Thursday/Friday, December 07/08, 2006
"Hustling" to be on BBC telly
I worked what became a two-day call on the BBC programme Hustle (sometimes spelled Hu$tle). Apparently the popular series airs here as well, and it's begun filming its fourth series as they'd say in the UK (here we'd call it its fourth season).
With the studio so close, I arrived at the Sunset/Gower Studios for my 8:00am calltime by 7:10am (recalled for Friday, I arrived at 7:15am for my 7:45am calltime, which [if they abide by SAG rules], would mean what's called a Forced Turnaround: calltime being less than twelve hours than when wrapped the night before, and Thursday we were wrapped at 8pm).
I met our PA Candace Lee, who brought me over for me to procure breakfast. I noticed on the pavement parking spaces reserved for the series Heroes which I watch: I hadn't known it's filmed here. Later, Robin Guzman (also background, and fellow Heroes fan), spotted getting out of his arrived car Jack Coleman, evil dad to cheerleader Claire (Hayden Panettiere).
The next morning (Friday) Robin and I each noticed the lovely and talented Ali Larter on the lot, passing our soundstage; we'd just each gotten our wardrobe for the day. I did nothing to distract her as she walked by as clearly she was being interviewed or such, as a man with her was holding up to her a tape recorder as she happily spoke with him.
Thanks to distinctions in UK vocabulary, the wardrobe people read "engineer" to be something else. I'd already figured it was what it was: a maintenance technician. So Thursday morning I was changed out from the shirt and tie I was given and wore a darker outfit with an "Oceanic" (casino) patch sewn on over the breast pocket. Later props added an ID tag each day. I retained my own footwear (my paratrooper boots), and I wore my glasses for this one, once on set making sure the (super pleasant) director Alrick Riley wanted me to wear them.
To my irritance, this is an AFTRA show, albeit with SAG rates. The "good" part is that that means better work-pay, but the bad part is AFTRA's negligence and/or incompetence, falsely insisting I am not a member of AFTRA. As admittedly I am well behind in my dues (due to years ago being unable to get any AFTRA work, and tending to prefer to pay rent and even occasionally eat food), only of late have I been getting AFTRA work since having a calling service. I figured AFTRA could and would attach my check to pay off my outstanding dues, with which I'd have no problem. However, AFTRA falsely claims I am "now" a "new member," and has stolen entire paychecks (without my authorization), in the name of this "new membership," despite my already having joined AFTRA in New York before moving to California.
Being (substantially) behind in AFTRA dues (by several years...), I do not have a current AFTRA card, so I had to re-fill out the forms "required," that "authorize" payment theft. I signed it fully Under Protest and with All Rights Reserved, and made sure to declare any application of my pay not going to me was to go to my proper AFTRA membership number: any other application of my pay would be deemed fraud and theft.
While I thought I'd made it clear to my calling service that until I straighten out with effed-up AFTRA that I shouldn't be booked for any AFTRA work (except for contract, principal work), here I was, booked, for which I have no regrets as this was not only an awesome shoot, but I had a great time.
Both Thursday and Friday were long days, hours-wise, which is always A Good Thing, though in my case, AFTRA may choose unlawfully to steal my earnings. I'll know 'bout that by the end of this next week.
The British-based programme is shooting this and I think another episode here in America. It's a heist and con-man show, of a group of high-end professional thieves. As I love those types of shows, I'll be NetFlixing them: I've learned at least the first two seasons are available on DVD here. This episode (episode 4.6, though apparently not yet with a title), is set in Las Vegas, where they'll be shooting for a day or three next week.
I play a casino engineer, repairing one of the bigger pay-put machines (called Big Daddy), whilst (head of?) casino security is speaking with one of the team, done up as a cocktail waitress.
While as always I will not reveal any episode spoilers, performers working this scene included but were not limited to: Jaime Murray as Stacie Monroe (in a [near Old West type] green cocktail waitress outfit), Barry Shabaka Henley as Thomas Jackson (the probable head of security, at one point regaling her with tales of the Rat Pack), Marc Warren as Danny Blue, Robert Glenister as Ash Moran, new cast member Ashley Walters as Billy Bond, and Robert Vaughn as Albert Stroller.

Shots involving Max Grodenchik (as Norm), ended up being filmed Friday. While I saw Max Grodenchik, I did not get a change to speak with him, considering I always very much enjoyed his comical talents on Deep Space Nine (aka DS9, in which he played the brother Rom to Armin Shimerman's character Quark).
