Chewing the Fat

For those times that I want to blather on about whatever.

hello

Here’s the latest.  xo

Posted by Meg Tilly on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

important Rosie O’Donnell show bulletin

Am watching the new Rosie Show, it’s commercial break and let me tell you… it is FANTASTIC!!  Loving it/her so much!  If you missed this show, don’t miss the next.  A great fun show, dancing broadway boys, confetti, funny conversation, the show has everything this girl could want.  FUN! FUN! FUN!

Okay, back to the show!  Bye for now.  xo

Posted by Meg Tilly on Monday, October 10, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Rosie O’Donnell

Eeeeee!  The Rosie Show premieres on OWN tonight at 7 pm.  So excited!  Actually, triple excited, because I’m off work courtesy of Canadian Thanksgiving, so I’m actually going to get to watch it in real time.  No TIVOing tonight.

Tomorrow, back to work.  Am loving doing this show.  Forgot how fun acting is.  Creating with other people.  So much cozier than being trapped in my writing room with only my computer for company. 

Oh and I’ve got another example of just how fabulous Bomb Girls film crew is.  Friday, in one of the scenes we shot I was handed someone’s resume.  I was supposed to read a name off it, etc.  So, we were blocking the scene, Richard Fitzpatrick (lovely man), the other actor in the scene handed me the paper.  I glanced down and there was an actual form in my hand and the person’s name that I was supposed to pretend to read off the paper was actually written down! 

I was flabbergasted. This is not the normal way of things.  In an ideal world, it would be, but who has the time, who takes that much pleasure and care in getting every little detail right?

I tried to thank Sang, but he told me it wasn’t him, I turned to Ernesto who is in charge of set dec.  He said it wasn’t him.  Sang informed me that it was the Art department’s doing.

The mysterious Art department who is constantly one set ahead of us, feverishly putting together one fabulous set after another.  Truly wonderful, detailed, rich, gorgeous sets.  And doing all that, at mad pace we are moving, still they took the time and the care to put the name mentioned in the script on the paper that I pick up and read.  I could have kissed them.  Aidan Leroux, Kim McQuiston, Barbara Agbaje, Martha Sparrow and Danielle Haeberlin, I’m not sure which one of you is responsible, but thank you…thank you…thank you! xo

And… HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my Canadian readers!

Posted by Meg Tilly on Monday, October 10, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Ahh…

Here it is a little after three in the afternoon and I’m back at the apartment, lucky me!  Everyone else is still on the set.  Short day.  Six-thirty AM pick up, back home by two PM. 

Hmm… just counted it off and actually that was a seven and a half hour day.  I guess for some people that would be a full day, but on movie sets, today was a light day for me.  If I was in the scenes shooting this afternoon, I could expect to get home around eight-ish tonight.  So me, I’m feeling pretty lucky, living the life of Riley.  I made some chocolate covered marshmallows, sprinkled them with a titch of sea salt and they taste really good.  And after Don finishes writing we are going to go out for a big meal! Yum!

(Have a new blog up at Huffington for those of you who are curious. xo)

Posted by Meg Tilly on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Hey you

I’ve been reading a lot about you lately.  Some of it true, a lot of it not.  You would have liked it though.  The way you are presented.  The cool hipster, the movie mogel, the yacht-myster, the investment whiz, stories of the early days.  You would have liked it. 

It’s funny that.  So many people who know you.  Know the public persona.  Such a contradiction to the memories I have. 

And yet, was it? 

Maybe the Johnny I knew was the mirage?

Images, floating past, some of them lingering longer than others.

The ever ready tic tacs in your pocket, the smell of vanilla on your breath.  The long white tee-shirts that you loved wearing at home that were softer than a baby’s butt from years of washing.  The happy marchy-marchy dance around the bedroom, knees, elbows lifting high, sharp pointing angles, big grin on your face because you had done something, pulled off something very clever.  Home from work, evenings, weekends, the mountain of pillows surrounding you, a safe soft cave to burrow into.  The way you liked to eat your breakfast, always the same thing, cooked just so, in bed, two pillows behind your back, one on your lap, big happy smile on your face.  I think that was your favourite time of the day, after the kids had gone to school, the house quiet, and I’d bring your breakfast up on a tray, me on the foot of the bed, watching you eat.  Always the same ritual, the same order of how things were eaten.  You’d draw it out, savour every mouthful, “heaven,“ you would say, eyes rolling back in your head.

