SJRCC PRESS RELEASE
June 2008

FloArts continues alumni workshops with "Epic Movie" star

Florida School of the Arts continued presenting workshops this month with another member from its list of successful alumni. Jareb Dauplaise, who has appeared in films such as "Epic Movie" and "Meet the Spartans" as well as Disney's TV series "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," paid aspiring FloArts actors a visit and gave plenty of humorous, but seasoned advice.

Dauplaise, who now lives in Los Angeles, said he initially moved to Orlando to work on his resume after graduating from FloArts in 2001. "I wasn't ready for L.A.," he said. "Success definitely didn't happen overnight." After moving to Los Angeles, the Melbourne native found that holding a job and making auditions was difficult. "It was only after I booked a Cox Communications commercial that things took off," he said. "Jobs beget jobs."

Dauplaise told students that acting is self-employment. "It's all about your own little hustle," he said. Dauplaise added that for actors looking for a fairy-tale ending, the entertainment industry may not be the answer. "It's scary," he said. "Less than three percent of the Screen Actors Guild make their living as actors. If you pursue it, pursue it for the right reasons. The motivation of glory won't carry you through."

One of the topics discussed during the workshops was networking. "Networking is, hands down, the most important thing in this industry," he said, adding that attitude and professionalism helps. "You have to win that conversation." Dauplaise also shared advice from actor and friend Richard Dreyfuss. "There is an 'it' factor," he said. "Richard Dreyfuss said you know you have 'it' when people root for you to succeed and say, 'I would like to see him do well.'"

Dauplaise also shared his recent experience with his first dramatic role - an episode on the TV series "ER" - and explained how a one-hour episode is really a week-long event. "Scripts are constantly being rewritten," he said as students examined his script. "Your lines could change every day." He told the students that one of the challenges of filming "ER" wasn't crying on cue, but crying on cue 16 times in a row.

During Dauplaise's visit to Palatka, he invited his grandmother, Palatka resident Pat Lytton, to attend the workshops. Lytton said she is proud of her grandson, and despite his success, he is still the same good person and remains close to his family. "God has always been with us and I have raised him that way. I think it has helped his career," Lytton said.

Lytton said Dauplasie has always shown an extraordinary amount of talent and ambition. "He always had his heart set on it (acting)," Lytton said. "To see him make his ambition come true is wonderful... although it about killed me when he went to California."

Lytton said she recently got to visit Dauplaise at his home in California when he recently treated her and his mother, Melbourne resident Myla Eckert, to a vacation in Las Vegas. Dauplaise later drove them to his home in California. Lytton said despite his success, she does still worry about him. "I worry about him getting his next part," she said. "Typical grandmother stuff."

Dauplaise's next film, "My Life in Ruins," was co-produced by Tom Hanks and stars Nia Portokalos and Richard Dreyfuss. It is set to be released in theaters this August.

FloArts Dean Gary Piazza said Dauplaise works harder and smarter than anyone he knows and makes his own breaks in the business. "He has the rare gift to pursue his dream, yet handle rejection in a very positive way in one of the most difficult professions in the world," Piazza said. "I am extremely proud of Jareb's recent accomplishments in film and television, and I get a real kick out of seeing him on TV and at the movie theater.

"Recently, Jareb has been cast in so many roles; he is quickly becoming a household name. He is a major talent to be reckoned with," Piazza said. "Richard Dreyfuss said that Jareb has the 'it' factor. I couldn't agree more, as I saw that 'it' factor years ago when Jareb was a young student here. I also predict that as his career matures, Jareb will successfully screenwrite and direct."

Florida School of the Arts is Florida's first state-supported professional arts school that serves the entire state of Florida and awards the two-year associate degree. FloArts is located on the SJRCC Palatka Campus. For more information, call 386-312-4300 or visit the Web site at www.floarts.org.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

PHOTO TOP:
FloArts alumni Jareb Dauplaise shares his experience in taping a recent episode of the TV drama series "ER." The 2001 graduate presented students with a series of workshops and shared stories of his most recent film "Meet the Spartans."

PHOTO 2:
FloArts alumni Jareb Dauplaise (far right) poses for a picture on the set of Disney's TV series "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." Dauplaise has made several appearances on the series.

PHOTO 3:
FloArts alumni and actor Jareb Dauplaise poses with his grandmother, Palatka resident Pat Lytton, during a recent visit to the College. Dauplaise presented students with a series of workshops on surviving the entertainment industry.

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