Casey LaMarca
When Sir Christian Renzi asked me to be a contributor on The Daily Nerd, I thought, how nice of him to consider me. Perhaps I can offer something insightful towards the purpose of this website’s existence. After I said yes, he replied, “Great! Can you talk about the time you were an extra on that Dane Cook movie?”
If only I had known just how impactful my life would be to someone. Here it goes.
The year was 2007, where we had forgotten candidates like Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton running for President and a Transformers franchise that hadn’t become the soul-sucking explosion boomfest that it’s known for today. I was 18, in the summer before my sophomore year of college and temporarily working at an assembly line style company that made windows for sports stadiums. My job was to assemble big steel frames, drill holes in them and then secure them with huge industrial sized nails. Clearly, I was yearning for something a little more in life. As an inspiring filmmaker, I was looking for any way to legitimately get involved in the business. How do you do that when living in Londonderry, New Hampshire? By getting involved in a Boston-based, overpriced modeling agency, of course.
Through the magic of the internet and me wasting money on headshots, I got a call on my lunch break one day from that same overpriced modeling agency to see if I was interested in being an extra on a film called Bachelor No. 2. A tremendous title, the best title, I thought, while saying yes immediately on the phone. At the time, Massachusetts started to usher in a slew of Hollywood projects, when Governor Deval Patrick signed into law a 25 percent film tax credit. It was nice timing for a young adult trying to dream about the big screen on the east coast. In a couple of weeks, I found myself at East Boston High School in a rented tux next to Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, director Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink, The Replacements), 90+ other union and non-union extras and hundreds of crew members filming a two-day shoot of prom scene on a film eventually known as My Best Friends Girl. Co-starring Jason Biggs. No apple pies were hurt in the making of this movie.
Day 1
As an extra, there is a huge difference between being union and non-union. First, the pay. Then second, the union extras actually receive food that is edible. Third, they’re given a nice comfortable outside area full of fresh air. We non-union folks were confined to the school’s basement cafeteria, where applesauce and cardboard milk boxes reigned supreme. One union extra, nice enough to act like he was still an extra and not Brad Pitt, gave me some great advice. “Try and be at the right place at the right time and maybe you’ll get on camera. And remember to focus on yourself, because you’re on your own.”
Since this was a prom scene, we were paired up with a date that we had to stay with for the two-day, 36-hour shoot. One of the girls I was talking to became my date. One of her friends became the date for another guy I was hanging with during takes. On the first day, the four of us had a lot of fun. I was even lucky enough to be in one of the shots. I did this by slowly making my way closer to the production coordinator whose job it was to place extras around Dane and Kate. Credit to that extra for reminding me I was on my own.
So, this is me…
Now check out these dance moves.
Clearly, that modeling agency and all those runway auditions I did are finally paying off.
During that scene, these actual things happened…
1.) Kate Hudson accused an extra of passing gas so bad they had to stop filming until the smell went away. That extra was identified and escorted away from the scene.
2.) The production went into penalty because the director tried to capture a shot of a balloon. A balloon, guys. This reddish/pinkish balloon was attached to a piece of elastic wood that would snap up to let the balloon float up as Dane and Kate kissed into infinity. It did not work. The scene was cut from the film.
3.) Due to the lack of air in the high school gym, a female extra passed out and an ambulance was called. To avoid issues, she received extra pay and all non-union extras were awarded actual meals from the union catering company.
4.) When in the union extra area, the same union extra that told me I was on my own was angry that I was in his neck of the woods. He didn’t talk to me after this.
He was right. We’re all on our own.
Shortly after this, we wrapped for the day.
