Your experience with famous actors

[David Mullen ASC]

I figure if a big-name actor chooses to sit at the lunch table with the rest of the crew rather than go to their trailer, they are probably OK with chatting with the crew sitting next to them -- unless they get into an important conversation with the director or producer. Some famous actors like nothing better than to tell war stories to the crew.

[Matt Irwin]

When I was a camera trainee, I worked on a film with Charleton Heston. What a pro! He knew everyone's name by the second day, remembered some of the crew's birthdays, always ate lunch with the crew, and rarely went to his trailer. All around very down-to-earth guy.

 

Similar experience with Bill Murray-- He insisted on helping me push a loaded camera cart up a steep hill... I'll never forget that.

[Hans Engstrom]

Well don´t work with many Hollywood stars here in northern Sweden but I worked with Greta Scacchi on a short. She´s a very nice person but it was kind of embarassing when she started picking up and carrying my cases.

[Jason Maeda]

I suppose I've lit just about every big celeberity actor or model I can think of off the top of my head. They have run the full spectrum from total jerk to class act. Oprah still sticks out in my mind as being a total sweetheart. Pam Anderson was...fun. To be honest, very few were really horrible to work with but the people who get burned seem to be those who enter the meeting with expectations.

 

I think beyond professionalism and common politeness I have always treated celebrities just like anyone else and they have responded with returned respect.

 

One very famous male actor who has published at least one book of photographs told me I was lighting him incorrectly while we were on set. It kind of pissed me off but what can you do. I could understand if he had seen a polaroid he didn't like but this was just based on where I had placed the lights and cards etc. I think years of everyone telling you how great you are is bad for the soul.

 

jk :ph34r:

 

btw, interesting story about Max Von Sydow. I've heard of him doing things like that. I also heard that Alec Guiness was from the same hard work, no ego mentality. Winners like that bring respectability to what can sometimes be an unhealthy workplace.

Edited August 8, 2006 by jasonkollias

[Guest rndfilms]

My very favorites are Henry Winkler and Little Richard. Did several sitcom episodes with both gentlemen, and they were consistently wonderful....

[Max Jacoby]

The coolest bunch of actors I have ever worked with were the ones from 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'. Especially Colin Firth is very funny and intelligent on the set. I drove with him, Scarlett and the director to a party in Germany and we spoke about Pasolini the whole ride.

 

Michael Caine is very funny on the set too. I only was with first unit for 2 days (for scenes that my 2nd Unit would pick up later) and he was constantly telling jokes. Which did a lot to lift the mood, since we were shooting in dark, cold flooded sewers.

 

Al Pacino threw a nice party for the whole crew (American actors always do that and if you have several, they always try to outdo each other), but you hardly saw him on set. It's interesting how this whole hierachy thing between actors works. When we were ready to shoot, they'd get Joe Fiennes in. When he was there, Jeremy Irons came and then when everybody was ready, Al would come in, do the take and disappear again.

 

The worst actor I ever worked with was Dolph Lundgren, a royal pain in the ass!

[David Calson]

Should gaffers, grips, pa's take the protocol of 'don't speak unless spoken to' when it comes to actors on the set?

[David Mullen ASC]

Should gaffers, grips, pa's take the protocol of 'don't speak unless spoken to' when it comes to actors on the set?

 

You have to play it by ear, so to speak, because half the time, the actor is trying to prepare for the scene and shouldn't be disturbed. But saying "good morning" to them as they enter the set, whether that leads to some chit-chat, is generally fine, even good manners. I've had actors complain that I don't talk ENOUGH to them on the set -- I get a little wrapped up in problem-solving and forget to socialize enough.

[Arni Heimir]

We have all heard gossip like anyone who looks a star in the eyes is fired. Or a certain directing duo who secluded themselves in an almost fortified video village. I think it must depend on the production itself. In Iceland it is customary to drink wine with lunch (so I heard). (Do Brits or Americans do that as well?) Obviously on a small set people get a little friendly and if the actors don't have a trailer to go into then they must hang around the set.

 

I am sure a little Dive antics is fun to experience first hand.

 

I feel a little left out because, I have never met a international acting sensation in person. Last September I stood two feet away from Clint Eastwood in the gym. But that was it. Didn't really mean anything. He just looked like any other senior citizen working out.

[Wilkin Chau]

You have to play it by ear, so to speak, because half the time, the actor is trying to prepare for the scene and shouldn't be disturbed. But saying "good morning" to them as they enter the set, whether that leads to some chit-chat, is generally fine, even good manners. I've had actors complain that I don't talk ENOUGH to them on the set -- I get a little wrapped up in problem-solving and forget to socialize enough.

 

But I think it's a bit different for you since you're a DOP. In a way you're allowed to talk to the talent more than most people.

 

To answer the question you answered, for the most part IMHO it's better to err on the side of caution and not look at them or say anything. You can't really tell who's approachable and who isn't so be careful. I remember a friend telling me that an actor passed by him once, cut him accidently on my friend's tool belt and tried to get him fired. It was barely even a scratch and it wasn't my friends' fault at all. And I've heard of one actor that does have the rep for firing people on the spot for looking at him. No kidding.

 

On indie sets it's more relaxed and I usually end up talking to everyone, including the talent.

[Chris Keth]

But I think it's a bit different for you since you're a DOP. In a way you're allowed to talk to the talent more than most people.

