Denis Leary does a RESCUE ME in Rockaway

Rockaway has suddenly become THE place for shooting films and TV shows. A few months ago Jennifer Aniston was seen on a set there and last Thursday it was RESCUE ME with Denis Leary.

Denis, being the female-friendly person that he is, stopped in for a couple of photo-ops at the place that they were filming near... which happened to be my wife's workplace. Needless to say, the women lined up for a quick pose.

Saw God of Carnage on Halloween

James Gandolfini gets "mobbed" for autographs!

I expected a heavy and brooding play going into the theater. After all, other than Jeff Danels, the other three actors are seldom in anything but dramatic roles. So I was pleasantly surprised when the "your kid hit my kid" theme metamorphosed into a comical "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" scenario.
Excellent acting all around from each of them. And what I really liked a lot, was that each actor had an even amount of script to make the best of... and they did!

After the play, we did the stage-door Johnnie and Janie thing. Waiting outside for an hour just to get their autographs. Marcia Gay Harden was very funny, kidded with us and got into the Halloween mood with a green wig. Hope Davis began signing autographs but was distracted by her friend, Andrea Martin (Aunt Voula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Jeff Daniels was very accomodative to all the fans and it was really a blast to see all of these great actors scribling autographs just a few feet away from us -responding to quick chit chats and posing for photos.
Generally I don't go for autographs or hang around the theater stage doors. But my wife gets a charge out of it and it rubs off on me. Very strange and a different atmosphere from times when I'm an extra -and the main actors are off-limits to us. And it's interesting to note that it's possible to enjoy both type of situations -albeit in different ways.

DAMAGES don't show on Martin Short

There are days when it just gets better and better to be an extra. Today was one of those!
(Episode 1 aired on 1/25/2010: I'm the bodyguard in the trenchcoat.)

Holding was at the prestigious Salamagundi Club for American Art. A historical place located in the brownstone section of downtown's 5th avenue between 11th and 12th Streets. Many famous artists were members here, including Winston Churchill, R.B. Fuller, Al Hirschfeld...etc. The perfect crossroads for our mutually artistic endeavors here. Our set was one brownstone away...at #47. Thus I was now part of the 3rd season of DAMAGES.

The scene was explained to us as one in which a Bernie Madoff-like character, named Taubin (Len Cariou), was coming out of his home and a couple of shots ring out... everyone ducks! EXCITING...

I was dressed in my suit and new Ralph Lauren trench coat, which I had just taken off so I can rest from my walk over from 8th Avenue, when we were summoned to go outside and be "onlookers" for the shooting crime scene. Obviously, they were shooting the aftermath of the melee first. So I decided to put on my glasses and amble out from the comfortable chat room that our holding area had become. I was immediately selected to be put on the sidelines and be more of a gawker from a distance near the "taped off crime scene". I must have been a pretty good blurr -along with the 20 or so others around me, because it was a quick take. Back to holding.

A few minutes later they wanted "reporters"...so I put on my trench coat and went on line for the associated props -surrendering my drivers license as collateral. I received a press badge, a pad and pen, and... a digital recorder. Needless to say we extras had a lot of fun with interviewing each other (and thereby getting into character). I "interviewed" one of the young women who liked to share stories about movies she had been in. My questioning went like this:

Q: What movie were you in the last time you were an extra?
A: I was in "A Couple of Dicks"...with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan.

Q: Did you get to see both Dicks?
A: Yes... I saw both...

CUT!

And we were called to the second scenario. Again, I was immediately picked to be one of about a dozen reporters surrounding Martin Short as he makes a public statement about his client, Tobin. As we're practicing how to jut out our hand-held recorders and microphones toward our target... Martin Short walks into our midst and says a couple of non-challant "Hello"'s.

Although I had seen Martin Short's character in the previous season of Damages, I did not expect him to be so serious in person. After all, this was the immensely talented comic of Saturday Night Live, creating numerous funny characters that bent you over with uncontrollable laughter (my favorite was Ed Grimley). So it was a bit difficult to adjust to the properly coiffed and impeccably suited character portrayed by the "new Martin Short". But I accepted it... how could you not, being 2 feet away from him and watching him practice his lines with a disturbingly stoic face. At the end of his monologue (aka: "statement to the press") he dismisses all of us with "no further questions"... and we are directed to yell after him with a futile attempt to get more legalese utterances. The scene was shot quite a few times until Todd Kessler, the director was satisfied.
I realized that this was the closest I'd ever been to an actor without being introduced. I was kwelling! It can't get any better than this.

