A Success Story

A Success Story, obviously this blog post isn't about me. It's about my good friend Bobby. Bobby and I hit it off right away when we met down here because he was also from New Jersey and had a great sense of humor. I think our "Jersey humor" put off the locals. "Eric, can you hand me the ketchup?" "Whaddo I look like ta you? Huh? Am I  your friggin waiter? Sorry, this ain't my table."  Such comments made us feel at home. "Now go home and get your friggin shine box."





Early on when he asked me how I was getting by in New Orleans, I explained that I had been working as a background actor in film and television productions down here. He was impressed and I explained that there was no real reason to be impressed. "Ya know, I always kind of wanted to try my hand at that acting thing. It was always in the back of my mind..." We sat down on line and signed him up with casting companies here in NOLA and sent in his pic. "Yea, well, what about my nose..." "DUDE! Your nose and ridiculously retentive hair cut are your best features. You could pass for a construction worker, cop, Army Sargent, put a lab coat on you and you would look like a scientist."  As opposed to me, when I go into wardrobe for a fitting I get cast as a stoner-crackhead-homeless dude.


Almost right away he got background work as an air traffic controller in the film Green Lantern. That kind of burned my ass because I had applied for that part and didn't get it. I was happy for him, and he was like a little kid coming home from the first day of school. "We hardly did anything and they gave me lunch!!" He got the acting bug bad. Since he was used in deep background, they were able to use him again in another scene.  This time wardrobe placed him in a cop uniform. He so looked the part, that on the set I was looking for him among hundreds and walked right past him.  He told that during one of the days of shooting a woman ran up to him upset yelling "I want to fill out a police report!!" "Whoa, lady, I ain't a real cop." Conversely, I had strangers coming up to me asking if I had any weed.


In true American fashion Bobby jumped in head first. Applying for any and all roles while taking acting classes with local actor Lance Nichols. I've worked with Lance on a couple of films and he is an extremely talented and likable gentleman.  Check out his IMDB page: LANCE E. NICHOLS.  I was impressed by Bobby's enthusiasm and commitment to his future profession.

Meanwhile he hasn't quit his day job and he is still working hard at his own contracting and handyman business. If you need work done in the New Orleans area he's still available before he moves to Hollywood. I pointed out to Bobby that Harrison Ford was almost ready to quit acting and devote himself to construction work when a guy named George Lucus called him up to remodel a kitchen. Yea, the rest is history.

 Well, I just found out last night on Facebook that Bobby just got his first speaking role in the film production "Battleship" being shot in Baton Rouge. A speaking role is a big deal for any background actor, it's a major step up to a S.A.G. card and future roles. He still has a long road ahead of him, but with his distinct looks, enthusiasm and continued luck he'll do ok.

I guess driving all the way to Mississippi every other week to get a flat top haircut has paid off.

In brightest day, in blackest night,

The official Green Lantern Trailer came out yesterday.  A few folks I know were excited about it. About 700 background actors down here in New Orleans list it on our resumes now. It was fun and challenging to be a part of such a major production. A lot of friendships were made, and a few ankles broken during the shoot. My friend Bobby sent me a still from the trailer, the blur in the white circle is me. 

Here is a photo of Bobby in his wardrobe. He got to play a cop. He looked the part and did a lot of stand in work for a principle playing a cop. I still bust his chops about how little "work" he did during the filming.

I had to do take after take of running away from a monster while he sat in an air conditioned police car smirking at me every time I limped back to position one.  I'm not bitter. Nope. We were standing and running out in the sun with a 110 degree heat index, while he sat in the air conditioning with Lance Nichols chatting about acting.

We did have a lot of fun that we will probably be talking about for years. If anybody else has any photos from the set, send them to me and I'll post it up here.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"

For my fellow Greenies

To my fellow Greenies, the hundreds of background actors who worked on the Green Lantern last summer here is the official trailer. Now we can look back on the days of running in the scorching hot sun, standing in lines for hours and numerous injuries with a sense of accomplishment. 

Next summer we get to do it all over again for Batman. You know these comic book heroes only look good when they have to save a population in peril.

Green Lantern

men @ work

Here is a pic someone snapped in the extras holding area during the Green Lantern shoot. The burnout in the foreground is me, and the cop asleep is my buddy Bobby.

