I'm in Casualty tomorrow night - BBC1

For those of you in the UK who are interested, I have my 10 seconds of fame tomorrow night when I appear in a scene in Casualty. It was filmed a while back with my mate who directed the espisode. I haven't seen it yet, but as an extra I apparently do get more than a few seconds of screen time.

I'm playing a bloke on crutches, wearing a Steve McQueen roll-neck and blazer from Bullitt.......

https://www.facebook.com/FilmNav?ref=hl#!/photo.php?fbid=441637632552590&set=a.247191265330562.57237.175656649150691&type=1&theater

I'm sure you had great fun on the set! Extra work if you've got the time can be a hoot.

Reminds of my film extra days when I was a regular cadet extra on the Police Academy Movies. I had my own uniform, holster and cheap wooden gun, which never left the holster. I even had one of the academy cadet track suits. Those films were nuts with a crazy cast.

We were well fed and we spent much quality time loafing around the sets and academy grounds.

Good luck with the extra work!!! Easy way to meet girls too. There is so much downtime on the sets.

tiffanywint wrote:

I'm sure you had great fun on the set! Extra work if you've got the time can be a hoot.

Reminds of my film extra days when I was a regular cadet extra on the Police Academy Movies. I had my own uniform, holster and cheap wooden gun, which never left the holster. I even had one of the academy cadet track suits. Those films were nuts with a crazy cast.

We were well fed and we spent much quality time loafing around the sets and academy grounds.

Good luck with the extra work!!! Easy way to meet girls too. There is so much downtime on the sets.

I was just squeezing this in during my day job at the BBC. I bet movie extra work is much better, and Casualty is not a patch on being involved with something like Police Academy.....sounds very cool. 8)

jet set willy wrote:

tiffanywint wrote:

I'm sure you had great fun on the set! Extra work if you've got the time can be a hoot.

Reminds of my film extra days when I was a regular cadet extra on the Police Academy Movies. I had my own uniform, holster and cheap wooden gun, which never left the holster. I even had one of the academy cadet track suits. Those films were nuts with a crazy cast.

We were well fed and we spent much quality time loafing around the sets and academy grounds.

Good luck with the extra work!!! Easy way to meet girls too. There is so much downtime on the sets.

I was just squeezing this in during my day job at the BBC. I bet movie extra work is much better, and Casualty is not a patch on being involved with something like Police Academy.....sounds very cool. 8)

Grab some more though if you can. It's all fun. I did lots of TV stuff too, but it's best when you get a costume or get made over. Then you look like you really belong.

It would have been fun I think to have been a ape extra on the old Planet of the Apes films. Having an ape costume would have carried real status on set.

tiffanywint wrote:

jet set willy wrote:

tiffanywint wrote:

I'm sure you had great fun on the set! Extra work if you've got the time can be a hoot.

Reminds of my film extra days when I was a regular cadet extra on the Police Academy Movies. I had my own uniform, holster and cheap wooden gun, which never left the holster. I even had one of the academy cadet track suits. Those films were nuts with a crazy cast.

We were well fed and we spent much quality time loafing around the sets and academy grounds.

Good luck with the extra work!!! Easy way to meet girls too. There is so much downtime on the sets.

I was just squeezing this in during my day job at the BBC. I bet movie extra work is much better, and Casualty is not a patch on being involved with something like Police Academy.....sounds very cool. 8)

Grab some more though if you can. It's all fun. I did lots of TV stuff too, but it's best when you get a costume or get made over. Then you look like you really belong.

It would have been fun I think to have been a ape extra on the old Planet of the Apes films. Having an ape costume would have carried real status on set.

I did get some make-up on....originally an acid burn which looked really cool, but they had to take it off because the injury looked too severe, and toned it down to a cut on my forehead and a plaster on my foot. I managed to say a few words too.

Quote :

I managed to say a few words too.

That's big time stuff. You might need an agent! 8)

Well done, JSW. A fine turtleneck indeed. 8)

Bit jealous that you were in Police Academy, tiff! Ever meet the blonde with the big hooters or the guy that does sound effects with his mouth?

CJB wrote:

Well done, JSW. A fine turtleneck indeed. 8)

Bit jealous that you were in Police Academy, tiff! Ever meet the blonde with the big hooters or the guy that does sound effects with his mouth?

