Read You Like a Book Day Nine: Naw. The lone brother aint my husband.
Call Time: 10:00am
I leave the house and the first person I run into is a brother how used to attend the Monday Jams all the time. We joke around on the street...and realize I'm running late. I get to Berkeley at 9:50. The latest I have been for a call.
We start off with scenes that we did not get to the other day: The First Election fraud shot...The parody Five Easy Pieces scene...and the scene with myself...Ricardo and Karen Black.
First scene is simple. Ricardo's Character is a conspiracy theorist...and we are hanging out not doing too much work in the store talking about computer touch screen computers. Simple stuff. A few takes from my POV and his POV.
Then we shoot the parody of Five Easy Pieces. The lines from the movie with Nicholson and Black:
Me: Do you looove me Bobby?
Ricardo: What do you think?
It was getting laughs on set. A few takes. Simple.
Then there was the scene with myself, Black and Ricardo. We are still head deep into election conspiracy and Karen walks in and asks where Dante (Tony) is:
Me: Castle Freak? Drank an empty cup of coffee...make a right at the last house on the left and (Horror sound) was never heard from again.
Black: Well, if you see the Creature...tell him I'm looking for him.
The great thing about Karen is her intense eye contact. She is very Actor Studio method. Her downfall? She is very Actor Studio method. I guess for me...there are just some lines you don't have to put so much thought on. That is old school James Cagney. Stand on your mark. Say the lines like you mean it. But she was in good form. Great form actually. It took less time than what I thought.
I head back to the space and hang around. I'm given the camera again...and this time I do some more serious stuff. I get Sophia (who was just hanging out on set) and she is so super into being on camera. What a shockingly smart eleven year old.
We are literally on the couch quoting Young Frankenstein lines and other Mel Brooks films. I forget the girl was eleven. We are having a hard core discussion on Mel Brooks films. She is so amazing.
around 3ish...and me taking a power nap for about an hour or so...they call me in to shoot a the scene with Dante..Gina and the FBI agent. My role is really all about either wacky bits...or introducing characters or progressing the story plot.
My line is simple: Dante, you need to talk to this guy...I think he has seen more movies than I have.
I step out of frame...the FBI comes in.
The guy who is playing the FBI agent is really not talking to me at all. I try to be friendly but he is really not giving me the time of the day. He is talking though...to Tony and the director and talking about "The old days". It seems like he has been around a while...and one of the conversations he ended up having with Joe was talking about being a part of the Committee...I just saw Joe looked at him like "Who ARE you?"...because HE was part of the Committee
"Oh...I was in the first cast...but I got called away to go into the Army...and did not do any shows"
Nice cover, dude. Then he tried to do an up to Joe asking if he stilled lived in the Bay. When he lived in LA. Ew. Some stuff does not change. even with age.
So we are doing the scene and Tony, Gina and I are on a nice clip. Then the FBI agent came in. He was not memorized in any way shape or form. It was frustrating as hell. At one point on the reverse...they just pinned his paper up on the bookshelf. And he still could not get it.
At this point...I better never, EVER hear any more slack when any of us flub a line after that display.
Off to lunch. We head to a Chinese restaurant down the street. The stretch of land in Berkeley is just CHOCK full of great eateries. One of the gossip columnist from the Chronicle wrote about the movie in her column and all the eateries we have been going to.
A very lovely man named Reggie Steele is on set. Fine looking African American Brother. Dark Chocolate Brother. A man *who I met at the Festival when SPF7 performed* I stood next to the man talking to him and the owner of The Comedy College that Sammy Wegent runs.
Brother could not remember me until I took my braids down. He is wearing a bad ass black shirt with a big ass picture of Redd Foxx. Choice. We have lunch together and we are joking around. Really cool ass brother.
Great food. I love sweet and sour pork chops. LOVE THEM. they were GOOOD...
Pork chops do not like me. Ten minutes after digesting ...my stomach went...NO BITCH..>FUCK YOU. Back to the production office and some quality time with the bathroom facilities. They by me Tums. This works.
I lay down and rest for a bit. Victoria comes over and does my makeup on the bed...she whispers to me. "So the guy sitting next to you at lunch. Is that your husband?"
I just started screaming laughing. "Sister I wish that chocolate boy was my man!!" I then informed Victoria that my man was about three thousand shades lighter.
I head to set. Reggie has changed into his outfit. Marianna has put him in a shirt that forms fits around that muscular frame and monster arms he has.
"Can this shirt be any smaller" He laughs.
"Yes child. yes it can be" I laugh. "And your pants. They could be smaller too"
I tell him what Victoria asked me and he laughs. I said my man was a thousand shades lighter than he was.
"Oh...he's a light skinned brotha"
I just start screaming laughing.
"naw man...is a WHITE Skinned Brotha!" I had to show the man also my ID to prove to him that I was forty. He just would not stop talking about how much I was lying.
We redo my take on reverse with Mr. FBI agent. There are still scenes scheduled me an Ricardo have to do. It is past six. They are not getting to this. I head back to production and start taking off my clothes. I bet Marianna a dollar that they will release me. and if they don't and I have to go back. it will take three mins to get back into costume.
Sure as hell...as soon as I put on my sneakers...I'm released. I was going to go out drinking...but I called Hans...and decided to come home and spend time with him.
My call tomorrow? 8:00pm. I'm there from 8-4am tomorrow. I don't know how the hell I'm going to get home at four in the am...but I see myself packing a bag and staying either in the production house...or at the French Hotel.
As of this writing...I just got a phone call from Leah Abrams from Custom Made. I will be playing Jesus Christ in Mac Wellman's Sincerity Forever!
