Dear Starving Artist, Get Something to Eat.

By Ransford Doherty With Angie Sanders

BOOK PROPOSAL (memoir)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW ...... 3 ABOUT THE AUTHOR ...... 5 AUDIENCE ...... 6 RELATED TITLES ...... 7 CHAPTER SUMMARIES ...... 8 PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION ...... 16 WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE ...... 19

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OVERVIEW Written with humor and reflection, Dear Starving Artist, Get Something to Eat. (63,322 words) is a coming-of-age story spanning twenty-three years. It is the story of a young man who dares to chase his dream of becoming a successful actor while his understanding of personal success evolves. With this book, Ransford Doherty wants readers to learn from his mistakes and realize that pursuing one’s dreams is a continuous process. His story encourages all readers, especially aspiring actors and creative artists, to put their college degrees and practical life experiences to work by finding employment that will allow them to live their dreams and support themselves financially. Ransford Doherty’s parents were born in Sierra Leone. Their dream was for their son to become a hotshot lawyer, like Blair Underwood in NBC’s L.A. Law. However, a life-changing meeting with his undergraduate advisor while he was attending Longwood University spurs Ransford to change his major from law to theatre performance. Ransford wrestles with this decision, worrying about what his parents will think and the impact on his extended family members. Upon graduation, he travels from Virginia to —dreaming of Hollywood stardom— with nothing but $2,000 and a duffle bag full of clothes. Two imaginary Blair Underwood characters serve as Ransford’s guide on his inspiring, cinematic roller coaster ride that is filled with obstacles and situations that test his definition of success, his faith in God, and his personal resolve. Ransford arrives in Los Angeles woefully unprepared for his new life. Just when he gets a job and finds his bearings in the new city, his roommates move out, leaving him to figure out his path to stardom alone. Soon, an acting role in a soft drink commercial leads to a chance meeting with a talent agent. However, Ransford knows he must quit his day job in order to gain her representation and remain available for the numerous auditions he feels certain will follow. Unable to give up his financial security, he decides to work the graveyard shift and attend auditions during the day, but soon, sleep deprivation takes its toll, threatening his ability to perform at his best. When a SAG-AFTRA strike poses another threat, Ransford realizes his finances aren’t growing with his resume. Fortunately, a colleague introduces him to the flexible and well-paying world of substitute teaching. Soon after he starts teaching, he lands a role in the movie Hostage alongside Bruce Willis. Ransford is certain this movie will be his big break but, unfortunately, his career doesn’t take off as he anticipates. After investing in a bad real estate deal, he finds himself in debt and at a loss about how to continue pursuing his career as an actor. He turns to his two Blair Underwood muses—L.A. Law Blair and Dashiki Blair—to help him reason through his problems as he struggles to balance the journey to become a successful working actor with his need to become financially secure. Even though Ransford’s face is now in ads throughout Los Angeles, promoting his role in a major motion picture with Bruce Willis, Ransford decides to return to teaching to support himself. In the midst of budget cuts and teacher shortages, several high school students make Ransford realize that his talents are needed both on screen and in the classroom. He then realizes that his teaching career will allow him to live his dream as a successful working actor while remaining financially stable.

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Ransford’s next big break comes when he lands the role of Coroner’s Investigator Kendall on TNT’s The Closer and Major Crimes. As a successful alum, Longwood University invites him to return to his alma mater to deliver the commencement address to a class of young dreamers. In the last chapter of the memoir, Ransford reflects on his career, which includes 20+ years and 500+ auditions, and offers life lessons to those hoping to make a living from their passion for the arts. A chance meeting with the real Blair Underwood at the end of the book brings Ransford’s quest full circle, a sign that he has indeed gotten this dream-chasing thing right.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ransford Doherty is a successful American television and film actor, educator, motivational speaker, and brand ambassador best known for his role as Coroner’s Investigator Kendall on the TNT top-rated series The Closer and Major Crimes. He has appeared in several recurring roles on network television shows including Jonas, Las Vegas and Joan of Arcadia. He has also made appearances on Shameless, NCIS, The Office, and Bones. His film credits include Hostage, opposite Bruce Willis, and Something Like a Business, alongside Kevin Hart. Ransford has been an acting coach for the SAG-AFTRA AFI Conservatory, Get Lit MC Club, and the August Wilson Monologue Competition and a guest acting teacher for The Booking Room, Joshua Lebar, and Ani Avetyan. His online course, Act for a Living, is a masterclass for aspiring actors seeking long successful careers in Hollywood without being starving artists. The Diving Board Technique, a one-on-one course, teaches actors his proprietary technique that helps them discover, and clearly demonstrate, what’s not being said moment-to-moment in a scene. Ransford is an acting coach and a high school special education teacher. He’s a co-founder, curriculum creator, and brand ambassador for Winning at The Money Game, a program that teaches financial literacy using the game of basketball to elementary, middle, and high school students. Ransford lives in Los Angeles and is a native of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

