I had a nice surprise in my inbox today, from Universal Extras Ltd, asking if I'd like to be an extra in a movie being filmed in Lincoln! Of course, work-allowing, I'd love to! So, I e-mailed back physical details they wanted (age, height, inside leg, etc), together with a photo of myself, and received a phone call literally seconds later...
A nice man on the phone wanted to know more details:
Is your photo recent? Yes, about a month old.
Is your hair longer or shorter than in the photo? Erm, it's about the same.
Would you be willing to shave your goatee, seeing as it's a period film? Ooh. Uhh, okay then. Didn't they have goatee's in the 19th-Century? Hmm, okay, I'll do it for my art, luvvie.*
Are you able to attend a costume-fitting for 30 minutes, anytime between 21-24 September? Actually, I'm not sure. I need to check my availability with my boss at work tomorrow morning. I only replied to register my interest in principle, sorry.
What about the actual filming days next week? 25-28 September. Likewise.
Okay, well I'll leave you my phone number, so you can get back to me tomorrow -- once you've checked everything at work. Brilliant, that sounds good. Thank you.
My number is [BEEEEEP]. That's not a number, that's you going "beeeep".**
Anyway, that was something out of the blue, wasn't it?!
A bit of internet research on the project, Young Victoria, unearthed a cast list: The Devil Wears Prada's Emily Blunt as Young Queen Victoria, Keira Knightley's boyfriend Rupert Friend as Young Prince Albert, Miranda Richardson as the Duchess Of Kent, Jim Broadbent as King William, Syriana's Mark Strong as Sir John Conroy and Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne.
The film's being directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and has been written by Academy Award-winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park).
I suspect they're filming in Lincoln because the Cathedral was renovated inside to look like Westminster Abbey for The Da Vinci Code. But the real Westminster Abbey is on their location list here, so maybe I'm wrong. Unless they're doing unscheduled pick-ups, or there are areas of Lincoln that perfectly suit the period, but they were initially unaware of.
Anyway, hopefully I'll get the time off work (fingers crossed), then proceed to do my best Ricky Gervais impression around the set, bluff my way to a speaking part, then impress Emily Blunt with my rapier wit and... well, perhaps I'm letting my imagination run away with me!
* I only thought that.
** And that didn't happen.
