On Set.... Detroit 187-How I got invited to the Wrap party.....

courtesy of ABC

                   I have to say, I am dying to tell you all the juicy details of the wrap party for Detroit 187. First of all you need a little background on how I even was invited. For the last year or so I've been a doing a little "acting". I don't think I can call myself an actress, but I have been paid for lines in a movie so maybe I am.  My significant other is on the show since the first episode and he kept bugging me to become a uniform police woman, which is a recurring role (and pays more). Finally with only 6 episodes to film, I said yes. Of course, everytime we got an availablity check from RealStyle (our extras casting agency), we put in for the same days. It seemed like we were never going to work together.

              My first gig on set was hilarious and totally embarrassing (at least to me). First thing I had to do was check in, then go see wardrobe where you need to tell them your size. I have gained some pounds this year and I was mortified. He gives me the pants, shirt, tie, boots etc and directs me to the "changing room" which is a white tent. Cool, no problem, no mirrors. I put on the pants and there is NO WAY IN HADES they fit close enough to zip up. There is probably a three inch gap between the button hole and button. I get dressed again and ask for a pair of men's pants. Bad idea, These were so tight in the butt that I couldn't even them over my assets. So I go ask Steve again for new pants, and a new belt. Of course, he told me I was a pain in his ass, and I said yep but it gets even better!

Moi, on set..



          I put on the pants and belt, and barely got it zipped up. The shirt fit, so after tucking that in and doing my belt, I had to put on the boots. The pants and belt are so tight that I am in PAIN bending over tying the boots up. I actually started SWEATING just getting dressed. Can you imagine the horror. My pants were literally up to my waist; I could have used my utility belt as a bra and let us talk about the pants. They were so awful I should have played 1970’s porn star cop. They were horrifyingly tight in the butt and every time I bent over I got a wedgie. Awefulllll.


            After I went to props to get my badge and gun, I knew I was in trouble when I had to go to the bathroom. Sure enough, the utility belt that has your walkie-talkie, tazer, gun etc weighs about 2 pounds.  I could not get my pants zipped up. Sweating again, I have to find our props guy and have him zip me up. Ugg. The rest of the day wasn’t so bad, we sat around A LOT, and I read and tried to recline on the chair so the belt wouldn’t pop off again. God I love being an extra.
            The next episode, we again tried to get on set and we got booked for one shot in the bar. This was pretty eventless and who knows if you will ever even see me on the show, but I do it for the money. Being an extra truly won't get you a line but everyone hears of that one person winning the lottery and getting an upgrade. It almost never happens kids. Sorry.

waiting...

            My third and final episode found us sitting in a church for 6 hours doing nothing, then crafty left after two hours so we didn’t even have anything to drink. Finally, we were called on set. We were in an alley by the church where we started to get frostbite immediately until we realized the police car we were next to was on. Hallelujah. It was heaven…until we had to get back out. I felt bad for the "dead guy" who probably got hypothermia from lying on the cold ground for hours. I have never been so happy to get off of set. My thighs were so cold, it took over 2 hours for them to thaw out. But hey, money is money! Extra work can be fun, but its not for everyone!


Comments

James Feaheny said…
Great article Hope! I did 4 episodes as an extra and 1 as a Stand-in on D 187. I didn't make the cut for last Saturday's wrap party :(

I had fun on each of the 5 days I worked on the show. Now we all wait 3 months to find out whether the show gets a 2nd season.
Unknown said…
Thanks alot for the post James...It was alot of fun....
Heya Hope. Here is an example of what the code I gave you does. Ü
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