Starsky & Hutch (1)

I was on this film four or five times and unfortunately didn’t write much about each experience.

The first shoot was in April of 2003. My car broke down on set, but it wasn’t a big deal. My battery was tired. The cars were only parked anyway. To get home, one of the transpo guys gave me a jump. No big deal. I got a new battery the next day.

The second and third shoots kind of blur together for me. Two different locations, but same kind of stuff in both places: driving. Lots and lots of driving around and around and around. Not bad, though. I wish I could remember more. I never did see what the scene was about.

But I did get camera time. During the cafe scene, my dark teal ’68 Mustang fastback is clearly seen going from right to left through one of the windows. I’d brought my best friend, Eddie to drive my aqua ’68 Mustang convertible. He had fun and I had a blast watching him!

Eddie and I also worked another gig in downtown LA. I recall it being 2nd Unit (ie. inserts or small shots usually without the principal actors). I tried to drive through frame, but they said my car was too pretty. Eddie got to drive through a few times…and a couple girls hopped in the car, too. He had a great time on that shoot for sure! In fact, he keeps asking me if there are any other shows that want two of my cars at the same time. I’m already looking forward to bringing him along if I ever get on another show like that. I keep hoping…And I’m sure he does, too!

Spiderman II

I did a lot of writing while on this shoot. I had a small notebook and was frantically scribbling for most of both nights. Reading through the notebook, I’d hoped to post some of what I’d written, but really there wasn’t anything interesting in it! I was half asleep and hardly coherent. Plus, much of it was notes about Twyla and Craze in Forsaken Talisman and if you want to know what the notes were about, just read the book. You’ll know when you get to the end.

This shoot happened over the course of two nights on the Universal Studios backlot on their New York street.

Until watching the DVD, I had no idea I was in the movie at all! The following screen capture surprised me because there are only extras in the frame, I was one of them and I didn’t even notice in the theater!

The following is an excerpt from an email that I’d written shortly after the shoot:

I have breathed the second hand smoke of Sam Raimi (whom I am also taller than).

I have come within 3 inches of Tobey Maguire.

And at another point when I was simply resetting back to my number one position, our eyes met. I swear I wasn’t really trying. And he grinned and whispered “Hi” almost like he recognized me or something. To my knowledge, he didn’t acknowledge anyone else like that last night.

And for the record, non-union extras can get thrown off the set for making eye contact with the principal actors. I know that sounds mean, but it’s because the actors are there to do a job, not socialize and something as small as eye-contact could blow their concentration so it’s better to just not look.

I had three different boyfriends and we all made up little ideas about what we were doing. Yeah, walking into the hotel facade with a tall blonde man in a suit who happened to have a few romantic stories of his own…priceless. We made up a little story that we were co-workers having a torrid affair. It was a blast!

I’ve seen the movie and think I saw my arm. I’ll have to pause it when I get the DVD. My best work was definitely cut out. Sam Raimi likes to ask extras about their character, but that wasn’t why I’d already worked mine out. I was BORED and it was way after midnight.

There was one bit I did where I came out of a door, while putting on my trenchcoat and yacking on my cell phone as I walked up the street. I was right next to Tobey. In my head, I was talking to Jen on the phone about Forsaken Talisman and she wanted to meet me immediately at a coffee house up the street so we could talk and write notes in person because the scene she was working on wasn’t quite coming together. But Mr. Raimi never asked. I suppose that’s because I was believable and not looking stupid and in the way.

And ironically, while writing Forsaken Talisman, there were a couple of scenes that gave us that kind of trouble. But rather than meeting, we just talked on the phone and pulled each other’s hair out.

Carnivale (3)

This episode was called “The Day That Was The Day”. It’s the season one finale.

I was essentially in the same spot in the same church as the previous time I was on the show. Kinda strange, but I was glad to be there. I really loved working on Carnivale. There was just a special magic in the air whenever I was on it. I mean, this show had me covered in the most dirt, the ugliest clothes, but there was just something about all that…like without all that, it wouldn’t have been so much fun or so magical.

I know I can’t really be made out clearly and you just have to take my word that I was there, but I really wanted to include this episode in the Tales section for a few reasons. First off, for the guy playing my ‘husband’, this was his very first gig. I haven’t seen him since then, but I do wonder how he’s doing. The fellow seated by himself a few rows in front of me, I think I went on three or four gigs where he was booked, too. We spent an entire night talking on the set of Ripley’s and he essentially inspired aspects of Jay in Driven to Distraction.

And finally, I wanted to illustrate the perfect example of where most of my work ends up… Scroll down to the second picture…

Yep, that’s me just barely off screen. Happens all the time!!!!