Just skimmed thru the FNL thread here and figured there's enough fans of the show that post on here that might get a kick out of reading this. I just posted this on another forum that I frequent and figured I'd just copy and paste the shyt here to share...
I can keep posting more stories here as they come to me as well
We started covering the topic in the Minka Kelly thread, but to avoid derailing it anymore than I already have (sorry about that guys lol) I figured I could just move those stories into this thread and continue expanding and adding as they come to me.
I was one of the lucky few that was a "premiere extra" meaning I was a part of the football team and football players and cheerleaders constantly got booked for scenes through out the entire shooting season, where as 80% of the extras used were "day players" and usually would just work that day for a quick check and they'd just keep the revolving door going with people.
But being a premiere extra was awesome in the sense that all of the main characters got to know you and you'd be seeing these people several times a week for 3 months. So you'd have ample opportunity to get to know these people for all of their awesome and ****ty traits.
For anyone curious about how I landed the gig:
The lady who ran the casting company behind FNL was Beth Sepko. Called her and got in her good graces maybe 4 months before moving to San Marcos. Spoke just enough I felt I had my foot in the door enough when she slid me her personal e-mail, I slid her headshots and a non existent resume and never heard back from her. Fast forward 3 months and one of Beth's assistants gave me a call asking if I could be in Austin and start as a premiere extra the following week, so I moved a lil early and lived in hotels for about 2 weeks until my SM lease started.
Awesome, awesome job though. You'd get your schedule at the end of every week and you would work anywhere from 2-4 days for 2-6 hours for $80 checks/day on non-dress up shoots (any scene you don't wear a jersey) but ANY day we wear a jersey, no matter if it's a pep rally, locker room, practice, you get $170 for the day. On nights we shot games, you'd still get $170, but you're guaranteed nothing less than 12 hour days. So those were really the only days everyone felt hassled. (shooting a rain game was one of the top 10 worse nights of my life lol)
But overall, I owe a lot of where I am now to FNL because you meet SO many people in the game whether their upcoming writers, directors, actors, producers, musicians, etc. So I was able to network the sh1t out of that opportunity. (Not to mention it was a GREAT way to meet girls for being someone new to a city)
You can see me quite a bit through out 3rd season if you know where to look
My personal take on all of the main actors:
Riggins
He was a real cool guy (although quite a bit into himself). He was like the silver spoon fed rich ass president that tried to appear as "just one of the normal folk" come campaign time, if that made any sense? But from time to time you may find yourself having a real moment with him where he truly was just one of the guys.. For instance, we had to travel to shoot an away game at some particular stadium which had us traveling about an hour out. We're all loading on the bus, I'm in the very last seat, and lo and behold - Taylor plopped down next to me. He'd dive into how exactly his life had changed since the show and this was RIGHT at the time he found out he landed his role of Gambit. He opened up about how much of a fan he was of Gambit in the comics and cartoon growing up and that him finding out he got the part was the biggest "Holy sh1t" moment for him. That was a real cool day.
Saracen
Straight up bytch. Dude was a prima donna, difficult at times and all around awkward. He of all the people in the cast, had a stuck up attitude towards all of the extras for whatever reason. Trying to make conversation with him was a tall task. There was a real camaraderie amongst the main actor football players and football extras. Everyone cracked or exchanged jokes, but with Saracen it was like talking to an open locker. He'd never eat with the extras when the other stars would, gave people blank stares if asked a question, and other little things that just added up through out the months.
Get this:
We're shooting a game one night where Saracen makes the big touchdown throw last minute. He runs off field and the entire team smothers him with praise and celebration. This bytch STOPS the take, runs off and complained that one of the extras slapped him on top of the helmet... and got the extra FIRED
If any of you have played full-pads football... then you should know exactly what it feels like to simply get slapped on your head whilst wearing a helmet. The dude that got fired was really cool too and didn't even deserve a warning much less getting the boot. So ever since then, I'll prob forever refuse to support anything that guy is in.
Landry
Jesse Plemons is AWESOME. He was easily the most down to earth of the cast. It really felt like he was just another one of the extras. We would all have little side games that we'd play amongst us extras to keep everything entertaining and he was the only one of the principle actors that would take part in them. Ex: I started a game we'd play on game nights during some of the two-hour windows of down time called "Getting Got" where you're talking to someone face to face, and someone else gets on all fours behind said person and you quickly nudge to trip them backwards. Then you yell "YOU GOT GOT" and everyone points and laughs. Well Landry decided to get ME got hahaha Thus throwing his hat into the ring.
