I was just an extra and Derek Cecil’s (House of Cards, The Outsider) lighting stand in for a week, but man, this was fun. Great crew. Blythe Danner is sweeter than you can ever imagine. John Lithgow is a national treasure.
I get to set on the third day, and head to the Craft table for my morning coffee. Keep in mind, the role of lighting stand-in is to just be as tall as one of the actors and stand in their place while the crew works through technical details, like lighting and camera angles, so the actors can take that time and be comfortable. We don’t interact with talent, and my position on this set is lower than a potted plant. Behind me, John Lithgow walks by dressed in a hospital gown and underwear and jauntily asks, “How are you doing today, Brian?” And holy crap, Dr. Emilio Lizardo knows my name! Lord Farquaad knows my name! Later, I’m hanging out with him because Derek’s character is standing by his father in a hospital bed, and John getting out of it between takes would have been more uncomfortable than just staying under the covers.
