Woody's In Town...

And I don't mean Pecker!

As Hollywood has been adding the Cote D'Azur to it's list of favorite spots to film, I'm getting a chance to hob nob with the celebs.  Last November it was "Grace of Monaco" with Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Parker Posy, and Robert Lindsay, to name a few.  This year it's WASP, Directed by Woody Allen and starring Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Hamish Linklater, and surprise...Marsh Gay Harden.  Her being a surprise since I had no idea she was in it until I was standing next to her on set!

So, the article came out asking for bodies and I answered the call.  I mean it IS Woody Allen for goodness sake!  I'd be a fool to miss getting to see him in action. (No matter what we think about his personal life.)

The story goes...they didn't want people with tans or colored hair.  Hahahahahahahahahahaha.  Sorry.  This is the South of France, no tans??, and with anyone over 40 you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't color their hair!

So, at the casting I was initially passed aside by the young girl at the paper-drop-off table and as I proceeded to leave, the main casting lady who was scanning the crowd asked of I had gotten my picture taken (reserved only for those who passed the young girl's once over-the one who didn't feel my hair was natural enough).  I said no, the girl had said no to me, and she promptly took me inside for my picture.  Step one done, now I waited to see if I got a call.

In Greece I got my call and was scheduled for a fitting.  Yeah!  So I spent half of my holiday tucked under an umbrella hiding from the sun.  I had a good book so all was well. 

BUT....after the fitting they called and said I couldn't work with them, something about me not having a SS# for French taxes.  Well, that's CRAZY talk since being a Monaco Resident I am not required to pay French taxes and there wasn't a problem with "Grace."  Back and forth, lalalala, still a "no".  The casting lady was really nice, but just couldn't figure out how to make it work.  Well, husband to the rescue.  He doesn't let anything get in his way, especially not French Bureaucracy that makes no sense, and promptly made a call to our tax office.  Within hours I walked out of the Head of Taxes office with a letter saying I could indeed work.  (this kind of thing could only happen in Monaco!)  Done and dusted.  I sent it to them and got a call of happiness within hours.  YEAH!!  I was back on.

Costume number one...

So, off to set we went.  The Jazz club.  Once we got there they asked if anyone knew how to dance.  I said YES!, even if I wasn't sure what dance I was supposed to know how to do.  I did a sampling of my Charlston, and was sent to the stage.  Whew!  Then....to my lucky stars, Colin and Emma took their place on the dance floor, RIGHT NEXT TO ME!  Let's see them cut me out of this one.

We chatted a bit, had a couple laughs, I appologized about a hundred times for bashing into poor Colin while we danced and he claimed it was all his fault.  What a darling.  I don't think I couldn't have gotten any luckier.  Back to the hotel to change for scene number two...

Our Green Room. :)

Costume number two with a hair change.

So, back to the Jazz Club for scene number two.  I got to remain a dancer and took my spot on the dance floor.  To my surprise, now I was next to Marsha Gay Harden!!  This time I was sandwiched between Hamish, Emma, and Marsha.  We chatted a little and danced a little and that was that.  Life is good!  Not bad for a day's work.

It was quite a sight for the locals and tourists as we all moved through the streets of Old Town, Nice.  The costumes were so amazing that we must have looked like a parade when all 28 of us were walking together.

Can't wait to see if I make it to the screen! I'm not even sure what it's gonna be called so I guess, just look out for the next Woody Allen film to hit the theaters and keep your eyes peeled during the Jazz Club scenes.

This is top secret stuff, so don't go sharin... :)

A Little Grace...

Here's how I've been spending the past couple weeks.....

That's our local film studio in Nice.

Hollywood is making an appearance here in the South of France and I have answered the call of duty.  I applied and was chosen to be an extra in the film "Grace of Monaco."  I thought it fitting that since I've made Monaco my new home I should do my duty and donate my time to be a Monegasque in the 1960s.  With the pay for extras around here I practically am donating!

We shot the first of my two nights on this old boat in Nice's Port.
In the background is my old apartment!

This was my costume on the boat...

and hairstyle.  Whew! That's some BIG hair.
Lots of hair teasing going on around here!!

Another five days of shooting the "Red Cross Ball" for the film.

A little more elegant this time around.

I was even in the local paper!

It stars Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth.  Yes, we're all best friends now, of course.  At any rate, it's been fun and I've met some lovely ladies in the process.  When the film finally comes out in 2014, look really close and you might catch a glimpse of the top of my big hair or the back of my dress. :)

My first French commercial airs....

While in the USA, a French friend of the husband's in France let us know he saw me on the telly.  So, here it is for all to see.... 

My first French job. (thank goodness I didn't have to speak!)

I had a youtube link to it, but the ad agency removed the video from youtube.  Sorry, you'll have to wait til I get my own copy. :)

We're actually in the market for a car.  Do you think if I show this to the salesman he'll give me a discount??

The Job...

