I don't know how much credit I can take for 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' because I only worked on it for three weeks. I re-wrote the pilot, and then my name was on it forever.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Almost everything I tried out for I pretty much got. I landed Power Rangers, and the rest is history.
Since I was the solo artist as well as the writer for the songs, I figured I had enough credits on it already.
I paid my way through school doing set construction for film and television. I'm a member of Local 44. I was a construction coordinator on 'Beverly Hills 90210' for 4 1/2 years and ran their whole construction program. I did two other pilots as a coordinator for Aaron Spelling.
The reason I've never gone for pilot season even as a younger actor, and wouldn't entertain that sort of thing now, is the idea of signing a piece of paper that binds me for six or seven years.
I wrote six pilots, none of which ever got picked up. When you stop trying, it then it falls in your lap.
There can be a lot done if you are not so particular about who gets credit for it.
I gave myself two months to book a job. One month later I was cast on 'Modern Family.'
When I moved to Los Angeles, I was straight out of grad school, and I didn't have a single credit to my name. I knew one person in town - another actor whose name is John Billingsley. I just had to audition and audition and audition. I was plugging away for 15 years. So I earned my stripes!
While I filmed the 'Walker, Texas Ranger' series for eight and a half years, I had never had much time to read, except for screenplays of the episodes.
I've had a pilot every single year that didn't sell for the past four years, that'll smack you in the back of the head. I had a really good one last year; I wouldn't have done the play in New York if I had gotten that one.