This is Adam and David. This is Me
And this is the story of how we met up one fateful day last summer while Sandler and Spade were in town filming a little movie for Netflix called The Do-Over.
Now I am a huge fan of these guys. I spent many late weekend nights watching their antics on Saturday Night Live and I still watch their movies when they come out. When I had the opportunity to be an extra, I was all over it.
Rose Locke Casting pretty much ran an ad in the paper which my lovely wife and hard boiled newspaper reporter sent my way back before school was out and I replied via e-mail with some basic info and my head shot.
I also to had to choose from a series of scenes being filmed. I opted for the High School reunion but also had the choice for Biker Bar extra but seriously pondered Naked Cadaver which paid double and seemed pretty easy work. For some odd reason both of my children begged me not to. It would be the Duchess who finally hit home with reminding me of what could happen if one of my students came across this and the embarrassing magic of photo-shop. Reunion it was !
Armed with a cup of coffee and my wardrobe choices, I pulled into the convention center parking a little before six. Extras were checked for wardrobe, some got make up and touch ups on hair. I had to bring two suits for the crew to pick for as "my look." Oddly enough, they did not go with the burgundy tux jacket with 70s crushed velvet lapels.
We were then marched into two groups in one of the Westin Ball rooms where we were told a bit about the scene we were going to be "a part of." We were all going Central High Class of '91 party-goers where Sandler and Spade would met back up after many years.
As party-goers we were divided into several groups of 12 then placed strategically around the room. I had joined one of the "Dance Floor "people so I had a great chance of being on camera. I had pulled into the Savannah Convention Center parking lot at 6am. I saw my first camera right around 11am.
Because of my height, I got pulled into a camera which would be directly in the line of fire. Yes!!!! I was thrilled. I also did not take into consideration that meant I'd be dancing for the next 10 hours.
The hardest thing I've learned after being on a movie set is how nothing is organic nor accidental. While it looks like people spontaneously burst into acts of singing and dancing, it's actually the product of several hours of rehearsal, moving the camera, moving the camera to different angles, moving the actors around, moving the extras around, and hearing the same damn song over and over and over and over and over and over.
Do you like this song? I do not. I find Marky Mark neither funky nor bunchy. But I was supposed to be an actor so far be it from me not to commit to the role. I can play a 40-something guy party it up at his high school reunion whooping it up. Nailed it.
Now for the question everyone wants to know. Did I see/meet Sandler or Spade? I did sort of. Shortly before lunch when everyone was starting to fizzle, Sandler came out and spoke to the crowd. He came off very laid back, almost shy. He thanked everyone for being a part of the movie and seemed
more excited to introduce the actor playing the DJ to the crowd than talk about himself. The DJ turns out to be be his nephew who, and I quote,"got all the good looks in the Sandler family"
While standing in line to go to lunch, Adam Sandler was sitting on a couch right by us. I took the opportunity to say hello and asked him how he liked Savannah. He was really cool and told us he dug Savannah but the heat was killing him. Picking up that he was busy, I left him alone and went off to lunch.
David Spade was also around the set quite but seemed to stick to himself. I never got the opportunity to say anything because he spent much of time chatting with the director, Steven Brill, or looking over his lines. He came off a little aloof but not rude in the least.
I think that was the other thing I took away from my day on the movie set. Watching all those old Burt Reynold's movies back in the day always ended with a gag reel over the credits. It left a impression on me that working on a movie set had to be a blast and a laugh a minute. While no one was a Debbie Downer, I was struck by the seriousness and professionalism given by the actors and the crew. Everyone was beyond friendly and courteous but it was also understood time was money and there was a job to done.
While there were plenty of moments that made everyone chuckle especially when Sean Astin was in the room, it was never anything like this:
Shuffling back to my car a little before nine that evening, I had to change out my my black suit coat and khakis because i was drenched in sweat from he multiple takes of dancing to "Rude Vibrations" as our group began to refer to it. Sitting in my little Kia with the AC running was one of the most exquisite moments I think I had that summer next discovering Fireball whiskey and skinny dipping in our pool.
I peeled off my Reunion name tag and stuck on a place of honor in the car. All we had to do now was to wait and see if I'd get my big Hollywood moment.
Kim and I scoured the first few Do Over trailers as they dropped in spring. We literally went frame by frame to see but I never made it. Frankly, I had kind of forgotten about it.
