Over at boingboing there is a link about Coppola filming an adaptation of “On The Road.”
This project has been around for almost ten years. The first time around, sometime in 1992 or so, I auditioned to play Neil Cassidy. I read a scene straight out of Dharma Bums.
I was already familiar with most of the Beat Generation, and was a huge fan of Burroughs, but I’d never read Kerouac.
I furiously read “On the Road,” and skimmed through “Dharma Bums.” I wanted to have a good sense of his style, so I could bring his character to life faithfully.
I was already a jazz geek, but I took the opportunity to fill several gaps in my collection, so I could listen to Charlie Parker and Chet Baker while I learned my scenes.
I worked with a coach to develop body language, and dialect. I bought clothes from a thrift shop and went through lots of different hairstyles until I got the correct look.
A little over a week later the audition came. I drove myself to this old church on Highland where they have auditions from time to time, listening to Bird the whole way. I walked into a large empty courtyard, filled with fountains, birds, and a beautiful garden. Only the sign-in sheet betrayed the presence of Hollywood. I sat down, focused and ready to go get this job.
While I was waiting, Emilio Estevez arrived.
Wow, I thought, I’m at the same audition as Emilio Estevez, and I’m about to meet the man who is responsible for The Godfather and Apocalypse Now!
I totally forgot why I was there, and became a drooling fan boy.
Emilio Estevez said hi to me, one professional to another, and I said, “Hey.”
There was a pause, and I heard myself say, “I want to tell you how much I like your work. Repo Man is one of my favorite movies of all time, and Breakfast Club is a classic.”
He went one better:”Wil, Stand By Me is a classic, and I love your work too. It’s really nice to meet you.”
I hadn’t told him my name, yet.
The casting assistant came out, and looked at the two of us. Emilio was on the “A” list. I was on my way to the “C” list, having been off TNG for a few years. She said, “Emilio, would you like to come in now?”
He looked at her, and said, “Wil was here before me. It’s his turn.”
She told him that it wasn’t a problem. They were ready for him.
“Well, if you’re ready for me, you’re ready for Wil, and he was here first.” He crossed his legs, and looked at his script.
I was stunned. He didn’t need to stand up for me, and it really didn’t matter to me who went first, but I thanked him and went in.
The room was large and very dark. Like the rest of the church, it was mission-style, with high, open-beamed ceilings and terra cotta tiles on the floor. Coppola was sitting behind his massive beard, a flimsy card table between us.
I approached him, and extended my hand. He didn’t take it, so I sat down.
“You don’t mind if I film you, do you?” he asked rhetorically, showing a palm-sized video camera he was holding.
“No, of course not.”
He asked me to slate my name, and begin the scene.
I did, and proceeded to give the worst audition of my life.
I’d forgotten why I was there, and was a drooling fan boy. I didn’t want to read this scene, I just wanted to talk about Apocalypse Now, and Rumblefish. I wanted to ask him about Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, and James Caan.
All these thoughts flooded my head while I stumbled through the scene. My Inner Voice, that internal critic/director/coach that all actor’s have, was screaming at me that I was doing horribly. I didn’t listen, instead hearing Robert Duvall shout, “Charlie don’t surf!” It screamed louder, telling me to stop and start over, but I was too busy watching John Cazale get on that boat, knowing that he was going to get whacked.
Then I was done, and Coppola was thanking me for coming in. We both knew that I’d blown it. We both knew that I’d wasted everyone’s time. I walked out, head hung low.
I passed Emilio Estevez, who asked me how it went. I shrugged, and told him to break a leg.
I drove home in silence, Chet Baker wondering how deep is the ocean?
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I meant to say oof, by the way, not off! Hehehee!
I hate to sound like a know-it-all, Wil, but I believe that the man’s name was spelled Cassaday, not Cassidy. At least that’s how Tom Wolfe spells his name in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
FOCUS!
