L.A. Trip (and Hearst Castle)

I’ve lived in New Orleans since late 2009, but before that – I was in Los Angeles for nearly 18 years. So far, that’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere, but if home is where the heart is, my heart was always in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Because of the pandemic, I haven’t been back to L.A. since 2019. The things I miss most about L.A. are my friends and 3 food items.

Return to L.A.

Though Louisiana has always felt like home to me, I never actually lived here until 2009. And though I spent nearly 18 years in Los Angeles, I never actually felt truly home there. That said, I’ve made sure I return at least once a year to see friends, take care of business and have a meal at Mel’s Drive-In on Sunset. This time, I was headed to L.A. to participate in the Courts Celebrity Fan Fest. It seemed funny somehow to return to L.A. to sign autographs. The city is as packed to the gills with celebrities as New Orleans is with Grammy winners so I hardly feel like I stand out in a crowd. But it all made sense when I spoke to the students at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) at their Industry Insight Series.

Django Unchained Screenings

Last week, I returned to Los Angeles for the premiere and cast & crew screening of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. I’d heard a lot about the film from various people who’d been to previous screenings there and in N.Y. and was very excited to finally celebrate all of our hard work. I play Leonardo DiCaprio’s sister, Lara Lee Candie-Fitzwilly, a hoop skirt-wearing southern belle who’s quick with a smile.

L.A. – A Nice Place to Visit…

I think that when most people think of New Orleans, they think of food, music and lots of drinking. It may be true that Bourbon Street is the Disneyland of drinking, but it’s just one street. When people think of Los Angeles, I suppose they think of movie stars and premieres and there are plenty of both, though I doubt the average tourist would have access to either. Having lived in Los Angeles for nearly 18 years, going to L.A. is more than a vacation for me, it’s a return to my former home and the friends I left when I moved to the Big Easy.

L.A. To N.O.LA redux

My friend, Danica, brought me back into the L.A. city limits from the 1950’s time capsule town of Whittier. I would spend my last evening in L.A., not at a premiere or schmoozing for work, but in the Valley making pizzas with my friend, Janell’s toddlers. Their tree was up and decorated and stocking were hung with care in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there. After Danica departed and Janell put the kids to bed, Angela joined us for one last night around the fire pit.

From N.O.LA to L.A.

One year ago, after nearly 18 years in Los Angeles, I packed up a rental truck and moved my life to New Orleans. It was a leap of faith. I knew how to make a living in Los Angeles. I’d met friends there and 2 friends I’d known since high school moved there over a decade ago. I knew how to get around, where I liked to eat, and which doctors I trusted. I knew what to wear and what the cultural expectations were and I knew how dating worked there. About New Orleans, all I was certain of was that it was, and had always been, my favorite city in the world.