Seeing Johnny Depp

The following is an excerpt from an email sent shortly afterward:

Because I’m in SAG [Screen Actors Guild], and I live near LA, if I so choose, I can go to see free screenings where they also have a little interview with one of the actors. This was my first one, just to check it out and I didn’t even stay to watch the movie because I was alllllllll the way back in the theatre–which made the screen appear about the same size as a TV screen anyway.

Okay… All 1100 of us got in free and then they gave us free popcorn and a soda. Well, because I helped a fellow with a broken arm carry an extra drink for his friend, most of the decent seats got taken and I ended up in the third row from the back, third seat in. No big deal. I just wanted to be there.

When the interview was ready to start, a few photographers crowded the aisle on my side. Holy shit! The man was going to come down the aisle about 8 feet away from me! I turned to see the entourage. The actor started looking at people. I had a smile on my face, of course. When his chocolate brown eyes met mine, he smiled. Not only did I make eye contact with Johnny Depp, I unintentionally encouraged him to smile. WooHoo!!!!! I couldn’t believe it. Was no one else smiling around me or something?

That split second was totally worth the entire fiasco I’d gone through just to get there. He stayed for about an hour and answered all sorts of questions. I didn’t stay to watch Pirates because I was so far back, it wouldn’t’ve been a real theater-movie experience. I was absolutely beside myself the rest of the night. I mean, all I’d set out to do was be in the same room with him and actually hear him speak, but boy oh boy, did I get more than that without even trying! And I will never forget looking into his eyes and finding they were looking right back at me! WooHoo!

Without A Trace

The following is from an email sent shortly after the shoot:

Fifteen hours of pure boredom. I only worked for about two, maybe three hours.

They really only wanted our cars parked in the background anyway. I have no idea what the episode was about or anything. All I saw was a guy getting arrested by the FBI.

The rest of the scene took place in a house and all I could hear was a skirmish followed by the words, “Sit down! Sit! Sit!” Sorry, no good plot teasers or anything for anyone who watches the show. They did blow up a door and a window, though. That was pretty nifty.

The real tale this time is for those of you who happen to like Vin Diesel…

As I was sitting in holding, naturally a fellow struck up a conversation with me. We were in one of the older parts of town where there are Victorian homes…kinda run down and forgotten. Anyway, the fellow said that the house they used in the first party scene in Fast & The Furious was about five doors down from where we were working.

He then proceeded to tell me that he’d been Vin’s stand-in for F&F, A Man Apart, Triple X and that sequel they’re doing for Pitch Black. So, I ask the inevitable question… “What’s Vin Diesel like?” And we end up talking about the man for a good half hour.

Apparently, he’s very cool. He does do his best to stay out of the limelight just because he doesn’t like all the hype. The number one thing, though, is that Vin is very loyal. He actually requests this guy whenever he needs a stand-in. They flew the guy to Prague for Triple X… And to Paris for some other thing Vin was working on and for that, Vin called him personally to ask him to come with him… And he went first class, just him and Vin.

WaHoo! It’s always good to know when someone you like really is likable in more ways than just eye candy. Now if the man would just film something in LA that I can actually get on…

Angel

This was a great television series. Too bad it’s no longer on. But thankfully, it’s out on DVD. That’s how I got these screen caps. I’m still wishing that Joss Whedon had been on the set.

Back before I became an extra, I’d shown up on the first day of filming of Season One, Episode One as part of my job. I stuck around to watch a set-up and a bunch of takes while Joss was directing. The man is absolutely intense.

The following is from an email written shortly after this later shoot:

So, today, I was on the TV show Angel. I have no idea when the episode will air, though.

I was playing a dead nun… Yes, I [of all people] was dressed in a full nun’s habit and I got to lay motionless on the floor for what felt like eternity.

Yes, I got to see David Boreanaz… I was laying at his feet. Today’s record for getting closest to a principle actor is about an inch and a half. He’s pretty cool. Both a dweeb and a very sexy/cool man all at the same time. Not to mention, he’s also eye candy!

And to top it all off, I got to have fake blood dribbled and smeared on me. They did a bunch of close-ups on the dead nuns so, I’m thinking we’ll have a pretty good featured part. They had us lay down in a weird sort of formation just so we could look spookier because supposedly the guy who killed us used our deaths to go to a different dimension. I dunno. All I know is that I got to be dead with my eyes open and that was pretty nifty in itself.

The show aired on February 4th, 2004. It was Angel’s 100th episode.

Looking back on that day, I remember wishing that James Marsters was there, but he was the only principle cast member who wasn’t. I really wanted to see him again because Jen and I had met him previously. There’s a pic in our author section about that meeting. I’m still bummed the show was canceled. Hopefully, Joss will do another show real soon.

One of my favorite memories of David Boreanaz was when he asked the director if it was okay for him to be so near a big six foot tall cross. Then, later on between takes, seeing the vampire himself leaning on the cross while he waited for the crew to finish fixing up us nuns. Afterward, he even gave up his seat on a couch so that us nuns could sit down…What a sweetie.