New career in retirement?

On a whim, a number of us gringos answered a casting call for white folk on a film being produced on Caesar Chavez. The film stars John Malkovich (who is also producing the film), Rosario Dawson, America Ferrara, Gabriel Mann............and a guy named Jack Holmes in the role of Robert F. Kennedy.

We drove up to Hermosillo last Thursday for a fitting and were assigned roles as "extras", meaning you wont have any lines and will generally be faces in the background of shots. My wife was assigned to a pool entitled White Female Crowd and I drew Male Senator's Staff.

Then, Sunday, we drove up to Hermosillo again and were put up in the Holiday Inn overnight, as our call was at 4:30am on Monday.

We got to HMO early enough to hang around the pool where we immediately noticed Jack Holmes, as he is an INCREDIBLE likeness to RFK. When he meets me, the first thing he says is that I bear a resemblance to one of RFKs actual staffers at the time; Peter Edelman. Well, at this point, I dont even know WHICH senator's staff I may belong on. Senator George Murphy (CA) is also in today's scene. Anyway, we spend the next two hours talking with him (over Tecates!) about all things Kennedy related. While Mr. Holmes is not old enough to remember the events of 63-68, he is an authority on most things related to RFK because he wrote a play and starred off-Broadway in a play about RFK.

Long story short, Mr. Holmes tips off the film's director (Diego Luna) about my likeness to Edelman............and I am immediately given the "role". This doesnt involve lines, but I am imminently prominent in the closeups of RFK during the scene. In fact, with the camera angle, my face is only SLIGHTLY less prominent than RFKs. The scene is the Senate sub-committee meeting in Delano, CA. where RFK is hearing testimony about how the growers are treating the migrant farm workers. It's 1966. Later on in the day, we shoot a scene where RFK and all his staffers first meet Chavez, Dolores Huerta (Rosario Dawson), Helen Chavez (America Ferrara) and a grower named Bogdanovich (John Malkovich).

So, 16 hours later and one Ivy League haircut later, my day is done. As photography is STRICTLY forbidden on film sets, I can only show this photo of my wife as a grower's wife and myself in the role of "Peter Edelman" (not actually mentioned as Peter Edelman in the script).

[Edited on 6-6-2012 by Hook]

WOW...very cool!

Sounds like you had a lot of fun and an exciting couple of days. Looking forward to seeing the movie.


Miguelamo

Is that the "John Holmes" of late nite movie fame?

What kinda movie is this again?

Drinking Tecates with the Stars. Worthy of a book cover

I had actually brought some round, frameless glasses with me and decided to wear them on the set. The director never said anything about them. Then, I got home and looked up Peter Edelman..........and he wore glasses.

Just remember that Peter Edelman's character is NOT in the movie, as far as I know. I just happened to look somewhat like him and the guy playing RFK noticed and told the director.

I have been given lots of ribbing over here because my wife PLEADED with me to join her for the casting call. As I have worked on TV and film crews before, I knew the days are long and rather boring and didnt really want to participate.

Then, as we were sitting out there waiting to be cast and fitted, I was virtually the last one chosen. I just sat their reading my book, probably looking rather uninterested to the "extras" casting director. Well, I was pretty uninterested.

So, I arrive on the set the day of shooting and am immediately hauled into "hair and makeup" ahead of everyone where the casting director informs them that "this guy will be right next to Bobby Kennedy in every shot, all day". So, that's how I found out that my role had some significance. I went from uninterested to the most prominent extra, overnight.

The makeup gals were appalled at my hair; almost a modified mullet or at least the type of cut worn by rockabilly guys in the late 50s, early 60s. They made short work of THAT. No worries; I was due for my summer cut, anyway.

Clearly, talking Kennedys over Tecates by the pool had apparently made an impression on the RFK character. We talked about the whole Johnson administration, Eugene McCarthy's entrance into the Democratic Presidential race in '68, the assassinations, Bobby's trip to South Africa, everything.

It was really a good time; save the fact that my wife felt rather excluded because she was, well, born in '64.

The frickin' Beatles had hit America before my wife was born. We do experience some generational separation sometimes...........

[Edited on 6-6-2012 by Hook]

What a great experience!