"Leatherheads" is FINALLY coming to theaters on Friday, April 4, 2008
The wait is almost over and I can hardly contain myself waiting for this Friday when the romantic comedy vintage football film Leatherheads hits movie theaters across America. It was just a little more than one year ago that I was given an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appear in this major Hollywood motion picture starring two of the hottest stars in Tinseltown today--George Clooney and Renee Zellweger. The experience of being on set for what will surely be one of the top films of 2008 is one I'll not soon forget and the anticipation leading up to this Friday to see if any of my scenes actually made it on the silver screen is killing me right now. I WANNA KNOW!!! :D
For my newer readers, it all started back in December 2006 when a local call for football players in the Greenville/Spartanburg, SC market was put out across the media and my ears perked up. Was it because I had the big strapping body of a football player because of my tremendous prowess in my younger years? HA! Yeah right, that's a good one! Remember, I was the fat kid growing up and actually I played in the band in high school.
And yet there I was waiting in line with over 1,000 other guys who were vying for their chance to be in a big-time movie. That alone was a neat experience and my story very well could have ended there. But then I got a call at the end of February 2007 from the casting director wanting to know if I still wanted to be in the Clooney flick. Uhhhh, lemme think about it--YES YES YES (and did I mention YES?!)!!! In fact, I thought I would be a football-playing extra in the film, but...
It turns out they needed me to play the role of The Doorman for the "Emerson House Hotel" (thus, the EHH on my hat) because of my height and slender body type. Uh, okay...whatever it takes to be in this movie, I'll do it. You can read all about how that glorious all-day Sunday event went in my first experience on the set of Leatherheads in downtown Greenville, South Carolina by clicking here.
I'll never forget the amazing job the wardrobe department did to make that hat work on my big head. Everything about the costume fit perfectly EXCEPT for the hat. My enlarged forehead (gee, thanks Dad!) wouldn't even allow it to come close to fitting. So they ripped the back of the hat out and put in some stretchy material so it would wrap around my head. Never mind the fact my brains felt like they were gonna squeeze out of my ears that day it was so tight! But at least it was on my head! ;)
That wasn't even the most memorable part of my story of being The Doorman, though. It turns out, this role was an integral part of the 30-second scene we were shooting because Clooney's character (Dodge Connolly) rides in on an old-timey 1920's motorcycle in front of my hotel where I am standing guard and parks it right there while swaggering his way off of it looking at me stating sarcastically, "Keep it close now, will ya?" The director instructed me to give him the dirtiest look I could and then shut the door behind Clooney after he enters the building. I'm almost 100% sure this scene will be in the final version of the film (did I say HOPING?!). The camera was just a few feet from where Clooney and I were standing during the scene and we did a bazillion takes of just this scene all day long. It's GOTTA be there!
In fact, George and Renee were in town this past week thanking our area for their hospitality during the filming and promoting the movie. Uh, yeah, I think we'll sell out a few theaters in this area just with all the extras and their families alone! But this Friday will be quite an eventful one for me and Christine because we will be participating in a special Red Carpet Gala just for the extras who were in Leatherheads. I'm getting dressed up in a tuxedo and Christine will wear her favorite black evening dress for the opening night festivities. The press will be there interviewing us about what it was like being on the set, so we'll get our few minutes of glamour and glitz!
But I've already told Christine that I wanna go see the movie earlier in the day around noon on Friday to see if my Doorman scene made it. I was also a fan in the stands for several of the football scenes that were shot in Traveler's Rest, SC and Charlotte, NC, but you'll never be able to make out the faces of the extras in those scenes. I'll be zeroing in on The Doorman scene when I'm watching the movie. It's so exciting and I'll be sure to let you know if I made the film or not (cross your fingers for me!).
Be sure to check out all my Leatherheads posts which include lots of pictures from the set, including exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of Clooney and co-star John Krasinski in action. If you happen to go see this movie, then watch for The Doorman giving George Clooney a "dirty look." That'd be me! Is it Friday yet?!