Hurray! I'm officially booked out until November.
I leave the house and the first person I run into is a brother how used to attend the Monday Jams all the time. We joke around on the street...and realize I'm running late. I get to Berkeley at 9:50. The latest I have been for a call.
We start off with scenes that we did not get to the other day: The First Election fraud shot...The parody Five Easy Pieces scene...and the scene with myself...Ricardo and Karen Black.
First scene is simple. Ricardo's Character is a conspiracy theorist...and we are hanging out not doing too much work in the store talking about computer touch screen computers. Simple stuff. A few takes from my POV and his POV.
Then we shoot the parody of Five Easy Pieces. The lines from the movie with Nicholson and Black:
Me: Do you looove me Bobby?
Ricardo: What do you think?
It was getting laughs on set. A few takes. Simple.
Then there was the scene with myself, Black and Ricardo. We are still head deep into election conspiracy and Karen walks in and asks where Dante (Tony) is:
Me: Castle Freak? Drank an empty cup of coffee...make a right at the last house on the left and (Horror sound) was never heard from again.
Black: Well, if you see the Creature...tell him I'm looking for him.
The great thing about Karen is her intense eye contact. She is very Actor Studio method. Her downfall? She is very Actor Studio method. I guess for me...there are just some lines you don't have to put so much thought on. That is old school James Cagney. Stand on your mark. Say the lines like you mean it. But she was in good form. Great form actually. It took less time than what I thought.
I head back to the space and hang around. I'm given the camera again...and this time I do some more serious stuff. I get Sophia (who was just hanging out on set) and she is so super into being on camera. What a shockingly smart eleven year old.
We are literally on the couch quoting Young Frankenstein lines and other Mel Brooks films. I forget the girl was eleven. We are having a hard core discussion on Mel Brooks films. She is so amazing.
around 3ish...and me taking a power nap for about an hour or so...they call me in to shoot a the scene with Dante..Gina and the FBI agent. My role is really all about either wacky bits...or introducing characters or progressing the story plot.
My line is simple: Dante, you need to talk to this guy...I think he has seen more movies than I have.
I step out of frame...the FBI comes in.
The guy who is playing the FBI agent is really not talking to me at all. I try to be friendly but he is really not giving me the time of the day. He is talking though...to Tony and the director and talking about "The old days". It seems like he has been around a while...and one of the conversations he ended up having with Joe was talking about being a part of the Committee...I just saw Joe looked at him like "Who ARE you?"...because HE was part of the Committee
"Oh...I was in the first cast...but I got called away to go into the Army...and did not do any shows"
Nice cover, dude. Then he tried to do an up to Joe asking if he stilled lived in the Bay. When he lived in LA. Ew. Some stuff does not change. even with age.
So we are doing the scene and Tony, Gina and I are on a nice clip. Then the FBI agent came in. He was not memorized in any way shape or form. It was frustrating as hell. At one point on the reverse...they just pinned his paper up on the bookshelf. And he still could not get it.
At this point...I better never, EVER hear any more slack when any of us flub a line after that display.
Off to lunch. We head to a Chinese restaurant down the street. The stretch of land in Berkeley is just CHOCK full of great eateries. One of the gossip columnist from the Chronicle wrote about the movie in her column and all the eateries we have been going to.
A very lovely man named Reggie Steele is on set. Fine looking African American Brother. Dark Chocolate Brother. A man *who I met at the Festival when SPF7 performed* I stood next to the man talking to him and the owner of The Comedy College that Sammy Wegent runs.
Brother could not remember me until I took my braids down. He is wearing a bad ass black shirt with a big ass picture of Redd Foxx. Choice. We have lunch together and we are joking around. Really cool ass brother.
Great food. I love sweet and sour pork chops. LOVE THEM. they were GOOOD...
Pork chops do not like me. Ten minutes after digesting ...my stomach went...NO BITCH..>FUCK YOU. Back to the production office and some quality time with the bathroom facilities. They by me Tums. This works.
I lay down and rest for a bit. Victoria comes over and does my makeup on the bed...she whispers to me. "So the guy sitting next to you at lunch. Is that your husband?"
I just started screaming laughing. "Sister I wish that chocolate boy was my man!!" I then informed Victoria that my man was about three thousand shades lighter.
I head to set. Reggie has changed into his outfit. Marianna has put him in a shirt that forms fits around that muscular frame and monster arms he has.
"Can this shirt be any smaller" He laughs.
"Yes child. yes it can be" I laugh. "And your pants. They could be smaller too"
I tell him what Victoria asked me and he laughs. I said my man was a thousand shades lighter than he was.
"Oh...he's a light skinned brotha"
I just start screaming laughing.
"naw man...is a WHITE Skinned Brotha!" I had to show the man also my ID to prove to him that I was forty. He just would not stop talking about how much I was lying.
We redo my take on reverse with Mr. FBI agent. There are still scenes scheduled me an Ricardo have to do. It is past six. They are not getting to this. I head back to production and start taking off my clothes. I bet Marianna a dollar that they will release me. and if they don't and I have to go back. it will take three mins to get back into costume.
Sure as hell...as soon as I put on my sneakers...I'm released. I was going to go out drinking...but I called Hans...and decided to come home and spend time with him.
My call tomorrow? 8:00pm. I'm there from 8-4am tomorrow. I don't know how the hell I'm going to get home at four in the am...but I see myself packing a bag and staying either in the production house...or at the French Hotel.
As of this writing...I just got a phone call from Leah Abrams from Custom Made. I will be playing Jesus Christ in Mac Wellman's Sincerity Forever!
Hurray! I'm officially booked out until November.
posted by Shaun at 7:45 AM
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