You're Going to My Movie on Wednesday, Right?

Dear Lauren,

The Odd Life of Timothy Green movie trailer. It played countless times during the Olympics. It's a major motion picture. It's Disney. And I'm in it. That is pretty cool!



Now, look. I'm not a star! I'm just an extra! Look for me at the 26 second mark, first row, second from the right.



When we first moved to Georgia, you were still in high school. So I was busy. But Dad's boss' wife, Rosa, had just been in The Blind Side as an extra and she loved it! So once Dad and I became empty-nesters, I decided to try it out.

I signed up with a few extras casting companies and got in a great facebook group that lists casting calls for extras for productions in the Atlanta area. Let me know if any of your friends want to be added to the group. I'm already in the group so I don't know if you can request to join it or if you have to be added by a member.

Do you remember when I was cast on Vampire Diaries? I’d never even heard of the show! I remember texting you from the set to tell you what I was up to and your reply was, "MOM! All my friends watch that show!" Hearing the excitement in your voice fulfilled my life-long dream to appear cool to a teenager. Bucket list!

Since then, I've been cast in The Three Stooges, Good Deeds, Drop Dead Diva, and, of course The Odd Life of Timothy Green, among others. Being an extra is actually a pretty fascinating job. For a moment, you get to step into the shoes of not just another life (of the character you silently portray) but into many different lives as you observe the inner workings of film-making.

I should add that the pay is low and I recall the first time I had "lunch" on set. It's called lunch no matter what time of day it's served, this particular lunch was at 9 p.m. I was in a long line of tired looking people and was served simple, hot fare from steam tables and then sat with a bunch of strangers to eat. I heard one conversation in particular between a gal and the people around her in which she described the secret vampire powers her tattoo held and how she was assured to met Ian Somerhalder at some point that night. And it occurred to me that this might be what it felt like to be in a homeless shelter. No, the extra's life is not glamorous.

My hair tells you pretty much everything you need to know about my day. Many days on a set are 12-16 hours. This particular day was after 16 hours on the set of The Three Stooges with my hair in a super-tight bun.

I've met some amazing people and I've met some really strange people. I sat at the same table as Jennifer Garner for 4 hours and we never exchanged a word. I've nearly passed out in the 110 degree heat in a Victor Costa gown and high heels. I've been in the basement of an abandoned elementary school, a soccer field, a town square and a massive sound stage. I've been freezing and thought I was going to die and sweltering and...thought I was going to die. I showed the still shot of me in the town hall scene on The Odd Life to dad and said, do you recognize her? He said, no! I guess that makes me an amazing actor!

No, all it makes me is grateful for these opportunities. Go see The Odd Life of Timothy Green as soon as you can. It's the only production yet that hasn't left me on the cutting room floor!

Love,

P.S. Mr. Kenny (our neighbor and bff when we lived in CA?) was part of this production. He flew here from CA to produce all of the extra material for the DVD version of this movie. The actor and director interviews and a bunch of B-Roll. So I got to see him the days we were on the set together! He told me last week that he and Heidi went and saw the advance showing of the movie and that I am all over the final Town Hall meeting scenes! Can't wait to see it!