Memories. 

Defending you against that mugger in New York City, me in my high heels and skirt, he was going to have to go through me to get to you.  Afterwards, dinner with Howard S, acting all bravado, while you reenacted it for Howard’s delight, being me and then the mugger, both of you laughing, me laughing too, embarrassed, keeping my hands under the table because the shaking won’t stop.

In Malibu.  We had been talking, lying in bed, when I noticed the light on the ceiling shift,  I looked at you and as I did a flame surged up, the corner of your pillow case had caught fire on a candle you had by the bed, and in a split second that single flame became a halo of them surrounding your head.  You smiling at me, me leaping over you, a banshee wail roaring out of my mouth, ripping that pillow out from under your head, flinging it on the floor, trying to smoother the flames with my hands my body, feathers flying everywhere.  And you, watching me like I was an insane woman, demanding explanations, had I lost my f—king mind.  Me, unable to speak, just guttural noises, needing to get that fire out, make the place safe.  And then your face, the blood draining out, when it was over and I held up the blackened pillow, half of it gone, the gaping burnt hole.  How grateful I felt, that I hadn’t been in the bathroom when it had caught fire, or in the kitchen, or somewhere else. 

That was the end of candles in the house.

At the hospital.  The glucophage disaster.  Both of us so scared by that close call, clinging to each other like life-preservers.

Always the hospital.  In and out.  Then back home with us, nursing you back to health, to life, and then off you’d go, back to LA convinced that what you wanted to think, was real.  Sad.  So sad.  Those last years.  Helpless.  After years spent defending, protecting, trying to keep you safe, I failed.  Couldn’t keep you safe.  Couldn’t keep you out of harms way.  Tried my best and still I failed. 

I miss you now.  But there has been a lot of missing in the last few years.  A lot of grieving.  So now, when you finally are well and truly gone, the sorrow is not as sharp-edged anymore.  It is more of a gentle, confused missing, that almost feels like a dream.  Like you aren’t really gone, like I can still pick up the phone and say hello, and tell you I love you and listen to you breathe. 

Posted by Meg Tilly on Sunday, September 25, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

dashing out

Hello,

This going to be quick because I am supposed to be downstairs to be picked up for my medical insurance appointment in 5 minutes.  Just wanted to give you the link to my latest huff-blog. 

Okay, I’m off.  Bye for now!

Posted by Meg Tilly on Tuesday, September 06, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

holy cow

Gold is up $40.20 per ounce as I write this and that’s just today.  Unbelievable.  Is this the start of the third parabolic phase of the gold bull market?  I don’t know.  It’s anybodies guess.  Has been a pretty wild ride that’s for sure.  Big swings up and big gut clenching drops.  Speaking of drops…the Dow down 265.87…Yowsah. 

What happens tomorrow, who the heck knows?  Sure has been interesting though. 

Posted by Meg Tilly on Tuesday, August 02, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Hello

Here is a link to my latest Huff-offering.

Hope you are enjoying your summer, the sunshine, gorging on delicious summer fruits.  I am!  Living the life of Riley, that’s what I’m doing, reading books, nibbling on bonbons, going down to the farms picking up my yearly flats of fruit, eating lots, freezing some.  And now that we live closer to my son, David and his wife, Don and I pick up a bunch of fresh farm produce for them as well, so they can revel in that bountiful-life-is-good-feeling too!  We fill the back of Don’s automobile and drive home with the windows open, breathing in the smell of tall summer grass, and cool breezes mingling with the dizzying aroma of ripe berries of all persuasions.

