hollywood – Page 14

September 30, 2012

You Can Do It

This was the last thing I said to the twenty-something year old subway rider I met on the Red Line in North Hollywood last night. I was returning home from a day at the beach with my friend Sara (a rather impromptu visit, thus my jeans and Calvin’s) when this really large dude started speaking to me.

As soon as this guy sat down he looked over at me and said, “So what’a ya bench 350 pounds or something?” I smiled and said no, and then I asked if he ever tried yoga. I already knew the answer, but it was a way of breaking the ice about his size. He was at least 50 pounds overweight, and after a few facts about yoga I asked if he was trying to lose weight. “Yeah”, at least 50 pounds”, he said, “and I think I know what to eat and all that, like fruits and vegetables and no cakes and fried foods.” Cool, I thought, he’s on the right track. Then I asked if he had 20 minutes every morning to go for a brisk walk. “Walk right out your front door and keep going for exactly 10 minutes, then stop, turn around and walk back”, I said, “and there’s your mile of cardio to start every day.”

“But that’s not the problem”, he said. “I think I can’t lose weight because I drink a lot of beer every day.” Then I asked, “Like what…two six-packs a day?” He answered, “Yeah, that sounds about right”.

Now if you’ve read my sexy new memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, you know I also liked my beverages until I quit 5 years ago. Because 12 drinks a day is a lot of alcohol for any one of any size. And I told this guy so, then I gave him a suggestion. I recommended the following: Take ½ of everything you are going to eat or drink – every single time you eat or drink – for the next 30 days and give it to a homeless person. That’s right – wrap up half your food and half your booze, every day for the next 30 days, and give it to a homeless person. “You’ll be helping them and helping yourself”, I said, “and I bet soon into the 30 days you’ll be eating and drinking a lot less; and I guarantee you’ll lose weight.” Somewhere between 5-10 pounds I surmised, and for the New Year that’s only 3 months away, I told my large friend he should set his sights on 3 beers a day for all of 2013. He just looked at me in disbelief and said, “Wow, wouldn’t that be cool.” Yes it would, which I sincerely reinforced with my final four words of encouragement, “You Can Do It”.

Anyone can, if you STOP feeling sorry for yourself and BELIEVE you can! Get started today with a new attitude and a new look on whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish. Especially the impossible.

And my special thanks go out to NY and NJ’s “Entertainment Bible since 1988” Steppin’ Out Magazine for featuring my poem on page 32 of their September 26th edition. A little something I wrote to help the ladies differentiate the good guys from the players called, “10 Ways to Avoid a Gigolo”.

Enjoy – Rich

July 30, 2012

I thought you were 30

I received the nicest compliment at my gym this morning from one of the best built bodybuilders I’ve ever seen. For the past two months I’ve been working out everyday at Richie’s Gym in Brooklyn, and this guy’s physique is amazing. And if you’ve ever been to Richie’s, you know that it’s hard-core.

So when I went up to this twenty-something year-old monster to say goodbye and to say he reminded me of my days working out with Champion Phil Hill in the 80’s – which you’ll read all about in my memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood – he looked at me and said, “Shit man, you’re old, I thought you were 30”. Nice. Then I said thanks, but add another 20.

And in case you were wondering what I looked like at age 30, here’s a picture featured in my book. Oh, and the secret to drinking from the ‘Fountain of Youth’ starts with these three simple words: DAILY FITNESS PROGRAM

Enjoy everyone…and have a great day! – R

July 18, 2012

Hometown – Book Signing – Sunday, July 29th

Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood

Hope you can make my hometown book signing at John’s Reading Center in Mercerville, NJ, 08619 on Sunday, July 29th from 9:30a – 1:30p, located at 372 Rte 33 in the Mercerville Shopping Center.

And for all you George Washington and American Revolutionary War fans (like me), here’s a short video I made at the historic Princeton Battlefield State Park, one of my favorite New Jersey locales!

Enjoy – R

July 10, 2012

Drink from the Fountain of Youth

Looking and feeling young isn’t an accident. Looking old is.

Working out every single day of your life will not only turn back the hands of time, but it makes you sexy, confident, and successful.

And you’ll glow.

So if you’re looking for an entertaining and inspiring book to read while you’re sitting on the beach this summer, my sexy memoir Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, not only motivates you to embrace a daily fitness program, but it also gives you hope – that anyone can pursue their passion and live their dream.

Enjoy – R

Available on AMAZON.com – Kindle ($9.99).

