I am a shy person by nature. Acting was a boon for me as it gave me the opportunity to escape that inner shrinking by being able to play other people, often outrageous characters such as Cleopatra. But I could always hide behind the idea that it wasn’t really me up there – even though of course it was – by giving myself something of a “Go Free” pass.
So when I received an email from Paul Hughes, a producer for CTV’s Canada AM asking if I would be interested in being interviewed live for their national morning news show, my first thought was “Uh-oh.” He wasn’t interested in seeing a character but me! But…at the same time…*big intake of breath*…in turning 45 I made a bit of a promise to myself to step up to the plate a bit more as well as to let go of some of the old habits or ways of thinking that aren’t serving me well. Plus, as I mentioned previously, my horoscope says it is supposed be a good year for me but that can’t happen if I say non or peut-être automatically (which I can have a tendency to do, as embarrassed as I am to admit it). So I accepted.
Paul was very reassuring as they started filming other episodes in Provence. “It will be fun,” he wrote. “Well, ok, then, just have fun,” I told myself. As luck would have it, I arrived early on the day of the broadcast, so I was able to meet Paul (delightful and a fellow red-head!), the crew and the host, Jeff Hutcheson, while they filmed what are called “teasers” – think of them as lead-ins to a story – and two other segments, all while flipping back and forth with the show in Canada. I couldn’t get over Jeff’s incredible ease and his encyclopedic memory. I would mention off the cuff some little historical tidbit about where we were standing and he would seamlessly incorporate it into the next piece without the blink of an eye. It was inspiring to see someone so bien dans leur peau, so when it was our time to go live, I told myself, “Breathe. Smile. And just continue the conversation.”
Here is a link to a video of the segment:
Or take a look at this (hopefully) direct link on Google Plus:
Of course, the filming passed in the blink of an eye. Paul had liked the post that I did on our recent move and so we focused on that, which was fun. Afterwards, he introduced me to Chris Flak, a producer for CTV’s Morning Live show in Vancouver. Their team were also doing direct coverage from the South of France and would I be interested in being on that show as well? Why not? The same wonderful crew prepped me and I met the host, Marke Dreisschen and we chatted about dogs. As they were filming from the arena, a small crowd gathered to watch, including my honey, Remi. After an even quicker blink, it was over. I said my grateful goodbyes while everyone was already moving on to the next story.
I do want to thank Paul for contacting me. Everyone involved in the shoot couldn’t have been nicer. It was a really interesting experience and I have to say that I enjoyed being in front of the camera again, even if – or especially – under such different circumstances. And while I don’t think that I could hold up to Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quote: “Do one thing everyday that scares you,” I have to say that it felt pretty great to face my fears on that one particular day and to be introduced to new readers to boot…Merci, CTV!
PS. This post is for my Sister, Robin, who asked that I share this with you. As she is so wonderful, I couldn’t refuse, even though I certainly didn’t plan on it originally…I told you I am shy…
Happy Labor Day weekend for those that are celebrating…
PS. This post is for my Sister, Robin, who asked that I share this with you. As she is so wonderful, I couldn’t refuse, even though I certainly didn’t plan on it originally…I told you I am shy…
Happy Labor Day weekend for those that are celebrating…