ABU DHABI // While some people were sitting back and enjoying their weekend, I ended up at the Park Rotana twofour54 complex in Abu Dhabi auditioning to be an extra in the new Brad Pitt film, War Machine.
The satire, produced by video-streaming company Netflix, also stars Topher Grace, Will Poulter and Anthony Michael Hall and is expected to begin filming in Abu Dhabi shortly.
Normally, this isn’t something I would attend. I don’t have anything against extras or the film industry but I have no dreams to be on the big screen.
However, knowing that filming would be done locally enticed me. As this was the first time I had gone to a casting audition, I wasn’t sure really what to expect.
The queue for the audition wasn’t as long as I expected. About 50 people from seemingly all parts of the globe turned up for a chance to be in the film.
Even though the original casting call asked for men and women between 18 and 30, there were some older hopefuls who showed up as well. But a majority did seem to meet the “physically fit” aspect of the casting call.
While waiting in line, I met Markus from Holland, who had seen The National's story on social media and had decided to come down. He took along his daughter, even though she was too young to audition. Markus explained to me that it was also his first time going to a casting call but that, "you might as well try, because if you don't, you know for sure you aren't in it".
About an hour after arriving, my details were taken, including my name, age, where I was from and whether or not I had any military experience – which I did not.
I made a point to ask if they had a lot of women who did and was told it wasn’t a very important requirement but that they had “a few”. I also tried to sneakily inquire about when Pitt might be arriving for the shoot. I received a vague reply.
Based on my guess, there were already at least 300 people who had auditioned but I was reassured that there were “a lot of roles to fill”.
After we went over my background, I was told to head up to the fourth floor. I made my way in the lift with a German-American family from Dubai who had come for the audition.
Once there, I found myself waiting in line with two women from Ukraine as a group from Poland was heading out. I was handed a whiteboard with my information written on it and then had a portrait photo taken and then another from the side, and then it was over. It took a little over an hour.
They would “keep in touch” if I met their requirements.
My fate would be decided over two photos – including a questionable side portrait where I chose to smile. Do I have any advice for people heading to the second day of auditions on Saturday? No, not other than what Markus had told me, if you don’t try, you’ll never know, so why not?
elau@thenational.ae