 

To answer the question you answered, for the most part IMHO it's better to err on the side of caution and not look at them or say anything. You can't really tell who's approachable and who isn't so be careful. I remember a friend telling me that an actor passed by him once, cut him accidently on my friend's tool belt and tried to get him fired. It was barely even a scratch and it wasn't my friends' fault at all. And I've heard of one actor that does have the rep for firing people on the spot for looking at him. No kidding.

 

On indie sets it's more relaxed and I usually end up talking to everyone, including the talent.

 

 

Dude, it's just a common sense thing. If an actors is alone right before a big dramatic scene, you might not want to bother him or her.

 

If they're just arriving, most people like to be greeted. If they just finished a big scene and are leaving before lunch, tell them it was a great scene, it builds confidence and people like it.

 

Actors are people, too, no matter what you've heard.

[Dan Goulder]

Should gaffers, grips, pa's take the protocol of 'don't speak unless spoken to' when it comes to actors on the set?

It's not a bad policy. I've been on set with Robert DeNiro, and when he's on the job, nobody speaks to him. The man is focused like a laser beam. The results speak for themselves.

[Adam Frisch FSF]

In Iceland it is customary to drink wine with lunch (so I heard). (Do Brits or Americans do that as well?)

 

Here in England that definitely used to be the case. Hell, the crews at Pinewood and Shepperton would nip in to the pub at lunch and down a couple of pints and get semi-drunk (which was one of the many things that got Jim Cameron livid during the shoot of Aliens)! But that's all gone now (although the pubs on the lot are still there) - my grip got told off by the producer when he had a shandy (hald beer, half fruit soda) on a hot exterior shoot the other week - something about insurance.

 

But whener one shoots in southern Europe; Italy, Spain, France and the balkans that's not a problem. It's a pity it has become so uptight - I love to have a glass of wine to lunch if I'm allowed to. Sweden, where I come from, is exceptional in this regard - there you're considered a full blown alcoholic in dire need of counseling if you have any kind of drink at all during the week, working or not.

 

I can see why it's probably good practice for the stuntman about to do a dangerous stunt after lunch to refrain from drinking, but what harm could half a glass of white wine do the script girl or the DP? This world is filled with too many don'ts as it is.

[Max Jacoby]

In Iceland it is customary to drink wine with lunch (so I heard). (Do Brits or Americans do that as well?)

Haha, if you give Brits the opportunity to drink, they inevitably get drunk!

 

On French, Belgium and Luxembourgian sets wine is always served on the table (it's part of the culture and it's not even considered to be an alcoholic drink). On the first day of 'The Merchant of Venice', which was shot in Luxembourg wine was being served with the food and all the British electricians got of course completely pissed! When the production found out, they banned alcohol from being served, which didn't make the Continental Europeans happy.

[Robert Goodrich]

In the early nineties I worked a stage production with Kim Hunter. My job consisted entirely of picking up Ms. Hunter at the dressing room, escorting her by flashlight to her entrance, and then doing the reverse at the end of each act.

 

Now I was a huge Planet of the Apes fan, but I didn't dare mention it to her because I didn't know how she felt about being known more for those movies than Streetcar Named Desire. So I just kept my mounth shut and enjoyed our few moments together. She was a complete sweetheart.

 

One night after the show she was met outside by a few fans that wanted her to sign some Planet of the Apes glossies. That same night I ended up, for some reason, driving her back to the private home in Palm Beach at which she was staying. In my Toyota pickup.

 

On the brief drive she mentioned the fans, and I took that as my opportunity to tell her how much the Planet of the Apes movies meant to me. I soon found out that she had great affection for those movies, especially Escape from the Planet of the Apes, because she got to spend so much time with the young chimpanzee playing her child. She told a wonderful story about not seeing the chimp for more than a year, and her tearful reunion with him during a taping of the Tonight Show. But it was obvious that her real reason for having such fond memories of the movies was because she adored Roddy McDowell. She beamed when she spoke of him.

[Guest Tim Partridge]

Has anyone worked with Faye Dunaway? I've heard some of the most amazing stories...

 

I have to say Aaron Eckhart is EXTREMELY approachable and professional. Totally unassuming, not judgemental in the slightest and very much of the "we're one team" mentality.

[Hans Engstrom]

Worked with Peter Stormare last week. He was really funny and down to earth. I was best boy on the feature and when he was done for the day he joined me when I was attaching cloth to a frame (called sail in Sweden, don´t know the correct english term), he even carried it with me to the set.

[Luke Prendergast]

Worked with Peter Stormare last week.

 

Peter Stormares is someone I'd love to work with some day. One of my favorite actors.

[chris dye]

The first film I ever worked on, I lucked into a camera intern position (I believe the position was created for me because I asked). A great experience all around.

 

Anyway, at first, I thought it was a student film or very low budget thing, but it turned out to be a 1 million dollar movie with a few actors and stars that went on to bigger and better things since:

 

Jeff Goldblum (sort of strange in a way, but a nice guy. Took a picture with me)

 

Rory Cochrane (first big role. Nice kid. Took a picture with me)

 

Michael Imperioli

 

Famke Jansen (her debut movie. seemed nice)

 

Samuel Jackson (before he became SAMUEL JACKSON. I remember asking then who he was and what he was in. Answer: he was the guy with the shotgun in Coming to America)

 

Roseanna Arquette (seemed nice)

 

John C. McGinley

 

Natasha Wagner (very cool and down to earth)