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AUDIENCE Although Dear Starving Artist, Get Something to Eat is a blueprint for how to not to give up on any dream, this book is targeted to the following reading audience: • Parents struggling with their college-age children’s choice to major in the arts (acting, writing, theatre, music, etc.) and are concerned about their child’s financial futures. • Artists/actors who want to stop starving and start eating. • People who are interested in becoming TV, film, or commercial actors in Hollywood. • Actors who have quit the business and are looking for a way back. • Actors who are tempted to quit the business. • Actors who want to start enjoying life more. My book provides relatable stories and helpful hints for taking calculated risks to achieve career goals, and it illustrates the rejection, pitfalls, and successes along the way. The book is a narrative that reveals what is behind the glamourous and glitzy curtain of Hollywood. I wrote the kind of book that I wish I had read prior to moving to Los Angeles—at least I would have known what to expect! I didn’t know the sacrifices I would have to make or the joy I’d experience in going for something that I wanted. My commitment to the journey toward becoming a working actor has always been a deal between God and me. I’ve sometimes veered off the path a bit, but after 23 years, I’m still on the journey.

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RELATED TITLES I started the process of writing this book with a coach who helped me produce a 150-page stream-of-consciousness draft. With the help of my co-author, Angie Sanders, I was able to tap into the themes I wanted to cover and tell my stories with humor, candor, and rich dialogue. She was able to identify the holes in my story and helped me tackle the topics I shied away from writing about initially. Below are the four books that I think my manuscript compares to in subject matter and/or style: • The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer. Similar to Fischer’s title, my book is inspiring, and it provides helpful guidance. My goal is for Dear Starving Artist, Get Something to Eat. is to make readers feel like they are receiving information from a trusted friend who has made the journey and has returned to walk beside them, pointing out the pitfalls as they blaze their own paths toward the life of a professional actor. Unlike this book, my book discusses the ways in which I overcame the pitfalls I experienced.

• We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. My book also tackles self-doubt and self-discovery, but it also compels readers to remove all the glitter and glamour and participate in this business for the love of it and not for the money.

• Definitely Hispanic: Growing Up Latino and Celebrating What Unites Us by LeJuan James. In this book, LeJuan James shares anecdotes about discovering the differences between his and his ’ households, demystifies “La Pela” (the spanking), explains the vital role women play in Hispanic families, and pays reverence to universal cultural truths like food is love and music is in Hispanics’ DNA. My book shares anecdotes about being a struggling artist, trying to understand the difference between the acting business and life, and the voices in my head that constantly battle one another while I’m dealing with challenging situations. My book delves into my passion for pursuing my dream and living life on my own terms, keeping the promises I’ve made to myself.

• Born A Crime by Trevor Noah: Noah’s stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love. My stories weave together to form a moving and funny portrait of a 23-year-old young man who decides to pack his duffle bag and move to Hollywood with only $2,000 to try to make it as a working actor. Like Noah, I’m armed with my mother’s love, determination to fulfill my dream, and faith in God.

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CHAPTER SUMMARIES Chapter 1: The Decision There’s something very liberating about having the freedom to simply go for anything you want without shame, without a care for what others think, or fear of ridicule. It’s 1997 and I’m 19 years old. I explain to Dr. Harbour, my Longwood University undergraduate advisor, that Blair Underwood is my inspiration for studying law. “He’s black. I’m black. I like to debate and speak in front of people and so does he. It’s the perfect job for me.” Dr. Harbour counters my notion with a question: “If you could pick anything to study that you enjoyed, but would not lead to a job or career, what would it be?” I struggle with this question, reflecting on how important education is to my Sierra Leone-born parents. I think about the wonderful experience I had in my high school speech and drama class, playing the role of the prince in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, riding on a real horse that my classmate brought in for the play. I realize that the answer to Dr. Harbour’s question is acting, and I whisper this to him. When Dr. Harbour encourages me to meet with the theatre department head and change my major, I’m presented with a crossroads. Should I study law and make my parents’ dreams for me come true? Or should I study theatre, realizing my own dream? Enter L.A. Law Blair and Dashiki Blair, who debate my career choices. Once I decide to change my major—and confess my choice to my parents—I participate more fully in college life, and soon, opportunities materialize.

