reeltime

On Monday of this week I got a job being an extra on the HBO series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” The shoot took place at a Santa Monica restaurant, Matteo’s, which was once co-owned by Frank Sinatra. I showed up before the appointed time, dressed in a conservative navy suit and carrying a change of clothes, as was requested, and parked in the Westside Pavillion lot.  A shuttle taxied the numerous extra to the set on Westwood Blvd. After checking in with the assistant director in charge of wrangling the extras, I went to wardrobe, and the lady asked if I would change into my sport coat and khakis because lots of other people were wearing dark suits and she liked that my coat was a little different. I went to the men’s room and awkwardly riggled out of the suit and into the alternative suit of clothes, and waited. After not such a long time we were brought downstairs and seated at different places in the restaurant — I was at the bar. And finally the cast arrived, including Larry David, Jeff Garland, Susie Essman, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, and the shooting began. There were lots of takes and re-takes. The cast improvises the dialogue, so over the course of the shoot the lines always varied. Later on, I was chosen to walk into the frame just as Larry was walking toward other actors in the scene — so I could almost say I did a scene with Larry David, although that’s stretching it a little. Later on, guest star Christian Slater showed up on the scene, but by then it was time to leave after 12 hours on the set.