I can totally relate… Well, okay not really. But close. I had that interview with the biggest production company in Wichita a few weeks back (yeah, whoopee, production in Wichita, Kansas?) but still— money. Anyway, the guy made what many people claim to be lame… but I love it- movie about a Chinese gorilla who knows karate and gets loose in Wichita. Well, I kept asking him questions about that movie and going nuts listening to him talk about it. Granted… he didn’t have a job to offer me anyway, and just wanted to meet me because of my interest in film. Okay, this isn’t really the same thing… but can I say that I know what you mean? ‘Cause I do….
Lon
meh. what do you do?… movie will definitely bomb without you.
by the way… “yardbird suite” is now playing in my head. thank you for that. parker is good, but i’m a big “monk/davis” fan.
here’s to jazz – and future successes with the movie gigs. can’t wait for the asimov flick.
eric
fargo, nd
Ah. Shucks.
At least Mr. Estevez had your back. Professional courtesy and respect win the day over directors with big, shaggy eyebrows.
Not that there’s anything wrong with shaggy eyebrows, per se.
I’m just saying.
Right.
No, wait, crap, that was Martin Scorcese.
Thanks, Wil, for letting me know I’m not the only one who has a running critic in my head at times!
Only problem is, it happens to me at job interviews, and I find myself reacting instead of responding to the interviewer!
I really think your last audition is going to get you that part, Wil-so hang in there and have a nice MLK Day!
Jesus Wil, I never imagined Coppukela to be an arrogant asshole.
At least Emilio treated you with decent respect. Whoever it was calling in names for auditions probably picked up on Mr. Shithead Directors attitude if she was going to treat you that way.
It seems you’re in good standing with I, Robot at least. Good luck with that.
Also I’m pretty depressed I’ll be missing out on this Comedy Central show…Fred Willard? Funniest man alive! Well one of the funniest men anyway….wish you could give me his email address or something so I could send him a friendly hello.
bah.
coppola’s an old crabbyass. and he comes from a school that spawned a long line of cranky, eccentric old crabbyass directors.
the motion picture industry could use fewer stuffy old crones that are so buried in the idea of the old school, so eccentric in their own process and their grip on reality (or lack thereof), and so they can’t even extend the common courtesy of a friendly human dose of respect known as a handshake.
fuggem.
spielberg woulda shaken yer hand.
hopefully this post was just waxing nostalgia and isn’t indicative of any recent happenings.
i’d really like to see you get that i, robot role, wil.
cheers.
–darien
btw …
“repo man” is the BEST film ever made …
that film is such genius that no other film can even touch it… 😀
“let’s go get sushi … and not pay!”
cheers.
–darien
Shit……as Kyle would say, that’s pretty fucked up right here. Sorry you turfed, dude. Maybe he’ll give you a callback on another part, though. Sorry……I’m too much of an optimist, but you are a helluva an actor, wil. Hang in there.
And so I was like, “Emilio! EMIIILIOOO”
ahem.
Did Emilio get it? And whatever did happen to Lard ass anyway? Im just dying to know! xoxo. YOU, sir, need to break a leg next time…maybe theyll feel sorry for you and give you the part? 😀
You need your own prod. company. Hey! Be like Sandra Bollock-produce your own parts.(Just a thought:)
If it makes you feel any better, I am officially The Most Jaded Person Alive ™, and I would totally geek out if I met Coppola.
Who would have thought those Sheen boys were such a class act? Although, Charlie had the best quote when questioned about his role in the Heidi Fleiss scandal:
“I didn’t pay them to have sex with me. I paid them to leave when it was over.”
Now THAT is a Quotable Quote.
Quite a bit different than the last audition you wrote about.
I wouldn’t mind messing up infront of those guys. Guess it would be kind of like a local Catholic pastor having to give a sermon with the only guy in the audiance being the Pope.
Quite a bit different than the last audition you wrote about.
I wouldn’t mind messing up infront of those guys. Guess it would be kind of like a local Catholic pastor having to give a sermon with the only guy in the audiance being the Pope.
Quite a bit different than the last audition you wrote about.
I wouldn’t mind messing up infront of those guys. Guess it would be kind of like a local Catholic pastor having to give a sermon with the only guy in the audiance being the Pope.
Re. Susan H’s comment: I don’t want Wil Wheaton to break either of his legs, that’d be horrible!
