MTB Episode 7

The episode starts with a concert clip of Love Should Be A Crime and Trevor pointing at Ashley on stage. Trevor then tells the camera, “if you’re having trouble with your ear pack, tell somebody! Don’t just keep going on stage with a bad earpack!” Backstage after the show, Trevor and Jacob lay into Ashley for this. Dan tells the camera they’ve been on the road for a couple of months and they’re at the breaking point. Ashley flies to Los Angeles for some acting classes and auditions. He says O-Town is his life right now but acting is always something he’s wanted to pursue. At an acting class, Ashley does a scene with a drug dealer. His agent tells him he has an audition for a lead role, but that it will take five weeks to shoot.

Ashley meets with his agent, Chuck James, who asks him if he can get a couple of days off to come to LA. Ashley says yes, he’s already talked to the Mikes about it. He tells Chuck he’s looked over the scripts he sent and is excited. Ashley arrives at Paramount and does some screen tests, then walks down the street of a backlot set. On the phone with his dad, Trevor explains he has a couple of days off and would like to fly Clifton to New York. In a cab, Trevor and his dad talk about Trevor’s new life and how it’s hard to adapt to for the first couple of years. They visit Clifton’s former church and his old apartment where he grew up. On the phone with Chuck in his hotel room in LA, Ashley hears his meetings went really well and everyone loved him. Chuck says a script came across his desk and he spoke to the producers, who want Ashley to come in and read for a part and adds he wants Ashley to work on the part with an acting coach. Ashley drives to a meeting with Howard Fine, an acting coach. Ashley meets with Chuck again to discuss the part. Chuck tells him the role is a lead role and it’s shooting for five weeks.

On the phone with Mike M in his hotel room, Ashley explains that he thinks he might stay for a couple of more days. Mike tells him that’s impossible, that they have rehearsals scheduled the following day. He suggests to Ashley that when he gets back to Orlando, they should sit down with everyone and discuss his acting ambitions. Back in Orlando, the guys meet with Mike Morin in the family room of their house to discuss Ashley’s movie role. Mike M says he doesn’t understand how Ashley thinks he can fit it into the schedule. Mike M comments they made a commitment to each other a year ago to get through the first album, record the next album and promote the first single from it, then decide where they were all going as a group. Erik says any they’ve booked studio time for any free time they have and Jacob explains they have another album to write for and that Ashley should put his focus there and then he can be freed up to pursue acting. Mike M tells Ashley he only had 10 days off the previous year so it’s unrealistic to think he’s going to get a five-week break. He points out that if Ashley has that kind of break while they’re promoting their second album, his career is over. Ashley tells the camera he’s not going to lie and say he didn’t want the role but he knows another one will come along. In the kitchen, the guys tell him he made the right decision.

Memorable Quotes:
Erik: Wow, if Ashley left the band, maybe I could be the heartthrob!
Trevor (about O-Town): Yeah, we fight and we have our little tidbits, but they’re always there when it counts, and that’s family, any way you look at it.