Sa'ar's brush with Stargate

[Sa'ar Chasm]

As most of you don't know, I'm gainfully unemployed right now (jobhunting with a Masters degree is profoundly unrewarding). Since I have so much free time, I decided to be an extra on a movie that's being shot in Kelowna. It's an indy film called The Beast of Bottomless Lake, based on our local lake monster, Ogopogo. The location shoot of the scene I was in wrapped at 1, so I offered my services as a general schmoe for the rest of the afternoon, since someone had said they needed more pairs of hands. I thought I'd be schlepping stuff around and otherwise participating in the magic of filmmaking, but instead I got a makeover and sent into the shot again as an extra. They went to considerable pains to make me look different from my earlier shot (hair gel, makeup, mascara...I don't think the stars got that much attention). They were trying to make me look like a geek (which shouldn't require all that much work), and sculpted my hair into this ridiculous comb-over. I said all I needed to complete the look was a pair of dorky glasses. Five minutes later, another extra shows up...with the exact same hairstyle and a pair of dorky glasses. I had a good time working on the film, even though I didn't get paid (this is a no-budget production).

Now, the Stargate connection. The star of this film is David Nykl, who plays Dr. Radek Zelenka on Stargate: Atlantis. He's a neat guy, very funny, and not suffering from any form of star ego. During the setup for one shot, the director was instructing the extras to do exactly what we had done earlier in the day. David chimed in with "Only better", complete with mock scowl. I cheekily saluted and said "Yessir!". At the end of the day, when I was allowed to pester him, I told him it had been nice working with him, or at least being in the same frame as him. Then I said I wish I watched Stargate, and he gave this profound sigh. That may not have been the best thing to say. he chatted with me and a couple of other extras for a bit, then shotgunned a ride back to the hotel with someone who was leaving then. I'll add him to the list of famous people I've met.

[Nate the Great]

You should've asked him to say something in Czech.

I really haven't met anyone famous. The most famous person I've even been in the same room with would be...sigh. I opened a door for the president of my university once and he said thanks, does that count?

[Nan]

Originally Posted by Sa'ar Chasm

Then I said I wish I watched Stargate, and he gave this profound sigh. That may not have been the best thing to say.

He's probably afraid of the inevitable typecasting that results form being on a popular SF series.

Also, the fact that it took a great deal of makeup to make you look like a dork warms the ol' cockles.

[catalina_marina]

^Well, he may be a geek, at least he doesn't look like one.

[Celeste]

Hmm.. someone I've met who was famous. Oh! I know. When I was in Disney world I met Cinderella. BEAT THAT.

Actualy, in all honesty i've only met localy famous people. Like the Dancing Cop of Rhode Island. We were hunting Christmas trees and he was on the hay ride with us.

[Nate the Great]

People who are going to be insulted for having a scifi role thrown into their faces shouldn't accept the role in the first place. If I accepted a TV role (very unlikely), I'd assume that it was a role I wouldn't be offended for being identified with. It's that simple.

[catalina_marina]

I can imagine it may annoy you after a couple of years.