Random Licks: Update From The Damages Set


Posted on Aug 13, 2008
By Glenn Close

Comments(3)

August 3, 2008

Early in the morning in the
Damages make-up trailer.
What a whirlwind couple of weeks it's been! We are into Episode Four on Damages...with only nine more to go. I keep thinking that I will be able to sit down and write in between set-ups or between scenes, but the pace is so fast and the concentration so intense when we are shooting that it's hard to change gears quickly.

The one constant for me is that two little white dogs are usually within sight. Last week, Jake was actually in at least three scenes, either lying under Patty Hewes' desk or lying hidden under some other piece of furniture or somewhere behind the camera. Bill would never do that. He would wander randomly around the set, totally unaware that "Action!" had been called, trying to get his back scratched.

But Jake seems to understand the process and stays put with no leash, just happy to be part of whatever it is that I'm doing. I get a big kick of knowing the a little white dog is under my desk and that the audience will never be able to tell what scenes he's in and what scenes he's not in.

Jake understands the
acting process.
The boys' favorite part of the working day is lunch. On a movie set,"lunch" is whenever the first meal is served---six hours after the crew is called. On days that we start late, we can be eating "lunch" at 9 o'clock at night. It is quite bizarre. Anyway, Bill and Jake love lunch. At the studio, we turn right out of my dressing room to get to our sets and left to go to the cafeteria.

 






In my studio dressing room...
waiting to go down to the set.

When I turn left, the dogs get totally excited. They don't even want to wait for the elevator so we always take the stairs. In the cafeteria, they make a beeline for the meat table and hover around like moths to a light, hoping that a scrap will fall to the floor or that the caterer will some how realize, in spite of their round little bodies, that they are practically on death's door and will actually expire if they aren't given a morsel of beef or chicken immediately! I usually take pity and make them up a modest plate. Then, after making short shrift of whatever I give them, they graze around the room, gazing up at cast and crew with soulful eyes, putting Patty Hewes' attempts at manipulation to shame.

Bill's soulful eyes capture the hearts of the
Damages crew...and earn him extra food!

 

HomeBedsCar & TravelCratesCollarsCovers & BlanketsGatesArticles & Blogs
Comments
The things Damages viewers would never know - how fun! It must be comforting for you and your boys to be at work together. My Golden Max is always first to meet me in my home studio each morning, and knows just how to lure his daddy away from work for an afternoon walk. I would love to know what your days are like on set, and how long it will take to complete second season filming. I've always wondered how performers maintain their sense of placement/timing when episodes are often shot out of sync from the natural storyline progression. As die-hard fans of Damages, we are anxiously anticipating the dramatic return of the splendidly deviant Patty Hewes. Best to you and the rest of the cast/crew on set!
Posted By Daniel
on Aug 17, 2008
Daniel---Thank you for your comments and thank you for watching DAMAGES. Because of the delays caused by the Writers' strike, we won't finish shooting the second season until the third week of December. F/X plans to air the show starting in January 2009. It can be very tricky to know where you are emotionally and what you would know or don't know when shooting out of sequence. It is really part of the craft to not lose your way. It helps with a show like DAMAGES when we are able to do what is called a "table read" before starting to shoot an episode. As many actors as are available sit around a table and read the script with the director of that particular episode in attendance. It helps to hear it spoken and gives you some kind of idea of the journey/challenges that that episode presents. It's also nice to know what is going to happen! We have had many surprises around that table. You then have to plot your emotional and intellectual course as best you can. What we do is highly collaborative so you have many people looking out for you. The costumer will make sure you are in the right costume for that particular scene and the writers will help put you in the context if there are things that you don't remember. Then you have to try to be as truthful and authentic as possible. There are a lot of variables. It's a real team effort and we have a great team. Bill and Jake are dearly loved and appreciated on the set. They make everyone happy. I will keep writing blogs about my life with them and DAMAGES. It is a great adventure. Best to you and Max.
Posted By Glenn
on Aug 29, 2008
Dear MRS.GLENN, In UK we just got the test of the new serie of DAMAGES it is incredible and the plot is verry good. and it is good you to have the dogs with you. mihaela
Posted By MIHAELA MARIANA
on Feb 18, 2009
Post a comment
You must be a member to post comments. Please Log In or Register
LicksMail
Get email updates whenever Glenn writes a new post!
Sign Up Now!
Subscribe to this Blog
What does this mean?
My Recommendations
About the Author
Welcome to LIVELY LICKS: Profiles of Dogs and their People.
I hope that you will be entertained, comforted and inspired by the people and dogs that I have the privilege of featuring on this blog. Since starting it over a year and a half ago, it has pulled me into an incredible journey. Besides being able to celebrate some of my wonderful friends and the profound bond they have with their dogs, LIVELY LICKS has introduced me to the world of avalanche dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, service dogs for our wounded warriors and dogs in need of rescue and adoption. I have been inspired by the selfless dedication of the people who run grassroots shelters as well as urban care and control centers. I have been deeply moved by their stories in which dogs heal and empower their humans. Those of us who have dogs, know how much they enhance our quality of life with their unquestioning loyalty and unconditional love. There are an infinite number of stories to tell, so I hope you will stay with me as I continue to explore and discover and delight in the journey.

Featured Dog Beds at FetchDog :