4-4-08 UPDATE: I'm in the movie!!! Christine and I went to see Leatherheads for the matinee showing at 12:30pm and there was my brief glimpse of cinematic glory about 10-15 minutes into the film. Clooney drives up on his motorcycle in front of the hotel and there I am (all 6'3" of me!) standing at attention in my green doorman outfit. They cut the scene short, but Christine about had a hissy fit seeing me in the movie. :D I'll be blogging more about this after our big Red Carpet Gala event tonight. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!! :)
As regular readers of my blog know, it was almost one year ago to the day that I stood in line for several hours for a chance to be a part of the movie magic trying out to be a football player in this period movie set in the 1920's when professional football was born. When I didn't hear anything for the entire month of January and most of February, I just assumed they wouldn't need me.
But then on February 27th I got a call from the casting company for the movie asking me if I still wanted to be an extra. Uh, duh! I originally thought they wanted me to be a football-playing extra for Leatherheads, but they had something special in mind for me instead--a hotel doorman?
I got to play a special role as the doorman in "Leatherheads"
Yep, like that episode of "The Brady Bunch" where the record producer picked Greg to be a solo artist because he "fit the suit," that's how I got chosen to be the doorman. My 6'3" height and "thin body frame" (I LOVED hearing that!) got me the gig. But I almost lost the role because that cap wouldn't fit on my head. The wardrobe department had to cut a slit in the back of it and add some stretchy material to it would go on my noggin!
It was so neat with my first experience in a Hollywood movie standing in front of a makeshift hotel in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. That was a memorable day in my life because she shot a 30-45 second scene over and over about 50 times, but the neatest part was George Clooney's character speaking a line to my extra character. Sweet!
Thinking that day was going to be it for me as an extra, I was surprised to receive another phone call about a month later from the casting department again wanting me to be an extra in some football scenes as a fan in the stands. The filming was to take place in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina--about 45 minutes from my house--over several days. "Can you make it?" they asked. "Oh yeah, I'll be there!"
This time around I took lots and lots of pictures so I could have pictorial memories of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was such a blast and all of us extras were so enamored by the way a movie like this gets shot. They don't call it movie magic for nothing!
In fact, one of the extras named Jim Fair created a Leatherheads extras web site for people who want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of this movie and the memories of those of us chosen to be an extra. TheLeatherheads.com gives you all the latest information on the movie now set for release on April 4, 2008.
I noticed a trailer for Leatherheads is now available at YouTube:
Here's the direct link to the video if you'd like to share it with your friends to tell them about Leatherheads. This is expected to be a summer blockbuster movie because of the powerhouse Hollywood stars in it and in anticipation of the 2008 football season. When the movie comes out in theaters, don't you know I'll be looking for that scene with me as the doorman giving Clooney's character a dirty look. It's GOTTA be in there!
I'll update you more on the movie as we get closer to April 4, 2008!
Jackie Chan say drink green tea good for you when low-carb
I love introducing you to new products that can fit well within your low-carb lifestyle because there is so much garbage out there to go through. That's why I am always scoping out the latest and the greatest as they are introduced to the marketplace and reporting back to you what I find. Some are good, others are not so good.
What I found today is an excellent product for people living healthy. It's a highly-concentrated vitamin-packed green tea product called InstaGreen Tea Beverage Mix. We have all heard the benefits of drinking more green tea for the antioxidant properties it provides our bodies. This particular product has EIGHT TIMES the antioxidants of regular green tea. WHOA! That's a LOT!
It's all because of the full 100mg of EGCG that is contained within each serving. Plus, you also get 300mg of polyphenols in each glass of InstaGreen. In fact, drinking just one cup of this instant green tea product is equivalent to drinking EIGHT cups of regular green tea. See what I mean--this green tea product really packs a powerful punch!
Each package of InstaGreen Tea Beverage Mix contains 15 individual servings that you can mix with 8-16 ounces of hot or cold water, depending on your personal preference (I LOVE it hot, baby!). The best part of the InstaGreen product is it is NATURALLY SUGAR-FREE and contains ZERO CALORIES.
What about the caffeine content, you ask? Good question--it's less than 45mg.
InstaGreen Tea Beverage Mix comes in the original unsweetened Green Tea flavor as well as Natural Lemon with Stevia and Natural Raspberry with Stevia. For those of you who are new to livin' la vida low-carb, stevia is a plant-based supplement that adds sweetness to foods and drinks. It provides just enough of that to allow you to enjoy the vibrant flavor of the green tea.
So, what's all of this have to do with Jackie Chan? Yes, THAT Jackie Chan from all the kung fu movies and Hollywood star of such movie hits as "Rush Hour." If anyone can tell you what's good green tea, then I suppose Jackie Chan is very well qualified since he comes from China where green tea has been a mainstay for centuries.
