I have an experience, to relate, about Tom Hanks. From the movie, “Big”.
I acted, in a scene, with Tom Hanks.
Um, hm.
And, Tom and I shared a dressing room.
Um, hm.
At the same time.
Um hm.
(Exceptionally unusual, BTW, in “the business”.)
And, no, we did not.
Um, em.
(If that’s what you are wondering…watch those assumptions, Bud.)
“Our” little acting scene was shot on location, in NYC… An “interior” in an office setting; they used an authentic large-scale office space in a full-staffed, multi-room with multi cubicles, advertising agency… in a midtown Manhattan skyscraper.
In the middle of a New York, work-week.
For the “Big” film set– a not-so-big-area was sectioned off.
…With temporary cardboard walls, tall grey ones held together by gaffer’s tape.
Even though it looked like a reception area, it wasn’t the authentic one. That one was in operation, on the other side of the building, and the halls really went as far as you could see.
As a matter of fact, the “real” business day was going on all around us; actively, using most of their regular work space.
Which put a whopping limit on the normal acreage that a film crew normally uses, and needs to shoot.
What for?… Props, and sound, and camera equipment, and electrical stuff, and of course, ‘hair + makeup’ trailers/rooms, wardrobe storage, and…
…Dressing rooms.
‘Hair + makeup’ was planted, literally, in the hall. It was a makeshift set-up, just outside the reception-area-set…
There was a chair, for the actor to sit in, and an area where the makeup person had all their large toolboxes that open into mini-stairs of all the colors, brushes, sponges. And there was a mirror with the lights around it. As I remember, it was smack in the middle of a hallway, and there were employees of the real agency, coming-and-going, around us.
Overall, the production had one big multi-purpose room.
That is, aside from the actual shooting set.
In real life, I think it was a small conference room.
I remember the long table, with chairs around it.
All the other actors hung out there; actors from other scenes in “Big” were there, as well… as each scene wrapped, another one would begin. So, it was a ‘talent’ holding area.
I had a two or three day hold, there, altogether. Lots of waiting, but much better pay…
There were racks of clothing was in there, it was also ‘the “Big” wardrobe room’.
And, it was also the only dressing room, on set…
Tom and I were the only ones, in our particular acting scene, that even had “wardrobe”.
The other people in the scene, except for the younger actor, (friend-of-”Josh Baskin”) were “extras”, professionally called “background”.
Usually, even those with “special bits” arrive and work in their own clothes.
Often those clothes are approved in advance, by the costumer. Sometimes background-players are advised what type of outfit to bring, and are asked to bring a optional changes, the morning of the shoot.
It’s unusual for an actor ‘with a speaking part’, to wear his/her own clothes, when acting professionally.
Jared Rushton, who played that friend, in “Big”, did. I remember that a wardrobe person told me that they felt that Jared looked great in his own choices; and that they couldn’t have dressed him better, than he did on his own.. in his real life… : }
(And, his acting was as natural as his clothes, wasn’t it?)
So, Jared didn’t need a dressing room.
That left only two people in that entire Manhattan high rise, on that day, in need of two changing rooms…in a crowded office building in the busiest section of a city that doesn’t have a definition for private space…
- Tom Hanks, an actor who had recently become a household name across America
- Dana Kaminski, an aspiring actor who very few had heard of, but luckily had worked with the director’s brother, Garry Marshall, prior…
(Secretly, our unknown actress was, a tinch sullen, but no one could tell….perhaps, that is a story for another time.)
Here’s ‘Our’ Acting Scene, In The Movie, “Big”
I don’t think anyone that worked on that movie could have predicted that it would become as popular as it did, and has remained.
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…This post a teaser, an intro, for two topical posts; that I have on deck, for the blog.
The upcoming posts don’t have much to do with me, except, I’m the writer….
They do, have everything to do, with Tom Hanks.
Um hm.
Best,
;Dana
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