By the way, you aren’t the Susan H who is an instructor at Dalhousie University, are you? *suspicious*
Yeah anyway, I’ll not be retarded for a minute here. Rest assured that audition went much better than my application for Art College did. I’m at my second choice for school right now.
Hey, what’s with everyone saying “sorry you didn’t get the job?”
Sounds like Coppola didn’t get the job if the movie was never, never made.
Nice story, tho. Sounds like those Sheen boys are pretty classy. Sounds like Coppola’s staff are jerkyheads.
It seems that I may be your oldest reader, having arrived in the Village in 1960 with $3 and my tattered copies of On the Road and The Holy Barbarians under my arm. A 19-year-old Beat wannabe at the tail-end of the scene.
I read your blog because of the way you tell your story–you even seduced me into watching you on Tech TV, which I usually don’t watch because I have passed from “gotta have the latest goody” to “can I make any money with it?” interest in new computech. Anyway, I read your blog because your story and the way you tell it is engaging. I like your easy (at least seemingly easy) self-disclosure, enthusiasm for life, and funny self-deprecation.
And this one is you doin’ your thang real good, with obvious special interest for me. There’s something poignant and real about your humor, and I look forward to your book. Thanks for doing this blog, Wil.
Hey Wil- I understand how you felt, and here’s my version of the story:
Not this past August but the one before, my band the Wag was scheduled to play at the Clearwater Festival, which that year was being held in Asbury Park. Well, who do you think shows up 10 minutes before we’re supposed to go on? Bruce Springsteen! I had actually rung him up for his kid’s school supplies the week before, so he sort of remembered me, but anyway to make a long story short, I gave him our CD, then he took our time slot and performed, then we got to go on with Bruce sitting smack in the middle of the audience. The four of us said later that there were hundreds of people there, but we were all playing to one person. Luckily, he liked us- he came backstage after we were done and shook all of our hands and told us how much he liked us, and we took a picture with him. He gave us some advice about the music business, and then we were off to another gig! I think we still have that picture up on our website- http://www.thewagband.com Anyway, sometimes it all works out, Wil, and I’m sure you’ll get this latest movie!
Love, Alicia
http://www.thewagband.com
Ouch! I’ve felt that way before. It was way cool of Emilio to stand up for you though. Sounds like that’s unusual in your biz.
i think at one time or another we’ve all been through something like that…
I remember the first summer after i’d graduated from design and advertising here in toronto..
i had a kick ass portfolio, and thought i was just an interview or two away from a great gig…
my first was at a place called ‘creativefolio’ i think..some small design shop…
i sat in this meeting room with the creative director, and he went through my portfolio muttering encouraging things like, oh, hey, this is nice…oh…good work here…
then he closed the book
looked my square in the eye and said..
so.
what have you done?
?…huh?….i shifted in my seat…uh….wha?
you know…this is all, like, your college shit…what have you done?…any real ads?…any billboards?
no, i said….i’ve only just graduated, and i’m looking for my first design position…
well…he said, looking like i’d wasted his time…
why don’t you come back when you’ve done something real.
with that, the phone rang, and he excused himself, said he’d be back and left the room…
i sat there dejected, thinking..wow….if he thought that little of me, why did he say such nice things about my portfolio…maybe i should ask him what to improve on, so i don’t end up in a situation like this again..
so i waited..
and waited…
about 15 minutes later, fed up with waiting, i packed up my things and walked out of the room, to see him back at his desk, working on a computer…
totally forgotten about me..
i called over to him, and he didn’t even turn around…just sort of casually dismissed me with a wave of his hand…
that’s pretty low man…..
i vowed that day, that if i ever rose to his level in a company, i would never, EVER treat people like that….
and now that i’m an art director myself, i’m proud to say that i never have…
cheers wil
You never know Wil, Coppola could have liked your audition better than Emilio’s. He might also realize that you were awed by meeting him (as i’m sure he’s used to that by now) and decide to give you another shot.