Coach Taylor (and his wife)
Connie Britton looks stunning in person. I never really found myself in many scenes/situations where I was able to talk to her, but the little interaction I did she was always pleasant. Kyle Chandler was a REAL cool ass dude! This guy easily took his craft more serious than anyone I saw on set. He was constantly off to the side getting his emotions and lines ready with himself. Most certainly a method actor. But during down time, he was always open to chat and fool around with the boys. It actually felt like a coach-to-player relationship with little zings here and there (and nothing like a Sandusky coach-to-player relationship). My mom being obsessed with him ever since Early Edition, Chandler green-lit the opportunity to flash this flick for one of the Madre's framed birthday presents..
McCoy
........Too much to type lol But in a nutshell, this guy had NO SENSE. He was one of the most immature, too forward, brash, cocky, no self-censored, and more sadder persons I've met. I blame him not having a normal child-hood growing up.. He just lacks every aspect of being "common" or dare I say "normal". But it was sad because you could tell he tried so hard to fit in with the gang.. whether it was the other stars or the extras. But every time you hung out with dude, he'd do or say something that just had the entire room-status.. For instance: That first pic with McCoy in it that I touched on about him trying to holler at that extra??? He was literally judging all three girls in front of them. like "You're too short for me.. not sure if I dig your nose either...... You? you just seem like you'd be a bytch.... but I'd definitely take you out!" and then laid down the game "You look like you'd be a hot cartoon that I'd want to f##k.. but if only you had bigger t*ts..." And honestly tried to get this girls number after lol. Another time, me and several other extras were going out to eat at Olive Garden Halloween weekend and we got McCoy to tag along and meet us up there. We were all underage at the time, so we all chilled in one of the extras SUV's and downed some beers before going in, McCoy included. Came down to everyone splitting 2 beers each that we drank in maybe a 15-20 minute time span before going in... 10 minutes after being seated, this kid is OFF HIS ROCKER. He was literally humping everything in the room. The tables.. the chairs with girls sitting in them.. the windows... the door way frame... And I don't think he was actually drunk or anything like that. It started out funny and then just got embarrassing.. quick.
Pic from that night:
Lyla
One night we shot a house party scene and they had us surrounding a keg for a good hour or so in which the director thankfully placed Minka right next to me and I about melted. She's INSANELY sexy and gorgeous, even more or so in person, and was INSANELY funny and sweet which made me that much more enamored with her. Kind of flirty too.. Had me feeling like I actually had a chance to pull something hahaha but I had to set my feet back in reality as she just seems to naturally have a charm to her..
Julie
Im not sure how old she was, but she was easily the more immature of the three hawt chickas. I always sensed some of the crew would get impatient with her more often than anyone else. We were involved in quite a bit of scenes, but never really felt compelled nor had the open chance to get in some conversation with her. She was sort of all over the place. Regardless, she seemed very sweet and didn't come off as a prima donna or anything in that nature.
Tyra
Yeah she came off as the most down ass chick from what I could tell. Seemed like she'd be great to party with and didn't really have the lead actress complex that most have in the bidness. We joked about cracking a six pack open in her trailer after she was picture wrapped for the day one time which is prob my personal hi-lite with her lol. Her only downfall? Ass is non-existant. [And by DAC I meant more or so down to earth. Maybe DTF too, you never know. Like she was open about murry jew wanna and just didn't have that holier than thou approach at the common thrills in life. ]
Street / Smash
I wasn't ever booked for any scene Street was a part of, but I met Smash a few times.. Never got the chance to ever really talk to him, but he seemed cool. I recall some of the extras that worked season 2 that had high praises for him.
The Masturbator
Funny Story
I forget which episode (in season 3).. but you know the game where Coach Taylor got kicked out and ejected and had to leave the game??? During that very game, production got held up because some impatient moron extra couldn't wait to get home and got arrested for jacking off in the parking lot during filming. SMH.... So... Next time you go through the season... And you see that episode... Just know... as Coach was being kicked out.... there was illegal shaft stroking going on somewhere a mere 200 yards from the action. Just want to cement that mental image... for every... single... viewing.........
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I can keep posting more stories here as they come to me as well
Definitely post more stories. Were you in every season?
That's my TV show...