Yes, I met them all. The first 4 movies were shot here. The "academy" was located out in the west end. I didn't come on board till the third film. There was a separation between extras and cast, that AD's enforced, ie the extras couldn't invade the star's areas, but the stars would often wander around and then we could talk to them. None of them were really big names anyway.

My favourite story is the day I nearly got fired for stupidly making myself comfortable at the stars' coffee wagon in #3. We were shooting the scene where the cadets were learning how to kick in doors. The extras-pack was lined up in rows off to the side. We were all in full uniform. We each had our little X to stand on. This scene took half a day. During the breaks, we would wander around, and I stupidly helped myself to a coffee and muffin at the star's wagon, but I honestly didn't know better. I should have known though when Bobcat Goldthwaite came by and made a coffee too. We made small talk and passed the cream and sugar around. I thought all was well, until the AD came over, after Bobcat had cleared out, and tore a strip off me. He marched me over to the extras wagon, and said this is where you get your f***n coffee. You didn't argue because they'd fire you on the spot if you got stupid.

One idiot got fired during a background scene where we were simply tasked to walk from point A to point B as cadets arriving at the academy. A chimp could have followed the instructions better than this moron. He insisted on acting, looking around, like he was in awe of the place, which of course distracts from the foreground action, which was the scene where the tall young guy was exchanging punches with his dad as he leaned in the car window. The AD warned him once and then blew up and kicked him off the set when he continued to "act." I guess he was trying to get discovered. Too bad! This scene was in the morning. He missed lunch and hanging out with all the young female extras that had been brought in for the day. Loser.

tiffanywint wrote:

CJB wrote:

Well done, JSW. A fine turtleneck indeed. 8)

Bit jealous that you were in Police Academy, tiff! Ever meet the blonde with the big hooters or the guy that does sound effects with his mouth?

Yes, I met them all. The first 4 movies were shot here. The "academy" was located out in the west end. I didn't come on board till the third film. There was a separation between extras and cast, that AD's enforced, ie the extras couldn't invade the star's areas, but the stars would often wander around and then we could talk to them. None of them were really big names anyway.

My favourite story is the day I nearly got fired for stupidly making myself comfortable at the stars' coffee wagon in #3. We were shooting the scene where the cadets were learning how to kick in doors. The extras-pack was lined up in rows off to the side. We were all in full uniform. We each had our little X to stand on. This scene took half a day. During the breaks, we would wander around, and I stupidly helped myself to a coffee and muffin at the star's wagon, but I honestly didn't know better. I should have known though when Bobcat Goldthwaite came by and made a coffee too. We made small talk and passed the cream and sugar around. I thought all was well, until the AD came over, after Bobcat had cleared out, and tore a strip off me. He marched me over to the extras wagon, and said this is where you get your f***n coffee. You didn't argue because they'd fire you on the spot if you got stupid.

One idiot got fired during a background scene where we were simply tasked to walk from point A to point B as cadets arriving at the academy. A chimp could have followed the instructions better than this moron. He insisted on acting, looking around, like he was in awe of the place, which of course distracts from the foreground action, which was the scene where the tall young guy was exchanging punches with his dad as he leaned in the car window. The AD warned him once and then blew up and kicked him off the set when he continued to "act." I guess he was trying to get discovered. Too bad! This scene was in the morning. He missed lunch and hanging out with all the young female extras that had been brought in for the day. Loser.

I heard about these kinds of extras on Casualty too......desperate wannabee actors trying to do whatever they can to get noticed in the background. My mate who directs these shows told me he had to cut certain extras out of a scene due to this same problem.

Sounds like you had a blast, tiff.

Kinda wanted to be a cop when I watched Police Academy as a kid. Thought it was all pretty accurate.

There's a touch of Hugh Bonneville about you, JSW :) . Will fast-forward through Casualty on the iPlayer to watch your bit ... not a fan of the show, I'm afraid :oops: .

Blunt Instrument wrote:

There's a touch of Hugh Bonneville about you, JSW :) . Will fast-forward through Casualty on the iPlayer to watch your bit ... not a fan of the show, I'm afraid :oops: .

I can see why you think that from the photo...but I don't really look like him when you see me properly. I think the camera angle has distorted my face somewhat.

And I'm not a fan of the show either...... ;)