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Post by flossieskid on Apr 8, 2023 6:54:32 GMT -5
I can’t get back to exactly where I can respond to Emmy’s question. She asked if any of the shows my parents were on needed kid actors and I could appear in the background. Most of the episodic TV my parents did were: murder mysteries, cop shows, old time westerns, and none of the programs they were on had any little kids where I could join the extras on set except The Waltons. I was in my mid 20s when the series started and I couldn’t quite fit in those teeny tiny kid dresses!
Mom and Dad would take me on the set with them if it was Spring Break and during late summer when most shows are coming back from hiatus, which for most TV shows means they return in late July or early August. There is something to be said, about how unique and special it is to walk through the doors of a soundstage on a movie lot at the big studios. It has cables on the floor, lighting that is 40 feet high, tons of props, clothes and make-up trailers. People say the smell of the “grease paint” or make-up is intoxicating. It is!
That may be true, but I hate to burst anyone’s ”Hollywood Envy” bubble. But it’s just very, very boring waiting around all day for guest actors to shoot their scenes. Then, you would have to be extremely quiet during the actual filming of the scene. I was always afraid I’d sneeze or something and get my parents in trouble! Luckily, that never happened! That is why I didn’t like to go with my parents to the studio. I always had a lot more fun at home playing with my friends.
The Walton’s Executive Producers, who were family friends, had asked me if our daughter Nikki wanted to be on the Waltons, since some of the scenes there were children in the background and Nikki was around 8-10 years old. My mom had died by then, but Nikki wasn’t very excited about it. She had come to the soundstages to see our friend, Jeanette Nolan, guest star on the series “Boomer”.
I think it was about a dog, but Nikki didn’t like to be quiet either, or waiting for hours until they filmed a new scene. So, this was not something she wanted, in her words “To waste all day on.”
Our son Ryan was almost in Robert Redford‘s movie “The Horse Whisperer.” As I have mentioned, I came along with Jen when she played Redford’s mother, filming in Montana. There were a lot of scenes where young boys and girls were running all around a picnic area. Ryan was 10 and would fit in perfectly. But Jen’s shoot for this movie was supposed to be only four days and it turned into 6 weeks. I had to take Ryan back home since he was going to camp, then I flew back to Montana by myself (well, of course the pilot of Alaska Airlines came along too!). Unfortunately, that’s when they shot the scenes where Ryan could have appeared. But, he had a big crush on Diane Wiest, and Kristen Scott Thomas when we were there for a month - so I still think he lucked out!
For some reason on my phone, it will not allow me to cursor up and proofread my post. I apologize for any typos, or grammatical errors!
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Post by Easton on Apr 8, 2023 9:27:21 GMT -5
I was in my mid 20s when the series started and I couldn’t quite fit in those teeny tiny kid dresses! *Chuckling whilst imagining Elizabeth standing on the stairs in her vastly outgrown dress and asking Olivia what happened to it.* |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2023 10:29:41 GMT -5
flossieskid, you stated that everyone had to sit around the sound stage quietly while the shooting was taking place and wait till they were needed. There were no actors trailers or were they just for the main actors like Michael Learned, Ralph Waite, Will Geer, Ellen Corby and Richard Thomas?
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Post by flossieskid on Apr 18, 2023 3:36:18 GMT -5
I am sorry that I forgot who asked this question about trailers but then it was deleted - not sure what that means. But, I will answer his question. Most of the stars on a series have a nice dressing room away from the soundstage. If they are on location, portable trailers will be brought near the film set so the stars can change for the next scene. Guest stars, or semi-regular performers usually have a small trailer, they share with another actor, near the soundstage or they might change in the wardrobe trailer.
Often when the entire movie or TV show is filmed on location, the production company rents very nice trailers for the main stars. The handsome actor, Lyle Waggoner (Carol Burnett Show, Wonder Woman) made himself a small fortune by developing “Star Waggoners”. These were beautifully outfitted trailers for production companies to rent. He made much more money with this business than acting.
So many actors must wait and wait for their scenes, so they develop a hobby like: knitting, crocheting or needlepoint. My Mom enjoyed knitting and it kept her from smoking!
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Post by Easton on Apr 18, 2023 7:29:43 GMT -5
I am sorry that I forgot who asked this question about trailers but then it was deleted - not sure what that means.It simply means that the individual had deleted their account. The user name disappears but the posts remain.
Some delete because they no longer wish to associate themselves with the forum. Others because they open a new account with a different, more desired, user name. |
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