But not only does Jackie Chan simply LIKE InstaGreen Tea Beverage Mix, but he is now their spokesperson and his smiling image appears right there on the packaging. With an endorsement like that, you KNOW this has got to be good. So, go ahead and give it a try. Let me know what YOU think about it if you decide to try it.
She said I needed to get sized for my costume on Thursday and then shoot the scene I am in on Sunday. "How long will it last," I asked her. "All day," she quickly answered. Oh...I'm cool with that!
So on Thursday I drive to the undisclosed location to be fitted for my costume and it is there that I learn I won't be portraying a football player. Instead, they said I was the one and only doorman in the movie. The what? Doorman...what's a doorman gonna do? Oh, he opens the door for people at the hotel. Now I get it!
Yep, that's right! Jimmy Moore is the doorman in "Leatherheads." The costume was quite exquisite with three layers involved, including a white shirt, vest, and huge blue-green overcoat that looked very classy if you ask me with a black tie, black shoes, and white gloves. Lookin' sharp, baby!
I received instructions to call a special super-secret telephone number on Saturday night to find out what time they would need my character for the scene they were shooting. There were three pages of detailed information explaining what was going to happen. The biggest theme they attempted to communicate was patience and focus on the day of the shoot. And by all means, try not to gawk when George Clooney walks on the set. LOL!
My appointed time to check in for the hotel scene was this morning at 10:30am. But since they had partitioned off two or three blocks around the area they were filming, I had some difficulty finding a place to park. I ended up parking in a bank parking lot that allows free parking on the weekends. Sweeeeet! So I start walking briskly towards the hotel not really knowing where to go when I got there.
Cameras, lights, and crew are everywhere and as I get closer I hear several women screaming, "George, George, look over here!" These were the Clooney groupies that would literally spend hours waiting on the outer edges of the set just to see their favorite movie star for a few brief seconds. It was kinda funny to watch, but that wasn't the end of it which I'll share about later.
After trying to figure out where I needed to be, finally I stopped and asked one of the crew members, "Where are the extras supposed to be?" He pointed me in the right direction and I ended up in the holding room to check in. "Are you Jimmy Moore, our doorman?" the beautiful young blonde woman asked. "Yes ma'am, that's me," I replied. She said she had just left me a message on my cell phone which I had turned to vibrate so I wouldn't forget and have it on during one of the scenes. That wouldn't be good in a 1920's period film now, would it?
After filling out some paperwork so I can get paid (WOW, can you believe they actually PAY people to do this?!), she told me to go get my costume and get dressed, get my hair styled, and then to makeup. Hoo boy, this is the real deal now! But there was only one problem--where the heck was the costume trailer, hmmm? I walked around with all these men and women dressed in 1920's garments and I'm still in 2007 street clothes.
Finally, I go back to the registration and ask if they can have someone show me where to pick up my costume and one of the crew members took me to where I needed to be. Hallelujah! It turns out I needed to be about 2 blocks over from the hotel, so there's no way I would have found that on my own.
After getting my costume, I rushed back to the men's dressing room which was filled with a bunch of guys changing out of their 21st century blue jeans and T-shirts into the kind of clothes worn by the men in the 1920's--semi-formal dress pants with an overcoat and top hat. There were two guys who had a similar costume to me portraying bell hops, but mine was the only doorman costume.
I was able to put all of it on except for the collar and the tie. I just couldn't figure it out on my own, so I headed to the hairstylist and makeup room. Each line was full of extras waiting to get primped and glamourized for the scene we would all be taping just a few hours later. It was all sinking in at that point that the time for our Hollywood movie experience was getting closer and the excitement was in the air.
Of course, for many of these extras, this was not their first time in "Leatherheads." A lot of them said they were in a previous scene on the football field on Friday and expressed how muddy it was out there since we had a nearly 3-inch downpour on Thursday. They were happy it was sunny and dry for today's shoot.
One of the explicit instructions we were given in our information sheet was this:
"NO CAMERAS OR VIDEO EQUIPMENT IS ALLOWED. FAILURE TO COMPLY IS GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL FROM SET."
Yikes, I wouldn't be caught dead with a camera then! I didn't even want to risk it, so I left my digital camera at home. Well imagine my surprise when I see just about everybody click, click, clicking their cameras in seeming violation of this rule. When I inquired with one of them about it, they said the crew is fine with pictures in the holding area, but not on the set. Oh, I wish I had known that!
