Hallmark Movie Extra #147
The plot to my personal Hallmark movie would for sure involve these things.
Vermont (the place I have not so secretly yearned to live since I saw the movies “Baby Boom” and “Funny Farm” in the 1980s).
A vintage Wagoneer with wood paneling on the sides.
An aerial montage of me driving the Wagoneer through the Fall foliage while the song “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac plays.
My love interest would be my husband (but in the movie he’s not my husband yet) and he’s a strapping lumberjack but also deeply concerned about wilderness conservation efforts.
I’m a big city writer who hears about his wilderness conservations efforts and together we fight the establishment through my writing and his wearing of flannel and propensity to give heartwarming speeches and drink strong coffee.
We fall in love and he keeps responsibly lumberjacking and I start a local newspaper (because local journalism matters!) and it’s called “The Acorn.”
THE END
But this is not the plot of the Hallmark movie you can see me in on the actual Hallmark Movie Channel called “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.”
Let me be clear, at the time I write this, I have no idea if I will have any screen time in this movie whatsoever. I am simply cast as an extra in a very crowded party scene. But Lord do I plan on dining out on this story for years to come! (The extended version of which I plan to save for my memoir so you are getting the version of how it happened).
The movie was announced in early-ish 2024, capitalizing on all the attention of KC’s Royal Couple: Travis and Taylor. But no, this is not a movie about them. I hear it’s about a missing stocking hat. Solid storyline.
As soon as I heard it was filming in town, my mind went to, “what can I do to weasel my way in?” There was a link to apply as an extra in a story on KMBC9 News, but one of the questions asked if I could rollerblade. I couldn’t rollerskate as a kid, but if anything could prompt me to train my 42 year-old self it’s the prospect of screen time. So I filled it out and waited. Nothing.
But my ace in the hole was a close family member who works for Hallmark corporate. She was given a link for employees and family members who could apply to be extras, but even that was not certain because of the demand. So again I applied and waited.
At 7 am, on July 16 I received an email that I had been cast as a “Cocktail Party Extra” and would be filming the NEXT NIGHT.
It was a 127 degrees outside but I turned on 3 portable fans, cleared out my closet, enlisted the help of 2 of my professional stylist friends, and put on every pair of Spanx I owned. I ended up wearing things I already owned including a pair of shoes I purchased last year that I had a feeling would be needed for just the right occasion…and I was right!
As I said, the extended version will be in my as yet to be released/published/written memoir, but a few fun details are:
Filming was at the Penthouse at Arrowhead. I thought this would be like some sort of VIP apartment, but it was actually just a big bar that was really high.
Chiefs Offensive Lineman Trey Smith was in my scene! I just kept staring at his neck thinking it looked like a car tire.
The other extras were a hoot and were all just as rabid as I was to be in this movie.
The “champagne” was ginger ale and the producers yelled at us lots of times not to drink it.
As an extra, you can’t talk at all when the cameras are rolling. You have pretend conversations where you move your mouth but make NO SOUND and then background chatter gets dubbed in later. The girl standing next to me did NOT understand this no matter how many times it was explained to her. She thought we were recording a scene from The Real Housewives of Kansas City and was making up these wild stories and telling them to me in a yelling whisper. I was so afraid of getting in trouble.
When the stars of the movie, Hunter King and Tyler Hynes, entered the room, we all audibly gasped because she looked so beautiful in person and her dress was gorgeous. They were also so kind to everyone and made jokes and kept it light even though it was midnight and people were tired.
I can now put game show contestant, stand-up comedy performer, and Hallmark movie extra on my resume! What will I do next….