Chapter 2: The Jacker I did some quick math. I started with $2,000 when I left Virginia. I spent $500 on food, gas, and lodging. Once I wrote this check to the apartment complex for $1,000, I’d only have $500 to survive in Los Angeles. The jacker had been in plain sight all along. It’s 1998. I am now living in Los Angeles. I discover that my roommate, Martin, is moving back to Virginia. As I bike to work, I reminisce on my friendship with Martin. When I learned that he planned to move to Los Angeles after graduation, I approached him. “Yo, man, can I roll with you?” I asked impulsively. Martin agreed to let me tag along. To get ready for the move, I worked a telemarking job selling long distance phone service for six months, a position that prepared me for the rejection I’d face as an actor. On the night before my big move to L.A., while watching BET Tonight—a call-in interview show—I took the chance to ask for some free advice from the show’s guest, actor Michael Jai White. “One thing I would say is if you understand acting as a business, if you understand this is a business first, it can shave years off your quest,” Michael advised. The next morning, three kids with dreams—Martin, Heidi (another classmate), and I—made the cross-country trek to California. I quickly realized that with a duffle bag of clothing and $2,000 ($1,500 of which I spend quickly), I was woefully unprepared for my new life in L.A.

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Chapter 3: Selfish Theresa put her hand on my shoulder. “Then you have to go for it. I mean really go for it. All this where-do-I-live logistical stuff is part of being an adult. It’ll work out. God’s got a plan for you.” I needed a job to support myself on my journey to stardom. I spotted a newspaper advertisement from a temporary employment agency and called the number listed. Within hours, I was interviewing for a job with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. In my first acting performance since arriving in L.A., I convinced the hiring manager that I wasn’t the aspiring actor that my resume suggested and that I was the right person for the rental car sales-agent position. However, I’m still pissed off that Martin is leaving me. “You’re being selfish,” Dashiki Blair chastises me. “You’re not codependent. It’s your dream. It’s your life.” Although I had been giving Martin the silent treatment, he is nice enough to invite me to a barbeque. At the gathering, I meet Siri, who tells me there’s an apartment vacancy in her building that’s within my price range. After talking with my mom, and after a chance meeting with actress Theresa Randle at Blockbuster, I realize that Martin has his journey and I have my own. My friend brought me all the way across the country, but I need to take things from here.

Chapter 4: Ninja Throwing Star And just like that—after 100 submissions, my risky ninja throw at the casting office, and some considerable sulking—I’d landed my first L.A. acting gig! Maybe this acting thing was going to work out for me after all. A year passed since Martin moved back to Virginia. During that time, I studied the names of casting directors and agents listed in a directory I’d found at work. If I ran into one of these people, I wanted to be ready. The good news? Pam Melton, a casting director, walked in one day, looking to rent a car. The bad news? I didn’t have any headshots. After that, I saved $300, which took me weeks, and worked with a photographer I found in the classifieds of Backstage West. With copies of my headshots and resume, I began mailing my submissions for acting jobs. I submitted for 100 roles. I was called for seven—all student films. Weeks turned into months, but my phone wasn’t ringing. Just when I started to get discouraged, I discovered an ad for a Dr. Pepper commercial. I was down to my last headshot. I biked over to the casting agency to drop it off instead of mailing it, hoping to get my submission in first. Once I got there, I discovered a locked gate. I couldn’t get in, so I took a chance on flinging the submission envelope under the gate like a ninja-throwing star, aiming for the mailboxes. I missed by 10 feet. The next day, I ran into Michael Jai White at the mall. I gave him my Enterprise Rent-A-Car business card with my home number scribbled on the back. Then, the following day, I received a call for the Dr. Pepper commercial audition. The casting agency offered all the background actors the chance to sign up for acting classes for $150 a month. This expense was a stretch for me, but I considered it an investment in my career. At one of the classes, I met Melanie Sharp, a talent manager, who liked my work in class and expressed interest in representing me.