So back to Marseille I went, this time paid for by the production.  :)


We had a fitting on Sunday, shot on Monday, then again on Tuesday because we were rained out Monday. The first night I stayed in a little hotel in the countryside all by myself.  Got in some good "Shellee-Time".  But then because of the rain day, I got to stay in the posh Pullman Palm Beach Hotel in Marseille with the crew.  Planning on going back there with the family!

Lovely countryside view from B&B Hotel

Posh room in Marseille hotel

A sneak peak of the set

So, all in all, filming is the same as in America.  With one big exception.....wine at lunch!!  Now that's my kind of work! :)  In France it's typical to have wine at lunch, but at work?  And especially when I have to perform?  This was so crazy to me I had to laugh right at my table in the catering tent.  But when in France....ok, I didn't actually partake in the wine.  I'm just still too Americanized. :)  Maybe the next job...

View of Marseille from the train station

Ah, a callback...

 I was asked back for a callback for the car commercial.  Yeah!  (Attention...Spoiler Alert at bottom of post.)


So, another train journey to Marseille-since once again another model couldn't seem to find room in his car, and he was the only one in it!  I'm gonna start having a complex.


This time I thought I'd take you on the journey through a video.  That way you could see a bit of Marseille as well.  Sorry for any shaking, I was the DP as well. :)

Spoiler alert....... I DID book the job.  All too crazy!  Now since I still don't have my work permit the agency had to register me for a "one day pass" to work.  But you only get one so now I REALLY have to get my butt in gear and get my work permit.  Although with the amount of taxes and commission taken out of the pay it may not be worth working here!  I'll take home about 33% of the gross!!!!!!

First Audition in France

Just when I was wondering what to do with myself...


The modeling agency I signed up with here in Nice has an office in Marseille.  The agent there texted me (seems to be the way they communicate for work here) and asked me to come to an audition for a car commercial to be shot there next week.  The casting director hadn't asked for me but she, the agent, liked my portfolio and thought I would be good for it.  I said, "You betcha!"  Figured if anything it would give me an opportunity to see what the process here is like.  


There wasn't any room in the cars of the other models going, so I had to take the train. (Wondering if everyone is afraid of being stuck with the American for 2 and a half hours.) When I got to the counter to buy my ticket, my credit card wouldn't work.  What??  And of course I didn't have enough cash with me to buy the ticket.  After spending a half hour on the phone with James who's other ear was on another phone to the bank, we still couldn't get it to work.  And for reasons no one can figure out!  Frrrrustratinnngg!

Well, after missing two trains during that ordeal I gave up and went home frustrated and feeling defeated.  Once at home I gathered myself, gave myself a pep talk, and back to the station I went.  Cash in hand!

I had armed myself with Mapquest directions and what local transit I needed to utilize, so once in Marseille I was off and running, no help needed.  Thankfully, cause my translator was staying home.

I got to the audition, wrote out my name card (had some trouble figuring out my height in centimeters) and sat and waited.  The casting people were alerted that I was coming so it felt nice to be greeted as if they knew me.  The casting director then told us as a group the specific direction to do, all in French.  Uuummmm.  He turned to me, the odd English speaker in the room, and asked if I got that.  Thankfully the direction was easy to follow (he used lots of hand gestures) so I said yes. 

Once my turn came around I went in to do my audition.  The casting director could actually speak English, so it was much easier than I thought it was going to be.  We chatted a bit, then I loved up the pretend car, thanked them kindly and was on my way. 

Well there you go, the audition process is the same as home.  Yeah.  I jumped back on a bus, then a tram, then the 2.5 hour train back to Nice.  Now I await to see if I get a callback...

To work or not to work....

Since we've decided to stay I've been thinking of what I want to do for work.  Hmmm, this may be one of those times in life where one needs to reinvent oneself.  The struggle becomes, do I simply give in and become a 'housewife' doing the shopping, kid care, menu planning so James can concentrate fully on making the money? Or do I find work?  Not so easy when you don't know the language well enough.


I did meet with the local model and talent agency here, Enjoy Models, who said they would take me on and that I was right for their commercial market.  But it's a smaller market than if I were in say, Paris.  Here they deal with the Cote d'Azur and it's basically all direct booking, so rarely a casting to go on.  Not a problem, now I can clean my closet of all the "mom-wear" that was taking it over.  Still, definitely not as much opportunity to make the income I may need.


So, I've started to think about what other things I could do for employment.  Gotta support that coffee and croissant habit somehow.  Not to mention the new classy wardrobe I want to purchase.  Or maybe spend on a part time nanny for Emmerson, to help her learn French and give me the opportunity to be a proper cafe-mom. 


Maybe an English teacher in one of the bilingual schools?  I could teach theater in English as part of their language immersion program. Clean houses?  Set up a daycare or kid's club? 


But to do any job, I need a work permit/permanent resident card, a Titre de Sejour.  Even to simply stay and not work I need one.  So, a trip to Cadam will have to take place.  I've heard horror stories, so stayed tuned for that one!