And yes, that guy in Norway sucks, and maybe the US treasury is going to have to default on their debt and maybe the Euro will fall and maybe… maybe… so many scary maybe-s… BUT in these moments driving home, the back of our car stuffed with summer-happiness that we will share with loved ones, it balances out and the worries fly out of the window and tumble discarded in the dust cloud that billows behind us.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Friday, July 29, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf

Here I sit, my hair in hot rollers, typing to you.  I’ve gotten pretty good at getting these puppies in.  My first go took forever and the damn things kept unravelling and there were WAY too many sprouts of straight hair that had escaped my grasp and were sticking out all over the place.  But practice makes perfect…well maybe NOT perfect, but good enough. 

We had Monday off, so I spent the last couple hours going over the script.  And yes, I know it backwards and forwards, but still, I wanted to make sure.

We have a show tonight.  My son, David and his wife Amy are coming and her parents too.  My friend, kc Dyer is taking the ferry over to cheer us on as well. 

It’s funny, we are only half-way through the run and already, I am missing Martha.  Now I know when my gentle readers think of warm and cuddly cozy, Martha wouldn’t be the first person that would spring to their minds.  However, I have gotten quite fond of her and am going to be sorry to say good-bye.

I’m really glad I took the plunge, decided to do this play.  I wasn’t sure.  A couple of nights before we opened after an incredibly long and harrowing day at rehearsals, I was dragging myself around the kitchen with a boulder sized rock of dread in my gut and my husband said cheerily, “Well, think of it this way, how would you feel if someone said to you right now that they were sorry but the show had been cancelled?“

“Relieved!“ I said without a seconds hesitation.  “Glad that I took the plunge, glad that it was over.  I didn’t back out.  The show was cancelled it was circumstances beyond my control. I’d be relieved, happy, grateful.“

“Oh…uh…“ Don said, because really, what else was there to say, that was not the answer he was expecting. 

But that was then and this is now. 

I am SO glad I did this show.  Not only am I going to miss Martha, but I’m going to miss the other characters and Celine, Andrew and Alex who play them.  I’m going to miss all the people backstage who work so hard to make the magic happen.  I’m going to miss the sharing of these people’s stories with the generous and loving audiences that come to the theatre, show after show, and laugh and cry and surge to their feet at the end clapping with whistles and cheers, all of us happy to have spent this time together.  I feel so glad and grateful that they are so enthusiastic and generous with their response.  It makes all the hard work worthwhile, all the sleepless nights and the agonizing hours trying to decipher, make sense of, crawl into Martha’s skin.  That they see her.  That they see what all of us have created, that they feel what we feel.

It is such a blessing.  It is magic come true.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

this and that

Hi

Today we do the “Cue to Cue”‘s.  Another new experience.  Going to be our first time rehearsing in the Macpherson Theatre.  Apparently, the stage is raked so that will be something different to get used to.  Also, instead of red tape on the floor indicating where doors, stairs, etc are we will have the real thing, which will also shift things slightly.

I’m still nervous, but less so than before.  Am getting kind of excited sometimes, like maybe…maybe…

The show is starting to take shape, starting to breathe.  Fits and starts still, but more and more the pretend is becoming more and more real.

We’ll see.  We’ll see.

My new blog is up on Huffington.  It’s been hard to find the time to do them with the demands of the play.  And then there is the other side too, each mother/daughter blog I find I am holding my breath slightly.  Is this okay to say?  Is this going to be alright?

Have to leave for the theatre in 25 minutes so I’d better get my stuff together.  Bye for now.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Thursday, June 30, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Mothers and Daughters

My daughter has written the most beautiful piece on our Mothers and Daughters Blog.  My heart is full to bursting.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Thursday, June 23, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

this and that

Hello,

Rehearsals are roaring along.  We’ve been at it for a week and I’m starting to get excited.  It was hard at the start, different personalities, ways of working, feeling unsure, but now? 

Wow! 

I’m really loving diving into Martha’s skin.  Am enjoying working with the other actors, everyone working hard, stepping up to the challenge.  Brian, the director, is really good, knows when to step in, when to step back. 

