Rolling in royalties

We are rolling in royalty checks-residuals-from Mark's one-time debut on the silver screen. Mark was in the 2006 movie, The Guardian which starred Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. I know, I know... I tell you all the time that Mark is a quiet, shy, and reserved personality and now I'm telling you that he auditioned for, got a part and was in a movie. He is quiet and shy, I swear, and auditioning and appearing in a movie is completely out of character.

In the summer of 2006 some big Hollywood casting agency posted audition informtion and sent letters to various members of USA Swimming, USA Diving and USA Water Polo about open auditions for a big Hollywood flick-they were looking for natural swimmers. At the time I was still diving and received this correspondence, but during auditions I was competing in a meet abroad and could not attend-something like this is totally in my character. While in Turkey I call Mark (I can't even imagine how much money we have spent on overseas calls over the last 9 years) and he tells me that he is thinking about auditioning.

WHAT?!

After the audition and call back, Mark was rewarded with the part of Private Colby (don't worry if you don't remember, this name was never mentioned in the movie, nor did Mark's one line--"I quit," make it in either). Mark spent roughly 8 weeks (broken up) over the course of the winter of 2005-2006 in Shreveport, LA filming.

He called me one day after work and when I asked him what he had done that day he replied, "they had us pretend to be cold in a pool."

Honey, I think the professionals call it 'acting' not 'pretending.'

Anyway, the movie came out (we didn't attend a single red carpet event) in 2006. Really, the only change in our life following Mark's big screen debut has been a random residual check every so often. Typically we see checks for $17, $23, $39 or some other seemingly random amount. I think the biggest check was just over $100. This must have been the season that it was a part of the On Demand package in hotels.

Long story short... Mark received a check in the mail last week from the Screen Actors Guild. I dare you to guess how much my husband (the international film star) received for his daring, personal and down right brilliant portrayal of a young Coast Guard trainee.

$0.01

Yes, you read correctly. Mark earned one cent this pay period.

This is an example of a not-so-glamorous, though exteremly amusing, moment in the life of an average, everyday, Olympian.

Haven't seen The Guardian yet? Here is the trailer.