An Actor's iPhone


MichaelBuninAs a "Professional Mom," I know how the iPhone makes life easier for me, but I wondered if it makes life easier for others. I visited my friend, Michael Bunin, on the Paramount Studios set of the TV hit comedy, My Boys. They are currently shooting the fourth season of the show on TBS. Michael has been a professional actor and stand-up comedian since the 90's and has appeared on CSI, Scrubs, iCarly and in The Soloist with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.

In the past, cell phones and pagers made the life of an actor easier. When these devices came along, actors didn't have to wait by the phone for their agent to call back. The iPhone is giving actors the tools to stay focused in Hollywood's "dog-eat-dog" world. The iPhone is Michael's mobile office. He uses it for everything, including scheduling, communication, and entertainment. He takes advantage of the MobileMe features to sync his files and calendar with his home computer. If his phone is lost or stolen, he can track it with the "Find my Phone" feature, or he can remotely wipe the phone of all content to keep his information safe.

MLB.com (top-left), CameraBag (bottom-left), and Finger Paint (top-right).

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A typical working actor's day goes from dawn to dusk. Being on a closed set for hours at a time, they can lose touch with the outside world. Michael uses the texting and e-mail apps to keep in touch with his agent, producer, friends, and family. No more driving all the way to the set just to find that his early morning scene has been moved to the afternoon— one quick text from the producer and he can plan his day. With his iPhone he can instantly add pictures and notes to the My Boys Facebook fan page to keep their fans tantalized with behind the scenes info. He's also able to post his stand-up comedy dates instantly.

camerbagTo pass the time between scenes, he takes advantage of apps. Some of his favorites are MLB.com ($14.99; app2.me/2397) for all the latest Baseball info, CameraBag ($1.99; app2.me/2398) to add touches to his co-stars' pictures before posting to the Web, Finger Paint ($0.99; app2.me/2399) to entertain his friends' kids.

Star Walk (left), and the Manual for the United States of America (right)

The Manual for the United States of AmericaHe also uses Star Walk ($2.99; app2.me/171) to identify the stars when he's shooting a scene outside at night, Smack Talk! ($0.99; app2.me/180) to amuse and annoy, and the Manual for the United States of America ($0.99; app2.me/2400), a copy of the US Constitution—he says every American should have one.

Call, don't text!

Michael says the iPhone and all of its apps make for less boring days and his iPhone has made communicating with people easier through text and e-mail. And I asked if there are any final words… he cautions all the young men out there… NEVER contact a girl the first couple times via text— always call. Just because technology has changed the way we do things, certain things don't change.

Subtitle: 
Michael Bunin of My Boys uses his iPhone to stay in touch, update his Facebook fan page, and pass the time between scenes.
Issue: 
Summer 2010
Department/Section: 
People
TOC Weight: 
74