For those of you who don't know, clowns always sit around their dark, dingy agent's office in full makeup and costume all day and wait for a call. We're a lot like firemen in that respect.
Michael Bongar's very busy New York office even has an alarm that goes off when you get a booking and a fireman's pole down the subway platform so his clowns can get to gigs even quicker.
And no one who books me on a regular basis has any idea who I am.
Now if you'll excuse me, Flappy, Flappy Jr. and I have to grab some coffee before we do another police party. I really need the money, my annual clown registration is almost up. I don't want to let is lapse and risk not getting in this year's book.
I'm working on my spec script about the soul-deadening world of television writing where the writers are all subhuman creeps and pitiable boobs.
ReplyDeleteWasn't this actor the clown booking agent who is killed in "Shakes the Clown"?. And he still insists with the character...
ReplyDeleteThe actor you are referring to is veteran character actor Paul Dooley.
ReplyDeleteDooley had worked as a stand up comic, magician and clown early in his career before becoming a writer for the Electric Company.
As an actor he has appeared in numerous films, commercials and on hundreds of TV shows. He was recently nominated for an Emmy for his work on The Practice.
But I'll always remember him best as J. Wellington Wimpy in Robert Altman's film, Popeye.
"the strippers are down the hall"
ReplyDeleteYes, he did a great job as Wimpy, and no doubt his early training as a clown (I didn't know that, thanks for the information Pat) helped him to portray the character. So, this IS Paul Dooley, isn't he?.
ReplyDeleteThat IS Paul Dooley with a VERY similar get-up that he wore as "Owen Cheese" from the U-Rent-A-Clown office in "Shakes the Clown"...
ReplyDeleteAND for those that didn't catch it... the dead clown is none other than my good friend and one of my great mentors...
KEVIN C. CARR!!
-Neal Skoy