Veteran background from Charlie Wilson's War were also on hand: Aaron and James, each and both dogless for the day.
For my scene, while I am kneeling at (and working on/examining the internal workings of) the machine, Jaime and Barry worked on their lines. Jaime does a spot-on American accent; I didn't realize she was British until she really spoke on her own. At one point Marc Warren comes over to let the security guy know about some maintenance in the fish tank. Between takes, I kept glancing at Marc, knowing I'd seen him before, and not merely his obvious resemblance to Dennis Leary.
Eventually (Friday), I'd called my mother on an unrelated matter from set, and mentioned working on Hustle, which thrilled her as she's been watching it since it began airing here. She called back to relate she was watching the "current" episode of Doctor Who and that Marc Warren was starring in the episode! I suddenly realized she meant Love and Monsters, so I knew exactly this was from where I'd seen him. Just before I was wrapped I got to mention to Marc his Doctor Who episode would be airing [that night] at 8pm on the Sci-Fi Channel. He said he'd enjoyed working the episode; I've no idea if he'd have access or even time to see it air that night. The shoot ran longer than I was needed once they were sure they had all my coverage, but Marc and I were able to refer to his working with Shirley Henderson who plays Moaning Myrtle of the Harry Potter films [g].
On set, Thursday, friendly Barry Shabaka Henley (who tended to be called either Shabaka or Chewbacca...), struck up conversations as we waited about, as did the lovely, mischievous-eye'd Jaime Murray, who resembles (a prettier version of) Twin Peaks era Lara Flynn Boyle, with a stronger hint of Liv Tyler.
During the course of our chats, Barry and I discovered certain commonalities, such as our both having lived in Montclair, New Jersey. He only lived there about ten months, and for a time he wasn't sure how to articulate precisely whereabouts his street was located. Finally I was able to say he was right by Watchung Plaza, and his memories flooded back. He had mentioned I Looked Familiar, but we're not sure how. It turned out he'd not seen any plays at the Studio Playhouse, so either he's just subliminally seen me on film, or maybe walking about in Montclair. Watchung Plaza was around the corner from my first girlfriend's place, and she worked in the Plaza, so I was there often.
Barry told me about a documentary he'd produced, premiering next February; he accepted my contact information and I'll be invited as it approaches. I told him about Strictly Background, with which he was fascinated, and while he couldn't recall how or where, he also knew that he was already aware of Strictly Background somehow. He suspected he might have heard a review on a radio show in to which he tunes. He was considering taking a role in a new film by a director whose name eluded him. A few minutes after he went to check with his manager on it, I got wrapped for Friday. By the time I was changed and signed out, Barry was just finishing up his call and reported the film (to which Barry is now attached), is being directed by Jonas Akerlund who directed Spun.
"Oh," I said, recognizing the title. "Brittany Murphy and Mickey Rourke..."
"Oh yeah," Barry exclaimed. "He did mention Mickey Rourke." It will film sometime early 2008, up in Winnipeg.
Outside later as Barry and I were finishing up the last of our chats, and starting out goodbyes, Jaime Murray came by, having spent much of the day elsewhere, auditioning locally. Learning I was wrapped for the shoot, she gave me a strong impromptu hug, comically adding, "Oh mind th'hair, mind th'hair..."
The three of us concurred that Having To Audition is still probably the worst part of The Business. I pointed out at least she can do such a flawless American accent, which is better than some UK performers who still have enough of a trace accent one still knows they're from the UK.
It was a fun gig; I certainly look forward to working with any of them (cast or crew) again someday.

March 14, 2008 Update --
While I did not see my episode air on local television, I presume it did air, and I did Netflix the third and fourth seasons the instant they were respectively released, learning its regular lead Adrian Lester, disappointly did not rejoin the highly entertaining series for its fourth season.
Attending an opening-date first midnight [preview] screening of the dark-humoured action-thriller Doomsday, there was Adrian Lester, as a UK special ops. I also learned, too late to start watching the series, that indeed Jaime Murray did land an American television gig: the second season of the Showtime series Dexter, the first season of which I'd already Netflixed: now having missed season two when it aired, I'll be Netflixing it when it's available to watch, not only the continuation of the entertaining dark comedy series, but to watch the lovely and talented Jaime Murray...
Noting the date, glancing over the above report, I realize Barry Shabaka Henley's invitation for the screening of his documentary went unsent; after the elapsed time I guess it's not surprising I was forgotten. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.