Arkansas Folk

I was at a commercial audition yesterday and there were some older actors auditioning for a grandfather role in the spot. Of course I didn't bring my camera with me and although I had some regret, when Virgil Davis walked in the room I wanted to punch myself in the face for being so stupid. When I first saw him I found my lips doing this weird thing where they stretched themselves out and then curled up at the sides. I think they call it a smile.

Virgil didn't know where to sign in, he forgot what commercial he was auditioning for, and he still managed to use his confusion to throw out one joke after the other. Everything he said was "folksy," but not in that annoying Sarah Palin way where you feel like she's conning people in the fly-over states into thinking she has substance; Virgil is sweet, funny, and sincerely warm. Although he left Arkansas for California in 1944, you would think he just got off the plane. I asked him one question after another and almost every question had a funny comeback. He could have been a cast member of Hee Haw.

Virgil's wife shook her head every time he made a joke. I asked her if she'd heard all of these jokes before. She said, "Like a million times." He told me she's his second wife - "My first wife ran off with the garbage collector." She quipped, "I wish I had run off with the garbage collector."

When I asked Virgil what he did for a living, he gave me his resume which showed a few things here and there - some skits on Jay Leno, and a few things involving music... I imagine he played guitar and told funny stories. But, it didn't seem there was enough to make a living so I asked him what else he did for work. He said, "I was in the TV business." When I asked him what he did in the TV business, he said, "Repairs. Do you have a TV that needs fixin'?"

I told him about my website and filmed the little I could with my cell phone camera.

Virgil Davis, Age 91.