Oh YES it can!

When we were told to come out for the third scene, I was (again) immediately picked to "go stand over there -next to that other gentleman". And as I met up with my new African-American gentleman friend, we began a friendly banter. He was about my height, had a white beard, and said he worked with rappers like "Fiddy Cent". Kewl! And as we were chatting it up...a couple of major director-types came up and told us we were being "promoted". Took our "press badges", and gave us "secret service earplugs with the curly wire connected to our shirts". We two were selected to be "Madoff's/Taubin's" body guards. And then we were ushered up the brownstone steps and into the entrance area where we were now introduced to Martin Short, and the elderly actor, Len Cariou, who plays Taubin... and Todd Kessler himself. All of them shook hands with us. Now that's a promotion I've yet to experience!

Our direction was to go out to the oncoming rush of reporters. My fellow body guard would go first, followed by Martin Short with "Taubin" behind, and then me -with all of us shooing the reporters out of our way WHEN, suddenly a couple of shots ring out and we all crouch down on the steps in abject terror of whatever may have happened. The scene went well... numerous times. But the director wanted "Just one more...just for FUN!". Naturally we obliged. But I had developed a kind of rhythm all my own of just how a body guard should behave. And so, after each shot rang out, while everyone else was hiding their heads -I stuck mine up...with a menacing glance to see "where the shots came from". I was sure I would be told to "hide" my prominence with the others -but miracle of miracles, it was acceptable each time. So there's a good chance that I may see myself on this episode. One problem, I forgot to ask which episode this was. Oh well, there's always HULU in case I miss it.
I went to see Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking" over this past weekend and she was terrific. I mention this because her wonderful performance was inspiring in terms of "facing up to your life" (not to mention reprising it every night on the stage). And the connection is that both Carrie's one-woman-play "life story" and DAMAGES are... damaged. Both reveal a psychologically disturbing undertone that is the real driving force for the surface story of their respective main characters. The difference is that Carrie's is real, and DAMAGES' is only for a few seasons. Comparatively speaking, an extra's life, at least, remains intact. No waivers, thank you.

Sean Penn plays a FAIR GAME

Sean Penn & Naomi Watts

The Bronx? It's shooting in the Bronx? I haven't been there since I got lost as a cab driver during my college years on the labyrinthine roads that crisscross the outer reaches of New York City. Oh well... I just had to see what Sean Penn was really like in person -so I took the gig.

There were 2 scenes that were being shot at Lehman College. One was to be a speech given in the gym at the sad-history-making college known as Ohio State. Four students were shot there by our National Guard back in the 60's. Today it's a magnet for political outspokenness. This is where Ambassador Joseph Wilson, played by Sean Penn, makes a poignant speech to students and faculty about the importance of doing our duties as responsible citizens and to speak out when there is injustice.

Mr. & Mrs. Wilson (not from Dennis the Menace)

Fair Game is based on the book of the same name -written by Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame. Valerie's role was given to Naomi Watts -who, unfortunately for us, was not in these scenes.
It's a fascinating story involving the political machinations of the George Bush administration and the Wilsons' court battle against the Chaney crew during the early invasion years of Iraq (circa 2003). The movie is set to be released in 2010.

After we were taken to the gym, and rehearsed for our reactions to Sean Penn's soliloquy... LUNCH was served! Interesting. I would have thought that we'd be going right into the scene while our cues were fresh in our minds. And after lunch we were arranged into our bleacher-seats and told to Shhhhhhhhhhh.

The door opened on the left side and Sean entered to a silent gym... the guy behind me whispered "...there's the man...in person...he has entered..." Needless to say the mostly-young crowd was gaga over the cantankerously demanding actor's presence. I almost laughed out loud but was afraid of immediate ejection -so I looked up at the ceiling and the walls...and regained my composure. Director Doug Liman

Doug Liman was the director. Not quite as clean shaven as his photos are on the web. A likable person who knows how to interact with difficult personalities as well as to joke around with the likes of the post-pubescent extras. At one point he wanted a natural reaction from us and prodded us to answer a mostly obscure question from Sean's monologue. Specifically: "Does anyone really know the first batch of words from the State of the Union Message?" Naturally, we all went "Whaaa....Wheeere....Whoooooah...." -when Doug revealed that "Perfect! You were all on camera with your natural reactions! Thank you all." Cute.

