I have a Chavez story to tell. And it involves Mexico.
I met Caesar Chavez in 2012. Well, sort of.
John Malkovich's production of the biopic "Chavez" (released in 2014) was filmed almost entirely in Sonora, Mexico. The producers decided to shoot
some scenes at an auditorium in Hermosillo, Mexico. Specifically, this was the scene where Robert F. Kennedy comes to investigate the violence farm
workers in Delano, CA. were experiencing at the hands of the growers. He holds a hearing and questions politicians, growers and the police from the
area. It's a Senate sub-committee hearing as RFK is now a Senator.
Since the hearing was supposed take place, historically, in California, the production did need some gringos to appear as extras in the movie; in
crowd scenes in the auditorium, as members of Kennedy's staff, etc.
Someone in San Carlos, Sonora, the town I live in, was contacted and told about a casting call in Hermosillo one day. They were looking for gringos,
lots of gringos. My wife wanted to go, but I was reluctant because I had been on the sets of TV and film productions many times as a cam op, sound
guy, lighting guy and director, and I know it is a lot of sitting around doing nothing, with little hope of getting on screen. Especially if you are
simply an extra.
But she convinces me to go up and we are chosen. She is going to be the wife of one of the growers (possibly Malkovich's character) in the audience at
the hearing. I am told I will be on Kennedy's staff. That's all I know.
The day before our shooting begins, we are put up in a hotel in HMO. So, we gringos drive up together and get there right at check-in, figuring to
take full advantage of our "Hollywood" perk.
We check in, grab beers and head for the pool. Almost immediately, we see and meet the guy who will be playing RFK; the guy is almost a dead ringer
for him. It's obvious who he must be.
We get to talking and he's played RFK many times and knows his life story well. I tell him that I will be on his staff in some capacity. In passing,
he eventually mentions that I look a lot like Kennedy's senior staffer at the time, Peter Edelman, who went on to serve in the Clinton administration
and is a dean of the Georgetown Law School, to this day.
Casting call is REAL early the next morning. We are driven to the auditorium and I am almost immediately separated from the rest and sent to wardrobe,
where they choose a conservative businessman/politician suit for me. I was expecting to be in a suit and was dreading wearing hard, black shoes all
day, so I brought my black Rockport loafers with me and put them on with the suit. Not very period-piece correct but no one notices.
I am then led to the make-up/hair stylists area and a casting director announces to the all-girl, all-Australian crew (some real hotties in that
bunch!), that "this guy will be near RFK ALL DAY", and he leaves me there.
The gals roll their eyes a bit, as my hair is fairly long; not shoulder length by any means, but I still wear my hair in a longer style because I grew
up on the fringe of the 60s and because, well, I'm over sixty, living in a retirement area and, gosh darnit, I still have hair! If you got it, flaunt
it.
So, after my "processing" by hair, makeup and wardrobe, I am led to the set where I see that I will be at a long conference table, facing the audience
AND I AM TOLD I AM SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO KENNEDY!. A short conversation with "RFK" confirms that he spoke to the director the night before and told
him about my similar appearence to Peter Edelman.
Now, as I mentioned, I have a background in production. So, during the "blocking" and walk-thrus of the scene, I notice where the close-up camera is
for RFK and I realize that, unless they cut this entire scene, there is no way they are going to be able to cut me out of the scene. My head will be
almost as prominent as RFKs, as he addresses the mic from a 3/4 angle. It's an extra's dream come true; I will make the final cut of the film, barring
a complete excising of the scene.
So, if you see or have seen the film, look for the guy in the geeky, round, wire rim glasses, next to RFK. I threw in a few perplexed looks and a look
of repressed disbelief at some of the testimony. I think I even gave an "atta boy" kinda look as RFK attempts to put the police and growers in their
place.
We also filmed a scene outside the auditorium where RFK's entourage arrives (I am clearing a path through the crowd for RFK) and he proceeds to give
Chavez short shrift at their initial meeting.
At this point, some guy hired by the production company to make sure everything in the movie is authentic to the 1960s, spots my Rockport loafers. He
insists I have to switch them out for some black wing tips. So, I got to wear my loafers for my scenes sitting at a conference table. But when I
actually had to walk through multiple rehearsals and takes, I'm forced to wear the evil wing tips. Arrrg!!!!
I also got to speak with America Ferrara, Rosario Dawson and Michael Pena; none of whom I knew about previously. I think I had heard of Ugly Betty but
had never watched it. I did know who Dolores Huerta was (played by Rosario Dawson) as I had seen her speak at a college I taught at.
And I had quite an extensive talk with Malkovich.......since we were possibly sharing a wife. I warned him what to expect from her, of course. She
ended up playing the wife of some other grower, as it turned out. He was quite pre-occupied with learning lines from his NEXT movie, that required him
to speak a lot of Spanish.
When all was said and done, the Exuberant Extra, my wife, and the Reluctant One, me, were the only gringos from our town who made the final cut. She
was in a tilting shot in the audience near Malkovich.
And I was Peter Edelman, senior staffer to Senator Robert F. Kennedy.......for a day. Little did I know I would serve on a president's staff and
become a dean of the Georgetown School of Law in future years.
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JH