June 3, 2012

I’ve landed in Bushwick

Where in the world is Bushwick, you might ask? A far cry from Hollywood and the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, right? Well, not exactly.

Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of Brooklyn, bounded by Williamsburg to the west, East New York to the east, Bed-Stuy to the south, and Ridgewood, Queens to the north. With a population of about 150,000, “most residents are Latinos from the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico and from the Dominican Republic, but more recent years have seen an increase in native-born Americans as well as other Latino groups, particularly immigrants from Mexico”. And with a subway stop right outside my front door (the elevated M line), I can reach downtown Manhattan in about 20 minutes.

So why choose Bushwick for the next leg of my journey? Specifically to put me close to Wall Street where I can sell my sexy memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, and most importantly, where I can affordably re-connect with my acting roots and audition for that role of a lifetime – or any suitable roles in film, TV and even Broadway for that matter. Yes, Broadway, because just like my book says, “it’s a calling” and “the proof is in the pudding”, so let the talented survive and the confident thrive.

And for anyone looking to expand their horizons and be inspired to try – that is, to pursue your true passion that may lead you to greatness – then read my memoir and decide. Because you really can achieve anything in life if you believe in yourself and just set your sights and try!

Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood is available in paperback ($15.99) and in ebook on Kindle ($9.99). A portion of sales help women and children survivors of domestic violence.

April 19, 2012

Public Opinion beats Self-Promotion

Of course I believe my life’s journey is worth reading about and my new memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, will entertain and enlighten you with an assortment of interesting lifestyles, careers, and cultures – not to mention women – or else why write it? Plus, sales of my book also support my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation, teaching yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.10% of all book and DVD sales go to the foundation.

But don’t take my word for it. I received this from a gal in NYC:

“I just finished reading your book. I ordered it last Tuesday and it came on Friday and I finished reading it Saturday night! I want you to know I have NEVER in my 36 years of life read a book that fast! Your book was witty, funny, charismatic, intriguing and extremely heartfelt. You had me in tears a few times throughout the book. It was a real page turner.”

What makes my 386 pages of adventures from Wall Street to Hollywood – and everything in between – fly by is the 69 bite-size Chapters that creatively detail delightfully true stories along my life’s timeline. So there’s lots of stories and lots of sex. Yes, well, what can I say. I’m certainly comfortable with my colorful (and oftentimes wild) past and my evolution to a retired “player”. So my memoirs are sexy and they’re also thoughtfully written “to protect the innocent”, as another happy reader said.

Check it out on AMAZON or CLICK HERE

And don’t forget to get your workout in! Enjoy – R

March 26, 2012

Readers say book’s an “intriguing, sexy, page-turner”

Over the past six weeks readers of my new memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, said my life’s been one helluva page-turning journey filled with intrigue, sex and lucrative careers – to say the least.

Of course I’d love to be reviewed by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle (I’ve sent them copies), as well as any other book club or national critic. Because the proof is in the pudding – and self-promotion is quite humbling. So check it out for yourself, it’s an entertaining timeline of my life with tons of colorful and insightful – and oftentimes poignant – stories about everything from funerals and old-school Sicilian customs, to selling Junk bonds on Wall Street and The General Motors Building for The Trump Organization, to what it means to be a Yoga teacher and an actor trying to “make it” on the elusive streets of Hollywood.

Thanks for reading and enjoy! And don’t forget your daily workout – R

Click HERE to BUY on AMAZON.com

A portion of all book and DVD sales is donated to my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation, teaching yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.

March 23, 2012

At the Heart of My Memoir – Learn From the Best

After the plethora of sexy, intriguing and true stories in my new memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, the essence of my life’s journey is captured in Chapter 68 – Learn From the Best.

So here’s my favorite chapter and a few photos of me from the book. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD the e-book on
www.AMAZON.com for $9.99

Chapter 68 – Learn From the Best

Remember the movie Splash (1984), with Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks? Do you wish you could do that? Just dive into the ocean and start a new life? How cool would it be to have the courage to completely change who you are. The thing is, that’s the great thing about your movie – you’re the actor, producer and director, so you can change anything you want.