And then it was show-time. Sean began his lines, pacing on the podium...when all of a sudden, he halted as the number-4 train went rumbling by outside...every few minutes...interrupting the sensitive Sean's concentration -and he forgot his lines; prompting him to yell out at the script girl in frustration, "LINES!" After a few of those train passages, he announced "...and I'd like to thank the 'brilliant' person who scouted this location...Ahemmmmm...". He was definitely pissed.

Nonetheless, after a few frustrating pauses and sips of liquids, he regained his composure and continued like a trooper -for the next 3 hours. Repeating and repeating the takes until he was showing some exhaustion. Doug, the director, obliged and rode the camera dolly for as long as he had to... back and forth -right in front of me. My only hope of being spotted in this scene would be from the steady cam at the opposite side of the gym while Doug was not eclipsing me. A third camera remained in one place from the right side. Sean finally left -with a modicum of satisfaction.

Scene 2 would take place in Lehman College's concert hall (adjacent to the gym). Hmmm...Seattle was just next door to Ohio in movieland, so we didn't have to walk too much in the drizzling rain that was now coming down on the political set.

I was seated next to two young women. One was more responsive to my dopey quips between takes so we developed a comfortable cammaraderie and felt at ease chatting it up and exchanging observations while Sean was up on the stage greeting "Viet Nam veterans". Our direction was to get up from our seats when Sean ended his appearance and walk to the back of the auditorium. A walk that we had to repeat a dozen times. I chalked it up to some well-needed exercise. Not so for the girl 2 seats from us, who had a sprained leg and had to hold a "peace symbol". Trouble was, she didn't know which end was supposed to be up on the symbol. I was cracking up laughing in irony. Here we are in 2009, in a political film, and the new generation has no idea what that 1960's symbol is about! But protest with it, she did! Now that's acting... strange, but acting nonetheless.

And this too hath passed. The scene was over and Sean left the stage to our honest applause. To which he clasped his hands and "namaste'd" a "Thank You" with a... surprise, surprise... A SMILE! So he wasn't a grumpy old dickhead after all... he really could smile. I had to admit that I respected the way he worked. He did his acting well and completed the job to the best of his attempts... train sounds not withstanding. Bravo Sean.

After wrapping up, I packed my changes of clothes, said my goodbye's to my new friends and my old friends - and rode the No. 4 train past the new Yankee Stadium and back to "toidy-toid street"... a seemingly much faster ride home from the Bronx than I'd ever expected. And I didn't get lost this time.

[EPILOGUE: Went to see the movie in late November 2010 with my wife. Not surprisingly, the "How many of you know my wife's name?" soliloquy location WAS RELOCATED to some quiet realm. Probably where there are no subway noises to interrupt Sean's performance. I know this because there were red courtains shown in the movie and I know for certain that there were none in the Lehman College's gym!? As for the movie... it was ok. The best scene being the one at the end where Naomi Watt's character begins to speak into the congressional microphone... and the scene cuts to the real Valery Plame's testifying presence from real news footage.]

BACK for more

And that's in fact what I keep doing... along with the rest of my background buddies. This time it was for a CBS pilot about a NYC guy who "returns" 8 years after he disappeared in the 9/11 attack. The pilot is aptly named "BACK"... at least for me.

My agent graciously put me on the call-sheet as one of the early numbers -so I had to show up on Palm Sunday at 5:30 AM in the Wall Street Chinese restaurant that was designated as our holding area. Not a bad place. Clean, comfortable and for most of us, barely utilized. We were taken to the set very quickly and used for the next 6 hours without a break -in the cold windy streets of downtown Broadway. Un-f*** beliveable! And me without eating any breakfast!! Now I understand why union-actors are so necessary on the set.
(I took this photo...and others, on my way to work at the World Financial Center on 9/11/2001)
But once the hunger pangs vanished... I realized where I really was. The initial shoot was by the charging bull landmark. I had walked these very streets on 9/11 in my attempts to get home. I took pictures of the bull covered in ashes then... and the streets around it looking like they would after a snow storm. Except it wasn't snow, it was the aftermath of NYC's worst tragedy in history... my personal flashbacks of that day now kept resurfacing. And so I realized how this "pilot for CBS" was a piece of my life as well. I was also... "back"!

The star of the show was Skeet Ulrich -a former principal in the TV apocalyptic series called, JERICHO. He looked pretty cool as a man who sauntered up Broadway as though he had come out of a coma and everything was "strange" to him. That "strangeness" was depicted by him passing a bunch of goth-teens, a pregnant woman, a kissing couple - and a woman who resembled someone familiar, perhaps his wife. Our background task was to pass by in a NYC-rush mode as he took his time walking.

