Brothers and Sisters and the Australian Diva

Today I was a nurse/volunteer on Brothers and Sisters. The slash is necessary cause I was initially a nurse, but looked young so this one dancer girl and I were volunteers instead. I wore my white Adidas shoes which really hurt my feet. I bought them in 2003 and they look as good as new, so I figured they'd be good nurse's shoes. Not worth the pain though...how come shoes always feel fine in the store and RIGHT when you leave, they hurt your feet? The other volunteer left in the middle of the day to go audition to be a hip hop dancer for an Ed Hardy Holiday party. It was strange. I also learned from an extra that the school system in New Jersey is abysmal and her 23 year-old nephew still does not know how to read. He ended up stealing a couple cars and wound up in jail. It was a sad story cause I guess her sister is a train wreck and the kids really wanted to live with her but couldn't. Looks like Bush's No Child Left Behind Act was in full swing these past 8 years.

I'm a big fan of Six Feet Under so was excited to see Rachel Griffiths, but apparently she is a huge diva. I think it may be an Australian thing cause Poppy on Without a Trace is also very difficult and you can't walk in her eye line. (This seems so funny ever since Christian Bale's explosion on set). Rachel also used to do these breathing exercises before each take that would take forever and drive the crew insane, but she's settled down some this season. A lot of the actors were sick so she was on heavy drugs too that made her completely out of it. I wonder if she was hallucinating...it seemed like it.

The coolest part of the day was walking around on the Disney lot during lunch and seeing them film a special effects scene for Lost. It was part of the plane against a green screen and bits of it was on fire. Very neat. Maybe I should get into special effects. It seemed so fun.

CSI: NY and the Man Who Can't Be My Husband

Today was a pretty funny day because I was paired up with this guy Gabriel and we were supposed to be a couple at a restaurant and we'd get up from the table to reveal Gary Sinise. (I was featured for those who caught the episode). Gabriel put my coat on me and kissed my cheek and was all debonair. We could hear the director laughing and apparently there was a discussion going on about how Gabriel and I must not have been married because he was being too sweet and chivalrous. He was mighty charming if I do say so myself. Though, he was also bitter for not having a girlfriend...apparently he finds himself to be quite the catch but thinks girl judge him for his shorter stature. There were also a lot of half naked girls as part of a sex ring. I always wondered what type of girl was okay with that role....not one of them spoke English as their first language. Makes me think that there are a different set of principles outside of the US.

Without a Trace and the Mysterious Tablet

I had gotten into quite the routine of coming to work on Without a Trace. I had my assigned place by the wall socket to plug in my laptop that I now felt comfortable enough to bring to set. My sister has a slingbox, so I could watch TV on my laptop. Very convenient especially when prime-time shows start. However, today was not like any other day because for some reason, I decided to look in my pocket.

I had bought a new suit a few months ago because I was tired of wardrobe commenting on how the my last suit's jacket was too short or it was too light. I went to buy a nice Theory coal colored pin stripe suit at It's a Wrap which is a store that sells used wardrobe from television and movies. It's about a $600 suit that I got for $70. Not too shabby. But for some reason, I had never bothered to look in the pockets, which were mostly stitched up, until today. I felt a little bump in my right butt cheek pocket and decided to investigate. What I pulled out was a white powdery round tablet about the size of a pill. I showed it to another guy on set and he told me that it looked like ecstasy laced with heroin. ( I later looked up online that they don't lace ecstasy with heroin. ) He also guessed that the pants came from Jennifer Love Hewitt. Apparently I look the same size as her. I was flattered, sure, since she is a size 4 and makes a lot of male top ten attractive bodies lists, but I just had to remind him that I was about 4 inches taller and the pants were not hemmed at all. I was completely floored that I, Mary Howard, had been walking around with ecstasy in my pocket for months! What if I had been stopped by a cop and searched? I believed him of course because frankly, that's exactly what it looked like to me as well. The edges were too powdery to be a regular pill and why would someone have a random pill in their pocket. I also noticed from experience that it was not tylenol or any other form of advil or aspirin which is the only pill that makes sense to have on oneself.

