“YOU ARE TOO SOPHISTICATED LOOKING. . . “

Milla Jovovich and me

So said Milla Jovovich last Sunday. Though the rest of the sentence was, “for a car salesman”. I was fortunate enough to meet her at a brunch honoring the cast and crew of the movie “Bringing up Bobby”. The brunch was held at Joy Reed Belt’s wonderful art gallery JRB Art at the Elms.

I saw Milla and her young daughter in the main room and went over to visit with her. During our conversation, I mentioned that I had auditioned in front of Famke Janssen for the part of the car salesman but did not get the role. And, then she said the above sentence. YES, I know I wrote it once, but I like to keep trying it on for size. “Well, you are much too sophisticated looking to be a car salesman”. I think she wants me. Good thing there was a cloud nine above me or I would have broken my neck on the ceiling. Joy had a hard time bringing me down to earth.

I also saw Famke Janssen there and told her I had auditioned in front of her for the car salesman part. And, she said she was sorry. Again, just like after my audition, she was being very nice. To support that opinion, in talking to several of my friends who have met her in the past during her trips here, they say she is a really wonderful person.

On Monday, I had been cast as an extra in the movie. All the major stars were going to be in this particular scene. Our meeting place was at the old John Marshall High School in one of their small meeting rooms. Call time was 9:00am and I was there in plenty of time. I was directed to a special trailer to have the wardrobe lady check the clothes I had brought. Usually we extras have to bring three changes of clothing. The wardrobe person will then pick out what you are to wear. As luck would have it, she approved of what I wore. My dresser, Joy, had picked out a pink polo shirt with jeans. The wardrobe lady did ask me if I had a belt. Fortunately, I did bring one to wear with a pair of slacks I thought they might ask me to wear. She said it looked classier in a prison if I wore the belt. So on went the belt even though I never wear a belt with jeans. I did feel sorry for the guards and the inmates. The guards had to wear long sleeve dark polyester shirts with a holster and the inmates had to wear orange jump suits. And, it was really hot that day.

I was to play the part of a visitor to a ladies’ prison, and my wife and I were visiting our incarcerated daughter. There were several extras for this scene. We filled in roles for visitors, inmates, and guards. Several of the extras were friends I had made during my trek to stardom and I made others that day. I was to play a father of a young girl who was in the prison and Laurie Cummings was to play my wife. Kassidy Cornelison, a lovely young McGuinness student, was our daughter. In fleshing out our background story (the “motivation” to you who are not in the ‘biz), we made up a story about her being locked up because she got hooked up with a good for nothing young man who got her into drugs. I was the unforgiving father and Laurie was the sweet and sensitive mother consoling our daughter. We were to have silent conversations with natural gestures. My wife and I were sitting together at a small table and daughter Kassidy sat opposite. They shot several takes this way.

Then Milla Jovovich came in with a guard and sat directly behind me. Several takes were made of her walking in. Once when she got up she looked over at me, placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled. See, I told you she wanted me. Since I had obviously made an impression on her, I assumed we had become BFF. So the next time she sat down I decided to talk to her. How to start a conversation? Since John Marshall school had been closed there was no air conditioning and it was extremely hot in this small room. She was fanning herself with a piece of paper and so I laughingly asked her to please fan a little larger so the wind could get to me. She obliged by giving me a piece of paper. Wow!! Was that ever wrong. The AD (assistant director) came over to me and told me not to speak to the actor. My bad.

Well, after the filming, I understand the intensity of her part, and I am sorry I even spoke to her. Once the camera started rolling and she was talking to Bill Pullman and Marsha Cross, I was to get up from the table and leave. My wife and daughter were to stay behind. I took a position behind the camera and watched the filming. This was a very intense scene and she was crying. Hell! I was crying. I now realize that I could easily have broken her concentration as she was preparing for that scene. She was magic! I really learned something there. More reason for me TO GET a speaking part. Do not want to screw up any more scenes in a movie by being an extra.

Friends I had met in previous shoots or classes as well as new friends were – Visitors: Shawana Shafer, Marc Brown, Inmates: Dorothy Shaw, Charlotte Hess, Guards: Tony Williams, David Hanson, Kevin McCormack.

The shooting will in all probability end this week. I am currently filming the movie “Touching the Sun”. Bryan Cook, an OCU graduate student, has written this movie and is now in the process of filming. He is doing this to complete his Master’s thesis in film. I play a retired commercial airline pilot. Once filming is wrapped, I will write about that. I am very impressed with Bryan’s vision, talent and expertise.