The director, Mark Pellington was very involved with participating in the type of effect he wanted from this scene. At one point he took the steady-cam and started experimenting with it... walking all over the place in a "camera's POV" substitution for the actor. His large stature was immediately noticeable along with his thick glasses and crescent-faced jaw. But, interestingly enough, his style wasn't overbearing, as one would expect. It was more clandestine in many respects. He once went in back of us extras standing on line for the stunt bus -and had the PA go in front of us while he pointed to some of our backs. Indicating which ones he wanted to remain. The PA would do the talking for him in front of us.

Luckily, I was one of the 6 chosen who would be put on the bus. I was no longer freezing my butt off in the windy streets with the rest of the poor actors. I was now sitting inside a warm bus -qwelling at my good fortune. And my fortune got better. One of the supporting actresses, Kerry O'Malley, a beautiful redhead, was slated to be in this scene. Her direction was to be the last one on the bus line outside - give a lingering look...and then board the buss. Right in front of ME! And since the scene had to be repeated a few times, once she got on the bus, she would take her shoes off and rub her cold feet to get them to warm up. At one point she looked up and gave me a big smile... Flashback: Hungary...pre-1956... I remembered one of my mother's young clients who came to her for dresses... her name was Erzsi... very friendly... she escaped with us across the border to freedom. And this actress looked very much like her. After a while the scene re-shoots ended -the actress left and we were told to remain on the bus for a while. Most of us fell asleep from our long ordeal without a food break.

Soon afterwards we were told to return to holding. One of the PA's read off 40 random choices of people who were still needed for the remainder of the afternoon. Most of us were not among them and were happy to be checked out. I had entertained thoughts of lingering in the neighborhood for old times sake but decided that I'd rather go home and prepare myself a tasty meal in the comfort of my house. Pretty much the way I felt back on 9/11.

Epilogue:
After browsing the web to see what ever happened to this pilot, I found the following comment-

"MMur10k: Fri, Mar 19 2010 at 5:09 AM EDT
'Back' was never picked up which is a shame as it was a great concept...
-most things go to pilot and then they're optioned or not optioned. As you can see most pick ups are formulaic or remakes."

2nd Season Finale for DAMAGES

The blurry patron in the background is... me! (aired: 4/1/2009 in the final episode)

It was the beginning of my real-life working week when lo-and-behold an email from my "agent provocateur", Desiree, had arrived with an offer to be an extra on the second season of DAMAGES! That was great timing since my wife and I just saw the 2nd season premier of the show recently. And it was on a weekend shoot, so I didn't have any conflicts... well, not much. There was supposed to be 6 inches of snow falling that day, changing to ice rain with freezing temperatures... and the shoot was going to be outside. Pshawwww! Piece of cake.

The email was only a few minutes old so I was pretty confident that I'd get the booking if I responded quickly enough. A quick check with the wife and I was "cleared for takeoff"!

The call time of 6:30 AM in Brooklyn Heights was not as easy to make as I thought it would be. PARKING is a miraculous accomplishment in that area. But after 20 minutes of circling around in the pre-dawn streets I found a spot that was just barely legal from the ubiquitous restrictions signs. I got out and grabbed my wardrobe paraphernalia and began my 3 block trek to holding. En route I passed the HEIGHTS CAFE. It was surrounded by lights and crew and I figured that was the set. I flagged down one of the walkie-talkie guys and asked where holding was. Since he was headed there himself, we walked together. After starting up a little chit-chat with him, I found out that Glen Close was not going to be in this scene at which point I had an inkling that my favorite alternate-actress, Rose Byrne, would nevertheless be there. As it turned out, I was right on the money. Oh Happy Day!

Holding was on Remsen Street, a large well lit and WARM room in one of the local churches. Inside, I settled down by myself at one of the tables when I saw a friendly face from the corner of my eye. It was Owen, from the Fashion Rock and Verizon gigs. We immediately clicked and lamented about our past few-and-far-in-between jobs during the past year. And then we were quickly assembled and called to the set -it was time to go to work.

The first scene had to do with all of us walking all over the intersection outside of the Heights Cafe (wherein Rose Byrne was sitting -later to be joined by Tate Donovan). We did this on and off for about an hour in the cold air. Luckily I was dressed in my business suit and warm trench coat. My buddy Owen, was unfortunately in a casual hoodie and was feeling frosty after a while.

