STRICTLY ON BACKGROUND, PT. 19: "GOTHAM"

Judging by the pieces I've written about background work, you'd think my every appearance was obvious to all who watched.

If only! I spent several hours playing one of many wealthy Penn State alumni/donors in the HBO movie Paterno, starring Al Pacino, only to see it reduced to roughly 5 seconds -- barely long enough to tell my wife, "I think this is my scene!" (But it still allows me to casually drop, "Yes, I was directed by Barry Levinson" in conversation when necessary.)

What the well-dressed Gothmamite
wears to concerts.

Then there's my latest "appearance" on Gotham. After playing a photographer the previous two times, I was now a Gothamite attending an outdoor concert hijacked by the Joker and his merry band of lunatics. Wardrobe provided me with a hat; everything else was mine.

They were shooting next to the Brooklyn base of the Manhattan Bridge. We were told to dress for winter, which is a good thing considering it was January 31. The high was 25, the wind chill made it feel like 19, and we were going to be outside all day. It wasn't until the third hour that I thought, Gee, maybe I should wrap the scarf around my neck instead of letting it just drape. You know, long enough to start coming down with the grippe.

Long shoots aren't unusual, but things weren't helped by the B train rattling across the bridge every seven minutes or so, drowning out the dialogue, and necessitating lots and lots of retakes. If only trains ran this frequently when I'm returning home from late-night shoots.

Initially, I was a spectator on the sidewalk, before joining the crowd in front of the stage. It was a real band, or at least real musicians, playing a live version of the Chambers  Brothers' "Time Has Come Today", and it sounded pretty cool (only a few seconds remained in the final cut). When the Joker suddenly appeared and beat the singer with the base of the microphone stand, we watched aghast.

Here's your chance to play my version of "Where's Waldo?":

Perhaps if I circle myself:

Pretty obvious, right? Like those optical illusions where once you see it, you can't unsee it. 

Here's the hilarious part. While they kept cutting back to this angle throughout the scene (which was spread across almost the entire episode), this was the clearest I looked. I consoled myself by remembering that there are no small background roles, only too many background actors in front of you. 

This is when it pays to be 6 feet tall.

I figured that was my swan song in this episode -- until a few minutes later, when Ben McKenzie (as James Gordon) walked through the crowd as he approached the stage.

That's me, middle of the shot in the rear. My wife was impressed that I was looking appropriately worried at the mayhem unfolding onstage.

But of course! I'm never too cold not to stay in character, even if I do have to circle myself to be seen.

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