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Chapter 5: Run for It Michael was right. Why did I come out to Los Angeles to be a television actor if I wasn’t going to pursue it? Even though Enterprise is a great company, I could do that job anywhere in the country. During my meeting with Melanie Sharp, she explained that she didn’t have my type on her roster yet, meaning an African American male client in his early 20s, to submit for roles. She said that to get started, I’d need a pager. Check. I soon learned after working in Melanie’s office for a day that my headshots were not of the caliber required to stand a chance against hundreds of other actors vying for the same auditions. I worked hard, skipped meals, and saved the $900 I needed to secure the kind of photos that would earn me an extra few seconds of consideration by a casting director. Next, Melanie said I needed reliable transportation. The bike I bought after landing my job at Enterprise wasn’t going to cut it. Days later, I’m at the Cerritos Auto Mall Mega Tent Sale where I’m gathered with a ridiculously long line of other people hoping to score a deal on a new car. We all count to three along with a well-dressed man yelling into a megaphone. He waves a checkered flag, and we run to the cars we want to buy. I run to a 1994 cherry red Honda Civic CRX Hatchback I’d spotted on the lot days ago and hop in. I remember the last thing Melanie wanted me to do to gain her representation: quit my full-time job at Enterprise. “We all need money to pay the bills, but your schedule needs to be as flexible as possible for auditions,” she said. How will I afford a car if I don’t have a job? I ask God for a sign, then I see that the car has a 5-speed transmission. I only know how to drive automatic. Fiddlesticks! “Actors,” L.A. Law Blair says with a palm to his face. “He’ll be all right,” Dashiki Blair says. “But he’s going to have to run for his dreams like he ran for that car, though.” After some lessons with a driving instructor, I do learn how to drive the car on my own. However, I can’t get my mind off what Dashiki Blair said. I am running for my dreams, right? Do I really have to quit my job? After talking to my mom and Michael Jai White (He calls!), I take the leap of faith and quit Enterprise. That night, the Dr. Pepper commercial airs. My part was cut, but I still celebrate the victory of landing the opportunity.

Chapter 6: You Better Wake Up I appreciated Melanie’s vote of confidence, but this was ER, the wildly popular NBC medical drama. Everyone and their brother, father, and grandfather would be vying for this part. Melanie sets up a meeting with Herb Tannen & Associates, a talent agency. I perform a monologue about how my perfect wife never farts in front of me. The agency agrees to represent me commercially and theatrically. Within weeks, I get calls for auditions—and temporary job offers. Balancing my acting career with trying to make a living makes me tense and anxious. I feel like I have no stability, and I can never get comfortable.

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I get the bright idea that working overnight will free me up to audition during the day. I land a new overnight job at Bank One. Between this new job and auditioning regularly, the next few months are a blur. When I oversleep for work—for the third time, my boss fires me. Fiddlesticks! The next day, I audition for a guest star role on the NBC TV show ER. The role involves a fight. I’m so pissed that I overslept and got fired that I’m ready for a fight. Right before the audition, I practice with my fight scene partner Mitch in an empty hallway. A receptionist rushes down the hall. “You better knock it off or I’m calling security!” We reassure her that we’re not scrapping for real, only rehearsing a scene. “Man, that was good!” she says. “You guys scared me. You’re gonna get the parts. I’m sure of it!” She’s right. Mitch and I land our respective roles in the ER episode.

Chapter 7: Go with the Flow If I were to die tomorrow, the last thing I would have eaten was ramen noodles and spaghetti sauce. And for what? I thought. A career in acting. There has got to be more to life. But acting is my passion. Wasn’t I supposed to go hard for my dream? I’m supposed to be willing to do anything for what I really want in life, right? My experience with Mitch and the rest of the cast and crew on ER is amazing. I book more commercials and begin to feel like a real working actor. However, the numbers on my bank statements don’t match the successes I experience as an actor. In 2000, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG/AFTRA, call for a television and radio commercial actors’ strike. Talent agencies, like Herb Tannen & Associates, stop sending actors to commercial auditions. The loss of income due to the strike and living on ramen noodles and spaghetti sauce has me contemplating the meaning of my life. I secure an audition for the part of a young Hank Aaron in an HBO film called 61*. I meet with an actor friend for advice. He says he doesn’t memorize lines. He just goes with the flow. “I go in with what I’m feeling, you know,” he says. I try this in my audition with casting director Mali Finn. It pisses her off that I don’t know my lines. “You expect me to bring you in front of Billy Crystal when you aren’t even prepared?” I beg her to allow me to try again. She obliges. I redeem myself, and then she says, “You’ve done a much better job. Now get out of my office!” This moment teaches me a valuable lesson about going into auditions prepared. I need money. I accept a two-week, $12-an-hour assignment, cutting photos at a Kodak photo lab. While there, my co-worker Corinne, a single mother in her late 20s, asks me why I’m wasting my college degree working with her at a dead-end job. “You could quit this job anytime you want to and find a job that pays $18, $20, or $30 an hour all because you’ve got a four-year college degree. And yet... you’re working here.” Maybe she’s right. Perhaps I’m not using my credentials to the fullest potential. After six months, the strike ends. Herb Tannen & Associates goes out of business. I ultimately sign with Pam Ellis of Ellis Talent Group. The strike teaches me three things: Number one, I can never forget that Hollywood is a business. I always need to keep a keen eye on my money. Number two, no one is immune to the industry’s pitfalls. And number three, despite what’s going on

Dear Starving Artist, Get Something to Eat. 11 around me, I can’t let anything take me off my game or make me take my eyes off what I want most—to be a working actor.

