Is Fifi ready for her close-up?
By: AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer
Animal actor talent agencies hosting open audition for area pets
WILDOMAR ---- Calling all cute dogs, adorable cats and stately horses. And let's not leave out chatty birds, cuddly rabbits, scary snakes and creepy tarantulas.
Talent agencies that represent animal actors are holding an open audition in Wildomar for local pets who might have what it takes to make it in Hollywood.
The audition, open to any animal, is scheduled to run from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Saturday at Ranch Lemus, 21745 Grand Ave., in Wildomar.
Gloria Winship of Lake Elsinore-based Animal Actors, an agency that has placed animals in movies such as "Doctor Doolittle 3" and "Gordy," said a panel of judges will be inspecting the animals, checking for a friendly demeanor and taking note of any special skills.
The panel is scheduled to include representatives from animal talent agencies and Richard Quest, host of a CNN International show who is scheduled to tape the proceedings for a March telecast.
Winship, who runs Animal Actors with her husband, Shane Ayon, said her agency has hosted talent shows and auditions in the past but nothing that matches the scale of Saturday's event.
"We could have 25 people or 500," Ayon said. "You never know what to expect."
If the judges determine an animal could be used in a commercial, television show or movie, the agents will include the pet in their respective lists of animal actors that they send to producers when the agency receives a request for a particular type of animal.
The panel won't be judging the animals on a particular scale or belittling any of the animals that might not be ready for a close-up.
"We won't have a Simon," said Ayon, referring to the sometimes acidic "American Idol" judge, Simon Cowell.
With dogs, Winship said, judges will be looking for a good-looking ---- or interesting-looking ---- animal that can follow directions. If they can't stay or sit on cue, they likely won't be good on a set.
"Friendliness is probably the No. 1 priority," she said. "They will have to be handled by other people, for obvious reasons. You don't want to bite Mel Gibson."
Winship said she can tell, almost from the first time she meets a dog, if it might be a good actor.
"It's how they react to you. If they look away and back up, that's a no-go. But ... I always give them a chance," she said.
If a dog has a set series of tricks, catching a Frisbee or jumping on cue, it's a good idea for the owners to showcase those skills during the audition.
"The bigger the bag of tricks, the more jobs you can get for the animal," Ayon said, surrounded by friendly dogs in the backyard of her hillside property in the mountains west of Lake Elsinore.
Cats, as cat owners can attest, are something else.
With a cat, judges will be looking for an animal that can be easily handled by strangers. Winship calls them "hold cats."
"Someone is always holding the cat during a shoot," she said.
And then there are the "exotic" pets: tarantulas, parrots and what have you.
One of the owners who preregistered their pet is bringing a coyote, which might be a good fit depending on the production, Ayon said.
"The wolf in 'Dances with Wolves,' that was someone's wolf," Ayon said.
If it looks as if someone's pet just can't cut it, the judges will let the owners down gently, Winship said.
"We always encourage people to continue the training," she said.
Those that do show some acting chops could end up in a Hollywood production.
The pay isn't great for the animals ---- $250 or so for a day's work is an average take ---- but the owners get to know that's their pooch or kitty on the screen.
"The reward is actually seeing their talent on film. The money is the icing on the cake," Winship said.
What: Five talent agencies will judge local pets to determine if they have a chance to compete for Hollywood animal acting jobs.
