Word...

To My Brother...

Hi Bill,

I hope all is well in Maine. I just wanted to drop you an email to let you know that I had attended an early premiere last night of the Public Enemies movie here in Madison.

They had a fund raiser for the Non Profit Wisconsin Film Institute and sold tickets to both a premiere pre-party and also just to the premiere of the movie itself.

Josh bought me a ticket to the movie premiere for fathers day, and also one for himself and his girlfriend... Then Roylene bought one for herself, and we also picked one up for David and his new girlfriend so they could be with us as well... I had a pretty good entourage with me to see if I made the cut or not.

I am happy to say that about 15 minutes into the movie, at the far left side of the screen...

My nose makes an appearance... :)

Followed by the rest of my face... ;)

I managed to actually show up a couple of different times during the congress scene in the film, where Hoover (Billy Crudup) is petitioning congress for money to create the FBI.

Had they not moved me up to that table, instead of leaving me as an audience participant, I don ' t think I would have made it into the movie, or if so, I would not be as easily identified.

During that scene, I can be seen right in the middle of the action (center screen) between Billy Crudup who plays J. Edgar Hoover, and one of the other actors portraying a lawyer.

Also, just a reminder that if you should go, that when I do show up in the scene, I am sans mustache and all facial hair... I am also sporting a very short haircut as well.

( I have attached a couple of pictures that were taken when I got home from the actual filming... just to give you something to reference...)

The movie was pretty good. The filming techniques took a little while to get use to. The story was very good, almost biographical... Lots of Wisconsin scenes in the movie, and a lot of Machine Gun Blasts... I think David Letterman said "You get you moneys worth of muzzle blasts".

It's sort of weird seeing your head as big as a house, but it was very cool to finally see this whole experience come to fruition...

On a related note, there was lots of stuff happening in Oshkosh yesterday for the premiere, and they opened the new museum exhibit, so that will be really cool to go to when you come to visit...

Here is a nice website with more information of what has been going on there...

http://www.thenorthwestern.com/

Needless to say it was a very long night...

Take care,

Greg

Surreal...

How does one describe 16 months of anticipation in one word... Surreal. Tonight at the local Madison Wisconsin Premier of the film Public Enemies I saw the whole process come to fruition... when 15 minutes into the movie my nose made its first appearance ;) followed by the rest of my face... not just once, but several times in the court room scene when J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) pettions congress for money to create the now FBI...

I cant believe I made it... Me... on the silver screen....

Fate smiles down on me...

So, I make the call to the number listed, and talk to a gentleman named Steve. I identify myself, and why I was calling... there is a rustling of papers, a brief pause, and then a "Ahh yes, Greg" here we are...

Then as if reading from a script, or rote from a call that has no doubt been placed thousands of times before... Steve asks me if I was still interested in a role as a movie extra for the upcoming Public Enemies movie... To which I immediately and automatically blurted out "yes, would I!"

He explained that the film is based on the story of John Dillinger, and that the film is set in the 1930’s. There would be a wardrobe fitting, and a hair cut to reflect the style of that era. He then asked again, is this something that you are willing to do? Again, I responded with an enthusiastic "yes".

He explained that they would be filming a congress scene in Madison in early May. That I was selected to be one of the audience background extras in the scene, and it could run one or two days, depending on the filming schedule. The date and exact location was not yet set, but I would be notified closer to the date of the actual date and place of where to report.

The next step was for me to set up a date and time for a wardrobe fitting and a hair cut.
He explained where I would need to report, and what to bring. He asked that I arrive early, as there was also paperwork to complete. I was to bring a current government issued ID, and a social security card. I would become an employee of the casting company… Uncle Sam would be wanting his cut…

Wow, I am going to be a movie extra in a Michael Mann movie starring Johnny Depp, AND get paid for it?? Wow, the gods really are smiling down on me.

He provided me with directions of where I should go for the fitting, and said I should arrive at wardrobe wearing a clean white T-shirt, black pants and dark shoes. Oh, and by the way, I should be clean shaven… I explained that I had a mustache… "Oh" he says, "you are going to want to get rid of that"

This was the only speed bump for me in this process thus far… I come from a family that is long on hair, but is short on lips… We have those pencil thin, almost non existent lizard/chicken lips… and until now, I have successfully hidden that fact from most of the world for the past 20 some years… Now all would be revealed… So long mustache, so long soul patch, hello obscure once in a life time major motion picture movie appearance… Was it worth it?

Hell yeah it was worth it! Dam the torpedoes, full speed ahead…

Now where did I put that razor…