It was a late Friday night in May and I was about to crash. Doing a quick Facebook check, an old college buddy asked me if I had seen The Do-Over yet because it had just premiered. It was late but when I mentioned it Kim there was "no way we were waiting until the morning,"
Sure enough, around 40 seconds in, I can be seen in the second row dancing and chanting my little heart out. One more item to be scratched off my bucket list. Mr. Richardson has now been in an actual big time Hollywood movie.
It was pretty cool experience. In many ways it was a long and grueling one but at the same time, it was one of those experiences that as the time went on, the work part seemed to lapse into all the cool stories to be shared. And I now have more than a few to share. I barely scratched the surface in this post.
Oh, and I got an awesome name tag.......
I also to had to choose from a series of scenes being filmed. I opted for the High School reunion but also had the choice for Biker Bar extra but seriously pondered Naked Cadaver which paid double and seemed pretty easy work. For some odd reason both of my children begged me not to. It would be the Duchess who finally hit home with reminding me of what could happen if one of my students came across this and the embarrassing magic of photo-shop. Reunion it was !
 |
| How could they not love this jacket? |
We were then marched into two groups in one of the Westin Ball rooms where we were told a bit about the scene we were going to be "a part of." We were all going Central High Class of '91 party-goers where Sandler and Spade would met back up after many years.
As party-goers we were divided into several groups of 12 then placed strategically around the room. I had joined one of the "Dance Floor "people so I had a great chance of being on camera. I had pulled into the Savannah Convention Center parking lot at 6am. I saw my first camera right around 11am.
Because of my height, I got pulled into a camera which would be directly in the line of fire. Yes!!!! I was thrilled. I also did not take into consideration that meant I'd be dancing for the next 10 hours.
The hardest thing I've learned after being on a movie set is how nothing is organic nor accidental. While it looks like people spontaneously burst into acts of singing and dancing, it's actually the product of several hours of rehearsal, moving the camera, moving the camera to different angles, moving the actors around, moving the extras around, and hearing the same damn song over and over and over and over and over and over.
Do you like this song? I do not. I find Marky Mark neither funky nor bunchy. But I was supposed to be an actor so far be it from me not to commit to the role. I can play a 40-something guy party it up at his high school reunion whooping it up. Nailed it.
Now for the question everyone wants to know. Did I see/meet Sandler or Spade? I did sort of. Shortly before lunch when everyone was starting to fizzle, Sandler came out and spoke to the crowd. He came off very laid back, almost shy. He thanked everyone for being a part of the movie and seemed
While standing in line to go to lunch, Adam Sandler was sitting on a couch right by us. I took the opportunity to say hello and asked him how he liked Savannah. He was really cool and told us he dug Savannah but the heat was killing him. Picking up that he was busy, I left him alone and went off to lunch.
David Spade was also around the set quite but seemed to stick to himself. I never got the opportunity to say anything because he spent much of time chatting with the director, Steven Brill, or looking over his lines. He came off a little aloof but not rude in the least.
I think that was the other thing I took away from my day on the movie set. Watching all those old Burt Reynold's movies back in the day always ended with a gag reel over the credits. It left a impression on me that working on a movie set had to be a blast and a laugh a minute. While no one was a Debbie Downer, I was struck by the seriousness and professionalism given by the actors and the crew. Everyone was beyond friendly and courteous but it was also understood time was money and there was a job to done.
While there were plenty of moments that made everyone chuckle especially when Sean Astin was in the room, it was never anything like this:
Shuffling back to my car a little before nine that evening, I had to change out my my black suit coat and khakis because i was drenched in sweat from he multiple takes of dancing to "Rude Vibrations" as our group began to refer to it. Sitting in my little Kia with the AC running was one of the most exquisite moments I think I had that summer next discovering Fireball whiskey and skinny dipping in our pool.
I peeled off my Reunion name tag and stuck on a place of honor in the car. All we had to do now was to wait and see if I'd get my big Hollywood moment.
Kim and I scoured the first few Do Over trailers as they dropped in spring. We literally went frame by frame to see but I never made it. Frankly, I had kind of forgotten about it.
It was a late Friday night in May and I was about to crash. Doing a quick Facebook check, an old college buddy asked me if I had seen The Do-Over yet because it had just premiered. It was late but when I mentioned it Kim there was "no way we were waiting until the morning,"
Sure enough, around 40 seconds in, I can be seen in the second row dancing and chanting my little heart out. One more item to be scratched off my bucket list. Mr. Richardson has now been in an actual big time Hollywood movie.
 |
| About my SAG card..... |
Oh, and I got an awesome name tag.......
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