Ever since I moved to New York City, I have prided myself on being ‘one of the nice ones.’
You know — the type of New Yorker who will gladly help out a tourist who needs directions or has a question…because it wasn’t that long ago that I was was of them.
But yesterday? Things took a turn. Because I was hanging out with a native New Yorker who has no such compulsion to play nice-nice.
I was doing some extra work on a new television show called “Lights Out” on FX Network. We were filming outside the Pierre Hotel on the Upper East Side near Central Park.
Myself and Herbert — I’ve changed his name because I’m nicer than he is — were portraying press photographers outside the hotel, attempting to get pics of two heavyweight fighters as they entered the venue for a championship bout.
We were standing on the sidewalk for quite a while — one shot took most of the afternoon — so lots of tourists walking by asked us what we were filming.
My response? “The show’s called ‘Lights Out.’ It’s new on FX Network.”
Herbert’s response? “Lindsay Lohan’s rumored to be meeting her lawyers here. We’re trying to catch her coming out for ‘Inside Edition.’”
OR
“Queen Elizabeth has made an unannounced visit to the United States. Rumor has it she’s inside.”
Evil. But pretty darn funny.
But the time we had finished, I had joined in the fun, telling every tourist who walked by a different story. I figured it wasn’t really lying; it was adding another layer to their vacation…and would make a great story when they got home.
That sounds like something a New Yorker would say.
Yes!
Scenery
In a recent interview promoting her soon-to-be released film The Adjustment Bureau, Emily Blunt described what it was like working with co-star Matt Damon.
I’ve experienced similar reactions on film and TV sets here in New York when I’ve been an extra. The production staff is always very clear about any interaction with the lead actors on set:
NONE
I saw one extra break the rule during an overnight shoot for the short-lived TV series Cashmere Mafia, starring Lucy Liu and Frances O’Connor.
Just before he called ‘action,’ an extra standing close to the leads noticed that actor Peter Hermann (husband to Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: SVU) had a large blotch of makeup on his suit. Without thinking, she stepped forward and brushed the spot with her hand.
She touched a lead actor.
Hermann flinched like he had been burned. He left the set surrounded by makeup and wardrobe people. All the principals left their marks, and we didn’t resume the scene for a good 20 minutes.
Production assistants appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the extra and whisked her from the set. She never reappeared.
It was a gross overreaction on many levels, but a good reminder to all the background actors: ‘furniture’ like us shouldn’t jump up suddenly and startle the actors.
Cashmere Mafia was canceled after just a few episodes.
Karma?
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Tagged Business, Cashmere Mafia tv show, celebrities, Emily Blunt, entertainment, Frances O'Connor, Humor, Law & Order: SVU tv show, Lucy Liu, makeup artists, Marika Hargitay, Matt Damon, movie director, movie extras, Movies, New York City, New York City Upper East Side, Peter Hermann, production assistancts, Television, television shoot, The Adjustment Bureau movie, TV, tv extras, tv show directors