Chapter 8: Biggie Eye Pekin “Man, I told you one day we’d be working together,” Dayo said. “Now, we’ve got the same agent and we’re on the same TV show. Ransford, we’ve got this. I’m telling you man. It’s all coming together for us. We’re making our dreams come true!” It’s 2003. I witness an actor storm out of an audition, cussing out casting and anyone else who looks at him the wrong way. I conclude that he’s a biggie eye pekin, which translates to “big- eyed child.” When I was a kid, I became a biggie eye pekin when I had the pleasure of being around a lot of good food. As an adult, I’m a biggie eye pekin for acting roles I really want, especially during those times when I’m hungry and down to my last dollar. As actors in Hollywood—whether we’re working or not—we’re guests in the homes of the casting directors, producers, and directors, so we have to conduct ourselves appropriately. This means not throwing tantrums like this actor had done. My ability to conduct myself professionally and build relationships is key to my survival as a working actor. For example, I met actor Harold Sylvester while shooting the final episode of a CBS drama City of Angels. Months later, he wrote a part just for me on ABC’s NYPD Blue. I auditioned for Pat Melton, the casting director I met during my time at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and landed my first role in an independent feature film called What Matters Most. Jeannette Everette was a production assistant for the film, and we become fast friends. After filming, she landed a job as the fan club president and merchandise representative for Destiny’s Child. She scored concert tickets and backstage passes for me. Six months later, I played Kelly Rowland’s love interest on the UPN sitcom —and she remembered meeting me at the concert! In 2004, I land a guest star role on a CBS drama called Joan of Arcadia. Dayo, my former co- worker, a delivery driver from Enterprise, plays my cousin!

Chapter 9: Feel It Bruce Willis was standing five feet away from me. I glanced at him, wondering if he was disappointed in me. Before I could look away, he said, “Mikey. You’ve done the work already. You’re here. Now, feel it. Just feel it.” It’s 2004, and I’m a substitute teacher. One of the chance meetings I didn’t mention in chapter eight was one that set me on this trajectory. When I returned to L.A. from Texas after filming What Matters Most, I needed a job to support myself and would allow me to work flexible hours to audition and accept roles. Carol, an actress friend, told me she was a substitute teacher. It paid $27 an hour. After visiting her kindergarten class, I was sold. I submitted the recommendation letters, took the California Basic Educational Skills Test and was on my way. My father was unimpressed. “You moved halfway across the country to be a big-time actor, and now you’re a teacher?” he asked.

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Back to 2004, I’m teaching seventh grade students at Los Angeles Academy Middle School. I encourage them to write down their goals, as I had done in college. I then show them my acting reel to illustrate that I’d achieved many of the goals I’d written down. “What are you doing here as our substitute teacher? Aren’t you supposed to be rich?” a student asks. I explain that rich is relative. “I’m rich in that I’ve been afforded the opportunity to follow my dreams, to go for something that seems impossible. But that opportunity isn’t always glamorous, and sometimes there’s no glamour in taking action.” This answer convinces the students to jot down their goals as I’d asked. Later that year, Melanie tells me that I have an audition for the movie Hostage starring Bruce Willis. I make it through the first audition and two callbacks. “Ransford, they love what you’re doing during your reads, but your eyes get really wide during some of the intense moments of the scenes,” Melanie calls to say. “Can you bring down the excitement a notch?” I’m a biggie eye pekin. Literally! Nonetheless, I get the part. My father is finally impressed!