Day 2
I arrive with excitement. Because I had already been in a shot of the movie, a crew member representing SAG came to me and gave me a voucher. Three vouchers and I can apply to become a SAG member. That means screeners, more extra jobs and the eventual movie deal I was going to land to star opposite Tom Hanks. And the girl that was my “prom date” was into me. Life was finally coming together. And luckily, after hours of more indoor scenes, the outdoor shots started to be set up and my date and I were in the right place at the right time and we were picked to be the extras coming out of the limo behind Dane and Kate’s car in the beginning of the prom scene (they shot all these out of order, as most productions obviously do). The other couple we were hanging with was left behind. Again, you’re on your own.
This shot sets the stage. See that first white limo in the back behind the main car? I’m in that one.
The film’s director did not film this shot, since it’s a pickup shot. That responsibility falls to the assistant director.
He came to me and said “what’s your name?”
I said “Casey.”
“Okay Casey, I need you to open the door, help your date out of the car, all while being excited that this is your prom night. Take her hand then start walking towards that entrance. That make sense?”
“Sounds good.”
“Okay, Action.”
I open the door, my eyes light up and my mouth produces an insanely excited smile.”
“Cut.”
I look up like I did something wrong.
“Casey, less excitement.”
“Got it.”
“Action.”
I open the door, my eyes do not light up and my mouth produces a not so excited grin.”
“Cut.”
I look up like I did something wrong again.
“Casey, little more excitement.”
“Okay….”
“Action.”
I open the door, smile, help my date out of the car, take her hand then start walking towards the entrance.
“Cut. Print. Moving on.”
The money take…
We proceed to the entrance of the school, where my overacting continues. This is what my character must have been thinking…
“Look at this amazing metal detector! What a time to be alive!”
“Do you see this amazing metal detector?”
“Yo for real though, will my flask get through this thing?”
After this scene was wrapped, Kate Hudson immediately went to her trailer. Dane was walking towards his until an extra came up and ask nicely if she could get a picture. He said sure, which opened the flood gates for all these Boston extras to want to get a picture with their favorite local comedian (Dane is from Cambridge). He spent his entire break taking photos with fans instead of going back to his trailer in solitude. He couldn’t have been nicer to everyone and was a constant professional throughout. Obviously, Dane Cook the movie star took a lot more heat than Dane Cook the person.
After a few more scenes, the 36-hour production in 48 hours came to an end. What an incredible two days. I was on my way to becoming a SAG member and I had just spent two days with a girl I thought I could maybe ask out on a real date sometime.
None of that happened.
Remember that voucher I got which was the first of three I needed for the SAG card? Turns out the coordinator who gave it to me also gave it to too many other people and I had to give mine back. Brutal.
Oh, well, I thought. I’m going to ask this girl out on a date. Even her friend that was there came to me and said she really liked me. I asked her if she wanted to grab dinner that following week and she said yes. As she was leaving, she turned back and said, how old are you?
I thought to myself, shit, she probably thinks I’m a lot older.
“18,” I said.
She gave me a very confused looked and went, “Oh. Okay.”
“Why, how old are you?”
“26.”
Clearly, she was taken aback by the age difference. I tried one last move and went, “well, there’s no way you look 26.”
It didn’t work. She smiled politely and went to the back room to change out of her prom dress and back into normal clothes.
Her friend came to me after and said that she actually is busy next week but she would be in touch.
I never saw her again.
That was a tough turn of events. But what an experience. It was great to be a part of something bigger than myself. Months later, I got my check for a couple hundred bucks. When the film was released the following year, all my friends and family went to go see it. They smiled and laughed when they saw me on screen. Hell, even my Nana went to go see it. She didn’t even mind the fact that the movie was full of sex jokes and c-words. Now that’s true support. Sometimes, when you’re in a movie, you are on your own. In life, when you go to a movie you’re in with family and friends, you’re far from alone.
Wrapping this column up, I just realized something. Because I joined that modeling agency to be an extra in this film and I had to get a certificate in being a runway model, there is a video somewhere on this planet that exists of me attempting to be a runway model.
My wife would probably give up our life savings to find that. If you’re out there and you have that video, do me a favor…burn it.
Besides, I’ll always have the memory.
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