“Sir, Are You the Murderer!”
First Night on a Film Set
I started out as a background actor in 1997. It was my first time on a film set. It was a TV Movie of the Week called Night Sins with Valerie Bertinelli.
When I arrived on set, of course, I had all my wardrobe and everything I'm supposed to have and I was told that I would be a reporter and there would be other reporters around me.
I was given a mic and told that I would go and get the story. That they are going to march this guy who's been accused of a murder up the courthouse steps and it is my job to go get the story. So, I'm feeling pretty good about that, you know. I'm like, wow, I have a mic, I’m a reporter! I’m the lead reporter in fact and I’m going to get this story.
The police officers march the guy down the sidewalk and I see, wow, he’s a big burly guy and he has a glass eye and he looks very menacing. As he gets closer, before he goes up those steps, I rush into him. I have my mic and I thrust it into his face and I say, “Sir, are you the murderer!”
I’m feeling good about it. The next thing you know I hear, “‘CUT!”. I’m thinking, wow, that was pretty awesome. I did an amazing job! …. So I thought. The director comes over to me and he is upset. He said, “Who told you to say that?” I said, “ I'm sorry… excuse me?” He said again, “Who told you to say that?” And then the second assistant to the background actors comes rushing up and now they have to fix this big ol’ problem that I created. I was told that that was not my job. My job was to pretend I was getting the story, but I wasn’t to say anything.
Wow, what a teachable moment for me. I was so embarrassed and he said to me that I could have gone home that day. And when I'm on set as a background actor “you don't have any lines you don't say anything. You just go through the motions”. Luckily they continued to keep me on set that day but I did learn something. I caused production money by them having to cut because I created a moment that was not intended to be there. Now, if they wanted to, they could have kept that moment and would have had to pay Taft Hartley which means they would have to pay me as a union actor which at that time would have been about 800 - 900 dollars, I believe, for screen actor guild actors instead of $60 as a background actor.
That was a teachable moment. I never forgot it and from that moment on, when on a set, I always remember what my job is. If I wasn't sure, make sure that I ask what my job is so I don’t cause them money and I don't embarrass myself. If you ever want to watch this movie, you can find it on YouTube. It’s a suspenseful thriller and quite long. Almost three hours. Also didn’t realize Mariska Hargitay is in this and plays the actual reporter! I wonder if this set the tone for her start in SVU drama series?! She’s great!
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