Actors respect for the crew..

[Richard Ragon]

I'm sure you guys notice this all the time.. I myself, didn't understand this, until I got on a few (shall we say) higher league films.  When I was on several sets with A-list actors, most all of them have made it a point to go around the set, introduce themselves, and shake your hand.  At first I thought this odd.. I mean, I'm nobody, just your below-the-line sound mixer... but the more I thought about it, the more it makes since.  The truly professional actors know that "the crew" makes them look good.  The make up, the camera, and even the sound...

Not meaning to add to the gossip here, but I found this "open letter to Megan Fox" funny.  Not only can they make you look good, but the whole crew can make you look really bad too.. 

http://perezhilton.com/2009-09-13-megan-fox-slammed-by-transformers-crew

OUCH.

-Richard

[John Steigerwald]

One of my first A2 gigs was on The Best Damn Sports Show when they shot in town a few years ago.  Chris Rose did the same thing the first day.  He went around, shook everyone's hand and introduced himself.  Each shoot day, he'd walk on set and say hi to everyone he saw by name.  I remember thinking that was a guy I'd be happy to work with anytime. 

That open letter is great.  I don't know the man, but it seems to speak volumes about him that the crew would jump to his defense like that.  That, or they just really hated Megan.

A great Henry Rollins quote that is based in the music business, but substitute a few titles and it fits ours just as well.

"Listen to the stage manager and get on stage when they tell you to. No one has time for the rock star act. None of the techs backstage care if you're David Bowie or the milkman. When you act like a jerk, they are completely unimpressed with the infantile display that you might think comes with your dubious status. They were there hours before you building the stage, and they will be there hours after you leave tearing it down. They should get your salary, and you should get theirs."

[Richard Ragon]

Hey, I guess it could be worse really..  Nothing quite like Elizabeth Taylor's on set antics in Cleopatra.

-Richard

[Richard Ragon]

This is from my neighbor and before my time, and I haven't had that much time to research it, but apparently she did crap like leave the entire production hanging while they couldn't locate her.

http://www.cinecittastudios.it/public/_tpl/visual_lib.cfm?attachId=1186

Check page 6, where both new lovebirds were pissing about not showing up to set.. It caused massive amounts of OT!

-Richard.

[John Blankenship]

Up until a couple of years ago, "Cleopatra" was still the most expensive movie ever made (with dollars adjusted for inflation).  It appears to have slipped to number two (scroll down for adjusted list):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_films

http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/18/movies-budget-expensive-tech-media-cx_lr_1214moviebudget_slide.html

"Pirates... At World's End" beats "Cleopatra" by only two million (316.6m to 314.6m).  Of course, depending upon whose production cost figures you go by, "Cleo" may still hold that honor.  Production cost figures are more suspect now than ever before

John B.

[studiomprd]

now, if we want to discuss DEVA's:

Whitney Houston

don't see her in movies anymore, do you??

[studiomprd]

and talking about record budget movies:

I was always impressed when some Universal Executive packed up the wife and kids, and nanny, and flew to Kona in the corporate jet, holed up for a couple weeks in the penthouse of the Mauna Kea Beach Resort, played golf, fished, and tried to figure out why the movie was costing so much...

[John Blankenship]

Nice perspective/retrospective.  Thanks for sharing that.

John B.

[Marc Wielage]

'Cleopatra' was the 'Heaven's Gate' of it's day, it almost cost the studio everything.

Small correction: Cleopatra started a wave of bombs that almost killed the studio. The movies that followed were what added to the chaos... Dr. Doolittle, Hello Dolly, and Star. Fox almost went bankrupt, but were saved in early 1968 by the unexpected hit Planet of the Apes, which mad a fortune.

I know this mainly because I worked on the home video versions of several of these films, and a Fox exec was a good friend of mine in the 1980s and 1990s. He had scores of stories about disasters like this.

Back to the topic: generally the actors I've dealt with have not had "star attitudes" or caused any trouble. There are rare exceptions -- for example, there was the time Faye Dunaway almost tried to kill me -- but that's another story. (Short version: she self-financed a HD short a few years ago, which wound up having a variety of technical issues in post, and I got caught in the crossfire. Not a nice person.)

--Marc W.

[RPSharman]

I have worked with 2 actors who I feel had true disdain for EVERYONE on set.  Separated by over ten years, coincidentally they are now on a TV show together.  One of them, however, has grown out of his anger, as I understand it.  The other, only time will tell.

Actors who bring a dark cloud to set with them truly ruin the joy this business brings to so many of us who love our jobs.  It's a real shame, and I couldn't imagine having to spend 70 hours a week with someone like that.

Fortunately, I find most actors to be courteous toward me and our profession.  Some actors do hate to be wired, and often "blame" us for having to do it.  I'd love to say, "I'd be happy not to radio mic you.  Go and ask the director and DP if they wouldn't mind not shooting your close-up at the same time as the master, or perhaps you can ask the gaffer if he can choose one side or the other for his key light, instead of both or right over the lens."

While I don't expect actors to be my friend, I do expect them to be my colleague and to have a solid work ethic.  We all have a job to do.

Robert

[John Coffey]

Interesting to see this topic after Patrick Swayze died.  I spent 6 months on location with Buddy and he not only knew the whole crew, he partied with us and hung out with us.  He created an atmosphere on that show that made it really fun and the other above the line had no choice but to follow his lead.  I just wanted to mention that.  Unfortunately, that's not the norm in our business.

[Mick]

Just for the record the nicest actors I've ever worked with bar none...Gregory Hines and William Peterson.

[John Blankenship]

Rich,

I'm not so sure I agree.  A lot of what we "get back" in life is based upon what we "give out."  If a person has heard that a specific actor treats people well and is good to work with, the person is more likely to approach that actor with a positive vibe and, therefore, the actor's reaction is more apt to be positive.

