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1993 - 2009 I believe in dreams… … but dreams, without a “plan of action” of how to make them come to fruition, is nothing more than a fantasy. More than that, just because you have a “plan of action” and work your ass off doesn’t necessarily equate to obtaining the dream or getting that golden ticket. Sometimes you do not get to cross “GO” and you do not get to collect your “two hundred dollars.” At the same time, just because you may not obtain the end result of any given dream, does not mean you have failed either. No. Not at all. As a matter of fact, I have come to learn some dreams do not happen for a very good reason, but the lessons you will learn on your journey will help you to obtain your new goals and dreams, giving you insight to make profound decisions. I am a dreamer. I always have been, and always will be. My dreams are what kept me going when I was a young boy growing up in the Buena Vista Apartments in Alameda, CA. My parents lived together, for the most part, but they hated each other. It seemed the only time they didn’t fight was when we went to the movies. Movies were my salvation growing up because for an hour and a half or if I was lucky, two - whole - hours, we’d sit as a family and no one would be screaming, or throwing bowls that would shatter all over the kitchen floor. There’d be no crying (well, unless the movie was E.T.), and no one would punch holes in the walls. Movies are what brought my crazy-ass, dysfunctional family together, and if the movie was real good, we would talk about it all the way home. This page is dedicated to one of my “failed dreams.” I use the word “failed” loosely (remember what I said about the journey). To make a very long story short, I was inspired by the movie Star Wars in 1977. Up until then, movies for kids were like a car wash. You go through, it’s fun, noisy, you know what’s coming, and you leave feeling squeaky clean. Star Wars was like nothing I’d ever seen before. As soon as it started, it left the impression with me that it had already existed, and following Luke Skywalker on his “hero’s journey” was like eavesdropping on a secret conversation at the grown-up table. It resonated with me on many levels, and to say the least, the movie gave me a much needed distraction. I was only nine years old and my parents’ fights continued until they ultimately divorced.
Fast forward to 1993.
I read in the paper that Lucas was going to do something called a prequel to Star Wars. Well, this gave me “new hope” because I had been actively pursuing an acting career and was already a member of the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA. I started out with my “Star Wars Attack Plan” with one modest query letter to Lucasfilm expressing my interest to be considered. I followed up every six months like clock-work making notes on my calendar of when my next wave would be mailed out. Fast forward to 1997 The Release of the original Star Wars trilogy was just about to hit the globe. I knew there would be an orgy of media hype, and I also knew I had to jump on the free media tsunami and use the hype to my advantage to tell my story, to tell the world why I needed to be a part of this new trilogy. What you see before you on this page is only a small sampling of what I actually accomplished with this dream - the dream of getting an audition for Star Wars – the prequels. Funny thing about dreams, when you actively state out loud for the world to hear what it is you want, there will always be people to tell you just how stupid you are and ask you, “…why the hell do you want that?” When that happens to you just remember this… it’s your life and your dream. Paul Haggis wrote it the best, “There’s a magic in risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you…” Fast forward to 2009 I never did get a call from my agent to audition even though I met Mr. Lucas himself. He’s a small man standing only 5’5”. How do I know this? I too am 5’5” and I looked him straight in the eyes when I told him, “Mr. Lucas, I know I’m not an Evan McGregor or a Samuel Jackson, but I’m just as talented, and I truly hope I get an opportunity to audition for you one day…” Enjoy my “Kevin Wars Archives” and if you have any questions or want to know more about my Star Wars Attack Plan, … I am proud to talk about it. Even though it never happened, I know Yoda would also be proud, “Do or do not… there is no try.”
KEVIN WARS (the pursuit of a STAR WARS Dream) |
