I've Been Cast As A Football-Playing Extra In New George Clooney Movie
Remember when I blogged about trying out to be an extra in a movie written, directed, and starring Hollywood superstar George Clooney back in mid-December? They're filming his latest flick "Leatherheads" a few miles down the road from me here in South Carolina.
I decided to attend the open football-playing extras tryout in December for the novelty of the experience and it really was a lot of fun joining over 1,000 other men of all shapes and sizes from the Upstate of South Carolina attempting to grab a taste of some cinematic magic for themselves.
But I knew from the get-go it was going to be a very long shot that I would ever step on the set of "Leatherheads" since they could only choose 50 men total to make up the various football teams in the movie. I held out hope for the best, but was bracing to be rejected.
They were specifically wanting Caucasian males 20-35 years old, between 5'9" and 6'3" tall, and weigh 160-250 pounds to fit the prototype of the 1920's football players. While playing football in high school or college was not required, the applicant must have been considered athletic.
I qualified on all fronts (although barely since I'm 35 and 6'3" tall), but never seriously expected the producers to call me since I didn't play football in high school or college. This wouldn't have even been a remote possibility before my 190-pound weight loss on the Atkins diet in 2004 when I started out at 410 pounds. But good things happen to people in the strangest ways sometimes.
When January came and went with nary a word from anyone about the "Leatherheads" movie, though, I just assumed the opportunity had passed me by this time and honestly had forgotten all about it by now.
So, imagine my surprise when my cell phone rang around 5:00pm on Tuesday afternoon from a "Private Call." I always wonder if I'm gonna get a telemarketer when that shows up on my caller ID, but this time I decided to take the call anyway. I'm so glad I did!
On the other end of the line, the very nice lady said, "Hi, I'm from the 'Leatherheads' movie and we'd like to know if you are still interested in being an extra in the film?" Um, let me think about it...YES, yeppers, yip-yip-yippee! I couldn't believe I actually got the call two days shy of March because they've already started filming a couple of weeks ago.
Even still, here was the call I had been waiting for but not really ever expecting. WOW!!! She said I needed to come by the set in Greer, South Carolina on Thursday morning around 9:00am to get fitted for my football gear that I will wear (similar to what Clooney is wearing in the picture at the top of this post) in the movie. She said they didn't have a size 13 black-laced shoes for me to wear, so I should bring some if I have them. Well, it just so happens that I DO have a pair of black shoes!
She also asked if I was available on Sunday for filming and I asked what time. "It will be all day long," she responded. Oh, okay...er, yeah! I'm there, baby! This is the movies, the "chance of a lifetime" that I previously blogged about. Yee haw! What an extraordinary opportunity to experience something I can tell my grandkids about someday. Although the funky looking football uniforms will take some explaining. :)
Pinch me right now because I can't believe I'm gonna be in a movie with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger! How many people can actually say that?! Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited about this right now? I know I need to calm down and focus on what they will have me doing and I will. Consider this my little celebration party for getting the part. Wheeeeee!
I'll be sure to provide blog updates on my "Leatherheads" experiences as they happen so you can know how it's going. At this point, I don't know how long they will need the extras. But filming should be finished by May. I'm gonna enjoy this while it lasts and do my best to make everyone proud. THANKS to everyone who wished me well in this dream of mine. Now, it's a dream come true!
2-28-07 UPDATE: I just got back from getting fitted for my costume for the film and found out at that time that I WON'T be a "football-playing extra" as I first blogged about. Actually, it turns out they liked my height and broad shoulders, so I will be playing the part of a doorman of a hotel in the 1920s.
This is actually even better because I am going to be the ONLY doorman in the film which means I should end up in the final cut unless they don't use my scene at all. I'm still scheduled to be on the movie set all day on Sunday, so forgive me if my blogging that day is skimpy. This is literally ONCE IN A LIFETIME and I'm gonna enjoy every moment of it! THANKS for all of your well wishes and I will continue to update you about this unique experience.
I decided to attend the open football-playing extras tryout in December for the novelty of the experience and it really was a lot of fun joining over 1,000 other men of all shapes and sizes from the Upstate of South Carolina attempting to grab a taste of some cinematic magic for themselves.
But I knew from the get-go it was going to be a very long shot that I would ever step on the set of "Leatherheads" since they could only choose 50 men total to make up the various football teams in the movie. I held out hope for the best, but was bracing to be rejected.
