ExHookah on Film

[ExHookah]

I have been selected to feature in the upcoming Showtime series "The Big C"

In the episode I will be involve in, the character played by Oliver Platt has decided to return to playing rugby. I will be playing the part either of a fellow "old boy" rugby player (for which I am not really old enough), or I will be refereeing the match on screen.

I will keep you posted as to the developments, and I will remember all of you when I collect my Golden Globe award for "Outstanding Performance As An Extra In A TV Show".

 

[barker14610]

The Man, the Myth, the Legend

 

[ExHookah]

 

[Simon Thomas]

when they prise my whistle from my cold dead hand.................

 

[ddjamo]

the "big c" is right!

 

[ExHookah]

Oh that was fun!

The day started off slow, lots of walk-by sessions, with each scene requiring a ridiculous number of takes.

Then in the afternoon the fun started, and we spent the afternoon filming what was a full contact training match. Very little simulation however, we essentially spent the afternoon beating the living piss out of each other.

As I am not a union actor, I was not able to play the referee, so I put the Ex on hold for a day and packed down at hooker. Scrums, lineouts, tackling, rucking. I almost forgot how much fun it can be. Took some crash balls, cleared out rucks.

For TV purposes we also reintroduced old-school rucking, and I even emulated Jamie Heaslip during one ruck. :nono:

I am 100% certain that I will wake up tomorrow morning feeling like I was hit by a truck. I will relish every ache and pain of it too! From what my castmates were saying, my years refereeing have developed an absolute cheating *******, and one who hits very hard for someone who has not played in five years.

 

[Dickie E]

As I am not a union actor, I was not able to play the referee

How does this work?

 

[Phil E]

As I am not a union actor, I was not able to play the referee

How does this work?

Was it a speaking part?

 

[ianh5979]

As opposed to all the players who played in absolute silence and followed all the instructions of the referee?

 

[ExHookah]

Was it a speaking part?

The referee role was considered to be a speaking role, as he intervenes during a fight between the lead actor and the lead's brother in law.

So those of us portraying players were a combination of extra and stunt. So we spent some time walking past cars during dialogue (extra) and then some time beating he pulp out of each other (stunt).

It was good to find that I can still scrummage well, and hit lineout jumpers, and tear into rucks at speed.

As opposed to all the players who played in absolute silence and followed all the instructions of the referee?

What was interesting is that some of the scenes we had to do in silence (as silent as possible), and some we were expected to make noise. My opposing hooker and I decided to build up our part slightly, so following a scrum where Oliver Platt stands up to confront his brother in law (who has invaded the pitch), my oppo and I break from the scrum and scuffle with each other. Not sure if we will make the final cut, but it was fun!

Now after five years of not playing, my body is a mess this morning!

 

[ddjamo]

good stuff nick! are you done or is there more filming?

 

[ExHookah]

good stuff nick! are you done or is there more filming?

To be honest, it depends how the series develops. This is the first season, so part of it depends on the viewing figures, and if the show is picked up for more episodes than they are currently contracted for. Then the series will develop depending on the storyline.

If it involves more work like that it will be fun, and perhaps Laura Linney will be involved in more of it, she is a pleasure to work with.

 

[Phil E]

So as an actor are you more like:

Kenneth Brannagh

or

Joey from Friends?

:chin: :biggrin: :wait:

 

[ExHookah]

So as an actor are you more like:

Kenneth Brannagh

or

Joey from Friends?

:chin: :biggrin: :wait:

Probably neither. Probably more like Vinnie Jones.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Oh that was fun!

As I am not a union actor, I was not able to play the referee,

so who did referee it ? In UK we have the same problem, with Equity (Actors Union) and "extras" - equity card holders get repeat fees !

 

[ExHookah]

so who did referee it ? In UK we have the same problem, with Equity (Actors Union) and "extras" - equity card holders get repeat fees !

It was refereed by a guy from NY, who is in the [actors] union. He was coached by me between each take, and still butchered the scrums and signals, but fortunately we were all veterans, so we had it under control.

We were portraying a full contact "scrimmage" rather than a match, so he was portraying part referee, part coach. So it worked out fine.

I was impressed that we managed to do so many scrums, and that Oliver Platt held up well in the ones he was in (we used another guy at Loosehead for a significant number of them). I'm pretty sure that Big Ollie will feel the aches today though!

 

[ExHookah]

 

[DrSTU]

SoCal top?

 

[Robert Burns]

All that time and you didn't point out their flaw that each team must wear the same colour as their team mates?

 

[Simon Thomas]

I know what fun it must have been for you ex-H.

I had the pleasure of being an extra in 1988 for The First Kangaroos with Dennis Waterman playing Albert Goldthorpe - it was nice being with the lovely Rula on set for two days.

Players from a few Old Boys teams were approached by the film company at the Middx Sevens prelim rounds and we readily agreed. Filmed at Fulham's Craven Cottage (only ground that had a victorian stand to replicate Bradford) in summer sun, we waited two days for clouds to appear and had firehoses to simulate rain. Most of the time was with soccer kickabouts & touch rugby, and ogling the actresses, while we waited.

We had a great time, and helped the director (quite a camp chap) by saying the crowd should clap & shout when we ran out, and that we needed a referee in blazer & scarf - they didn't have one cast ! We were all done up in Victorian gear - long shorts, big boots etc.

When it came to action scenes, we had to do a whole series of choreographed scenes (very unrealistic), and we had to be gentle with little Dennis W and the other two actors playing famous rugby league players of the era. But we did also get the director to film some full-on contact and the "film types" were horrified at the knocks and real blood injuries on a few occasions. Give Dennis W his due, he joined in and took a few hard tackles with no complaint.

Some time afterwards we heard RFU was going to discipline us all as we had appeared in a film and played Rugby League, but it never came to anything. Years later I found out that the blazer who complained was told to drop it, as it would be embarrassing to have players from RFU founder clubs "in the dock", and remove some key Combined London Old Boys squad members from their team !