If the actor turns out to be a jerk, you deal with it.  I don't think approaching someone with a positive expectation makes them any more, or less, of a jerk.

It's when you demand niceness that you get into trouble.

John B.

[Jim Gilchrist]

Bruce Willis was not in Hook. The incident referred to earlier in this thread occurred during the filming of 12 Monkeys. Mr. Willis did bring it on himself, decrying craft union contracts as the major cause of the decline of the film business, while taking a reported $20 million of the budget from a film reported at the time to have a shooting budget of approximately $40 million while on location in a pro-union town like Baltimore. Perhaps Jay Meagher can shed some light on this, but I can say Willis made no friends in Baltimore and the tire slashing was most likely Teamsters as the rest of the crew had no interest in it going on any longer than absolutely necessary.

Best regards,

Jim

PS: This is my opinion only, and the numbers are my recollection of those reported in the newspaper at the time.

[Jim Gilchrist]

I know that Bruce was not in 'Hook' I only used it as a time reference, but it was while visiting the set of 'Hook' that his tires were slashed.

That's the story as I know it, but I'll accept any corrections.

RVD

Sorry, I misread your earlier post. The Sun and Post both reported tires being slashed during 12 Monkeys as well, if memory serves.

Perhaps only on his exercise trailer, don't remember. There were also reports of balloons full of urine being thrown although not by crew members. He really knew how to get the locals on his side!

Best regards,

Jim

[studiomprd]

He also required that his thinning hair line be expensively enhanced (and at that time, it had to be done by hand, frame by frame!) on his POS "Hudson Hawk"

" He really knew how to get the locals on his side! "

pun intended!!

[John Blankenship]

...but he got on well with RVD!!

That came across as mean-spirited.  Was it meant that way?

Just askin'.

John B.

[Kevin Sorensen]

In my experience, Sam Elliott, has been the nicest and most professional actor I've ever had the pleasure to work with. " We Were Soldier's " was the picture. He would always get to the set early in costume/makeup, completely ready to start the day and knew every crew member by name and say it when he said " Morn'in " to you, followed by a big grin.

[studiomprd]

" That came across as mean-spirited.  Was it meant that way? "

ABSOLUTELY NOT !!

just shows individuality...

heck, Kane-Y West probably still has some friends!!

[David Waelder]

In my experience, Sam Elliott, has been the nicest and most professional actor

Since so many have come forward with examples of positive experiences (Sam Elliott, Patrick Swayze, Gregory Hines, William Peterson) I'd like to mention Nigel Hawthorne. Regrettably, he is no longer with us but he was an extraordinary gentleman as well as a remarkably talented and disciplined actor. He knew the names of everyone on the crew by the second day and most by lunch of the first day. (A feat I barely accomplish by the time the picture wraps.)

Somewhere I have video tape of this actor in his seventies lending a hand to push the Technocrane out of the mud after a heavy rainfall.

David Waelder

[John Blankenship]

While we're giving props: 

The current Miss America (who is from Indiana, I might add), Katie Stamm, is one of the lowest maintenance people I've ever worked with.  She contributed diligently, take after take, both stills and video, never complained a bit about sitting for eons on a hard wooden stool, didn't ask for anything or need any special handling, was game to try whatever we suggested, and gave her all -- a pleasure to work with.

John B.

[John Coffey]

The sad thing is that the stars who are "cool" with crew are the exceptions.  It's a natural reaction to stay aloof to protect themselves because everyone wants a piece of them.  Where I draw the line is the actors who get a big head and become total asses.  We all know them. 

We also bear with them and try to stay clear.  The problem is that the producers coddle the stars too much because they just want to get through their particular project.  Then that actor is coddled over and over again on their next projects until they work themselves out of the business or become complete ingrained assholes for life.

I always thought if I won the lottery, I would love to keep working on shows where I could tell off the star in front of everyone and work my way out of the job market one show show at a time. 

ps.  Some names.  Nobody beats Goldie Hawn or Kurt Russell for keeping a good head on their shoulders. I worked with Willis too on Moonlighting with Bolger and he was a blast, but not when I saw him later on things like Last Boy Scout and stuff with Demi.  Add Tom cruise to the list of big star good guys.  When boom person, Don Coufal lost his child, I believe Cruise flew out the rest of his family on his jet to be together and other nice things...Jeff can give more insight into how great a guy he is.  I loved Dustin Hoffman and Redford too.  Both real people.  Stallone not then, but came full circle now.  I think the TV stars seem to grow into big heads the fastest, but maybe that's just insecurity of worry they'll lose it all tomorrow.

[soundtrane]

I had excellent experiences with Adrian Brody, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Casper Van Dien, Owen Wilson and the truly amazing Angelica Huston. Angelica was on the film for just a few days. The last day of her shoot - she did some 98 retakes of a shot that lasted about 5 minutes. At the end of the day, she searched for me and found me, gave me a big hug and said goodbye.

Casper Van Dien was the principal actor on an American production that I quit after three weeks - because of a truly idiotic and despotic director and a chief AD who started as a good guy and turned sour very quickly. Casper was a great guy, he would find a moment to speak to me and calm me down on the sets after any stupid episode and he was probably the only one truly unhappy about my leaving.

Speaking of TV actors, my experience is that most of them suck at it in the first place (out here in India). "where's my mic?" is the question I am asked many a time - and my answer is "it's above your head, and it is shared by the other actors during the shot."

-vin

[MrDigitaL]

Keanu seems like a pretty good guy.

http://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2003/05/28/keanureeves/

[studiomprd]

" Keanu seems like a pretty good guy. "

for some reason I wasn't expecting that, and was totally blown away with how nice he was, and we got on really well...