STRICTLY ON BACKGROUND, PT. 28: "GOD FRIENDED ME"

Although I don't work as much as many other background actors, it doesn't mean it's always easy to keep these gigs straight. Upon getting out of the Q train near Washington Square Park at around 5:30 on the morning of October 9, I was walking to the holding area when a question suddenly lodged itself firmly in the front of my brain.

What show am I working on today?

I knew where was I walking to (Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square South); I knew that the next day I'd be working on Bull. But I had no idea what my gig was now. If you don't think that's disconcerting, imagine the same thing suddenly happening to you when you're going to work. Now imagine it before dawn, when the moon was still shining brightly in the sky, and you're in a neighborhood you're not often in.

It came to me a moment later -- God Friended Me -- but I was still feeling unsettled even after arriving at holding.  I asked a colleague if he ever had a similar experience. "Yeah," he replied, "right now, after I got off the subway coming here. I had to stop in my tracks and ask myself, What am I working on today?"  Sometimes these things just blend into one another.

From Casual Businessman to Chess Fan, a transformation
rivaled only by that of Clark Kent into Superman.

This day I was playing two roles: a Casual Businessman in one scene, and a Chess Fan in two others, both shot in Washington Square Park. In the former, I was instructed to walk like a typical New Yorker: "fast, like you need your Starbucks fix." The a.d. liked my swift style, which I repeated for several more takes.

For the chess fan, I brought along my cap, which I acquired over the summer -- not so much for real life, but for gigs like this. It was on sale, and paid for itself within minutes of the director shouting, "Background! Action!"

Another extra and I were supposed to be chatting while waiting impatiently for the arrival of a legendary chess player who hadn't been seen in public for 10 years. We were initially placed almost directly in front of the camera, near the principal actors, before doing a wide shot. Upon hearing our cue from one of the principals, all of us  were to split up and go to our new places given by the a.d.

Later in the afternoon, we shot the third scene. The a.d. took one look at me and said something like, "I've seen enough of you". Unlike other times I've heard this in real life, he merely meant I'd gotten plenty of camera time, and put me on a bench further from the action. It was one of those exceedingly rare gigs where it was OK to scroll through my phone while shooting, because what else do people do these days when they're sitting on  park benches?

When my episode of God Friended Me finally aired this week, my turn as the Casual Businessman didn't make the final cut. I was too fast for 'em, anyway.

However, the a.d. was right about seeing enough of me as the Chess Fan. At first, I was in the middle of the wide shot, where my cap, plaid shirt, and sneakers made me the nerd I was supposed to be.

By and large, I'm pretty relaxed when working, but nervous when these shows finally air, and God Friended Me was no exception. As usual, I had nothing but complaints, especially when the camera got closer. 

Why aren't I standing straighter? Why isn't my head squarely above my shoulders? Why is my chin so saggy?  As I've noted before, the camera puts 10 pounds on you. It just so happens all of it goes to my chin.

At least when I go more full face, it disappears (to a certain extent). The problem here, however, is that as I age, my lips are getting thinner, making me look less like a chess fan and more like an elderly criminal. I totally get why people get collagen injections. 

Hey, maybe if God wants to friend me, he could do me a real solid by making me look 20 years younger. Otherwise, one of these days my chin is going to have its own role.

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