The Master

The Master is the newest film by Paul Thomas Anderson, director of Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood, and on its October 2012 release date is expected to make a splash in Hollywood. The Master is A 1950s-set drama centered on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as "The Master" whose faith-based organization begins to catch on in America, and a young drifter who becomes his right-hand man. Based loosely on the story of one L. Ron Hubbard and the founding of Scientology, thought the production company denies it, the film has received some shtick from the Church of Scientology for these reasons. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and these stars are all accompanied by a regular joe in the shape of me. This shape can be seen in the first official teaser released this week. View It Below...41 secs in.

Studying in Hawaii this summer a friend recommended that I join Hawaii's Actor Network, who cast extras for shows such as Hawaii Five-O and ABC's The River. Needless to say I did, and the first casting call I got was for a untitled film, set during WWII. I jumped and got one of the many extra spots to be filmed on a Oahu North Shore beach. They cut my hair to the style of 1950's Marine, and gave me a pair of Khaki shorts the sat at practically above the belly button.


I arrived at the set at about 6am to be dressed, styled and given direction. A group of 60 20 something guys where brought to a beach where we where supposed to act like a bunch of soldiers taking in some R&R. We drank fake beers, smoked cigarettes and through coconuts as though they were footballs. We where the background setting to Joaquin Phoenix who the camera focused on. The scene that is in the teaser where we crowd around wrestlers spawned one of the most hilarious things I have ever heard, not for what was said but for the context.  It was a bunch of extras, as I was, and a star, Joaquin. He said nothing all day. He looked like he had come off a two week bender, weighing maybe a buck 15 and hunched over like an elderly man. When the director was asking for wrestling volunteers, out of know where Joaquin screams, " Who the fuck here wants to wrestle fucking naked!" classic. 


It was a blast, getting paid to sit on a beach, and end up in a Hollywood film. I was surprised how much they used from the scene I was In, I was a afraid it might be cut but it made up the  content of the teaser.