Our dizzy parading had ended -it was to provide realism for the activity outside the cafe, and we were told to return to holding. Ah! Warmth again... and let's not forget about the bathroom's comfortably relieving environs either.

When I exited the WC (wasser-closet), I heard the PA telling everyone to switch into our alternate wardrobe: the business casual "acceptably shlumpy" look. I was puzzled! Was that all they wanted out of my business suit? So I went over to the PA and asked for verification. She immediately got on the horn and a second later (really...one second), she said "they need you back on the inside of the set". Wow... talk about a squeaky wheel getting oiled, I zoomed out of holding and down the street only to be catching up to three other perspective returnees ambling down the block toward the coveted set.

When we got there, we all went inside the cafe which on the inside was turned into a jumble of lights and cables and a wild mix of various levels of directors and assistants. One of them immediately ushered us out of the warm belly of the beast and so we wound up waiting outside in the cold for him to get back to us. Tick, tock,... Graciously, the wait was relatively short and our new "handler" gave us all the once-over-look. We all knew the excruciating routine -WHO WOULD HE PICK? WHO GETS THE PRIZE?

Finally, after a looooong "Ummmmm", the Jason Lee-look-alike pointed to me and one of the women to go in and be "placed" on the set. We ambled through the light poles and thick cabling onto the main area where the two of us were seated in a horse-shoe shaped booth, ready with breakfast settings. Alas, my female companion's stint was short lived. For some reason, maybe the green sweater, she was asked to leave and I was placed into her seat. The seat that was directly in line with the back of Rose Byrne's head, Tate Donovan's face and the DP's camera lens. Yesssssssssssss!

Tate Donovan

My direction was to be a lone businessman-patron in the background who is reading the paper while nibbling on his breakfast. Simple enough, but after take-1 I was told to "put the phone down"! I was incredulous at the director's direction so I challenged him: "What phone? Where? I don't have a phone!" I blurted out at the injustice of the apparent criticism. But it was just his way of telling me to put my left hand down from my ears (where I usually cradle my head when I'm having breakfast!?). He told me to not worry and "eat occasionally -it's real food, drink OJ every now and then" and make sure I don't make any "background noises"... !

What's he accusing me of now, inadvertent flatulance? Oh yeah...he meant the fork and glasses shouldn't be heard in the microphone during my motions.

After the 2nd and 3rd take, I was complemented with making it look "very natural" and "perfect"! (Damn! I'm good.)

Director Todd Kessler

But of course, my attention between takes was on the principals. Tate Donovan looked real skinny and much younger in person than on TV. He was good with his lines and the well directed blocking. Rose Byrne had her head back to me...but I noted that she blew her lines once or twice and she was disappointed in herself. The director, Todd Kessler would crouch down at her table and provided a few serious-faced instructions between takes. Later, after the scene was completed, Rose stood up -a shapely figure, almost in silhouette against the cafe's bright window -and gave a glance my way. There was a nanosecond of a moment with eye-contact between us as she paused and then went past my booth to her own holding area in the back. She has alluringly sad eyes-but then that may have been a part of "remaining in character".

The scene: The character of Ellen Parsons, who is trying to warn Tate's character, Tom Shayes regarding the impending doom about to befall their treacherous boss, Patty Hewes (Glen Close). Tom, of course accuses her of being crazy and storms out of the restaurant. End of scene. Later on I learned that this was part of the last episode a.k.a. "the season finale"! Whew...I just made it. Albeit, a 3rd season has reportedly been agreed to by the powers that be.

The third scene dealt with walking down a busy street. I was paired with an elderly woman who had been a SAG extra for quite some time and during the takes we shared the usual stories about our respective adventures as extras. She was recently on the Conan O'Brien show, photographed as a granny who was run down by Santa's reindeer. She was extremely good natured and very comical in describing the positions that she was contorted into for the photo shoot. Talking with her made the discomforts of the cold weather negligible -I would have loved to hear more.

The shoot was done -there was no snow, rain or ice, and we returned to holding where they were setting up for lunch. Unfortunately, we were told that our 4 hour stint was enough and we could leave! And that, of course immediately triggered my hand to reach for my "exit voucher", putting me in first place (a career first) on the sign-out-line. I bid farewell to Owen...and was home in 45 minutes. Just in time to hear my wife tell me that we were getting together with our cousins for ... what else, LUNCH!