For Lynne Lerner '74, "Death of Ocean View Park" led to life in Hollywood. It was 1979 and the young actress was teaching at Tidewater Community College and working the community theater circuit when she landed extra work in a little-known film being shot on location in Norfolk's Ocean View neighborhood.

Having performed in fashion shows and commercials since she was 16, the former Lynne Milgram certainly was familiar with the business and, with the encouragement of a crew member she met on the set, packed up her life in Hampton Roads and headed for the glitz and glamour of L.A.

What she soon realized was that her acting experience in Virginia meant nothing to the powers that be in the film industry and that the glitz-factor was overrated. "When you come from somewhere else to here you start over," she said diplomatically. "It's not glamorous and fun like everyone thinks it is. For those of us who do it, it's a job."

Although, she concedes, it's a job with some perks. In 1989, while playing a nurse on "China Beach," the actress met one of the assistant directors, Larry Lerner, who would later become her husband. It's a partnership that has flourished on-set and off.

Together they have worked on movie and TV shoots in Europe, Hawaii and the continental U.S. Although it's fun to be together, they also remember they are there to work.

"We don't speak the whole time because he's doing his job and I'm doing my job, but at least we get to see each other," she laughed.

One of their projects together was the film "Powder." Larry was an assistant director and Lynne was Mary Steenburgen's stand-in. Stand-in work is a great source of revenue for non-marquee actors who resemble featured performers and help the lighting crew by "standing in" while the leading actors are in the make-up chair, Lynne said. She also is employed regularly as a precision driver, similar to the job of a stunt driver, but one with fewer risks.

Lerner's lengthy resume includes everything from 20 years playing a cop on "General Hospital" to three episodes of "Married with Children" to a couple of victim roles on "Hard Copy."

Her recent work includes playing a court stenographer on two episodes of the Emmy Award-winning show "The Practice" and a librarian in the Oscar-nominated film "Magnolia."

After 32 years of being involved in show business, is Lerner tired of it? "I don't try as hard as I used to, but I still keep plugging away," she admitted. In fact, the butterflies are still there for each audition, as is the hope that she'll get the part - be it a feature film, national commercial or bit television part.

"I still get excited at wrap parties. I still enjoy the Hollywood get-togethers. When you really look at it, it's got to be more fun than sitting in the office."

- Elizabeth V. Harders