As I was waiting to get my makeup on, a woman asked me if I would come out to speak with her for a moment. It turns out she was a groupie and she was just fascinated that someone from the movie was talking to her. If she only knew how irrelevant I was in the whole grand scheme of this movie, then she wouldn't have bothered with me. Actually, I convinced her to help me put my collar on and she enthusiastically agreed to help me. I thanked her and said I needed to get back in line for makeup.
That was just too weird, but a little fun, too. People are strange when they get around people they think are famous. I enjoyed it in a sadistic, self-absorbed kinda way.
Back to the holding area I went and we waited there for about 30 minutes before one of the assistant directors came in to tell us to line up for wardrobe to fix us up perfectly since the scene we would be in was getting ready to be shot. EXCITING!!!
It was a couple of minutes later as I was waiting in the back of the line that I hear the assistant director say, "Where's Jimmy Moore?" I raise my hand to identify myself and she says, "Come here." She explains that I need to move to the front of the line because I'm gonna be in the main part of this scene with George. As in George Clooney! You're kidding me! Not only am I getting to be a part of this atmosphere, but I'll probably end up being in the movie. Whoa!
After getting tugged on and fitted to make sure all of our costumes looked snazzy, we were led out to the filming site to wait and wait and wait while awaiting our instructions. The crew was already in action setting up the cameras and lights for the shoot while the primary director was walking the scene with his fellow assistants.
He walks right up to me and said, "This is what I want you to do." Then he tells me to look straight ahead and stoic as George rides up on the motorcycle and then give him an incredulous look. "Can you do that," he asked. "Yes sir!" I said.
Then we go through take after take after take rehearsing this 20-30 second scene. Everything was in motion and almost ready to be shot. About that time, Clooney appears on the set and starts observing the scene while making his recommendations about how it should go. All the extras start mumbling to themselves that THE star has arrived. I'm not all goo-goo, ga-ga over the man, but I admit it was neat.
Tick-tock-tick-tock...before I knew it, the time was already 3:00pm and we have been doing this scene for several hours. But it was getting close to showtime and shooting the scene with George since he was here. One of the sound guys came running straight at me as we were waiting and said, "George wants to mike you up for a possible line. Can you handle that?" I replied, "Sure!" They hooked up a fancy wireless microphone and got me all ready to say something. Are you kidding me?! WOWsers!
The first take with Clooney was a bit surreal for me. I looked straight ahead and did my look as instructed, but I was completely enamored by the amazing acting skills that George displayed. His character in "Leatherheads" is quite cocky and you could see that shine through in those few seconds he stood about one foot in front of me for that scene. What's amazing is we shot that scene about ten more times with Clooney.
He even speaks a line to me. In fact, I am the ONLY extra in that particular scene that he utters a single word to. COOL! Here's what he says--"Keep it close, will ya?" I was fascinated by Clooney when on the various retakes he would ad lib an extra word in that line. One time he added, "Captain" as in "Keep it close, will ya, Captain?" Another time, he said "Keep it close, will ya, fellow?" I kept wondering if "dude" or "man" was coming next. LOL!
Although we weren't supposed to ask for autographs or engage in small talk with the actors, after about the sixth take when the director yelled "cut" I looked over at George Clooney standing a couple of feet away and uttered, "Hey George, I think I've got your line memorized by now." He looked back and smiled with a slight little chuckle as if to say "welcome to the grit work of Hollywood...Captain!"
As for my big speaking debut in a Hollywood movie...it never materialized. Honestly, I think they forgot about me, but that's okay. Oh well, at least I'm pretty sure I'll end up in the movie with my role in this scene today. It was a load of fun, but tiring. Even still, I think I could handle doing this kind of work everyday!
We broke for "lunch" which ended up being around 3:45pm and were fed a delicious spread of gourmet food prepared buffet-styled and yes I got to eat low-carb. I had green and WHITE asparagus (never heard of it before, but it was good!), salad greens, meatloaf, pulled pork, and honeydew for dessert. We weren't sure if we would be needed anymore after our meal, so we all filled up.
During the meal, I was able to tell the people at my table about livin' la vida low-carb. They were amazed by my weight loss success story and seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. Of course, all the while I was talking about ditching sugar from my diet, they were eating chocolate chip cookies and banana splits for dessert. Oh well! Old habits are hard to break.
