Strong Medicine

This is a two-parter because in order to more fully explain my initial horror when I was on the pilot ‘Crazy‘, I need to explain my horror from when I was on Strong Medicine in May or so of 2003. I have never written it down. Yes, it was that traumatic and horrendous…at least for me anyway.

So, here we go…Strong Medicine…I was the worst extra on the planet.

You know those days when you just can’t do anything right? You try, you really do, but for some reason, the planets are completely misaligned and you just can’t pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel. Well…that was me…

And I was all excited because it was shooting about fifteen minutes from my house. Short drive compared to the usual and therefore, I was hoping that I’d do such a smashing job that maybe they’d call me back or use me as a regular.

Well…The process of getting there, getting my voucher, getting into costume…all of it was normal. It wasn’t until us extras were herded from holding and brought to the set that trouble struck. I was playing a police station office worker.

Generally, that means a lot of ‘pick up these papers and these folders, go to the next desk, drop some off and pick up others, then work your way to the filing cabinet and set some in the inbox on top before heading down the hallway.’ No problem, right?

Well…My horror was started when the PA said she wished she had more extras to cover the whole office with lots of movement. I took this to mean that I should cover the whole office, moving like the ball in a pinball machine from bookcase to desk, to shelf, to file, to counter, to copier, wherever there was an empty spot. Normally, that’s what I do anyway if I’m not given specific instructions on where/when/how to cross.

However…This day happened to be the day when my memory was failing me. See, we all have to match our actions to every take. We have to hit the same marks at the same times on the actors same lines…and I was the worst extra ever. I couldn’t remember a damn thing from take to take.

Then…to make matters worse, the director throws us a curveball and when the lead actress shouts about her homosexuality, we’re all supposed to pay more attention to her than work…

But no one specified that we were supposed to literally stop and stare. So, there I was…the busy little bee, carrying and exchanging my paperwork all over the set…and I missed the cue completely! And not just once! I was so bad that the director came out from video village and mimicked me as an example of what NOT to do!

I was mortified…I still am. Hell, there was even one take where I didn’t know the camera was starting on me and I accidentally looked directly in it, immediately giving the ‘deer in headlights look’ and completely ruining that take.

I sucked. And I knew it! And it was awful! So awful that I never really told anyone about it because the experience was so traumatizing. I was terrible and what would have been a great gig–only 5 hours total and within spittin’ distance of home–turned into my greatest nightmare.

But I did learn what NEVER to do ever again. Truthfully, I was surprised I didn’t get thrown off the set for being so terrible. I was betting the director was thinking something like, “I hope I never see that one crappy extra ever again.”

That evening, I went home and I told Jason about it, but really held back the details. He laughed pretty hard. And at the time it wasn’t funny, but now I find it just as hilarious as traumatizing. And at least I can say that since then, I have always matched from take to take. My continuity has been spot on unless an AD has told me otherwise.

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