Chapter 10: Take Your Ass Back to Work “You need to get it through your skull,” L.A. Law Blair said. “This business is in no way as glamorous as they make it seem on TV. I mean, it’s TV, not life.” It’s March 2005, and I’m at the mall shopping for an outfit for the red carpet at the Hostage premiere. Pam calls to let me know that I have an audition for a series regular role. It’s scheduled for the same day as the movie premiere. “Sometimes in this business, you have to sacrifice the moment to feel like a star to get the next opportunity to be a star,” she says. I choose to go to the audition, but I don’t get the part. I don’t get any of the larger roles for which I audition. Although my friends and family are proud of my role in Hostage, the movie doesn’t do as well at the box office as I hope. Aside from booking a guest star role in an episode of Las Vegas on NBC and Girlfriends on The CW, I’m officially in an acting drought. The big roles never materialize. I consider going back to substitute teaching, but Los Angeles Unified School District budget cuts lead to teacher layoffs. Some of those teachers enter the substitute teaching workforce. That competition, plus my aggressive audition schedule, make it hard for me to accept assignments. I need something to help shake this feeling of despair that hangs over me like a sopping wet blanket. I sign with Scott Howard as my new manager. I try standup comedy and bomb. I invest in a rental property deal with two friends, which ends up costing us more money than we make. The next thing I know, I’m $35,000 in debt. Depression and doubt set in heavily. The Blairs give me a stern talking to and help me realize that I’m not down for the count. I actually have two careers: acting, which is my passion, and teaching, which I’ve become passionate about, and it provides a stable income. My friends and I sell the rental property. I confess to my manager Scott that I’ve been withholding commissions from him—a dumb decision I made out of fear. (He’s known about this all along.) He forgives me and we set up a repayment plan. I go back to substitute teaching, where I run into a former student. He still has his list of dreams he made in my class.

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Chapter 11: CliffsNotes “These guys are actors looking for work just like you are,” Dashiki Blair says. “Go in there and make people laugh like you’re funny because you are. You’re funny and entertaining.” Sergio, my AP English student (who’s also a 250-pound linebacker for the high school football team) steals my breakfast sandwich and engages me in a game of keep away, making me look like a fool. But I’m hungry. He takes a bite out of the sandwich and I’m livid. As I lunge for him, I wonder how I got here. Due to a teacher shortage, I had gone from being a substitute, with freedom to choose when I wanted to work, to one of the school’s traveling instructors. I wear a backpack that holds all my materials because I teach a different class in a different room each period. I’d gotten the AP English class because the original teacher quit on the first day of school! To my relief, Sergio reveals that this is all a prank. He shows me my sandwich, still safe in my desk drawer. This class is one of my favorites. They’re some of the brightest students I’ve taught. I get the hang of the course material, and the students and I learn and grow together. Teaching, auditioning, and acting start to balance, and I make a conscious effort to focus on daily self-care. After I bombed my first time performing stand-up comedy, I take a comedy class, write jokes, and try my material out on my students until I have a solid seven-minute set. I go back to the same club—much more prepared this time—and perform well. My students become vested in my acting career, interested in whether I get the roles for which I audition. They even help me run lines for an audition for The Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. When I arrive at the audition, I see Mark Curry and Barry Williams—series regular actors! Dashiki Blair appears for a pep talk to calm my fears. When I get the part, I’m excited to tell my students. On the last day of school, I hold a pizza party for the AP English class. I tell them that I have an audition for TNT’s The Closer coming up, and they ask to run lines with me again. At the end of the school day, Sergio gives me a gift: his favorite wood carving of a man wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap that he’d made in art class.

Chapter 12: Marathon Was I the blazing Hollywood star I thought I’d be years ago when I sat on the other side of this podium? Not quite. But since then, I’ve realized my career isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. I’d only begun to achieve what I knew I was capable of. It’s 2013, and the interim president of Longwood University is introducing me as the commencement speaker. It feels like it was yesterday when I was one of the bright-eyed and hopeful students sitting on the lawn, awaiting the moment to throw my cap in the air and declare myself a college graduate. But today, I’m the seasoned professional and mentor who’s here to impart wisdom. I’m nervous as I approach the podium, and I reflect on how far I’ve come. I had landed the role as Coroner’s Investigator Kendall on TNT’s The Closer. The role was only supposed to last two episodes. Two episodes turned into 10, and I found myself at the Los Angeles County Morgue doing research for the character. It was the first time I’d seen a real dead body, and I gained an appreciation for the work the professionals do there. Ten episodes turned into 20, and the show’s

Dear Starving Artist, Get Something to Eat. 14 cast and crew began to feel like family. Before I knew it, my friend Jason was accompanying me to the 100th episode red carpet event. “Dude! That’s Kevin Bacon,” Jason said excitedly. “There’s a lot of press and photographers here. This is major. We’re underdressed.” It was the first time that I realized how big of a deal it was to be a part of such a successful and long-running show with a cast who accepted me for who I was and appreciated my contribution to the show. Shortly after that event, I learned that I was going to be a part of the show’s spinoff, Major Crimes. At the commencement ceremony, I fight back tears to deliver my speech. After I’m finished, the faculty and staff give me a standing ovation. I’m overjoyed to have completed what I feel is one of the most important performances of my life. Three years later, I’m still working on Major Crimes and I’m a full-time teacher. I’ve even obtained a Master’s degree in special education, because I enjoy that teaching specialty the most. As I scroll through Facebook one Sunday afternoon, I see my former student Sergio’s face in my timeline. He and I had kept in touch through Messenger during the years since I’d taught the AP English class at Manual Arts High. When I read the headline above Sergio’s photo, my heart sinks: Man Shot and Killed Was Studying to Become Mechanical Engineer. Along with the former AP English students, I attend the funeral—a much too soon of an ending for a young man who had a promising future.

