FUN STUFF!
Having summers off, I decided way back when to do some extra work. I did about 50 different movies and TV shows, and you'll never really see me (except, see below):
HAPPY GILMORE
I had a great time on the set of Happy Gilmore. We were told (as on all movie sets if you're an extra) NOT to talk to the actors. The scene above was filmed at Swaneset Golf Course in Burnaby, and I was walking alone from one set to the other. OMG! Who was walking towards me but Adam Sandler! He said 'Hi' to me and I said it back to him. He was hilarious between takes... and those stories won't be told here. That's me on the far right, hair parted on the side, hand up to my chin as I recoil when Shooter McGavin angrily walks by.
See it here. Click below:
X-FILES
This was my second extra job ever. I had heard of the new show called "X-Files", but had never seen it. I was a New York Transit cop named, "Deputy Swain". It was sooooo much fun to dress up as a security cop. I was one of 5 who were assigned (see background). I was picked to work with Fox Mulder (see photo: that's my in the front sitting down). My job was to rewind security footage to see what really happened on the tracks. From then on, I started watching X-Files, and couldn't believe what I was in! The episode is from season 2, and is entitled, "Sleepless".
You can see it here:
The very small clip will automatically download on your computer. Then you can watch it and delete it. Apple is working on the site where it sits, and it may not work. If not, I'll try to fix it... TRY IT AND SEE.
CLICK HERE.
TITANIC (Made for TV Movie)
This was a very lousy made-for-TV movie that came out just before the James Cameron version. The work entitled many. many hot summer days sitting for 12 hours in a hot tent with lots of other people. Most of the time I wore thick, hot wool suits (as I was intended to play a First Class passenger - yup... I went down with the ship, and the water was cold!).
SHOT 1:
Seriously though, in this fuzzy snaphot below, I was Molly Brown's porter (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Brown). She was played by Marilu Henner, and her husband at the time directed it (they got into a real argument one night!). You can see me in the middle with the tie on. This was seconds after she looked behind to make sure I was following along with her bags. And, yup. That's Catherine Zeta Jones...
You can see it here:
SHOT 2:
Not sure what I'm doing on the deck. I guess I'm curious. This is just before the ship goes down. I just got out of bed and am wrapped in a brownish blanket. It's cold out and I'm wondering what's all the noise is, and what the loud sound was (Duh! The iceberg!!!). By the way, they pulled the wine glass of the table with a piece of fishing line, and slightly tilted the camera.
You can see it here:
STRANGE LUCK
This was a TV show in which a photographer suffers from "strange luck," and is the victim of both good and bad coincidences that involve him in the problems of others. I played the Governor's personal assistant. It's only a few seconds... look quickly.
The maid is played by Francis Fisher. She was at one time married to Clint Eastwood. She and Eastwood had fallen in love during the filming of "Unforgiven". You wouldn't know it from the clip, or even the whole episode, but she had a wicked sense of humour!
FIRST SHOT: You can see a blurry closeup as I walk in front, right after she says "Mr. Governor". That was kind of embarrassing because on the first take, I wore dress shoes. I walked over some plywood, and - CLUNK! CLUNK! - then the director yelled, "CUT!". I'm surprised I got to stay on the set.
SECOND SHOT: Same as in the shot below.The first time we rehearsed it, the "governor" was telling me a supposed humorous story, and I smiled. The director thought that didn't suit the mood, so we made it somber. It's only a few seconds... look quickly. No laughing at my glasses!!! LOL
See the clip here:
OPRAH MAGAZINE
When my dad's family came to Canada from Holland in the mid-fifties, a bunch stayed in Canada, and some settled just over the border in Washington State. My cousins who run "Appel Farms", got into Oprah magazine!
Pre-Olympic NOISE!
Vancouver Sun (Jan. 19. 2010)
The generator's low hum is audible outside Ray Appel's Yaletown condo building.But walk one block to BC Place Stadium, and the sound coming from a large generator to be used for the Olympics' opening ceremonies is annoyingly loud. Appel is worried it will be deafening if all three generators recently placed on the north side of the stadium, along with three others on the south side, are all running when the Winter Games kick off on Feb. 12. Appel is not an avid environmentalist. He is also not anti-Olympics, as he has tickets for a men's hockey game.
But the education consultant works from home and finds the generator's noise disturbing and the smell of the colourless exhaust contrary to Vanoc's promise of a green Games. "It is an irritating sound, enough to drive you crazy when you are trying to sleep," he said, adding his building's concierge said a half dozen other residents have also complained. Appel has sent a noise complaint to Vancouver city hall and an e-mail to the Vancouver Organizing Committee (Vanoc). "We hope they can at least put baffles on or something to reduce the noise, if it is going to run 24/7," he said. "If they can quiet it down somewhat, I'd be happy." Appel said city hall contacted him Monday to indicate it was looking into his complaint, but added Vanoc was "exempt" from municipal noise bylaws.
AND:
Generator Blog (Jan. 19. 2010)
Living near B.C. Place has become a big pain in the ears for Ray and Lesley Appel. They used to enjoy living in their downtown apartment, but that was before three huge gas-powered generators appeared outside the downtown stadium that is the site for the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics Feb. 12.
One of the huge, noisy machines began running all night Friday, said Ray Appel. “They started going 24/7,” he said Sunday. “It’s really, really loud. We have to keep our windows and doors closed. I have to wear earplugs at night. It’s just a loud, constant hum in the background.”
Appel, who lives about a block from the southwest corner of the stadium, chatted up a friendly security guard at the site. “He said, ‘Only one of the generators is on now; if you think this is loud, wait until all three are running,’” said Appel, who works out of his home on the 29th floor. “He said they could have used baffles to keep the generators quiet, but they didn’t.” Appel and his wife have filed a noise complaint with the city.
Here's the Olympic Video:
Hanging out with Russell Peters....
I made it in the background on CTV and Global News! LOL!
See here:
I made it in the background on Global News! LOL!
I think Chris Gailus is a great news anchor.... Here he is a couple of blocks from us reporting on the horrible riot in Vancouver. That's me walking along in the background... Hey. Keep moving Ray. You're too obvious!!! Right. Walking back and forth.... Oh, that looks sooooo realistic! Hah!
See here: