Title: Leatherheads, feature film
Cast: George Clooney, Renee Zellweger
Extra: Greg Engell
Producers: Grant Heslov, George Clooney, Casey Silver
Director: George Clooney
Script: George Clooney, Stephen Schiff, Duncan Brantley, Rick Reilly
About Gregg
Role: Emerson House Hotel Desk Clerk
Hometown: Anderson, South Carolina. Greg originally is from Mississippi
Profession: Music Minister, New Prospect Baptist Church, www.npbcanderson.org
All in the family: Wife: Christy, Children: Maddie (7) & Jacob (5). Pets: Lucy (dog)
& Salty (cat)
Describe when you decided to appear at the casting call and your reaction to being selected. Did you dress up for a particular part?
I saw the final casting call on the news on Friday and decided Saturday that
we were going to go. We sent the pictures of the kids and me to Wal-Mart for
quick print and headed to Greenville. When we arrived the wait time was not
any longer than about 30 minutes.
We went through the process and left. On the way out I noticed that there were plenty of professional pictures in the baskets...some looked like they stepped out of a magazine. Unsure what they were looking for, we left and waited... and waited.
Filming had begun in Ware Shoals and none of us had received a call. I was a little disappointed until one Tuesday the phone rang! I had been chosen.
Who was your first call to and what was the conversation when you learned you were going to be in a George Clooney produced movie with the No. 1 male box office star?
The first few calls that I made were to my wife and a few close friends. Later I told people at church.
My reaction was mixed. First there was excitement knowing that I might be seen on the BIG Screen. Secondly, I was a little nervous because I did not know what to expect. I am a musician, not an actor!
Of course the weeks that followed, I had plenty of jokes about winning the “Oscars” and appearing on “Entertainment Tonight.” My co-workers were so glad when it was over and they will probably want to take their vacation during premiere week!
What was your first experience like on the movie set? Was it what you expected?
My first experience on the set was wild because it included most of the Anderson extras in one room and it was very fast paced. They carried us in swiftly, told us what to do and yelled “action!”
In between takes the costumers were always snapping pictures and messing with your clothes. When they began the next take, it did not always start in the same part of the
script and you only had a second or two to remember what you were doing and where! I can't say it was anything like I expected because I did not know what to expect. It was fun and I would definitely do it again.
What was the role(s) you were cast and describe what you did? Include how wardrobe dressed you.
I was one of 4 hotel clerks at the Emerson House Hotel (a.k.a. The Calhoun) in Chicago (a.k.a. Anderson). I worked mostly in the large lobby scenes but did do a few smaller ones. If you look closely in the hotel lobby you will either see me sorting guest mail, handing a key to one of the other clerks, checking in one of the guests and even acting surprised when Carter falls from the upstairs ledge.
In the smaller scenes I served as a “walk by.”
However my true close up moment was when Dodge and Lexi were carrying on two separate conversations in the lobby phone booths. Unfortunately that second of fame was cancelled because the “pass by” was too distracting to Clooney. Hopefully the rest of my scenes did not end the same tragic death on the cutting room floor.
Wardrobe dressed me in a suit complete with vest, tie, gloves and other stuff you probably could not see. It felt like it took 10 minutes to get dressed. Because we were employees of an expensive hotel, it was probably a fancy outfit for the day.
OK, be honest, did you do anything to maneuver yourself closer to the camera or into a scene?
Truthfully, YES! The first scene I was in I was kind of hidden behind a big light and the cameras were all the way across the room. (The mail sorting scene) Clooney was only a few feet from me as they filmed so I was sure I could get in it. Not knowing how many more scenes I would have I kind positioned myself away form this massive light and tried to do more interaction toward the edge of the counter.
How close did you get to George Clooney? Renee Zellweger or other actors?
I got within inches of Clooney, Renee, John Krasinski, and Jonathan Pryce. As an “employee” of the movie studio, we were not allowed to approach them so I tried to respect the rules. They would interact with the extras but because my scenes were so big I never got one on one with the actors.
My final scene, which was also the last scene shot in Anderson, was the closest I got but we were released before the shooting completed.
I bumped into Clooney as I was leaving the first scene, Renee stopped and put her hand on my shoulder as she spoke to the entire room, Jonathan Pryce passed by me and spoke while walking upstairs and John Krazinski passed by as he came down the stairs. Producer Grant Heslov was one of the people who instructed me in my final scene.
What surprised you the most about how a movie was produced?
The time it takes to make only a few minutes of footage!
Outside from your participation: What is the best memory you take away from your experience?
During the night of the Academy Awards this year my choir presented me with my very own “Oscar” -- trophy and all. (I am not too sure though it was real gold; I think Oscar came from the Dollar Tree!) According to them I received my “Oscar” for “Most Footage on the Cutting Room Floor.” Let's hope that is not entirely true!
George Clooney is noted for making movies with people he has worked with before. Would you work with Clooney again if his company called you?
Yes! I would work with Clooney and his company again. He had an easygoing spirit and treated everyone well.
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