The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 45: Heidi lands a 'webisode'

In the previous Heidi Chronicles, Heidi the aspiring actor had gone to an open call audition -- here, girl! -- for a TV reality show in development, intended to give rescue dogs like Heidi a shot at a Hollywood career.  Even though the project may never see the light of day, we were happy to wait in line behind small, hairless pooches wearing itty-bitty sweaters in order to be part of the process.

But yo, dogs -- just as Heidi was recovering from the excitement of being part of a showbiz cattle -- or is it canine? -- call, the shepherd got offered a real part: playing the "mean dog" in the first webisode of a new web series called "Sir Glen of Glenwood" for Performing Arts Studio West  (PASW) of Inglewood, which offers career training and management for actors with developmental disabilities. 

Heidi was already a friend of the studio.  She was the first dog -- in fact, so far, the only dog -- to participate in a studio improv class, thus putting the PAWS in PASW (sorry).  I'm told that one of the younger actors, Christy Chew, fondly refers to Heidi as the dog "with the substantial tail."

Studio founder/director John Paizis -- pictured (left) with Heidi and Chardell Brown, director of photography for "Sir Glen" -- told me that Heidi's job would be to bark at actor Glen Poehlman, who stars as the knight in shining armor, then chase him through an alley and a park.  A speaking part!  We immediately started rehearsing.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 44: A dog "in development"

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

Since signing up with Central Casting in early June -- seeking extra roles that include a talented German Shepherd -- Heidi and I have gotten no nibbles whatsoever from Hollywood.

But our East Coast colleague Lorraine Goodman, who writes a column on animals and show biz for Examiner.com, tipped us off to an open casting call being held in Burbank for a TV reality show involving dogs.  (By the way, congrats to Lorraine's terrier mix, Tiger, who has landed a gig on a shoe commercial. Read her column here). 

As is the case with many open casting calls for projects in development, no details were provided; dogs and unemployed actors don't ask questions; they come when called. The audition was not geographically desirable for Tiger, but Lorraine thought we might be intrigued. I applaud the professional courtesy I am observing in the working dog community.

Whether Heidi can act is still an open question --  but no one could argue with the fact that she is real dog. Plus, the producers were particularly interested in rescue dogs like Heidi. We responded to the e-mail with photos and a recounting of the heart-tugging story of Heidi's rescue from a Texas storm drain. Almost immediately, we got an e-mail asking us to set up an audition appointment. 

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 43: A visit to Central Casting

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

Heidi may not yet have found fame, but her large, luscious ears seem likely to become the most notable showbiz twins since the Olsens thanks to animal photographer Andy Sheng of Otis & Lucy Photography, who volunteered to shoot Heidi awhile back and hung a black-and-white shot of The Ears at a promotional event last week.

Heidi attended the party at Grateful Dogs Clubhouse in El Segundo with her proud dad, Alan Feldstein, who shot Sheng's display (see below). If there's a market for dog body-part models, she's all ears. 

But, in the ongoing effort to get the whole dog working in Hollywood, I recently grabbed another photo of Heidi -- full body shot -- and headed off to the Burbank offices of Central Casting. 

As detailed in an earlier chapter, I had signed up with an online resource for non-union extras, Extras Access, in hopes that I might get a call for an extra-with-dog.  Unfortunately, none of the wide range of extra calls I've received since then require a canine (although I think any of the low-budget vampire flicks that have seemed unnervingly interested in my profile could break out by including an undead shepherd with a taste for O-negative). 

 I thought we might have better luck with Central Casting, since I had read online that Central Casting will allow applicants to add a pet photo to their files. I will not work without the dog.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 42: Doggie "stage moms" write in

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

Last week, "Heidi Chronicles" readers learned about the late Ginger the Wonder Dog, an ordinary house pet who became a working actor under the guidance of Michele Boardman of Mar Vista (and thanks, Michele, for adding your sweet comments about "Ginge"). 

