I came to Hollywood on June 1st 1994, arriving on the 11am bus like so many wannabes before me. Back then The Boulevard was awash with flyers. ‘Actors Wanted/Models Wanted.’ Casting scams pinned to lamp posts; a clichéd Hollywood rip-off. Gilson Simoes never advertised. He couldn’t afford the paper. And he claimed he never took their money unless they had it. I, apparently, had it…
Tales from the Hollywood Bus Stop is not about me. It is about a time past and an era many in the business would like forgotten. To me, however, this was the real face of Hollywood with its scams, exploitation and broken promises. This is the story of someone who believed the illusion and could, with the backing of a publisher, become my next novel.
