NCIS Los Angeles - Episode "767"

I am writing this post to share my experience of booking a role on NCIS Los Angeles Season 8 Episode 19 and working with an amazing cast and crew.I have been auditioning for this show over the last couple of years and finally got my breakthrough to be part of the Guest cast on an episode written By Kyle Harimoto and Directed By Benny Boom. I was cast as the main villain Willem who with his team of mercenaries tried to steal plans for a Navy war ship in a complex plot taking place on a Boieng 767 from LAX to Tokyo.

First I have to express how grateful I am to have booked this role. As an actor, the feeling of booking a job after having done the work on a character is amazing. I have pursued acting for about 15 years now and this i'd consider my biggest breakthrough, to work on a hit TV series on a Major network like NCIS LA and on top of that having a big scene with Todd Smith aka LL Cool J and a fight scene with Chris O'Donnell, whom I have been a fan of since I was a kid and saw "Scent of a Woman" where he starred opposite Al Pacino.Walking off the Paramount Studios lot after having auditioned with a feeling and knowing I did my absolute best was very comforting, and knowing that it was now out of my hands. Casting director Jason Kennedy and Susan Bluestein have been so kind to call me in to audition over the years and for that I am truly grateful. The following day my agent called me to give the news: You booked the job!! :)Now I had to prepare myself to be on set, which was amazing! But first I had to go to a fitting at Paramount Studios, as I was on my way, I get text message from my friend Actor Bogdan Yasinski who I had met in acting class a cpl of years ago. He wrote: Did you book NCIS LA?  I thought, How in the world does he know that??  I wrote back: Yes I did! I am on my way to paramount studios for a fitting. He wrote: I am here! and saw your name on an envelope with a script in it. I booked a role on here too! What a small world, Bogdan was cast as my accomplice in the episode and we actually got to work together. We both celebrated that we had booked the job and looked forward to a great adventure on a Hollywood set.Everyone on that set was super nice and genuine. I realize both as an actor and in all areas of life, how important it is to always acknowledge everyone no matter who they are and what they do, everyone plays an important role for a team to be successful and I have learned that I create my own environment by how I show up in it. What I give out comes back, so it is important to always be kind to everyone. People will not always remember what I say, but they will remember how I make them feel. That has been one of the most important lessons of my life and that goes a long way. It's a small world always be kind and helpful. I have learned that I am the master of how I will be remembered.Todd Smith aka LL Cool J (Sam Hanna) and Chris O'Donnell (G. Callen) as well Daniela Ruah (Kensi Blye) and Eric Christian Olsen (Marty Deeks) were very nice and genuine people and made me feel welcome as a guest actor on the show. Talented Director Benny Boom and writer Kyle Harimoto were very nice as well. A person who also stood out was Second Unit Director Suzanne Saltz, she ran a tight ship and was extremely professional and kind. I have dreamt about acting in Hollywood film and Television since I was a kid in Denmark and finally getting to do that and feeling respected and welcome was an amazing bonus. I think I had a permanent smile on my face and so did my friend Bogdan, you could have given us a balloon and a propeller hat. I felt like a little kid again and became present to the fact that I get to live my childhood dream. This is due to hard work, overcoming challenges and never giving up, being grateful for the opportunities presented to me and doing my best.I got to play the villain in this episode which is a lot of fun!! Since it is something I don't get to do in everyday life and it is such a contrast to who I am, it really was a great, fun ride! One thing is acting in the audition room, another thing is being on set and having a whole plane full of background actors  and the main character react to my performance, it felt so real in the moment.I want to acknowledge all the background actors who spend many hours as background and really help the scenes come alive, there was one background actor who stood out, his name is Clifton Earl Hill. I was blessed to get to chat with him between takes, and I encouraged him to pursue acting fully and truly wish that he follows my advice. Clifton is a good man. Background actors spend hours and days on set for a scene or shot that might only last a couple of minutes on screen, most people don't know the amount of work that goes into shooting an episode. It takes full dedication of everybody for it to run like a well oiled machine.I was extremely blessed to get to work with a super talented stunt coordinator, stuntman and choreographer Freddy Bouciegues and the stunt crew consisting of Efka Kvaraciejus, Scott Lang and Josh Kemble, under supervision of Talented Stunt Coordinator and all around nice guy Troy Brown who is a veteran in the industry. He trusted me to do my own stunt fight with Chris O'Donnell, for that I am very grateful, I love stunt fighting!It was overall an amazing experience that I will never forget, a dream come true and a breakthrough for me as an actor.I encourage anyone who reads this to never give up and pursue your dreams no matter what they are. With patience, gratitude, hard work, doing your best, a positive attitude of being of service and never giving up. I promise you, your time will come!Best,Tomm