Green light........RED LIGHT!

Here's a brief Public Service Announcement for you New Yorkers out there: Wear your seatbelt while riding in the back of a taxi cab! If you choose to disobey it will only be a matter of time until a cab driver runs a red light and your face makes a sudden impact with the credit card machine in the partition. And that is not an accepted form of payment.

I recently had the privilege to experience this traumatic event. After the initial impact, I remarkably realized I could move all my limbs so I jumped out of the cab remembering most Hollywood car crash scenes ending in an explosion and was not about to be caught in that line of fire. Witnesses rushed to my care asking if I was okay. "Yes, I'm okay!" I told them. "But what does my face look like?!"

"Excuse me? What?" replies the shaken pedestrian.

"My face? I'm an actor! What does it look like?!"

Yes. My main concern at this point was if my career as an actor was finished. Was my eye swollen, any teeth knocked out, missing an ear? If I'm missing an ear I'm definitely going to have to get new headshots. That's a lot of money. Who's going to pay for that? Then I fainted.

Young gent picks me up and says, "Uhhh, lets get this girl in a cab home."

I realized that this guy thought I was some drunk girl that passed out on the sidewalk. Others corrected him by saying I was the passenger in the destroyed cab currently wrapped around that pole. He then pulled me back into the cab and continued to ask me questions to check my coherence when it was revealed that he was a producer. For the rest of my life I will regret not giving this guy my business card. Especially since I was thinking about for the whole 10 minutes we were hanging out until I went to the E.R. Always on networking mode.

Long story short, went to the hospital. Cat scan, X-rays, tetanus shot...everything turned out just fine. Should have been a lot worse since I was not wearing a seatbelt. Out of commission for a few days and found out that black eyes can appear quite some time after impact. Who knew?

Let me just say that I am so lucky have such an amazing group of friends who have shed their remarkable light on this unfortunate situation. From the minute the accident happened to these final recovery moments, I have had the most compassionate and genuine people surrounding me. Thank you. The world needs more people like you.

Right now I'm just taking it easy and taking the train wherever I go.

music is what feelings sound like

I was walking in the tunnel at the 42nd street station the other day, blasting my iPod, listening to the "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" theme. Only it was this jazzy version. Catchy, right?

John Williams has been rocking my world since I was 8. I appreciate all genres of music but have always had a strong interest in film composition. That's where John comes in. Here's a brief history of my affair with this man's music scores.

- In 1993, I purchased the soundtrack to Jurassic Park. I was 8 and it was the first CD I ever bought. That same year I started playing the flute. For our Spring concert we played the theme to Jurassic Park. It was at that moment I decided I would become a professional flautist and play in one of John Williams' orchestras.

- E.T. was a movie that always scared the hell out of me as a kid. I would have to fast forward through the majority of the flick until we got to Elliot and E.T.'s farewell. "Saying Goodbye" is one of the most beautiful and powerful pieces of the score. It brought me to tears at 9 years old. The build up at the end of the piece was too much for my young heart. You try listening to it without getting teary eyed.

- In 8th grade, I purchased a "John Williams' Collection" flute book. The book included the themes from Raider's of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Superman and many more. I used to lock myself in my room and play for hours with the windows open in hopes that a talent agent would be passing by our house at the exact moment I was playing the flute solos in The Imperial March.

- Speaking of Star Wars... I cried tears of joy when Duel of the Fates was on MTV's Total Request Live in 1999.

While I admire many film/tv composers (Danny Elfman, James Horner, Alan Silvestri, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein), John Williams is the one who will forever hold that special place in my heart. It was the score to Jurassic Park that inspired me to become a musician in the first place. Out of all the activities I could have chosen to participate in, I immediately knew that band was it for me. I continued to play everyday until I graduated high school. I originally was going to go to college for instrumental performance. For some reason I decided not to. Maybe fear? I don't regret it. I regret keeping my flute on a shelf for the past couple of years. I recently brought my flute back with me to New York after visiting my parents. I am proud to announce that I skill kick ass and jumped on that chromatic scale like it was riding a bike.

I miss performing in orchestra's and hope that I get to have that experience again some day. In the meantime, I plan on playing my flute more often and if you see me walking down the street or working out with my iPod, I am most likely listening to the music score of a major motion picture.

Why do you do it?

As actors, we frequently accept a variety of jobs when we are in between shows. This includes waiting tables, nannying and even dreadful street promotions. Rarely do we come across a temp job that gives us anything more than a 15% tip and feelings of uselessness. However, on those special occasions when we are lucky enough to accept a job where we leave feeling inspired, it is reason enough to continue our passionate lifestyle and dismiss external negativity.

My nanny agent called me the other day to see if I was available to work a movie premiere at MoMA. Not doing anything Tuesday. Why not? I would be the guardian of the directors 9-year-old son, while he and his wife mingled with the crowds.

The premiere was for an HBO documentary called "The Lazarus Effect." This story is about the dramatic transformation of individuals living with HIV in Africa. When given 2 antiretroviral pills costing 40 cents a day, they can live a full life with HIV instead of dying from AIDS. It's a powerful film supported by the (RED) campaign and the Global Fund.

HBO Documentary: The Lazarus Effect trailer

I was desperately trying to not be a royal spazmatic when meeting director, Lance Bangs, and his wife, Corin Tucker. Here, I was supposed to keep their child entertained for the next 4 hours and I just prayed he didn't choke or fall down a flight of stairs while he was in my care. Marshall, the kid, turned out to be incredibly cool to talk to and we hit it off immediately. As we were sitting in the theater he leans over to me and says that the guy who plays Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars is sitting in front of us.

"Wait. What? That is not Hayden Christensen! It looks nothing like him!"

"Trust me. It's him."

Hayden turns my way and glances at me.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Marshall, that's Hayden Christensen."

"Duh!"

I convinced Marshall to go up to Hayden at the end of the premiere and say he was a big fan so I could meet him. Unfortunately, Hayden booked it out of the theater giving me no time to turn on the charm. I told Marshall he was a horrible wing-man. He didn't seem to mind.

Naturally, Lance was darting throughout the room, walking on the red carpet, and talking to press the whole evening so I didn't get to talk to him much. However, I was able to snag some time from Corin to ask her about the film. She mentioned how the producers really sought out Lance and wanted him to direct this documentary. That the experience really changed their lives and their family. They both seemed so down to earth and genuine about the project and the people they have touched and will touch due to the nature of the film.

After attending an event like this it reminds that as actors, or musicians, or writers, or directors we have so much power to influence the human mind. We do it through our words, music, and actions. It reminds me why I even got into acting in the first place. And that was to create the ability to make someone FEEL something. To introduce them or remind them of an idea or feeling that they may never have recognized within themselves.

I am so thankful and proud of those who created "The Lazarus Effect." It takes guts, heart, and sacrifice to make a film like this. If you are interested in learning more about the film and (RED) here is a link. "The Lazarus Effect" premieres on Monday, May 24.