Chapter 13: Pushing Forward I shook my head vigorously. Was I hallucinating? Was this L.A. Law Blair? He didn’t dress like him or Dashiki Blair. I expected him to say something to me or help me make some decision. As he continued to talk on the phone, I realized I was sitting feet away from the real Blair Underwood in the flesh! In 1995, a classmate made it plain to me that if I chose to pursue a career in the arts, I was destined to starve. Yes, I’ve struggled along the way to chasing my dream, but I’ve traded ramen noodles and spaghetti sauce for veggie burgers, rice and vegetables or tomato soup with croissants and butter. I’ve also moved up from the $495-a-month studio apartment on North Bronson Avenue to a one-bedroom unit that costs me $2,000. I learned my bank balance won’t always match my resume, and that fame doesn’t always equate to wealth. Major Crimes goes off the air in 2018 after six seasons, my comedy career ends, and I’m once again looking for my next acting gig. But no matter what anyone says, I know I’ve always had the courage to take my dreams by the reins. I’m proud of myself, and my parents are proud of me, too. (They thank God I’m still alive and not on drugs or in prison.) My friends are doing great, too. Martin is an Emmy-winning director and producer with his own production company. Dayo has 64 television and film credits to his name, including a series regular role on a TV show. My new life goals are to publish this book, expand my financial literacy learning program, and secure a series regular role on a . In this chapter, I reflect on how the industry has changed, and I share some lessons I’ve learned over the past two decades. At the airport, I run into Blair Underwood. Not Dashiki or L.A. Law Blair, but the real deal. We don’t get the chance to talk, but I accept running into Real Blair as a blessing, a sign that I’ve gotten this dream-chasing thing right.

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PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION My Platform In addition to Dear Starving Artist, Get Something to Eat., my platform consists of the following elements that promote teaching the craft of acting and preparing actors for the journey to reach their dreams: • Hollywood Headshots This is a free e-book designed to provide insight on how to take professional, Hollywood ready headshots on a budget. • Act for a Living This is my online masterclass for aspiring actors looking to have a long successful career. I plan to offer this class and my book as a package for actors who register to join this learning community. • Act for a Living (Collegiate) This version of the online class is customized for acting students at colleges and universities. I have relationships with several schools to begin offering AFAL in 2021. This presents an opportunity to allow educational institutions to purchase copies of the book to provide to their students along with AFAL. • Diving Board Technique This is my proprietary, one-on-one method that helps actors ask the right questions to discover and demonstrate what’s not being said during a scene. The better the question and the better understanding the actor has of the scene, the better the actor’s performance will be. This is another opportunity to package the book with the purchase of this session(s). • Overnight Success This is my proprietary workbook that helps actors understand how their auditions, booking ratios, and paychecks can fluctuate during four years as a working actor. Their bank accounts and resumes probably won’t match, but they will know what to expect and learn how to adjust accordingly. • Conferences and Speaking Engagements I’ve participated in the following conferences and engagements in the past that present opportunities for me to promote and sell my book: o California State Thespian Festivals: This festival is a three-day event open to students from any thespian-affiliated high school. o South Eastern Theatre Conference: SETC hosts multiple professional auditions throughout the year, both for professional actors seeking work and for prospective students seeking admission to all levels of school/training programs. o National Theatre Conference: NTC is limited to 150 leaders nationwide in commercial, nonprofit, and university fields. The organization is made up of playwrights, directors, actors, producers, designers, dramaturgs, technicians, critics, fight directors, choreographers, historians, and teachers. o South by Southwest (Film & TV track) • Websites o ransford.me o https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0230611/ • Social Media Accounts

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o Facebook: RansfordDoherty (Official), RansfordDoherty (Personal) o Twitter: @RansfordDoherty o Instagram: RansfordDoherty (Official) o LinkedIn: RansfordDoherty (Personal) o YouTube: Axsumbody (Personal)