They were specifically wanting Caucasian males 20-35 years old, between 5'9" and 6'3" tall, and weigh 160-250 pounds to fit the prototype of the 1920's football players. While playing football in high school or college was not required, the applicant must have been considered athletic.
I qualified on all fronts (although barely since I'm 35 and 6'3" tall), but never seriously expected the producers to call me since I didn't play football in high school or college. This wouldn't have even been a remote possibility before my 190-pound weight loss on the Atkins diet in 2004 when I started out at 410 pounds. But good things happen to people in the strangest ways sometimes.
When January came and went with nary a word from anyone about the "Leatherheads" movie, though, I just assumed the opportunity had passed me by this time and honestly had forgotten all about it by now.
So, imagine my surprise when my cell phone rang around 5:00pm on Tuesday afternoon from a "Private Call." I always wonder if I'm gonna get a telemarketer when that shows up on my caller ID, but this time I decided to take the call anyway. I'm so glad I did!
On the other end of the line, the very nice lady said, "Hi, I'm from the 'Leatherheads' movie and we'd like to know if you are still interested in being an extra in the film?" Um, let me think about it...YES, yeppers, yip-yip-yippee! I couldn't believe I actually got the call two days shy of March because they've already started filming a couple of weeks ago.
Even still, here was the call I had been waiting for but not really ever expecting. WOW!!! She said I needed to come by the set in Greer, South Carolina on Thursday morning around 9:00am to get fitted for my football gear that I will wear (similar to what Clooney is wearing in the picture at the top of this post) in the movie. She said they didn't have a size 13 black-laced shoes for me to wear, so I should bring some if I have them. Well, it just so happens that I DO have a pair of black shoes!
She also asked if I was available on Sunday for filming and I asked what time. "It will be all day long," she responded. Oh, okay...er, yeah! I'm there, baby! This is the movies, the "chance of a lifetime" that I previously blogged about. Yee haw! What an extraordinary opportunity to experience something I can tell my grandkids about someday. Although the funky looking football uniforms will take some explaining. :)
Pinch me right now because I can't believe I'm gonna be in a movie with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger! How many people can actually say that?! Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited about this right now? I know I need to calm down and focus on what they will have me doing and I will. Consider this my little celebration party for getting the part. Wheeeeee!
I'll be sure to provide blog updates on my "Leatherheads" experiences as they happen so you can know how it's going. At this point, I don't know how long they will need the extras. But filming should be finished by May. I'm gonna enjoy this while it lasts and do my best to make everyone proud. THANKS to everyone who wished me well in this dream of mine. Now, it's a dream come true!
2-28-07 UPDATE: I just got back from getting fitted for my costume for the film and found out at that time that I WON'T be a "football-playing extra" as I first blogged about. Actually, it turns out they liked my height and broad shoulders, so I will be playing the part of a doorman of a hotel in the 1920s.
This is actually even better because I am going to be the ONLY doorman in the film which means I should end up in the final cut unless they don't use my scene at all. I'm still scheduled to be on the movie set all day on Sunday, so forgive me if my blogging that day is skimpy. This is literally ONCE IN A LIFETIME and I'm gonna enjoy every moment of it! THANKS for all of your well wishes and I will continue to update you about this unique experience.
Labels: extra, football, George Clooney, Hollywood, Jimmy Moore, Leatherheads, movie, South Carolina
posted by Jimmy Moore at
2/28/2007 12:07:00 AM
11 Comments:
Congrats to you Jimmy!!! Way to go!
Congratulations!!!!!
Congrats Jimmy! That's very cool. My stepbrother was an extra in Last of the Mohicans....one of many people killed in one of the fight scenes.
Yeah, I'm bracing for that, IB. But it'll be neat if the parts they film of me when the cameras are on will end up in the movie. Regardless, it will be a memorable experience!
This comment has been removed by the author.
I am so excited for you - you deserve something this cool
Wow, what a hit! Congradulation! Those couple of extra dollars are probably not going to hurt anything either. You might even get "Discovered" it's not impossible you know, you never know. Anyway good luck and congradulations, you deserve it. Major hit!
That's fantastic - congrats!!!!!!!
Congratulations, Jimmy,
You movie-star-you! I'm so proud of you for trying out for
> the part and so excited for your show biz experience. I do hope we get to see you in the final cut.
>
> Jim Krakowski is a big name now, too. He had a bit part as a writer in Dreamgirls.
>
That's great Jimmy! My congratulations! In the days of the leatherheads the average American diet was much more healthy, so if that movie wants to be historically correct they absolutely need a low-carber there :)
Yip yip yippie for you! :)
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