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August 4th-7th and August 10th-11th, 1998
Roasting on the Warner Bros. backlot
I worked on the Warner Bros. feature The Wild Wild West, starring Will Smith as James West (!), Kevin Klein as Artemus Gordon, Kenneth Branaugh as Dr. Loveless (in a wheelchair, with an American southern dialect so thick [that on set] as nearly to be unintelligible), and Salma Hayek.
Dressed in a thick wool uniform, I played one of Loveless's minions, and done up with false facial hair.
Being high summer, we were literally melting; even the moments of air conditioning being pumped in during the moments between takes didn't help.
During the scene (in which Loveless reveals his Big Plan, prelude to the climax), is also Ian Abercrombie who played Mr. Pitt (Elaine's boss for a season), on Seinfeld, and can be seen in many commercials.
Ian was very pleasant and hung out with the background talent.
He and I chatted quite a bit, at one point, as rumours circulated of our going longer than the initially scheduled dates, Ian pointed out they'd better be complete, as he'd told them he wasn't available after [the date we were supposed to be done].
I asked him on what project he was headed, to which he replied none.
"It's Hollywood!" he exclaimed joyously, his arms outstretched dramatically.
"It's all lies!"
The scene took three weeks to shoot, and to my astonishment (upon eventually seeing the completed, relatively disappointing film), my sillouette is quite visible.
When Kenneth Branaugh is distracted by Will Smith (disguised as a belly-dancer), there is a shot or two that is a close up of Branaugh with Smith's hands placing a length of silk about Branaugh's neck.
Directly between them, in the top row of the bleachers... is me.
And my friend Ken Moore, sitting at my left (screen right).
He and I are silhouetted by the backlight, but there's no mistaking that it is Ken and I.
One of the more positive aspects was Kevin Kline; as cool as he was on the set of In & Out back east, here he stayed bouncy and humourous, at one point literally conducting the men in our set of bleachers in singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
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