My Network I’ve been a successful working Hollywood actor for 20 years, including nine years starring as C.I. Kendall on TNT’s top-rated series, The Closer and Major Crimes. Below is a sample of the extent of my personal and professional network that I can utilize to promote my book: • Ellis Talent Group: I’ve been with my talent management agency for more than 20 years. Pam Ellis and Gaby Allabashi would be willing to open their vast networks to me and broker introductions in the interest of promoting my book. • Howard Entertainment: I’ve been with my talent agency for 13 years. Scott Howard would be willing to open his vast network to me and broker introductions in the interest of promoting my book. • The following actors and other individuals from my time working on The Closer and Major Crimes have become like extended family to me. They would be willing to help promote my book via social media and provide endorsements: o Ani Avetyan (casting director for Major Crimes and The Closer) o G.W. Bailey o Michael Paul Chan o Raymond Cruz o Jonathan Del Arco o Tony Denson o James Duff (creator of The Closer) o Kearran Gionvanni o Philip Keene o Graham Patrick Martin o Kathe Mazur o Mary McDonnell o Jessica Mraz o Corey Reynolds o Leonard Roberts o Rene Rosado o Kyra Sedgwick • Other friends who would be willing to help promote my book via social media and provide endorsements include: o Patrick Combs (motivational speaker, coach, and mentor) Patrick has been the invited guest speaker of more than 1,500 organizations and has spoken in every U.S. state and more than 10 countries. He’s helping me solidify collegiate and corporate motivational speaking engagements. o Affion Crockett (actor and writer) Affion is best known for his roles in The Wedding Ringer, Wild ‘N Out, and A Haunted House 2. He has one million+ followers on Instagram.

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o Randy Goodwin (actor, producer and director) Randy is heavily involved in the burgeoning Omaha, Nebraska film production ecosystem. o Anthony Hemingway (director of CSI: NY, Treme, True Blood and Shameless episodes and 2012 movie Red Tails) In 2020, Anthony signed a deal with 20th Television to produce and direct his own projects. o Tembi Locke: (actress, New York Times bestselling author) Tembi has signed on as a screenwriter of the upcoming Waiting to Exhale television series with Lee Daniels and her sister Attica Locke. o Michael Jai White (actor) Michael has starred in numerous films and television shows including Spawn and Black Dynamite. He has two million+ followers on Instagram. • SAG-AFTRA: I’m an instructor with the SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Conservatory. My many connections within the organization will be willing to open their networks to me and broker introductions in the interest of promoting my book. • Longwood University: I have long-standing relationships with university administrators and faculty in the theater performance department as well as friends and alumni. I’m working with the university to provide access to Act for a Living, Diving Board Technique, and this book to their theatre students. • Southwestern Adventist University: I’ve been invited to speak at a number of events at this university.

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WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE Why am I the one to tell this story? I’ve lived it and continue to live it today: I have 20 years of experience in the acting business at close to every role level possible: background, co-star, guest star, and top-of-show guest star. Over the past two decades, I have: • worked on two top-rated TNT shows and held recurring roles on two different network shows at the same time. • held roles on shows that aired on the big three major networks. • worked on single-camera and multi-camera sitcoms. • worked on three different Disney Channel shows. • been a principal actor in national commercials and modeling ads. • done short films, Sundance Festival nominated films, web-series, independent feature films, SyFy feature films and HBO films. • worked alongside Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe and Oscar winning actors. I also coach other actors.

What has life taught me? Make the best of an opportunity that you’re given, and then create another opportunity out of that. If I hadn’t bet on myself, I wouldn’t be where I am today. God is good, all the time. My relationship with Him is not glamorous, but it definitely has been a good one. Situations that I perceived as obstacles later made me realize that God was preparing me for something better. I know rejection, and I accept it for what it is. It’s not the end of the world. It’s part of the journey.

What have I been through that gives me a unique lens? I’ve endured 530 auditions (and counting) and booked more than 42 acting jobs. I have more than 125 episodes of television work under my belt. I know how to respond to audition droughts and floods. I’m not surviving the game; I’m thriving. During the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching—the one thing I thought was standing in my way of stardom—actually saved me. I love teaching, but God was preparing me for something bigger that had nothing to do with acting. I never imagined Hollywood would ever shut down. I’ve been through the actors’ and teachers’ strike, but the pandemic has been on another level. What kept me afloat was my teaching job. I used it to hunker down and find new ways to be creative. I began to see what I was made of if I wasn’t able to act, and I learned a lot about myself. I didn’t die. I still was able to be creative. I created an online class. I finished writing this book with my writing partner and completed an acting workbook. I was able to catch up on things around my home. I spent time with myself. The pandemic forced me to reflect on the things for which I needed to be grateful.

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