Title: Leatherheads, feature film
Cast: George Clooney, Renee Zellweger
Extra: Fran Houmann
Producers: Grant Heslov, George Clooney, Casey Silver
Director: George Clooney
Script: George Clooney, Stephen Schiff, Duncan Brantley, Rick Reilly
Meet Fran
Roles: Emerson Hotel guest and football fan extra at Hughes Academy and Ware Shoals High School.
Where: Poinsett Hotel (Emerson Hotel scene), Football fan at Ware Shoals.
Hometown: Born in Washington, Ga., but live in Greenville, S.C. since 1990.
Occupation: Registered Nurse
All in the family: Husband, Paul, of 18 years. Paul is an anesthesiologist with Palmetto Anesthesia Associates under contract with St. Francis Hospital. The couple has a son, Alex and daughter, Erika.
Proud parents: Alex, 15, is a student at J.L. Mann. Alex swims for the J.L. Mann team, the State 4AA champions for seven consecutive years. Alex enjoys participating in drama productions at J.L. Mann.
Erika, 13, is a student at St. Joseph’s School. Erica loves tennis and horseback riding.
Acting experience
A Clooney moment:
Read Fran’s Top 10 things she learned the first day
Long day in casting line earns key role in hotel scene
My husband, Paul, was the one that encouraged me to go to the Palmetto Conference Center to apply. I came home one day and he said, “I have the kids covered and I want you to go try out for an extra.” Dinner was prepared when I got home. When I arrived at the conference center the line looked insurmountable. I spent about 3 hours there going through the process. I’m not sure how I felt when I left that day — a little hopeful.
After not hearing in the next few weeks, I decided that things were not going to happen for me. One day the call arrived on my answering machine and the excitement began. I was fitted in the most hideous purple outfit and hat — I felt like my grandmother on a very bad day, but I was having the opportunity to be in a Hollywood production.
My first day on set was at Ware Shoals. The hairdressers had cut my hair to reflect the period for the movie, but I had to go to my hairdresser to have the cut groomed slightly better. I had been asked to pin curl my hair the night before — I have very straight hair. I miscalculated the time needed to arise and groom, eat and travel to the set. I arrived with pin curls in and flustered.
I was greeted on this cold, rainy day by a staff full of energy and enthusiasm. I immediately fell into the fever of the moment. I changed and went to make-up and hairdresser where I was told that the production had changed their minds from curly hair to straight hair. It was very interesting talking with the staff and learning of their ever-changing demands. After they arranged my hat that was required on my head, I could not see any hair, much less curls… Lots of waiting time, but that is where I met some of the most interesting people that I have continued to keep in contact with.
My role was in different places in the football arena and crowd group for an interview with John Krasinski.
I was one of 19 chosen to participate at the Poinsett Hotel (Emerson Hotel) for the entry scene for Clooney. He arrived on his motorcycle through the alleyway around the fountain circle to enter the hotel. We spent the entire day working this scene.
I was positioned outside of the hotel next to a Model T Ford with luggage. A porter was unloading our luggage as we talked about our upcoming itinerary with our friends while in the area and the men were smoking. I’m not sure how many unfiltered cigarettes the guys had to smoke to complete the scene. They must have had three staff members just lighting cigarettes!
It was a windy day, so the fountain water had sprayed out onto the pavement. After we had worked on the scene several times, George Clooney’s motorcycle ride around the fountain took a turn in which the motorcycle skidded and almost came into contact with my group of four at the car. It was the best day of filming.
The staff was always so nice and accommodating. My impressions of the movie industry completely changed.
I thought we would be treated poorly since we were only extras, but the opposite was true. We were treated with great respect, heat precautious taken very serious, lots of laughter given from the staff, all needs taken care of, and we were always kept informed of what was going on and why. I felt much respected by the crew. George Clooney was very personal and spent a lot of time talking with the extras and making us feel needed and appreciated. I did not expect this from a big name actor. I have a very different opinion of him — he is very human and down to earth.
I would definitely like to work again with George Clooney or any other movie. It was such a fascinating experience! Sometimes I feel now that I don’t always pay enough attention to the movie plot, but to the “extra” things that go on in the making of the movie. It’s just not a guy walking through a door, but a well-orchestrated scene that may take 30 minutes to get correct.
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