That Time I Was in a Madonna Video

Costume Fitting

If you've known me for awhile, you may remember that I used to pick up work as a movie/tv/video extra. If you're fancy you can say I was a "background actor." I'm not that fancy. I wrote about it some years ago and you can read it here and laugh at my giant hair.

In some cases, an audition was required for a background role. One audition I went to was in 1992 for a Madonna music video called "Deeper and Deeper." I was asked to look like I was going to a 1970s dance club. I went to the apartment of my friend Arianne who is a costume designer. She was kind enough to lend me some 70s-wear including massive platform sandals. (Fun Fact: Some years later, she became Madonna's costume designer.)

Costume Fitting 

I booked the job.

I am in the video for approximately one second. Maybe 20 frames at the most. This is the result of 12 hours of sweating at the Roxbury Club. I am seen here in my Madonna moment of glory, dancing with drag icon, Chi Chi La Rue.

1:39

I'll let you figure out who's who. 

I did not meet Madonna, but I will say she seemed like she was having a good time. Of course she was. She's Madonna.

10 Reasons You're Glad I Didn't Blog In My 20s

20-Year-Old Lisa by Stuart Vance, 1984

You might have tired of reports of my hostessing gig at the Red Onion and the injustice of my having been fired especially after I wore that rented Easter Bunny costume and hopped down Cannon Drive in Beverly Hills passing out brunch coupons. (Like, those jerks at corporate down in Carson make it all so political.)

I preferred solo Sting to Sting of The Police and we may have parted ways over that.
I'm so sure.

Fun Fashion Updates! Liquid eyeliner, half shaved head, Boy George braids, ear cuff.

You might not have agreed with all of the Reasons Why David Bowie Should Be My First Husband, but that's another list entirely.
Related: Blog Instant Audio Feature.

Maybe you're the one who wouldn't enjoy meaningful daily quotes from Hermann Hesse's  "The Glass Bead Game," and "Siddhartha." What-ever.

Perhaps you wouldn't have been interested in dispatches from my summer as a "Background Actor/Connie Sellecca's Hair Photo Double" on the set of ABC's night-time drama, "Hotel."

Bra top, lace leggings, bolero jacket, single glove.

Let the bangs grow out? Keep the bangs? Let the bangs grow out? Keep the bangs? Let the bangs grow out? Keep the bangs? Let the bangs grow out? Keep the bangs?

For some reason, you may not have been into the Where In Hollywood Did My Vespa Break Down This Week? photo series. I'm so totally sure.

Vintage slip, flannel lumberjack shirt, Doc Martins, your boyfriend.

*   *   *

You guys? Twelve of my delightful bloggy girlfriends thought of
their 10 Reasons too. Visit their blogs (linked below)
and, like, completely thank me later:

Earth Mother just means I'm dusty

Motherhood in NYC

The Mama Bird Diaries

Baby on Bored

Peace, Love & Guacamole

Wait in the Van

Tales of (Married) Mikkimoto

Ann's Rants

Wendi Aarons

Midlife Mixtape 

The Flying Chalupa

I'm Gonna Kill Him

Atmosphere

Circa The Big Hair Years

During my early twenties I had some fabulous jobs. Most of them involved wearing an apron and the memorization of a nightly specials list. In between my waitress gigs, I worked as a TV and movie extra.

Extras are those folks you never watch who are behind the people you always watch. They are walking props, often referred to as “atmosphere.” I atmosphered my way through 103 movies and TV shows between 1984 and 1988.

My first job as an extra was in a 1985 George Kennedy/Karen Black/Lance Henriksen vehicle called Savage Dawn. As I recall, Karen Black was part of a biker gang that was trying to take over a small Arizona town. It was a cold, dusty, night shoot. There was a tank involved. George Kennedy was an Arizona recluse in a wheelchair who had a harem of Asian girls. I was an Asian girl. I wore a cheongsam. I’m not Asian but that’s the magic of Hollywood. Not every job was so glamorous.

A rare gem from my illustrious background actor resume is a movie called The In Crowd, later re-named Dance Party. This film was set in 1965 and starred Jennifer Runyon. Who? Exactly. Donovan Leitch (Ione Skye’s brother) played her boyfriend. In a special supporting role, a young Joe Pantoliano later known as Ralph Cifaretto on the Sopranos, played a Dick Clark-like American Bandstand-ish host. It was a spectacular piece of entertainment.

Through the miracle of YouTube, I present to you one of my more awesome In Crowd scenes. (Skip to 1:04.) I dance off of the bus with my gigantic 80’s hair, wearing a red and black plaid skirt and white bobby sox. I return moments later with a stunning display of my awesome dance skills. (She can really clap!) I’m pretty sure it was seeing my work that inspired the producers to change the name of the film. Watch through to 1:22 so as not to miss any of my moves. There are at least two moves. Maybe it's just one move. It happens fast.

Donovan, or as he was nicknamed on set, “Madonnavan,” and I would soon be re-united on the set of Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo but that’s another story, for another time.