Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living... in Los Angeles, city of broken dreams. Sandy’s living alone after the death of his wife, which makes his place all the more lonely. But this is his town, and he knows he’ll never leave it no matter what.
Profession... former actor turned acting teacher. Sandy used to be something of a Hollywood fixture but his career never truly took off, and so now he’s running his own studio. He’s still going in for the odd network sitcom role, but as always, he’s auditioning for garbage he doesn’t like, and material he doesn’t relate to in the slightest. His agent is happy when he doesn’t get roles because he knows Sandy would hate them anyway. His teaching life is similarly chaotic; Sandy isn’t above cancelling class for no reason other than he’s in a bad mood. Plus, there are all of these students with their own emotional baggage, which Sandy can’t help but get involved in. It all gets to be a bit much.
Interests... hanging out with Norman. Mainly they joke about their age, their failing health, but they also have each other’s backs through the real stuff -- death and taxes, to be exact. His prostate is all out of whack, meaning he can’t leave the house without having to find ten different bushes to pee in. He’s in and out of doctor’s offices most of the time he’s not working. Another thing he likes is complaining about how he can’t stand the new generation and their penchant for political correctness.
Relationship status… still devastated over the loss of his wife. Now he’s gotten involved with a student named Lisa, but who knows if that’s going anywhere? She’s a single mom who wants to be an actress of all things, and Sandy can’t quite deliver the goods like he used to. For all he knows, she’s only dating him as a networking tool. He considers himself a kind of wise sage when it comes to relationships. But for his age, he really should be better at this stuff.
Challenge... finding meaning in this last chapter of life. Sandy is reckoning with what comes next. The love of his life left him and now he’s had to find meaning in a changing world. He owes a bunch of taxes, and he is facing the prospect of the closing of his acting studio. That’s the only place that really gives him any meaning in life at this point. Of course, there’s also getting over the pain of losing his wife. Even the sight of one of her old things can be enough to send him spiraling into a depression.
Personality... crotchety yet charming. Sandy has something of a God complex -- stemming from his acting. He believes every character he plays is his own creation, including...himself. He has fallen into the trapping of old age of complaining about young folks these days, but Sandy still has a fire in him too. He’s still looking for a good time, whether it’s with a new date or his best buddy Norman. He hasn’t given up just yet.
