Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Before the heat advisory hits. Over 90 degrees today and 98 degrees tomorrow.

What fun.

A story to share with you:

Last year, I worked on the film Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, based on the book written by Michael Ausiello and starring my dear Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge, the actor I coached. You know all about this, of course.

At one point we were filming on location in a county that was halfway between NYC and my home, so I decided to come home for that week and drive to the set myself. We were filming a lot of hospital scenes there. One day on the set, as we were waiting for another scene to be set up, I walked downstairs to get something to snack on from Craft Services. Then I came back upstairs – I was gone about 5 minutes.

Picture the hallways where we were filming filled with crew members; wardrobe, props, camera crew, etc. You had to weave your way through a sea of people. As I was doing just that, Todd, one of the producers came up to me and said “Oh, there you are! Come with me.” I asked him what was going on and he said that the director wanted to talk to me. My first thought: I’m being fired. But when I asked Todd if it was good news or bad news, he said “Good news.”

So I walked into one of the many hospital rooms and there, waiting for me, was Mike S. (the director,) the First Assistant Director, and Michael Ausiello, as well as some production staff. And Todd. The director said that they had had to make a quick switch in the casting of one of the nurses. Mike S. said that he wondered if I would be willing to play the nurse.

I stood there, frankly dumbfounded. It took me a couple of beats to process what he had just said. He assured me that they thought I would be perfect for the scene – my response was “I haven’t done any acting in years!” He ignored that and said there was absolutely no pressure on me and if I didn’t want to do it, they would come up with another solution. But I knew they were in a pinch. Mike S. said they’d give me a few minutes to think about it. When he left, Michael Ausiello and Todd and Mika (assistant to Mike S.) stood there and urged me to do it. Mika ran lines with me. Michael A. said they needed someone with compassion and I had that in spades. Finally, I agreed. Then I was promptly whisked into wardrobe and makeup. Suddenly, I had been made up, my hair was braided in the back and I was wearing scrubs, a lanyard, and a stethoscope.

Honestly, I only had a couple of lines, but the scene was/is pivotal. It took place in Ben’s hospital room. So I would be acting with Ben, Jim, Bill Irwin, and Sally Field. Gulp.

That it happened so quickly was a blessing. I didn’t have time to stress about it.

I found out later that when Todd went to fill Jim and Ben in on what was happening, Jim teared up. What were the chances that his former teacher and Ben’s dialect coach would act in a scene with them? There was a lovely symmetry to the whole thing.

Filming was relatively stress-free. Michael S. is a fantastic director and he helped enormously. Sally and Bill and Jim were incredibly supportive. Michael Ausiello took a screen shot of the monitor while I was filming, which I eventually sent to Don. Very grateful for that. Can’t post that, though.

And then it was over and I went back to being a coach. Sally called me ‘my nurse’ when she saw me the next day.

The sound guys, the First Assistant Director, and every person on the set had my back. They were incredibly supportive.

I’ve held off telling you this because one never knows if the scene will end up on the cutting room floor. It’s happened to Don a few times. Plus, I couldn’t talk about it during filming. But along the way, Jim assured me that I was still in the movie. The final version of the movie – the final cut – was just shown to the producers and Jim told me it’s really wonderful. And I’m still in it. So I guess it’s a done deal!

I had two lines, and my appearance in the scene is brief, but I’m with people I adore and admire and that’s pretty darned great.

I couldn’t wait to tell Don. As soon as I could, I stole away to call him. He was stunned! Wanted to know every detail. He said “This never happens!”  And of course, he’s my biggest supporter, so when I came back home late that night there were flowers waiting for me.

So there you go. Double duty on this job!

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.