Luckily for us, there was a reformed drug addict on set named Christian who could shine a light on the situation. After his careful analysis of sniffing and scratching at it with his fingernail before licking the debris, he told us it looked like a dry cleaned breath mint. He didn't rule out ecstasy, he just gave us a more likely substitute. I still wasn't convinced. There is only one real way to find out. Any takers?

Samantha Who and the Great Dane

Samantha Who has always been my least favorite show to work on because of the long hours, walk away lunches, and early early call times. Yet today might have been my favorite day of extra work ever. Why you ask? Because there was a Great Dane on set. His name was Bentley and everyone was going Ga-Ga over him. Yet, who did he like best on set? ME! I went up to his owner and befriended her immediately asking her questions and finding out what a great apartment dog he is (so reassuring). I got to hang out with him and pet him for 4 hours, and at the end, he gave me an endearing lick on the face. In one lap, his tongue went from chin to forehead. Onlookers grimaced and ewwwed, but I was in Heaven. I gave him a kiss on the nose, and he went on his way.

What also made this day great was the fact that I saw Charlie again. I hadn't seen him since Race to Witch Mountain. He didn't recognize me of course since he had never seen me out of costume, but after teasing him awhile, he figured it out. He told me I should work on True Blood, and he just happened to have worked in the scene that my friend Deborah worked on. He thought she was amazing, and that everyone else sucked. I had to call her and tell her. Jonathan Dillon was on set as well. I went to high school with him, and then also he transferred to USC film school when I started as well. It's always nice to see fellow Kansans, but he has to be one of the most awkward guys ever. We always end our conversations saying that we should hang out sometime, but we never do. Still, it was good to see him. Also on set I met this cool guy Dan (who looks like Mos Def) and also Rebecca (Becky) who I had met previously on The Amazing Miss Novak. We walked over to Trader Joes and McDonalds during our lunch and got food and a McFlurry. I usually don't eat during walk away lunches, but felt the need to be social. We became quite the trio, especially when we worked together again on Ghost Whisperer, but I'll get to that later.

There was a scene we did at a funeral later in the day. I was in a nice maroon sweater and dress pants and had my hair up. I feel the need to describe my appearance because of what happened during that scene. I was standing in my place as we were about to role when I heard the director shout, "What's the one who looks like one of us doing in the shot?" The 2nd Director came up to me quickly and told me to walk in to frame instead. I guess I look like a crew person. Which makes sense, I suppose since I went to film school. I just never knew that we had a "look". I glanced around the room trying to decipher what it was about me that differed from all the other extras. Besides the smile and happy disposition, I thought I fit in. Maybe it was the fact that I was young and happy and comfortable on set. Or maybe only crew people wear their hair up and extras are required to wear it down...who knows. But this is not the first time I have been confused with a crew person rather than an extra, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

NCIS and the Evil Wardrobe Guy

This may have been my 5th or 6th day working on NCIS and all the days pretty much blur together with the exception of my first day in which I was given the nickname "Doctor" by a crew member who was amazed by my medical jargon because I knew that you weren't supposed to eat grapefruit while on Lipitor. (Pretty common knowledge especially if you have parents with high cholesterol.) After realizing I was smarter than the average background performer, a fellow extra decided to hold a conversation with me in which he quizzed me about the evolution of extinct species and then proceeded to answer his questions in what could only have been a one-sided conversation. I have avoided him since.

I have never really cried on set before...walking to my car, yes, but never have I lost it while I'm working... until today. NCIS has never been my favorite show to work on because I have to wear my suit all day and I'm usually the youngest by a good twenty years. Jesus...I must look 30 again. Also, since I am the youngest, I feel as though I am the target of George the Wardrobe guy's wrath. He hates my suits. I used to wear a grey one, but he always complained that the jacket was too short, so I went out and bought a new one especially for him. I wore it last time I worked, and he okayed me. Didn't say a thing. For once, I didn't have to borrow a jacket from him that is long enough to cover my ass which I'm sure must be intimidating to a gay man such as he. Sure, my new suit wasn't that long...after all I do want to appear youthful and not plumpy, but it was longer than my last and much more flattering if I do say so myself. The fact that he didn't make me change did wonders for my confidence. A confidence that he demolished when I wore that same exact outfit this beautiful Valencia day.

