Was Nick Nolte sober or not?

I hope your not just messing with me, because that would completely make my day if true.

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I love how GMCKINST-1 claims to have been an extra in the movie, which is about a school creating a generation of illiterates, and he can't spell well himself. Ah, the irony.

It was amazing that the late Arthur Hiller didn't go nuts about Nolte being drunk on the set. Maybe they were drinking buddies or something. Oh, going back to that film I was an extra on, it turns out that Jobeth Williams is in it as well. She wasn't there the day I was there for the shooting.

I'm surprised no one said anything to him. Guess they felt he was doing his work so why complain? It is amazing he was able to even do takes!

Either way, it fit the character he played to a T. Either it was written for him in mind or he drank his way into it, but like was said, even drunk this guy is better than most actors. My question, to the extra, or anyone else, sorry not a new topic, not worth it, but I wonder if that extra sitting @ Ralph Macchio's desk @ the end the one he had get up and move, if that was scripted or if the extra just didn't know it was his seat/mark? and left in as an improv.


"He came home." - Dr. Sam Loomis from the original HalloweeN

Nolte had a lot of drinking problems in the 80's. He was supposed to host SNL in 1982 but had to drop out so Eddie Murphy, who was a cast member, subbed for him.

I was an extra in this film, also (tons of kids from the Columbus, Ohio area were). I can be seen in some versions, only one scene, in the hallway crowd, near a locker. Dig the big hair (naturally curly, thank you), black sweater and pinstriped, pleated jeans; gotta look quick or I'm gone.

Nick Nolte appeared to be drunk almost every day. I was not near him much nor did I ever speak with him directly; however, it was obvious to all of us that he had a drinking or drug problem when they had to light him or restart a scene. He about fell apart in between takes, while waiting.

Especially funny to most of us, in light of the auditorium scene--- which was filmed but never shown in the completed movie----where a DARE-type police officer is showing us marijuana and drug paraphenalia, as if to "educate" us teenagers on what a drug is and how to avoid them. Ralph Macchio's character disrupts his speech, while we screamed and stamped our feet. I thought it was a good scene (ironic, in light of the movie plot re:what was REALLY going on with Laura Dern and her "lover", that they'd be rabidly concerned about some pot, and ironic in the sense that the biggest star was out of his mind in almost every take onscreen).

Laura Dern was sweet. I "met" her in the bathroom once and she was very polite. We shared a paper towel.

A friend was one of the kids in the classroom with the crazy guy (Richard Mulligan) as teacher; he said that guy was a riot, making them laugh when they had to do retakes. He said the guy's face was like plastic--it just BECAME whatever character or look he wanted, the second he wanted it to. Makes sense, they guy was a comic genius on TV in Empty Nest.

I used to have a crush on Ralph, which was the only reason I signed up to do the movie. He was very pleasant the one time I had to stand near him in a scene (not on camera that I know of). He said hello, asked if I liked the work, etc. NOT necessary on his part, believe me, I was a nobody to him. This despite rumors about his difficult personality on-set that were rampant at that time. No one from a craft service worker to a janitor ever was turned away when they wanted a picture or an autograph, not that I ever heard about.

We were told not to catcall/yell at the stars as they went from place to place (no one listened, I can tell you) and not to "disturb" them or talk to them unless approached by them, but if they weren't shooting and had to stand by, Dern, Williams and Macchio were always nice. Nolte retreated/disappeared as soon as they said he was done, I don't know where he went off to. I do know one time Ralph had to use the restroom and we were milling around in the hallway after a box lunch---yuck---no craft service for US---they actually closed the hall and bathroom off so he could "go" alone. Maybe that kind of thing was what started the rumors about him, I don't know.

They also filmed Mischief in Columbus, Ohio, the nexy year (1985) but I think this movie is better/more realistic than that. Of course that one is period (1956) and Teachers was supposed to be current in 1984, so maybe an apples to oranges comparison isn't valid? When I asked, most of the people I know from that time that also were extras in that movie (me included) rate that second to Teachers.

The 1984 film "Firstborn" was filmed in my hometown of Wayne, NJ. It isn't just the actors who party a lot. The crew party, too.