By The Hair Of My Chinny-Chin-Chin

"You know, I just tend to grow my beard out for Parks and Rec. As an actor, it's always easier to shave or cut your hair for a role. but it's hard to put fake hair on or grow hair for a role. When you look at  pictures of me, the longer my hair, is, the longer my facial hair is, that's just the longer I haven't gotten a job." ~Actor Chris Pratt

So, I'm letting my beard grow. I'm putting away the razor and letting my face go for a bit. Of course I'll still keep my legs and back and that awkward two inches between my eyebrows baby smooth but I'm not touching my face. 

I'm going all beardy for two reasons. 

The first is I begin work on Season 2 of Meet The Martins for Capital One in a few weeks. Frank, my character, has a beard. 

The second reason is there are several projects coming this way in the Spring and Early Summer in which it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to have a beard or facial hair of some sort. 

Of course with this being Virginia, several projects means Civil War projects and most Civil War projects mean beards. The Civil War, after all, is referred to as The Beard War. 

Or so I've heard.

Beards, unlike a lot of things actors put themselves through for roles, are pretty simple. There are no special diets or workout programs. There's just not touching your face with a razor. I can do that. 

The first few weeks are easy. 

The weeks after that get a little trickier. You will start to look like you're homeless. NOT that there's anything wrong with that. If you happen to be standing on the street holding a cup of coffee, though, people will drop change into the cup. I'm just saying. Be prepared. 

After a month or two your beard will be well on it's way. 

The two of you will get into a rhythm and before you know it, you'll forget you even have one. Right up until the moment when you make a niece or nephew cry because they have no idea who the Hell you are.

Just keeping it reel.

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