It was supposed to be a short day and my friend Cindy was going to be on set, but when I arrived, I was informed that there was going to be a wardrobe change. Of course, on the one day I didn't bring any back up because I hadn't had the chance to wash my dress shirts (which the Wardrobe guy hated anyway.) I was terrified, but I figured this is his job. He LOST it. He started patronizing me from the beginning telling me how unprofessional I was, and he asked if I wanted to go home. I told him no. Then he proceeded to tell me that my suit jacket was too short and starting sighing with frustration because I was actually going to make him work. He told me, "You always do this." I said, "No, this is my first time." "No, you always come unprepared. What did I give you last time to wear?" That is when I got offended..."Um. This is exactly what I wore last time, and you okayed it so I thought it would be fine today." "That is not what you wore last time." "Yes, yes it is." He then handed me off to his assistant proclaiming in a huff, "Here, you deal with her. I can't handle this anymore." I was hurt. Never have I been so insulted. His assistant was very nice however. He let me wear what I had on for one change and gave me a jacket and a blouse for the other. I told him that he never liked what I brought, so why bring anything. His assistant was very sympathetic, but that didn't help the waterworks that came when I left the trailer. I ran to crafty for some food with Cindy in tow trying to brighten my day. Useless. I wanted to get out of there, and finally 3 hours later, I did, hoping to never return.

Without a Trace and the Stalking of Lee Pace

I was working Without a Trace once again, but today instead of staying cooped up inside during my walk-away lunch, I decided to take a stroll through the Warner Bros. Backlot. I have a path that I take to get to the gift shop where I have been known to waste many a paycheck on discounted DVDs or Anamaniacs cels. I pass by the set of Chuck hoping to see Zachary Levi and pray for the slightest chance that he will remember me for once and ask me how I've been, and then I walk up past the Pushing Daisies set hoping to see Lee Pace. If I ever did see Lee Pace, I had sworn to my friend Kate that I would not only get his picture, but also give him her phone number. She believes they are destined to be together from their laid-back nature to their love of board game nights. She even cries whenever she sees him on TV because she thinks he is such an amazing artist. Pathetic, I know, but completely understandable. He is adorable. And would you believe who I saw while passing by? Kristin Chenoweth and her tiny dog......and Lee Pace in his cute little Pie Maker apron. I stayed calm and kept walking as I reached for my cell phone and scrambled to dial Kate. She didn't answer at first so I had to call my mom in order to release my couped up energy and excitement from seeing him. Kate dialed in while I was talking to her after listening to my message. She was going mental. She was insistent that I go up and talk to him and hand him the phone so she could as well. I did not have the balls for that insane feat..not everyone can go up and talk to celebrities with such ease as Miss Kate Gorman. In fact many of us have something called nerves that intensify into a strangle-hold when we come into proximity of something or someone too amazing for one person to handle alone. We decided that I had to at least take his picture. Terrified of bringing any attention to myself, I decided that I had to take a picture while pretending to talk on my phone. Not an easy task to do with a cell phone camera. The timing had to be perfect and the zoom prepared before passing. I walked by him 3 times in order to get this pic. I would have done 2 more laps, but how inconspicuous can I be if I'm parading by him constantly on my phone. I thought 3 times was pushing it. You can kind of see his left profile. Not an amazing picture, but still, he is there, and it made Kate's day. Now that the show is cancelled, I no longer have the opportunity to stalk him, and am very thankful for this one chance.

Bones and the Fire

My 2 day stint on Bones was not exciting, except for supplying my nerdiness with the chance to see Freaks and Geeks star John Francis Daley who looks just as he did when he was 14, except taller. What was exciting was my drive home at 1 am on the 405 freeway. I got to witness my first brush fire up close and personal. The 405 south was just closing and the north was soon to follow. The fire had just started. It was crazy because while I was driving I could see that the sky looked a bit redder than usual, and then I started smelling smoke and my car became a sauna before humongous flames 25 feet high or more suddenly appeared on the hills right by the Getty Center. It was beautiful. My inner pyromaniac was in awe, until I realized I was afraid of fire and quickly drove by terrified that some flying embers might catch my car on fire. I made it back safely, but not unscathed because the smoke had irritated my sensitive throat and I became hoarse for a few days. Well worth the pictures though, and I shall never forget the intensity behind one of nature's most beautiful disasters.