I remember when I was in awe like that and almost blew my performance…and this was about as big as it got for me. I honestly played Carnegie Hall a few years back, and when I got backstage and looked out at the massive expanse of the stage, I was dumbfounded. I was part of my high school concert band and we were invited to the National Music Festival in NY (we were the first band outside of the US to get an invite that i’m aware of). Anyways, we were being adjudicated by three of the worlds top music adjudicators and i was nervous as hell as the two other people who played the same instrument as myself had basicly a group solo. Long story short, after getting there and playing our warm up piece and being somewhat used to the audience and critics, we did better than some music school bands who spend hours every day in school AND at home practicing and we thought that we were pretty low on the list. We got an invite to come back again in future years. Maybe something similar will happen to you – get an invite to come back.
Good luck and there’s plenty of Good Luck mojo comin your way from up here in Canada.
Frankly, I don’t know how actors prevent themselves from being “drooling fan boys” whenever they’re around fellow actors.
Perhaps it’s just as well –if an actor got to the point at which they were totally oblivious of other actors and directors around them, so desensitized and conditioned to being around other famous people in the business, then they are probably as far removed from society and the general population as one can get short of being Michael Jackson. They’re sitting around somewhere at a really dull party, eating finger sandwiches and thinking their shit doesn’t doesn’t stink.
So you turned into a drooling fan boy. Some would argue you weren’t being your professional best, but I say you were being human. The day you start eating finger sandwiches is the day people stop coming to this site…
dude, you freak yourself out too much. So he makes good movies..so what? You have too.You need to stop giving a shit who is A or C list. I’m pretty sure your wife and kids wouldnt put you on the C list, so dont insult them by doing it yourself, or allowing someone else to.
Hey wil…
First I’d like to share my own experience. A year and a half ago were the big university applications for me. I knew, right down to the core of me, that I was meant to be an architect. I my province, there are only two architecture programs worth applying to: Waterloo and Ryerson (those of you around, Carlton used to be good but has gone majorly downhill in the past couple years.) Now Waterloo was my first choice because it had a co-op program and if you got into the undergrad you were guaranteed a space in their graduate program. But they only accept 60 people… out of about 3 000 that apply. But I figure, no big deal, I have good marks, I’m talent and my love of architecture will shine through. Right?
Well not so much. I had an interview with 4 people… 3 current students and one professor. The professor and the female student were really nice to me, but the male students completely torpedoed me. I mean, how much do you expect a highschool student to know about architecture?
So I turned into a blubbering fool. I did a couple quick sketches to try and show them what I was thinking, but they were crap because I was so nervous.
But I still had hope- hey the prof liked me, if those stupid guys didn’t. So I get this huge package from Waterloo a few weeks later (I had already received my acceptance to Ryerson where I had a similar interview but, because of my experience with Waterloo, I had done well) so I was feeling reasonably confident that between my marks and the writing test we did (I kick ass at writing) it was a huge acceptance package.
And it was. But to Geography.
I was crushed. Horrible, horrible day.
On the bright side, I got to find out how wonderful my friends are. And now I’m at Ryerson (150 accepted out of over 3 000… I can’t be that bad) and I’ve met amazing people, learned amazing things, I my disdain for Waterloo is growing. What’s the use in being the best if you’re going to be snotty?
Well that’s my story. And Wil, that audition was 10 years ago. You screwed up… but now, you’ve just done an amazing audition. Just think about how much you’ve grown in 10 years to be able to do that…
Wil-
Glad to hear other projects are in the works. Saw you on KCAL 9 last night at about 1:00 am doing the X3d infomercial. Good work–you made me want to buy it and I don’t even really play video games!
Sorry to hear about the audition. One thing I did learn from the tons of job interviews/auditions I had when graduating from college a few years ago: The later your turn is in the interview process, the more impressive you seem to be and the more likely you will be selected, all other things being equal. I’m not dissing Emilio Estevez, but going last or later in an interview or audition scenario (without being late or otherwise disgruntling the selectors) improves a person’s chances.
Nah. Im a struggling writer(no surprises here), I had heard once that Wil wanted to write, so Im here to keep bugging him to stick with it!
DONT GIVE UP.
“Re. Susan H’s comment: I don’t want Wil Wheaton to break either of his legs, that’d be horrible!