Feeling hopeful about this show.  We’ll see.

People have been asking me about ticket information.  You can click here and then go to July on the calendar and the rest is up to you. 

* * *

For those of you who are interested, I was asked to do a blog for the new HuffPost Women section so here it is.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Thursday, June 16, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Emily’s debut

My daughter’s first HuffingtonPost went up today. 

I was a weird mix of nerves and excitement.  Wasn’t sure what I’d read, how it would feel, if it would be okay.  And at the same time, so happy and proud of my daughter. 

I checked Huffpost at midnight before I went to sleep, in case they automatically posted when the clock changed, but there was nothing.  Woke up at 4:50 AM checked again.  Nothing.  Checked again at 6 AM and there it was.  I read it several times and then woke Don up and had him read it too.  Such a jumble of emotions.  The overwhelming one was one of pride. 

Posted by Meg Tilly on Thursday, June 09, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

Oak Bay Tea Party

While I was in Toronto, I received an email from Brian Richmond, Artistic Director of Blue Bridge Theatre and also the director of Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf.  His friend, Bill Murphy-Dyson had asked that he forward an invitation for me to participate in the Mayor’s Floating Tea Cup Race. 

My impulse was to politely refuse, since I am not a boat/or tea cup rower, suffer from motion sickness, am not comfortable in water over my head and am a embarrassingly bad swimmer on the best of days.

HOWEVER… in Bill’s email he mentioned that he was the lawyer who used to live across the street from us and he saved my dog once. 

Of course I remembered the incident and so… in a fit of nostalgia… I said yes.

I was perfectly happy with my decision until The Oak Bay News landed on my doorstep.  On the front page was a picture of a smiling Mayor Christopher Causton bobbing around in a large teacup.  He looked happy.  I thought, oh how fun…and then I read the article.  It was full of stories of sinking teacups, capsizing teacups, toppling teacups.  Oh dear!

Amy helped me decorate a hat which shored up my courage.  Funny how that works, put on a silly hat and it helps keep the fear at bay.

I didn’t sleep well.  Those teacups look like they would spin.  What if I sunk, tipped over, got seasick?  Oh dear.

I still had butterflies this afternoon when Amy and David came by so we could drive over together.  I was certain it wasn’t a question of if, but when, my teacup was going to dump me into the frigid Pacific ocean.  Amy made some very cute signs for her and Dave to wave and cheer me on.  I packed an extra set of clothes and took some seasickness pills.

Waiting by the stage for our race to start, my mouth was dry.  The wind was picking up and it was a little bit choppy.  Christopher told me about a council woman whose teacup got blown right out to the point.  “Oh dear,“ I said.  I was trying to act all casual, but I was scared.  I was wishing I hadn’t said, yes.

Well, none of those things happened.  Right before our race started the wind stopped and the water was as smooth as smooth can be.  I made it to the safety boat mark and back to the shore in relatively good order.  I didn’t tip over even though I was in a rudderless teacup with uneven oars!  And there was my cheering family, so proud of me.  Gerry came by too.  It was a great day. 

A special thanks to Sandy and Christopher for the helpful tips before hand.  And to the woman who helped me set my teacup up.  She was awesome and gave me the best push ever out into the water and then waded in at the end of the race, way deeper than she needed and dragged me to shore.  How nice she was! 

At the end of the photos you’ll see me holding the trophy, but really Christopher was ahead of me by a long shot, he let me win!

I was really happy I did the race.  I had a real good time.  I told Christopher I was going to put my Teacup trophy by my Golden Globe.  He thought I was being facetious, but I wasn’t. 

Here is the photo journal of my adventure!

Posted by Meg Tilly on Sunday, June 05, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

David’s metamorphosis

Hi again!

Here you go.  My son, David.  The first photo was taken by Dave’s friend, Jon Lake, at David’s wedding this September.  The second one was taken by Don at Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Saturday, June 04, 2011 in Chewing the Fat

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