Today, we hear from the stage moms of two other house dogs, one on the East Coast, the other on the West, who like Ginger managed to find some success in the industry. Both of them wrote to me after reading the saga of Heidi's showbiz quest in the print edition of the Times. It's comforting to know that I'm not the only dog parent out there who is certifiably insane.

First, meet Gaby (left), a 5 1/2-pound toy poodle owned by Judy Garland of Hermosa Beach ("No, I couldn't name my dog 'Toto,' she says). In my opinion, Gaby is on the fast track to portray Albert Einstein's dog.

 While Gaby's resume (note to self: get Heidi a resume) includes such impressive credentials as two Doritos commercials, appearances on Style Network, Access Hollywood and Animal Planet's "Groomer Has It," Garland describes their Hollywood adventure as "dog eat dog." She says she found most of Gaby's jobs through networking and, surprisingly, www.craigslist.com. She notes that professional union trainers look down on house dogs as "the great unwashed."

"This life of finding work for our cherished four-legged companions is more than difficult and ... quite expensive," she writes. "Plus there is a large demand for owners who look like their pets.... I went to one call and ended up literally cutting my hair to look like my Gaby."

If you still have that photo, Judy, please send. Meanwhile, to see little Gaby at work, check out her gender-bending performance as a "homeless boy dog" on this Pet Spa commercial.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 41: Ginger the Wonder Dog

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

By chance, I've discovered something about "The Heidi Chronicles": When I mention the name of a celebrity, the chapter tends to get picked up by more blogs and websites than when I don't. 

To that end, I'd like to mention just a handful of the major luminaries who have not met, or perhaps even heard of, Heidi: Miley Cyrus, Kris Allen, Paris Hilton, Sean Penn, Conan O'Brien, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Octomom, Miss California and all of the Los Angeles Lakers.

There is, however, a lesser-known star that Heidi and I almost met, and regret having missed: Ginger the Wonder Dog.

From the first day of Heidi's studio training with Sue DiSesso of Animal Actors 4 Hire, we heard about Sue's former client, Ginger, a cute Red Merle Australian shepherd owned by Michele Boardman of Mar Vista. Like me, Michele is a regular person who decided to see if her pet could make it in Hollywood. And Ginger did, becoming one of the few privately owned dogs to work consistently in the biz, appearing on "Murphy Brown," "Seinfeld" and in variety shows and commercials. Ginger died in January, at age 15.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 40: A little something "extra"

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

Heidi has not yet performed a speaking role on stage or screen, but she's now a veteran radio commentator.  If you want to hear me -- and more importantly, the dog -- speak, we'll be chatting about Heidi's career tomorrow (Tuesday) on The Pet Hour on Sirius XM Stars: Sirius 102 and XM 155, which airs at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST. We taped the show a few weeks ago. We rehearsed Heidi's "hello" in advance of the 10-minute telephone interview; then, I stacked dog biscuits by the phone and prayed Heidi would not ignore my "speak" hand signal and spend her 10 minutes of fame staring silently into the phone receiver.

She did not. In fact, Heidi was so good that hosts Cindy Connors and Nancy Glass asked her to speak again.  Apparently she had them at "WOOF."

But not content with having mastered the radio medium, we're still trying to get Heidi in front of a movie or TV camera. To that end, I finally overcame my resistance and followed some sage advice we got in March from Terri Ann Becherer, director of background actors -- better known as extras -- for the Screen Actors Guild.  Becherer had recommended that I go online and sign up with one or more of the various websites that offer to link up non-union extras with possible roles.  Some of these sites ask you to list any special skills or props you might bring to an extra role; those "props" might include a dog. 

I decided I would only visit sites that allowed me to sign up for free and invited me to post a photo, figuring I could use a shot that included Heidi. I also decided that I would take this opportunity to acquire a stage name, and chose to borrow the moniker of my late great-grandmother, Daisy Bishop.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 39: A star makeover from Artist Knox

This is is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered' in a park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the entertainment industry. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Times staff writer Diane Haithman:

Heidi recently celebrated her seventh birthday -- although, as an actress, she plans to continue to lie about her age. I try not to think too hard about the fact that large-breed dogs like Heidi tend to have shorter life spans than those little yappy ones, which seems like a slap in the face from the universe.