How? Self-correct and GO TO THE POSITIVE. I didn’t say to just think positive, because more is needed. It’s about going all the way with thinking, feeling and being positive. Feel more, think less. Heavy stuff, I know, so let me explain with an example. I know a sixty-something gal who no matter what we talk about, she’ll go the negative. When I told her I was writing a book about my life, she said, “Oh, you can get writer’s block, you know.” When I told her I would be getting a publisher when I finished, she said, “Oh, that’s so hard to do.” And when I told her I was going on a book tour when I finished, she laughed and said, “Oh, don’t be delusional.” I don’t know about you, but these are some pretty negative thoughts. You might say she can’t help herself because that’s what she’s experienced and believes, but I ask, why not believe the opposite will happen, and say, “That’s awesome Rich, you will get a good publisher, and I look forward to your book signing.” That’s the positive approach to life, and it communicates that you’re open to the realm of possibilities. Because anything is possible if you set your sights and try.

Whenever anybody says anything close in meaning to that phrase, “it’s hard”, I think of the paraplegic gal in my Mother’s Day yoga class, smiling from ear-to-ear, giving it all she had. Was it hard? Yes. Did she succeed? Absolutely.

I should know. Thirty days ago I started writing my first book, and now it’s almost finished. I want to keep going, because I love it and see an infinite world of possibilities. And so can you, regardless of your passion. Remember, it’s about finding and following your passion. Then grow it from there. And just because no one else in the world has ever done it, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Did anyone say, Man on the Moon, or Apple Computer, or Facebook? You get my point. And never think you can’t do something because your family or friends don’t think you can – send them the press clippings when you succeed. Do it for you.

Always learn from the best. And if you can’t learn from the best, find someone that has, and learn from them. The same goes for teachers. I laugh every time I hear my best friend Angelae say, “Honey, would you take financial advice from a homeless person?” Because wouldn’t you want to learn from someone who truly exemplifies the profession, whatever it is?

Stay focused on what you’re doing, no matter what it is. Relax, listen and focus. Most importantly, listen. Because it makes you better at everything. The same holds true for your body – listen to how it feels. From the time you wake-up, until the time you go to bed. Listen and self-correct with proper posture and breathing.

Once I started feeling and not just thinking, everything changed. As males we’re taught not to feel, just think it through and forge ahead. I’ve learned this isn’t always the smartest thing to do. Give it some thought guys, and try sitting and feeling without thinking sometime. I remember the first time my acting coach, Roberta, had us lie on the ground and just feel. “Is she serious?” I never tried to just “feel” before. She would come around and whisper something deeply personal in my ear, and say, “Now just let go and feel”. I thought, “Why?” She said, “Once you truly feel, you’re more aware of yourself and your gifts”. You really do find assets you never knew you had.

And whatever knowledge you acquire from the best, now simply innovate and take it to another level, trusting your instincts. And most importantly, be you. And never be afraid to fail or to look foolish to the crowd. Because what does it matter anyway what other people think? Always trust yourself and have confidence in your abilities. The greatest professional basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, said, “I’ve missed 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot – and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” So heed advice from a legend who got cut from the varsity team his sophomore year in high school.

Finally, remember what the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, Helen Keller, said, “Never bend your head low. Hold it high and look the world straight in the eye.”

March 1, 2012

Simply Between Millions on KINDLE now!

My colorful memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, is now available on Amazon’s KINDLE. Click HERE to download for $9.99.

A portion of all sales are donated to The Boulevard Zen Foundation, teaching yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.

Thanks for reading…and don’t forget to get your workout in! – R

February 24, 2012

Memoir – Simply – In Stores Now!

Thanks again to all those who bought my book, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood. Post your comments below or on Facebook – love to hear them! And if you find yourself in San Francisco, you can buy a copy at Books Inc. in Opera Plaza, located at 601 Van Ness, and Browser Books in Pacific Heights, located at 2195 Fillmore St. With In-Store events coming in May!

You can also download the e-book on Kindle.com for $9.99

Here’s what readers are calling it thus far: enjoyable, inspiring, a great coast-to-coast read on a direct flight, fantastic, a real page-turner, and, wow, a well-written book with so many women. Well, what can I say, but there’s a really good chapter in there explaining the “cute-boy syndrome” and my retirement from “playing” aptly called, The Player Gets Played. And tons more stories that’ll humor you for a good 4 hours, or longer, if you get caught up on my multi-generational timeline of pictures – all 48 of them – from the early 1960’s to 2011.

So maybe you don’t want your 13-year old reading this, but if YOU do, you’ll learn something new about all sorts of places and things. Not to mention the plethora of businesses you’ll experience, including Wall Street and making movies. For sure you’ll be inspired to get up and try something new, or at least acknowledge that you could do something new, if you just believed in yourself and tried. Like a daily fitness program. Of course that’s in there too, in one of my favorite chapters, Self-Correct.

A portion of all sales is donated to my charity. Thanks for reading! Enjoy – R