Who is Shop Doc?

I arrived in Los Angeles several years ago. I was so excited! Through a series of incredible circumstances I was going to audition for a new TV show a situation comedy that was a continuation of a TV show that I’d watched growing up. The new show would pick up in the present where the characters were now adults and finding their way in the world. I’d be auditioning for the role of the wife of the central character. For a girl from Cincinnati Ohio, this was a dream come true.

The character was described this way:

Young, vibrant, fun, savvy, and above all grounded. She’s a newly wed with a bright future. She approaches life with a sense of humor and intelligence.

This sounded great until I found myself asking, "What does a young, vibrant, fun, savvy grounded newlywed wear and still be humorous and intelligent?"

I didn’t have an extensive wardrobe, and I was on a very tight budget.
I decided to go "smartly" simple. When I arrived at Columbia Pictures Television for my first of many auditions there, I looked good and felt confident.

Hollywood A- Listers look amazing 24/7. Whether they're on the red carpet, about town, or at the grocery store, they're perfect. I think that most of us also know that these Hollywood types don't do it on they're own. They've got people...armies of stylists, hair and makeup artist, trainers, and designers who are begging the these luminaries to wear their designs.

But these Hollywood stars and celebrities are in the minority when you look at the entire Hollywood acting community. You might classify the rest of the actors as "working class." We are the many actors who earn their livings selling products on commercials, or instructing you and your children in career training and educational videos. We work in theater in movies and on television shows, usually as the best friends, waiters, cops, and the other incidental characters that advance the story.

Actors like me. My name is Donna Figueroa.

In my everyday life I don't have beauty professionals or a legion of experts to help me. But this is Hollywood, and I'm expected to look my best. I’ve had to become my own stylist.
Over the years I’ve made some embarrassing mistakes, but I’ve also stumbled on some great secrets. It took awhile, but I’ve learned that style is looking great your way, without breaking your budget!

There are dozens of secrets and shortcuts that we working class actors have been subscribing to for years. I eventually began to share this advice with women inside and outside of the Hollywood community, to the point where people started to refer to me as the "Shopping Doctor".

Here at Shop Doc, I’ll introduce you to some of the secrets of looking and feeling great, not to mention saving money whenever you can. It’s fun and simple, even for those of you who hate going shopping! What you'll get here is practical no nonsense advice whether you're working full time, a student or stay at home mom. You'll benefit if you have a petite, average, or full figure.

By the way I didn’t get the role for which I first auditioned. A wonderful actress by the name of Anne Marie Johnson did. But my story has a happy Hollywood ending. My audition had gone well, and the casting director would later cast me in a role on another show she was doing. On occasion there is such a thing as a Hollywood ending.

Enjoy the future posts beginning January 2008.


Donna (SD)