A Monologue for Director Peter Berg
Posted by Gracie Maddox at 10/14/2007 3:12 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
What would you do if you were on a movie set with your friend who has a part in a new Peter Berg movie starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron and the director started a conversation with you and then asked if you'd be willing to perform a monologue for him on the spot with no advance warning?
What would you do if Oscar-winner Charlize Theron was sitting and watching just a few feet away?
Well, that's exactly what happened to me recently on the set of the new Peter Berg movie, John Hancock!
I was on the set because my friend Jae Head has a role in the movie and he sometimes invites me to the set with another friend of ours named Josh. Jae's a great actor and I'm very excited for him to be in such a major project with such big names!
(Will Smith on the set of "John Hancock")
So, I'm just sitting there in the observation room with Charlize Theron sitting nearby and Peter Berg starts a friendly conversation with me about where I'm from and asks me if I'm an actor. I answer him that I'm from Kentucky and that yes, I am an actor.
Mr. Berg, whose only the hottest director in Hollywood, then comes right out and asks me if I could do a monologue for him.
I could feel my heat beating like a bass drum!
Somehow, I found enough composure to answer him confidently and said, "Sure, would you like me to do a funny one or a serious one?"
I hadn't performed the funny monologue for anyone in about 2 years. My mom, however, has always encouraged me to practice all my monologues in the mirror regularly for just a circumstance. Still, I don't think my mom really ever thought I'd need to be ready to perform an on-the-spot audition for a famous director in front of one of the most talented actresses in the world!
I perform my favorite serious monologue much more often and it is the monologue I performed on the Dr. Phil show so I was hoping in the back of my mind that Mr. Berg would ask me to perform the serious one.
He didn't. He asked for the funny one.
(Peter Berg on the set of "The Kingdom")
I took a moment to sort of get into the mindset required for the monologue and just went right into it. Even though I hadn't performed that monologue in such a long time, I guess my instincts took over and I worked right through it.
I certainly won't be getting any calls from the Academy for my performance, but, Mr. Berg laughed in the right places. I was to preoccupied to notice any reaction from Ms. Theron. Mr. Berg joked that he needed to consider creating a flashback scene for me as Charlize Theron's character.
I don't know what Peter Berg or Charlize Theron thought about my performance, but, I'm pretty proud of myself that I was able to perform on demand for Mr. Berg.
Now, if Mr. Berg would get on with creating that flashback scene! Ha! Ha! (I wish!)
What would you do if Oscar-winner Charlize Theron was sitting and watching just a few feet away?
Well, that's exactly what happened to me recently on the set of the new Peter Berg movie, John Hancock!
I was on the set because my friend Jae Head has a role in the movie and he sometimes invites me to the set with another friend of ours named Josh. Jae's a great actor and I'm very excited for him to be in such a major project with such big names!
(Will Smith on the set of "John Hancock")
So, I'm just sitting there in the observation room with Charlize Theron sitting nearby and Peter Berg starts a friendly conversation with me about where I'm from and asks me if I'm an actor. I answer him that I'm from Kentucky and that yes, I am an actor.
Mr. Berg, whose only the hottest director in Hollywood, then comes right out and asks me if I could do a monologue for him.
I could feel my heat beating like a bass drum!
Somehow, I found enough composure to answer him confidently and said, "Sure, would you like me to do a funny one or a serious one?"
I hadn't performed the funny monologue for anyone in about 2 years. My mom, however, has always encouraged me to practice all my monologues in the mirror regularly for just a circumstance. Still, I don't think my mom really ever thought I'd need to be ready to perform an on-the-spot audition for a famous director in front of one of the most talented actresses in the world!
I perform my favorite serious monologue much more often and it is the monologue I performed on the Dr. Phil show so I was hoping in the back of my mind that Mr. Berg would ask me to perform the serious one.
He didn't. He asked for the funny one.
(Peter Berg on the set of "The Kingdom")
I took a moment to sort of get into the mindset required for the monologue and just went right into it. Even though I hadn't performed that monologue in such a long time, I guess my instincts took over and I worked right through it.
I certainly won't be getting any calls from the Academy for my performance, but, Mr. Berg laughed in the right places. I was to preoccupied to notice any reaction from Ms. Theron. Mr. Berg joked that he needed to consider creating a flashback scene for me as Charlize Theron's character.
I don't know what Peter Berg or Charlize Theron thought about my performance, but, I'm pretty proud of myself that I was able to perform on demand for Mr. Berg.
Now, if Mr. Berg would get on with creating that flashback scene! Ha! Ha! (I wish!)
Hi Gracie! My name is Katy and Im a big fan of yours.
Wow!That is so exciting about the monologue! Good for you! Which Monologue was it that you performed for him?
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Hey Katy! Thanks for being so sweet and for being my fan. I really appreciate your support! I performed a monologue that's probably a little young for me now. It's a student a new school that is excited about all the different kinds of people at her new school. She compares all the different kids to all the different colors of candy in a bag of M & M's. It's a cute monologue with a good message!
XOXO,
~Gracie
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hey grace, its jae. thanks 4 talkin about me and my movie love the website. hope to see u again soon.
Love,jae head
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hi gracie i watched the Dr phil show some time ago and i was wondering wat the name of the monologue was that u performed on the final show please get back to me on my email thanks
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hi gracie -- I luved the monologue you did for the dr. phil finale. can u tell the name of the author and the name of monologue please? i'd like to use it for my elocution class. thnx good luck with ur career! shellis
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The monologue is by Vin Morreale Jr. I'm not sure of the name, but, I'll have Gracie email it to you when she gets a chance. (She's doing homework tonight after getting back from an audition in L.A.) All the best with your classes! Vin's monologues are all terrific. We've heard from others that his book of monologues is sold out and on back-order. You can try Googling it
Gracie's Dad
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