Lance E. Nichols

Film productions have moved from California to Louisiana because of tax breaks and incentives from this state.  There is talk that half of the next Batman movie will be filmed down here next year. It's not just the financial perks that draw film makers, but the talent. The last director I worked with was very complementary to our group of 300 plus background extras. He claimed that we were some of the best he has ever worked with. Seeing us at work for a dozen or so sweltering days, I think he may be right.

Back in June while my friend Russell and I were walking onto the set of Brawler, Russell grabbed my sleeve and pulled me towards a man in a vehicle. "Here is a guy you have to meet."  I was greeted with a firm friendly handshake. "Eric, this is Lance Nichols, Lance, this is Eric, he just moved down here from New Jersey." I didn't recognize Lance or know of his resume. He impressed me immediately as a man of quality and character. Confidant yet modest with everyone he met.

Later I learned from Russell that Lance is one of the most respected and busiest actors in New Orleans. Impressive IMDB page shows that he knows not just his craft, but his industry. Over the months I have heard his name come up repeatedly on different productions. Without exception when his name is mentioned someone will comment "What a great guy." From the Gulf Coast to the West Coast Lance is well respected and liked.

On two different productions I have crossed paths with Lance. Professional, talented and well liked by everyone seems to be his reputation. My friend Bobby worked as his stand in during the last shoot and had the privilege to spend time with Mr. Nichols. "He's the most down to earth and unpretentious man I have ever met" is Bobby's assessment of Lance. During the shoot, Lance being a principle could have eaten lunch with anybody involved with the production. Instead he was seen several times dinning with the sweaty masses of background actors.

I think if I had to put a face with the best that New Orleans has to offer the film industry, it would be Lance Nichols.

Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar

I'm through with standing in line
To clubs we'll never get in
It's like the bottom of the ninth
And I'm never gonna win
This life hasn't turned out
Quite the way I want it to be...


Last night was the wrap parties for the film I was working on. The background extras had theirs at Club ampersand. More of a higher class joint that I have been in since arriving in NOLA. People I had spent the past two weeks with running and sweating with were there. This time we were stepping on each other's feet on the dance floor.

Film people work hard. Most folks have no idea the long grueling hours that production people put in. Production assistants, hair and wardrobe, grips, actors and stunt people put in anywhere from 12 to 16 hours a day for months at a time. So when it's done, these artists need to cut loose.

At first I didn't want to go, I had spent almost two weeks with these sweaty muthers in holding. The last idea of fun for me was to be crammed into a club with them. My friend Russell told me how uncommon it is for a background wrap party, and this being one of the largest film productions in New Orleans this year I shouldn't miss it. I'm glad I didn't.

It wasn't the type of club you would usually find me in, but I had fun. Youngsters dancing with glow sticks and illuminated hula hoops, generous friends from the set who were quick to share whatever they had. Drop dead hotties on the dance floor. Good times, my friend Bobby pointed out that there were no fights or skirmishes despite the diverse crowd.

I of course approached all of this with the eye of a journalist to document it for this blog. My night wasn't going to be complete until I made it into the VIP room. We could catch a glimpse of it from the dance floor. A second floor window looked down upon the crowd as the VIP's danced with drinks held high. We got to get up there I told my friend.

And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar



He walked up to the bouncer guarding the steps like he belonged there and got ushered right in. I was stopped the the Ving Raymes of security. I eventually was allowed in after a handful of people staggered out. The VIP room was kind of boring. I saw a few things of interest, but after you have partied with strippers nothing really surprises you.

I wasn't going to let this opportunity go with out being a drunken asshole of some kind. As I was leaving the VIP area the DJ started to play the Beatle's Twist and Shout. So in a very Ferris Bueller moment I found myself dancing in front of the window looking over the dance floor. A spastic bump in grind with some trashed girl half my age. My friend Adrian looked up from the dance floor to see me removing my ugly shirt to reveal an uglier torso as the night was just kicking into high gear.

The song ended, I miss-buttoned my shirt up and staggered down the steps past Marcellus Wallace who had let me up stairs. I told my buddies that I was ready to go home to blog about my night at my first wrap party. I'm sure the "Inner circle" folks have much more interesting stories than I, but for a 47 year old cab driver from NJ, it was fun.

< (I am still 5 years older than their combined ages.)

Position one...

It isn't all glamour. The past few days of shooting have taken a toll on me. I have never been athletic, and 5 years of driving cab had turned me completely into veal. This morning I was picked for more running. On the first take I felt something snap in my groin. I was expecting the heart to go first, not the groin. Repeated rehearsals and takes had reduced me to a limping flat footed straggler. A production assistant came up after a take and tapped me on the shoulder to tell me to sit it out. I guess this film isn't a comedy.

