WTF???

So I've been making my little films for about 6 years now.  Every time I make a film
and tell my friends about it, one friend, who is an actor, gives me a guilt trip (publicly)
"You know, I'm an actor, Right?" "How come you never ask me to be in your films?"
The answer to which is that he was always busy during the production of my first two
films... so I just stopped asking. I think he forgot that I did ask back then.

So here's the fun part. I recently decided to make my latest Serial short into a feature length film.
And decided to "ask" this actor to play a role in it in the upcoming months. Being as he gave me
hell publicly again recently for not involving him in this very same Serial. His answer was that
he would love to "Help me out" as though I was asking him for a favor. Well let me tell you something.
There are 500 NEW actors in LA every month. It's not like I need help in that dept. Not that I don't love
the actors with which I've worked over the last few years. We've become a bit of a troupe and I think
they are amazing... But to turn it around as though you're doing me a favor after saying very loudly
at a party that I don't cast you in my films for which you are usually too busy to be bothered with.... crazy.

Then, it gets better, he proceeds during our conversation to let me know that he thinks my script wasn't very clear oncreen and that my lead actor wasn't very interesting to him. Hmmmm do I want to work with someone who #1 can't be positive about the project in our first conversation and #2 obviously doubts my abilities as a director?

#1 I think that if a director that I wanted to work with asked me to be in his film I'd be smart enough to avoid my personal critiques of his work until we were at least done with my scenes.lol

#2 If I've already shot 30 minutes of a film with a lead actor and gone to the effort of editing it and doing sound production and hiring a composer and screened the film, why in God's green earth would you say that you don't think the lead actor is interesting??? It's not like I'm going to disassemble the film and reshoot it with some NEW actor at this point. "I'm sorry Mr. Lean, I think Peter O'Toole isn't that interesting." He's in almost every scene! So if I were bold enough to say this to the guy who chose the actor... I'd assume that that director would think I doubted his choices and thus doubted his abilities. And NO director wants to work with an actor who openly doubts him upfront. Not to mention, I'd never place this actor in a scene with my lead actor. Bad blood need not be started if it can be avoided.

Point of all of this is. If you really want to work with someone, to the point of making public Notice about it, then pretend you like what the film maker is doing. At least until you get your footage.:}