Actors — Don’t Let ‘em Get You Down!! — Part IV — Who’s the **$%%@>!!!

by Becky London - Faculty

Actors — Don’t Let ‘em Get You Down!! — Part IV — Who’s the #@@#%%..!!

So. You’ve disproven your doubting loved ones. You’ve scratched your way into the business. You have BECOME A PROFESSIONAL ACTOR!! Congratulations. Now’s when it gets REALLY tough…

Here’s a little lesson I talk about in my Introduction to Camera Class. It’s called the Who’s the

– Rule

When you start out in film and television, most of you will have day player jobs (you get paid by the day — these jobs usually last somewhere between a day and a week or so.) Sometimes, depending upon the company you are working with, there is, shall we say, a lack of interest in the day players — the attitude is “they’re not gonna be on the set for long, so why should we bother to get to know/help/deal with them?”

This is not a universal truth. For example, I have found all of the many Law & Orders to be warm, friendly and welcoming, no matter how short the gig.

But odds are you’re bound to wind up on at least one set full of the less welcoming of the species, and since as day player you are basically at the bottom of the food chain, and brown stuff rolls downhill, it’s best to be prepared.

Because I didn’t go to the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, I had to learn about film work on sets and I made many, many, MANY mistakes in these scary realms. One of the reasons I love to teach here is to help young actors avoid that kind of life-shortening experience. So here, without further ado, is one thing I learned which saved my sanity — my Who’s-the- – — Rule.

One of the first TV shows I ever did was an episode of a series called “Quantum Leap” in LA.

I had only done a couple of soaps previously, and knew diddly-squat about working on a set. The scene I was shooting was set in a house which had been completely built in a soundstage. The scene opened on a woman (that episode’s star-of-the-week) watching television. The camera then pulled back to reveal her in her kitchen, at which point I was to walk in, pick up her child and say my line. (Yes, my one and only line…)

For some reason, they put me all the way in the back of the house, several bedrooms away from the kitchen set. The director, trying, I suppose, for an intimate start, leaned in to the actress and whispered “…action…” Way out in Siberia, I didn’t hear him. What I did hear was “WHERE THE *%*^XX%%###! IS SHE!!!” Needless to say, I was positive it was all my fault, I was about to get fired, yada yada yada. The make-up guy said I was sweating so much he couldn’t even get the make-up to stay on. It never occurred to me that perhaps they should have put someone on headset in the back bedroom with me to cue me. Of course not — I’m an actor, it’s all about me, it MUST be my fault… I MUST BE THE

—

Well, cut to many years later. I’m in NY doing an episode of another series called “Third Watch.” We’re shooting on the street in front of Lincoln Center. I’ve been waiting for the crew at the location; they’re about an hour and a half late. When they show up, the AD is already furious and ready to kill because they’re so late.

I am to stand in the street, an ambulance will scream up beside me, I will step forward, the star will jump out and we start the dialogue. We quickly camera block and then get ready for a take. While the AD is busy, the director says to me casually, “Why don’t you just start at your second mark?” Sure, whatever you say, boss. Time for the take. AD says “First positions.” I stand on what was originally my second mark, but is now my first mark. The AD’s head spins around backwards, pea soup comes out of his mouth and fire comes out of his eyes as he screams “I SAID FIRST POSITIONS!!!!!!” Okay. Silence on set. The director then looks up and says, still casually, “Oh, I changed her mark.” The AD resumes the calls and we roll. No “oops.” No “I’m sorry.” Just on with the show… However, this time I didn’t break a sweat because I knew that I was NOT the

—

Of course, sometimes you are. And when you are, deal with it, get over it and move on with your job. But, actors, even though we ALWAYS feel it’s all about us (we are actors, after all), it’s really helpful to know, when the brown stuff is rolling downhill, that even if you can’t get out of the way, you are not the… well, you get it…

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