I limped back to extra holding holding my left nut.  Shame, that one was always my favorite. Having to walk up a flight of stairs to get to holding, I was afraid "Lefty" was going to fall off, drop out of my shorts and roll down the steps. Awkward moment for sure. About the time I managed to find a position in a hard plastic chair that didn't add to the pain, they broke us for us for lunch.

Walking back to set after lunch a group of us crossed Poydras Ave. I heard my name being called, I ignored to first two Erics since there were a few on set. Mid street I turned around to see my landlady sitting at a red light snapping my picture. She had been in town on business and got stopped by this red light. I just happened to be crossing at that moment.

Sounds incredible, but New Orleans is a small town city. I keep bumping into the same total strangers so much that I know many by name.When I limped back into formation on the side walk with the other background extras, one asked "Who was that?" I replied: "Fuckin Paparazzi."

It's a very tightly closed set and cameras will get you kicked out. But since this was taken off set by a motorist I can show you me in wardrobe.  We were dismissed earlier than usual with some of the background extras being given tomorrow off. Not me, I guess I am in a few key shots that they need me to come in. I'll duct tape Lefty to my thigh and do my best.

Running with the Bulls in NOLA

I've discovered a lot about myself while working as a background actor. If a giant monster attacks New Orleans, I will be the first to be eaten. The director set up the shot by saying: "Imagine a monstrous, forbidding, swirling cloud descending upon the city and destroying life." The director should have remembered that this is New Orleans. That description of our imaginary monster is the weather report several times a summer down here. These people don't run in fear from large murderous clouds, they run to a bar and invent a drink to honor it.

We got the gist of what he wanted. Running in fear toward the camera, looking over our shoulders at a computer generated monster who will be added months from now. Ironically, we were looking in the direction of the BP oil spill. He wanted fear and terror, panic and confusion. He got it. People from New Orleans work well together only if you dress them up in costumes and line them up in the street to perform in the same direction. It was just another form of parade. Imagine if everyone on a crowded Bourbon street simultaneously saw the same hallucination, that's what I did today at work.

I'm 47, I don't run. I have flat feet, and today is the first time I ever wore sandals. There were several flip flop injuries that instituted wardrobe changes for tomorrow. When the 300 or so of us would walk back to position one (the starting point,) we would see a half a dozen or so shoes scattered down the street with cell phones as punctuation marks. New Orleans takes a lot of pride in it's well organized evacuations.

The last time I had to sprint 2 blocks was in Belmar NJ on my forty third birthday. The reason I was running is complicated. It involved a stolen eight ball of coke, a criminally insane stripper and a very irate Italian mobster driving around Belmar looking for us. I probably shouldn't say much more.

Dress for success

This afternoon I went for a wardrobe fitting for an upcoming film background role. Due to extremely tight security and confidence I can not give you too many details concerning the shoot. I was contacted to be part of a scene involving hundreds of background extras. The casting company told me to bring attire of a "business man" to the fitting. With about 40 pounds of suites and dress shirts in my bag I made my way to the wardrobe fitting.

The costumer looked at me, then at my paperwork and back at me. "Don't these casting agents ever look at your photos? You are NOT a business man type, you are a stoner - beach bum type." "Uhm, well, yea, I guess I could play that. I don't really like the beach though." She turns to her coworker and announces "I found the one to wear "THE" shirt." Evidently the lead wardrobe lady has a favorite shirt that she likes to work into the background of films she works on.

I really dig watching the wardrobe people work. I'm not a clothes type of person. However, I see the art of what they do with costumes. The one who dressed me showed thought and enthusiasm in her work, they all did. Where else can I get a girl half my age to measure my inseam.

I wore the shirt and shorts given to me, along with a pair of Jesus creeper sandals. After much searching a straw pork pie hat that could fit my head was added. When I emerged with my sunglasses on, the second wardrobe lady shrieked "THE DUDE ABIDES!" A reference from one of my favorite films. We start shooting in a couple of weeks. I hope I don't start getting type cast as an unemployed stoner.

LEBOWSKI
Are you employed, sir?

DUDE
Employed?

LEBOWSKI
You don't go out and make a living dressed like that in the middle of a weekday.

DUDE
Is this a--what day is this?