Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, Ryan Phillipe, Kieran Culkin, Rory Culkin, Gore Vidal . . .

On February 28th, I did extra work on the new movie, Igby Goes Down. I was among only a handful of extras, and with another guy, even got my own shot!

We were up at a theological seminary next to Columbia University--supposedly this place has a lot of movies shooting there, with Ron Howard's next movie to follow this movie. It was an old-school school, with paintings for past school presidents (or whatever they call the top bigwig at seminary) hanging on the wall, and antique wood-paneled walls in places.

I got the call the night before to do work on the movie. And the stars above were the stars I saw on the set! Now that was cool, but what was even cooler is I got my opportunity to act in a scene with Susan Sarandon!

The scene I was involved in had Kieran Culkin getting in trouble with the principal of the boarding school, Gore Vidal. Susan Sarandon storms in with a Bvlgari bag and sunglasses to match, only to later drag Kieran out of the office and beat him in the school hallway, with Ryan Phillippe overlooking (I think playing Kieran's brother).

Another extra and I first walk by the door when Susan Sarandon storms in, which probably isn't seen all that well, at least not our faces. I'm wearing a brown corduroy coat.

But the next scene the other extra and I were in, we even had our own shot!

When Susan brings Kieran out into the hallway to batter him motherstyle, Ryan Phillippe watches on. Back in the hallway I stand, with the other extra walking to me. We do a little hand greeting gesture thing when we meet up, all the while Susan ripping into Kieran for his grades. When she escalates the scene to hitting, we extras look back at her, she glances at us, then we decide to walk back down the hallway to leave, glancing back every once and awhile to see what's going down. Brown cordoroy jacket again, baby-blue sweater and khaki pants, with a green binder to accent.

The turmoil of the day happened at the end, when the other extra and I were "wrapped"--meaning we could leave. We both got out of our costumes, got our vouchers signed so we could get paid, and as we were walking through the set to leave, they "unwrapped" us!

Actually the other extra was down the street already. They had to run and get him. And boy, did he have a fit! He thought we were entitled by the Screen Actors Guild union rules to another day's pay after being already wrapped, while the production assistants were saying no. I didn't know the rules myself, but wished I had. The production assistant said he called SAG and found out that we weren't entitled to another day's wage, a fact the other extra found odd because he himself had just called SAG before the production assistant and they were closed for the day.

Anyway, we got back into costume and shot our close-up of glancing at Susan Sarandon, and about 45 minutes later, we were done. And I confirmed with SAG the next day that we were not entitled to another full day's pay after already having had our vouchers signed.

I found it interesting that no one ever said the word "wrapped" the second time we were dismissed ... We got a handshake and a thank-you!

P.S. While Jeff Goldblum wasn't shooting that day, the first day of shooting, he was hanging around the set! As was Rory Culkin, eating food off the craft services table . . .

 

 
March 25, 2001 (Sunday)

I just realized how busy on my career I've been! I've worked on several projects of recent that validate my existence as an actor. Here are some of the projects I've spent time on recently:

1. Sex & The City

Kim Cattrall learned my name!

I did a long, productive day of extra work on the set of Sex & The City. on March 14th in the meat-packing district of Manhattan. Bizarre area that is, with meathooks dangling from buildingfronts.

Dressed all in black, I was playing a waiter that day at the restaurant Fressen, and I got some screen time. My first scene was one with Kristin Davis; I pass through the beginning of a shot with a serving tray, and offer couples standing around an hors d'oeuvre. I actually circle through, as I return later in the take.

Also, later in the day, they needed one of the waiters back on the set in a scene that has Kim Cattrall talking to some idiot in the bar--"I'm an agent, and I f***in' love it!" he says. The waiter gives Kim a drink, and the idiot pulls the waiter aside and rips into him for not getting his order yet.

The script called for a 30-year-old waiter, which I'm not, but they threw me into it after a production assistant doing it wasn't cutting it for Kim. "Can't we have the person who's actually doing it walk through this?" The director asked my name in front of everyone--she said "Ben!"--and I did it once through. After I gave the drink, was ripped into, and left the shot, the crew applauded me with a "Let's hear it for Ben!" It was quite blushingly funny, the over-enthusiasm! Kim had learned my name!

But, then a more 30-year-old-looking extra whom they originally intended to use miraculously appeared. He got to do the special waiter role on camera.

What's funniest though is Kim didn't realize the switch. About a half-hour had passed since the switch, during which time Kim was getting ready in her trailer. When she returned and they did a few takes, she kept calling the new waiter Ben. His name was Alex! And Alex wouldn't say anything about it!

We understood the episode was for the season premiere to air June 3rd, 2001. Based on the dialogue we could hear--all four of the stars were on the set and quite laugh-inspiring--it will be a great show.

And the wait staff should be great, too.

2. Upright Citizens Brigade Show

I had my Level II graduation show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Chelsea on St. Patrick's Day. Given the time of day (Noon) and the revelry associated with this green day, attendance was lite but a good enough time was had.

About half of my class was available for the show, so we did one long-form improv called the "Harold." A Harold involves a team of about seven performers who go off on a half-hour improv based on one audience suggestion.

The structure of a Harold roughly is first, a freestyle pattern game initiated by the suggestion to help generate ideas, then three two-person scenes that can pull from the pattern game, then a group scene initiated by the leftover person. After that wave, then time passes in all the scenes as the two-person scenes are revisited, sometimes with additional characters added. Another group scene follows, and the culmination of a Harold has more time passing and all three of the disparate two-person scenes come together (maybe "collide") as if they were all part of the same shared world. It's beautiful and hilarious when it's done well.

Quite the surprise I got when people from Columbus, Ohio, emailed me about the show. It seemed that Doug Hoehn of the popular alternative newspaper Columbus Alive wrote a short article on my show! Here is a link to the article; it appears at the bottom:

"Hauck downright upright" by Doug Hoehn, from the 3/15/2001 issue of Columbus Alive

I will be taking Level III in the spring, which will further my training in the Harold. If I understand correctly, I will also be able to participate in the New Team Harold show on Thursday nights at 7pm. I'm extremely excited for the opportunity to perform at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

3. Student Film Nearly Wrapped

A short student film in which I have the lead is almost done, as March 24th was the likely second-to-last day of shooting.

Called Children at Play, it's a Brooklyn College film directed by Brian Olsen. I'm doing it with Jason Nettle, a friend from college with whom I staged a two-person production last year at the MAP. Penthouse Theatre. We are, oddly enough, playing similar characters to the ones in that show!

Children at Play is a no-dialogue piece about Reginald, a xenophobic businessman late for work, who runs into Archibald, his slightly psychotic neighbor. Archibald tries to convince Reginald to attend his cool party that night. Reginald doesn't want to go, but when he gets home after a tiring day at work, the party comes to him, driving him to the point of nervous breakdown.

If all goes well, next weekend should be the last day of shooting. The project had to be put on hold since its initial shooting in the fall because of scheduling conflicts, but the wrap is near, and I'm excited to see the finished project. I've seen some of the footage the director has already edited, and I'm quite pleased!