But what could be better to help a starlet forget about her age than a good old-fashioned Hollywood makeover?

So, naturally, I was intrigued upon receiving an e-mail about Artist Knox, 27, who was named the top dog groomer last year on the Animal Planet show "Groomer Has It." Knox, a native of South-Central Los Angeles, is now the star of Animal Planet's "Beverly Hills Groomer," a reality show that follows Knox's efforts to open his own salon and school catering to upscale clientele (while also finding time for pro bono grooming for rescue and shelter dogs). The show premieres Saturday at 10 p.m.

Over the weekend, we visited Knox -- named after a grandfather who was so named because his dad always wanted to be an artist -- who performed his magic on Heidi. When it comes to success as a dog actor, "the first step is Artist's grooming,"  Knox says.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 38: 'Love those ears': Andy Sheng shoots a star

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into show business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman.

Replacing Heidi's usual head shot, to your right you will see Heidi with her new friend Andy Sheng, 38, owner of Otis & Lucy Photography in Culver City. The studio is named after Sheng's first dog, Otis, and Otis' best friend, Lucy. Sheng's current dog-in-residence is Louie the Labrador (named for Louis Armstrong).

Andy and Heidi came to meet because Sheng e-mailed me after the story of Heidi's ongoing showbiz aspirations became a Column One feature in the print edition of The Times. Sheng suggested that Heidi's career --  such as it is -- might get a boost from acquiring a professional head shot that shows off her good side. He invited Heidi in for a photo session so we could see what he had in mind.

Once we arrived at Sheng's studio and saw some of his work, however, it became clear that the "head shot" was quite a few notches below his level of artistry. Plus, Sheng confessed that he's never really done animal head shots because the people most likely to want them are the ones signing up with questionable animal talent agencies that profess to be able to find work for pets, but more often end up scamming the pet owners with expensive training programs that lead exactly nowhere.

No matter to us -- not only are we not signing up with a pet talent agency, but Heidi loves the camera and is always happy to get her photo taken, head shot or no. And I figured that, should Heidi never make it as an actor, Sheng might give us some perspective on Heidi's chances of getting work as a model.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 37: 'Frasier's' Moose: 'An actor, not a dog'

 This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

Though you may not believe it, I don't devote all of my time to Heidi's career. In my dual identity as an arts writer for Calendar, I recently had the pleasure of interviewing actor John Mahoney about his role in the Conor McPherson play "The Seafarer," which opens Wednesday at the Geffen Playhouse.

We talked about the theat-ah -- about the joys of live performance and playing King Lear. But amid all this heady discussion, I couldn't resist asking Mahoney about one of TV's most famous dogs: Moose,  the Jack Russell terrier who played Eddie on the long-running sitcom "Frasier." Moose portrayed Eddie -- who belonged to Mahoney's character, retired cop Marty Crane -- for the first eight of the show's 11 seasons, and was replaced by his lookalike son, Enzo, for the final three.

What he said gave me paws -- I mean, pause -- about breaking Heidi into Hollywood.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 36: People skills

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

I recently taught Heidi to fetch the newspaper -- she is, after all, a reporter's dog.  She still needs encouragement, but once I've pointed out the morning L.A. Times on the path to our front porch, she's thrilled to grab it by its plastic wrapper and charge off into the house. She thinks it's fun to drop it in a different place each time so that later she can watch me running around trying to fetch it too. 

Heidi learned this classic house dog trick just in time to retrieve her own story: The tale of Heidi's adventures in Hollywood was our Column One article last Wednesday. I didn't ask the dog to sign my newspaper, but it may be the only copy autographed with Heidi's teeth marks.

But enough about the encouraging fact that Heidi still prefers to get her news in print. In the previous chapter, we were chatting with animal trainer Brandon McMillan, star of the adventurous new Animal Planet series "Night," about his K9 Mind dog training program. He had left us with the intriguing statement that he can tell in 30 seconds whether a dog is cut out for a Hollywood career. Here's what he had to say: