It took my stepdaughter Tayler and I about two hours before we heard those words, the ones that sent a small platoon of extras walking back and forth across a courtyard at the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix, then up and down a nearby street, and then in the huge lobby of Phoenix City Hall. All this commotion came in the service of making Phoenix look like a busy workday in Oklahoma where a purported rising new star, Jessica Chastain, was starting a new period of her life in a movie called ”Jolene."

Before all that walking it was hurry up and wait and Tay and I filled out form after form--I told her it reminded me of being at a new doctor’s office, something both 3T and I have a lot of experience in these days. After even more waiting followed all that commotion, until one of the crew told the two of us and about 25 of the other extras on the set we could go home after collecting out $75.00 for 6 hours of being part of Hollywood.

Welcome to the world of extras, a world I was glad Tay could see first hand even if she was whipped from insufficient sleep and a pretty busy evening that night before.

As we drove to the designated meeting area, the sun was just rising and the air was crisp and cool. Neither of us had bothered to bring a casual jacket because we were never told we’d be waiting for nearly two hours outside. By the time we were ready for our command, “Background Action,” to be barked repeatedly by the director’s assistants, the sun was in its rightful place in the sky and ready to thaw us.

As we drove there, I tried to prepare Tay for what to expect without trying to daunt her enthusiasm.  I recalled how long long ago I was asked to play the central role in a newspaper commercial back east.  For two days, the newsroom had been transformed into a giant stage, with my cynical coworkers sitting around and watching as the director put me though my paces. In the end, when the commercial aired, my on-screen image had been reduced to 30 frenetic seconds of jump video that focus only on my just-manicured fingers on a typewriter keyboard.  And the antics of the commercial had been laid out for our readers by a columnist who poked a lot of fun at me and the paces I was being put through.  Unfortunately, I never thought to save the column.

I told Tay all this, but I don’t think that was adequate preparation for the grinding wait that we endured before our big moment in the sun.  Around us, the other extras were buzzing about one thing or another, but almost all of them were talking about having been in this commercial or students under that acting teacher or hoping to get an extras role in the afternoon shoot, which was to be in an office.

It soon dawned on me that Tay, the would-be actress and me, a devoted watcher but not a participant in movies, were surrounded by wannabe members of the stage and screen, many of whom had probably spent decades trying to break into the big spotlight that Jessica Chastain was apparently breaking into. Every man there especially put me to shame because they were impeccably groomed. Not a hair was out of place and not a flaw visible on their complexion.

I knew I was out of my league, but it was fascinating listening to the bits of conversation I picked up on.

Tay and I were both relieved when we were told to pick up our pay and go home, as were about half the other people in the group. She confided in me that she didn’t want to be an extra again, but her enthusiastic mom gave her a big pep talk about the importance of these almost forgettable roles, because they were ways she could network and ways she could show others that a star could be born if they took her seriously and she took the work even more so.

I think that buoyed her tired and disappointed heart.

As for me, all this extra business got me thinking that acting is a rough way to make a living.
But for a stepfather, it was a great way to show his stepdaughter he’d support her in her dreams any way he could.

Kevin