After a little more than a hour since we started eating lunch and were beginning to wonder what we would be doing next, the assistant director came in and yelled, "Thank you very much, you can go home now!" WOO HOO! Getting out of my doorman costume was a lot easier and faster than getting in it was and I as so ready to wear blue jeans and tennis shoes again. But I'm not complaining...this was as I have described it before a "once in a lifetime" experience that I will not soon forget.
When I went to check out and get my paperwork for getting paid (oh yeah, BONUS!), they asked me if I would be available for several more dates at the end of the month. Really?! I get to do this again? Yes, please sign me up! I'll be back in a heartbeat and wouldn't miss it for the world.
So that's how my first experience in a Hollywood movie went today. Like I said earlier, there is a very, very good chance I'll be in the final cut of "Leatherheads." When you see the scene that has George Clooney riding in on a motorcycle around a fountain in front of a hotel, look for the doorman who is giving him a dirty look as he says, "Keep it close, will ya?" That'll be me! :)
Several of my fellow extras took pictures of me in costume, so I'll post them for you here if I receive them via e-mail in the next few days. Also, I may blog about my experiences later this month when I will return to the set for more scenes in the movie. Hopefully my recap here allowed you to vicariously relive my memorable day!
3-5-07 UPDATE: One of my regular readers in Greenville, South Carolina said she wished she had known "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man" was on the "Leatherheads" movie set on Sunday.
Jimmy,
I read you blog every day for inspiration (thanks!) but had to drop you a line today. I live in Greenville (small world, huh? Who would believe a guy from Spartanburg would inspire me on my weight loss journey!!), and I am very aware of all the Clooney mania in our area.
When I read your blog about your adventures at the Westin hotel yesterday (or did they rename it Emerson???), I had to chuckle. I was downtown to pick up my son at that time yesterday, and I only wish I had known to find the doorman (YOU!) to say hi!
Anyway, keep up the good work, Jimmy. You really are a special guy.
So, is it true when they say George is kind of short? Aw c'mon, I'll never tell...
THANKS so much for writing! I'm always happy to hear from my readers in the Upstate of South Carolina. :) I appreciate your e-mail today.
The "Leatherheads" shoot was a little monotonous, but in a way was energizing, too. Sounds like an oxymoron, but it was so surreal.
I would have LOVED to meet you and your son at the "Emerson," but security was tight. Plus there were so many Clooney fans along the barriers, it would have been maddening trying to say hello. Again, I appreciate your e-mail.
As for Clooney's height...I'm taller than he is, but he's not unusually short...like Tom Cruise is. :) THANK YOU again for your e-mail!
4-2-07 UPDATE: At long last, here are some of my pictures from the set of "Leatherheads" as well as more experiences on a follow-up filming that took place at the end of March in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.
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.
George Clooney and Renee Zellweger star in "Leatherheads"
Today I had the privilege of doing something that some would consider "once in a lifetime." There was an audition being held about 30 minutes from my home in Greenville, South Carolina to appear in an upcoming Universal Pictures film featuring Academy Award-winning actors George Clooney and Renee Zellweger called "Leatherheads."
Read this Greenville News story about the tryouts that attracted well over 1,000 Caucasian football player to be featured extras in what is sure to be a blockbuster and quite possibly Academy Award-nominated film for Best Picture of the Year in 2007.
"Leatherheads" is a period film that takes place in the early days of the birth of football in America in the 1920's. Clooney is set to direct and star in the film as an aging football player named Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly who attempts to recruit an extremely talented young college football star named Carter Rutherford (to be portrayed by "The Office" star John Krasinski) to play in the newly-developed professional league to provide an incentive for fans to come out and support the football games.
But a female reporter from the Chicago Tribune named Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) gets into a love triangle with Carter and Dodge that goes all the way to the brand new Commissioner of Football to resolve. This will be a historically accurate film featuring men who have the look and moves of the 1920's football players.
That's where the audition I participated in came into play. They were looking for 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 (African-Americans were not yet a part of professional football at that time). While playing football in high school or college was not required, the applicant must be considered athletic.
Since I am 34 years old (turning 35 on December 27th), 6'3" tall, 217 pounds, and play organized volleyball, basketball, along with regular workouts at the gym, I felt I was qualified to at least put my name in the pool of applicants. Besides, why would I pass up a chance to possibly appear in a Hollywood film? Duh!
