The Actress & My Nemesis

It's been almost a year now since I left The Farm, and though I haven't kept in touch with the guys liked I hoped too, I still miss them. In the three or so months I worked there, Lilas, Nat, Vic, Paul, et al. made my transition to LA much, much smoother.

One person I always meant to write about, but never got round to (because I suddenly up and quit) was Mary Kate (not Olsen) Shellhardt. You might just remember Mary Kate from such flicks as Apollo 13, What's Eating Gilbert Grape or most especially, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. Yes, big movies!

I seemingly mention Mary Kate out of the blue like this because we ran into each other this weekend, waiting for the gym to open (more of that later). We worked together only a couple of times, but one shift we got chatting. Mary Kate explained to me the difficulties of trying to get back into the business after taking time off to get her BFA. Numerous excursions to the Charmed casting couch yielded nothing. Even though she had had prominent roles in big movies she couldn't drop the "child star" thing, and still looking quite so cherubic, even in her twenties, didn't help either. Since we parted ways Mary Kate has had guest spots in Scrubs and NBC's summer show Windfall (no I didn't watch that either), and has a new movie, Mr. Blue Sky, in post production.

With things finally looking up, maybe she'll get to pull Leonardo's hair once more!

Anyway, so we're at the gym ready for it to open at 8am on Saturday morning - along with the two dozen or so other freaks desperate to get their workouts in. Now, I have an excuse, I had to work at 10am (yes, on a Saturday), so Joe and I had a chest routine to get through. But what of these other crazies? Are they that obsessive that they have to be knocking on the gym door at 7:45am? On a Saturday?

And who was waiting there in the crowd? None other than my brand new arch-nemesis! One of the NFBs (No Fat Boys) from Gold's who has since followed me to Arclight. If I worked out at 11, there he was. If I waited until 2, so did he. And now there he is at 8am, primed for his morning pump. And did I mention he has NO FAT (which makes his head look big, but I digress)?

So why is he my arch-nemesis? He just is! Like the good folks on NBC's Heroes, everyone needs a nemesis, they'll make you stronger... and maybe just a tad more neurotic!

Steve Namat - 2006 Border States Champ!

This past weekend, at the Cook Auditorium in Anaheim, former 2004 Hungarian champion Steve Namat took home the overall trophy at this year's 2006 Border States NPC Bodybuilding Classic.

Steve swept the Light Heavy class (with guys ranging from 176 to 198 pounds), the largest of the weight classes that evening. Just earlier in the year, Steve was all swole up to a massive 240 or so pounds, especially massive for only a 5'7" 23 year old.

Known in his native tongue as Németh István, Steve was crowned the Hungarian Champion at 21, weighing in at a svelt 180, but even then he showed great promise with his conditioning, cuts and symmetry.

The Border States Classic, another of top bodybuilding promotor Jon Lindsay's shows (his next being the NPC Exclaibur in Culver City this December), is a "National Qualifying Event," meaning that winners qualify for inclusion in the big amateur shows, the Nationals and the USAs, which may earn them their pro cards (a la Mike Ergas). Steve, or rather István, being a European is sadly ineligible for these shows. He is going to have to go back to Europe to earn his pro status. And it'll happen!

With this recent States-side win, reaction to Steve on the boards has varied from "future pro" to just "another midget on steroids." Along with fellow young foreigner James "Flex" Lewis (fondly known here as Sienna Buff), it is my belief that Steve is certainly going to be a future force to be reckoned with in the sport!