By the way, you aren’t the Susan H who is an instructor at Dalhousie University, are you? *suspicious*
Yeah anyway, I’ll not be retarded for a minute here. Rest assured that audition went much better than my application for Art College did. I’m at my second choice for school right now.”
Posted by: Jessie on January 20, 2003 03:48 AM
Strange how you don
I think it’s time to watch The Mighty Ducks again. Hey Wheaton, you handled yourself great.
Wil, relax! At some point you’re gonna have to get over this “we’re not worthy” thing, and just get in there and do it. You are worthy. And yes, I know this is way lame after the fact. I probably would have drooled all over my boots too. Chalk this one up to ‘practice’… looks like “I Robot” is a going concern anyway… 🙂
Need I remind everyone that the movie is being directed by Joel Schumacher? The man responsible for the demise of the Batman movie series, which Tim Burton so carefully crafted and Schumacher turned into a mockery which made the 60′ camp TV series look like Shakespere compared to “Batman and Robin” or “Batman Forever”.
I really think the world would be better off if this movie never gets made. It would be akin to remaking “Gone with the Wind” with Rob Schneider and Madonna. This book has meant too much to too many people to be made into a bad movie.
As much as you might think it would be great to work with Coppola, I don’t think you would want your name to be associated with the ruination of one of the greatest books ever written, or as Truman Capote might have said “typed”.
65.244.108.219
I can picture myself doing the exact same thing, Wil. So, don’t feel bad. ^_^
Ironically, I wonder if Emilio’s kindness wasn’t in a way distracting. The slight confrontation right before you went in probably screwed your concentration, whereas if Emilio had gone right in it would have given you a chance to regroup. Not to say Emilio did anything wrong! But that sort of thing, that slight confusion/confrontation would have screwed me up too.
Ah well, live and learn.
This is your year. I can feel it. My agent seems to think it might be mine as well, but I’m rooting for YOU.
Kevin
Sorry Wil, not to sound mean but you blew it. Next time buck up and realize why your there. No matter what you may be thinking at the time realize your dream will come weather your ready or not and every time you let it slip it gets further and further away. Don’t let it get away from you for any reason, hold it tight and go, no dele dallying.
Maybe Coppola reads your web site. :0}
Stranger things have happened.
Eh, ya win some, ya lose some. 🙂 Even you, the HMIC can’t be perfect *all* the time! So, chalk it up to experience and learn from it. That’s all ya can do. That is (i’m sure) all you’ve done with that experience since then.
Remember Wil, no matter how bad the situation is, it could always be worse.
Even still, the whole audition/acting thing, although a lot of hard work, sounds like a lot of fun. To bad I have no talent, otherwise I might get to be in a film with you someday! LMAO
Incidently, TNN is boasting a “Super Star Trek Weekend” starting this Saturday the 25th at 3pm EST…Thought I’d mention that in case you had some free time and wanted to relive some old memories. Come to think of it, there is a TNG marathon on TNN right now. Currently, the episode “Suddenly Human” is playing. It’s the one where Wesley Crusher gets a face full of Bannana Split in Ten-Forward. I bet that was cold. >;} How many times did you have to reherse that scene I wonder LOL
Well since the audition was for a JOB, I can understand everyone focusing on that aspect of this story. But I am more struck by how cool it was for a fellow actor to stand up for Wil. And don’t forget that he might have hurt his own chances by making a stand for someone he respected.
That’s COOL!
Wil,
Well you wrote such an interesting story about when you were 19 — and it does seem to have stuck in your head.
I think you gave people here a lot to think about with your interesting insight (and memory).
I like how people are saying things like “don’t worry, Wil” or “take it easy, Wil,” when this happened over 10 years ago.
It’s okay, Wil, you’ll get another shot. 🙂
Wil,
We all do that. Don’t feel bad. Be excited that in life you get to meet people that changes life. I can tell you this. If I were to meet you I would be stumblin all over myself.
We are all fans of something in our lives.
Er, it was ten years ago. Move on…
Hey Wil, thanks for sharing.
And remember, that’s exactly how I’d be if I ever met you… I’d probably walk into a lamp post!
Can’t wait for the book. So excited.
*MOJO* *MOJO* *MOJO*