can act in a movie for us during the next four weeks.”. He paused, “Who's your agent?”
I stared, “Uh, I don't have anyone.”
He stared like he'd been slapped, “You don't have an agent!”
“No sir. I do odd jobs for the director. He wanted me in the movie because he's known me since I was 12. I acted in it and that's why I did it. I don't need an agent.”
He smiled, “Are you able to negotiate your own contract?”
“Yeah. Just pay me what you would someone who has an agent. It's not that hard!”
He laughed, “Let me get you over to that set. Here's what I'm going to do... We'll work you without an agent, but you've got to get your parents permission.”
“Ok. I'll run the paperwork home and get Mom to sign it.”
“Do you have a bank account?”
“Yeah. I've got my own card and everything.”
He nodded, “Ok. I need to know what else you can do?”
“I can run and do errands, and shop for your groceries, and do a lot of things!”
He stared, “I was meaning, can you sing, dance, and do anything special like that?”
“Yeah. Who can't?”
He laughed, “Let me hear you sing.”
“Ok. Let me put in my ear buds and I'll put on a Selena Gomez song. Then, I'll sing a Justin Bieber song.”
He nodded, “Ok. Go ahead.”
I put in my ear buds and started 'Hit The Lights', and sang. While I sang, I danced. When I was through, I put it on over to 'Never Let You Go', and mixed it up between Justin Bieber's style and a bit more mature like Bruno Mars.
When I was finished, I pulled the buds and went back over. He stared and said quietly, “Uh, I've got to send you to that movie, but I want you in a recording booth.”
“Ok. Can I have you meet Rayne?”
“Who's Rayne?”
“He's my best friend. He didn't get to act in the movie, but he's just as talented as me.”
“Can he sing like you?”
“Yeah. He can do a lot of things like me.”
He nodded, “Let's get him in here.”
“Ok, but getting parental permission for him is going to be hard.”
“Why?”
“He's living with me. We have a house in Tarzana and are sharing it together.”
“Why?”
“His parents are assholes. Mine are always arguing, so I bought my own place. When I moved in, I asked him and he moved in also.”
He stared, “You have your own house?”
“Yeah. Vic pays me a lot to do errands for him. He pays Rayne to do yard work, so Rayne does the yard and I do the errands.”
He stared, “What sort've errands?”
“You might not know it, but Vic hates shopping. He makes a list and I go to the store for him. For that, he gives me $100. I do that probably 5 or 6 times a week. And then, Vic has me run different places for him. Just a few minutes ago, I finished taking a DVD back for him and got $97 after I paid the late fee.”
He stared, “How much are you making?”
“It varies. On a slow week, I'm making $1200 from him. On a hard week, I'm making $3 grand.”
“Man!”
“I figured you wanted me to do chores, but acting's cool.”
He laughed, “Mo, your acting is going to make you rich!”
“CooL!”
“You received $30 grand. I know what you got.”
“Yeah. I paid taxes on it and got $23,000. It pissed my parents off because they couldn't claim me as a deduction.”
He laughed, “How much did you make from Vic?”
“I brought in $105 grand last year, but only paid taxes on the $30. I bought my house, and bought furniture, and kept the utilities on, so that's all that I did. Of course, I got my scooter, but I want to get a BMW 228iX.”
“Why that?”
“It's a convertible. It's $50 grand. It's not going to be twice as much for the insurance as a Z4, and I think it'll hold it's value. Other than that, I can have white with red interior and a Harmon Kardon, so that's cool.”
He smiled, “You're 16 now?”
“Yeah”
“Why don't I get the car for you?”
“Uh, why don't you pay me a lot and then, I'll get it!”
He laughed, “Mo, here's the deal I'm putting together for you. The first movie will be $1 million. The second will be $2 million. The third will be $3 million.
For your record contract, I'll put together a bundle which is the same...1,2,3.”
“Ok, but after the first three, it's going to be 4,5,6... and if you want more, you've got to go up!” I said smiling.
He laughed, “Ok! How about a 9 package!”
“Over how long of a period of time?”
He looked surprised, “How fast do you want it?”
“Well, if you're wanting to drag it out, I'd rather you not. I'd like to see the money instead of my old age! I mean if you're going to do one a year, I'll be 25 by the time you're done and I might as well go into retirement when you're done because I'll be ancient!”
He laughed, “You'll have the records and tours.”
“Ok, but tours are extra.”