I heard about the tryouts for "Leatherheads" earlier in the week on the television news and then again on the local talk radio station. What an opportunity to be a part of something like this was my first reaction. So, why not give it a shot?
The process was supposed to last from 9AM-3PM, but it was obvious when I arrived right at 9AM that this wasn't going to be a quick in-and-out ordeal. The line of men who were waiting to be a part of this movie wrapped around the inside of the building with at least 750 people and then another 300-400 guys outside the door. And there were people of all shapes and sizes, too.
Some were big and bulky, pushing that 250-pound weight limit to the max while others were weak and puny and probably didn't reach the required height and weight. But they didn't care because this was their chance to be a star. Or so they hoped.
I had a friendly conversation with a 32-year old financial advisor named Brian who said his wife urged him to come to the audition. He said he wanted to enjoy the experience of trying out to be in a movie and that it didn't really matter if he made it or not. We had plenty of time to talk, too, finally leaving the parking lot at around 11AM with a handful of "souvenirs"--the papers we were given as our reward for coming--three hours after standing outside in the cool breeze of the morning.
Once inside the building and into the audition room, we were handed an instruction sheet and application which asked for your name, contact information, Social Security number, clothes sizes including shoes, and athletic experience. Then you stood in line to hand your application to someone who assigned you a number which was handwritten on a white sheet of paper--mine was #371--that you then took to a photographer to snap your full-body photo. Finally, an assistant producer with the film does an on-the-spot informal interview with each applicant asking about their experience playing sports.
All in all, it was quite an adventurous Saturday morning and I am hopeful for a chance to be in "Leatherheads." However, my lack of football experience in high school or college will probably disqualify me from being considered. Yet, considering my chances would have been ZERO if I hadn't lost nearly 200 pounds by livin' la vida low-carb in 2004, I consider today's tryout a BONUS in my life.
Losing weight gave me what very well could be the "once in a lifetime" shot I need to be a part of cinematic history. Okay, perhaps that's a bit hyperbolic, but I think you get the picture. It's all pretty cool if you ask me.
So what happens from here? If I am selected to attend the 1920's-styled football tryouts where they will select 50 men to fill the three teams featured in the film, then I will hear back from the producers via telephone or e-mail by mid-January. Those tryouts will then be followed by football camp/rehearsals for the shooting of the film, with the actual filming to take place in mid-February.
The movie is set to be shot almost entirely in North and South Carolina. My hometown of Spartanburg, SC is located near the border of these two states, so I'd be able to travel to the filming locations quite easily. Even if it is unlikely that I'll ever make it that far, a man can dream, can't he? I've got just as good a chance as the rest of those fellas do!
In the likely event that I am not chosen to be one of the football extras in the film, I certainly will look into other background supporting parts in the film which will be needed. This is something I'll be able to look back on and show my kids and grandkids someday. If it happens, GREAT, if not, GREAT! At least I can say I tried.
Anybody else have an experience trying out for a Hollywood movie? Did you make it into the final cut of the film? Feel free to share your story.
Hollywood megastar Scarlett Johannson lost weight on low-carb
When you are the queen of Hollywood and seem to appear in virtually every movie that comes out these days, the last thing you would worry about is your weight, right? Well, not if you are bombshell beauty Scarlett Johansson (who appears in three movies in 2006 and at least five movies coming out in 2007).
According to this SAWF News article, Johansson recently lost a modest eight pounds off of her 120-pound body by eating a diet low in carbohydrates, high in protein and lots of salads.
Oh my gosh, she was just soooo fat at 120 pounds. She thought so.
"I have fat days, and I accept that I'm never going to be rail thin," Johansson recently quipped about her weight.
That's why she started livin' la vida low-carb and got down to 112 pounds. That's still rather petite and, of course, Johansson looks as fantastic as ever. A celebrity trainer in the story was quoted as saying it "looks like she backed off the carbs and is eating more lean protein and salads" along with a regular toning exercise routine to help her lose body fat, something studies have shown to be indicative of people following a low-carb diet.
It's great to see someone with the enormous name recognition of Scarlett Johansson showing the world that livin' la vida low-carb is not just a fad, but is actually a very effective way to lose a little weight (even if you don't really need to lose any!). I publicly applaud her for rejecting the criticisms about this way of eating and showing it can be done without any concerns for health.
