extra


I was an extra in this movie. I was sitting at a table in the restaurant/bar when Melanie and Don began to slow dance. You can see the side of my head although since then I've lost most of my hair so only my mother recognizes me! I remember it being so hot as the filming location was underground in a downtown Los Angeles restaurant. It was summer and the air conditioners were turned off while the camera rolled. Air was being pumped in but only for Melanie and Don. We did several practices with Melanie's stand in.... I remember the director trying to get the smoke machines going and asking everyone who smoked to light up. It was miserable! Once Melanie and Don came onto the set to film the scene we did several takes... about 10-12.... Even Melanie came up to my table at one point and said, "It's smokey back here." The extras were so hot and asking the other extras who were playing the bar tenders to bring us some water from the bar. We started early in the morning and I didn't get home until after midnight..... all for a scene that lasted about 15 seconds in the final cut!

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[deleted]

I lived in Los Angeles from 1989 to 1992 and had a full time job teaching school. I would do extra work in movies and television during my time off from teaching. For me, it wasn't a serious career, just an interesting way to make a little extra cash. "Born Yesterday" was the most screen time I ever got but I was also in "Distinguished Gentlemen" with Eddie Murphy. As for TV, I did an episode of "Home Front" with Kyle Chandler. The TV game show, "Supermarket Sweeps" also used extras to sit in the audience! I did that once... it was a day full of screaming and yelling and acting like it was orgasmic to hold a box of Tide! All in all, I'd have to say that working on "Homefront" was the most interesting. We all got to wear 1940s style clothing and the scene I was in was shot on a back lot of what is now Warner Bros. Studios. I was impressed with the detail the directors went to with wardrobe and style. My hair was cut short but they "rounded" the edges in the back because it was the style back then. They also wouldn't let me wear my dad's highschool ring that I used to wear because it was a few years off. We were suppose to be at a baseball game in the scene and the programs were actually printed with the players names and positions, just like a real program. In actuality, there were only bleachers and a softball that was thrown into the stands... no team! On a side note, the day the show aired I had already moved to Dallas, Texas and was at a gym working out on a treadmill. "Homefront" was on TV and I noticed it was the scene I had filmed. I wanted to tell the people on the treadmills next to me that I was getting ready to be on TV but I knew they would think I was crazy. Good thing I didn't because the camera cut away just as I was getting ready to "walk by" so you didn't even see me. It's funny because the director spent about 5 minutes with me explaining how he wanted me to rest my foot on the railing and then casually walk down the bleachers and cross in front of the principal actors. All that work and I end up being on the cutting room floor. I'm confident my "walk by" was Emmy worthy!

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I'm sorry,to both of you. Did both or either of you meet Max Perlich? I hope you did. I read that he's a kind,very talented and friendly guy.

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Too bad you didn't get to see/meet John Goodman. He's from my hometown of St. Louis so a lot of people i know have seen him around town while a few have even met him.

It's cool you were an extra. Hardly any movies get made in St. Louis.

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