My Milk scene

I'm concerned that many of my friends are going to watch Milk and are distracted because they are watching for the scene I am in. I don't want you missing important scenes while you try to pick me out in the crowd scenes.

Don't call me self-absorbed. Already, two people have told me this. Now, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I can help you narrow down your search. I'm in the scene where Scott and Anne (James Franco and Alison Pill) walk into San Francisco City Hall to go to the memorial for Harvey there. As the camera pans around to show that only a few people showed up to the memorial, I'm standing in the back as an usher, next to a pillar.

My friend, Karen, was watching for me and knew exactly where to look, but still said she couldn't pick me out. Ah, the miracles of Hollywood makeup artists. It's probably because of those wicked cool sideburns they put on me. Or because I was just a blur in the background for a millisecond.

Anyway, I blogged about the whole experience back when it happened, if you want to read more.

My Own Private Matt Damon Fantasy

Last Saturday, Robert and I drove up to the Castro to go to the open auditions for the Harvey Milk movie. The producers are casting some local people in a few small speaking roles. I thought it'd be fun to give it a shot.

At long last, the movie about the murdered gay rights hero is going into production. Gus Van Sant is directing. Years ago, Robin Williams was supposed to play the lead role. I guess he's grown too old to play Harvey. Now, they've cast Sean Penn.

I can't really picture Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, but he's a good actor, so I guess he'll pull it off. I thought he might be too young for the role, but he's 47, just one year shy of how old Milk was when he was killed. I just hope he doesn't play the role as Sam of I am Sam. Or worse yet, as Jeff Spicoli.

"More people have been slaughtered in the name of religion than for any other single reason. That, my friends, is totally bogus!"

Also rumored to be cast in the film was Sexiest Man Alive, Matt Damon. So, I had fantasies that I'd be cast as Matt's love interest and we'd get to film a steamy sex scene. But alas, he was all set to play the murderous Dan White, so all hopes of steam sex scenes were quickly extinguished. And now I just read that Damon pulled out, er, prematurely, because of a scheduling conflict. He swore that that had never happened to him before.

Damon doesn't look anything like White either, though I think I see a little cleft chin on both of them.

They never did tell us anything about what roles they were casting, so we can't feel bad that we didn't make it to the callbacks. Maybe they were looking for massive bears or brutal looking leather men. Or gym bunnies. Or nelly queens. Or someone with a cleft chin.

They may call us back to be extras. It'd be great to be a part of the production in some way. You take the opportunity to be a part of something important and historic, right? Like if I'd been offered a chance to play a sheep in Brokeback Mountain, I'd have done it, even if wasn't a bleating part.