benghali's blog: "this is my life"

Ok, so as many of you already know, I was recently an extra in a film being shot here in Providence called 27 Dresses, starring James Marsden of X-Men fame and Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy). I had a bit of embarrasment over X-Men underwear mentioned in a previous blog (we'll get to more on that later, lol). So anyway, I was notified that they would be needing extras again for a Goth club scene and I was quick to respond that I would be available any time they needed me. As it turns out, I guess my extra status the first time got bumped up to featured extra since you saw me clearly in several shots. They told me I could only participate again if I could drastically change my appearance. I laughed to myself as I thought of that concept. ME? Drastically change my appearance, that's just sooooo unlike me. LOL. So I bleached my hair, had my hawk up, wore my contacts, put the piercings back in, did the goth makeup and went all out. Apparently it worked seeing as how Heather, the woman in charge of handling the extras, and Anne from LDI Casting were the only ones who even recognized me, even though within the first day of my last shooting with them all the AD's knew me by name (and I'm sure the director and assistant director did as well) since I was walking past the camera in just about every shot. I noticed this on the first day of my second go working with these people when no one was saying my name, including the guy who put me into every shot. At the end of the day, on my way back to the holding pit, I just looked at him and grinned, "You don't recognize me do you?" He gave me a look that read, "Uh, should I?" So I told him I was Carlos and I was the intern in just about every scene in the office. He did a double take and was in awe, commending me on my good job of changing appearance and welcoming me back on set. Day one was long and grueling, I, ironically, got to play the DJ--big stretch. But it was all good fun. I will admit I was star struck yet again. Not only were James Marsden and Katherine Heigl on set again, but so were Ed Burns (The Sidewalks of New York, Life or Something Like It) and Judy Greer (Jawbreaker, The Village, Cursed, 13 Going on 30)--both of whom I am also a huge fan of, and also Malin Akerman (The Comeback). And of course within the first scene we shot I had them all gathered two feet away from me yet again, which is very frustrating because you want to say hi but you know the unspoken rule on sets is that you do not address the real actors unless they address you. It's a job. You're not a fan, you're a hired actor, and everyone is there to work. You can actually get thrown off a set for not respecting that fact. But throughout the day, I did get a brief smile from Judy as she placed her drink in front of me on the DJ booth and a very friendly "Thank you so much" from Katie after her personal assistant asked me to hold her snack tray in the booth. Day two: I was only actually needed for ten minutes the whole day, but it was an amazing day nonetheless, I didn't care about too much exposure since you could already see me in the film, and I was tired so yes I did sneak some naps in as I waited on the couch by the DJ booth in case I was needed. At one point, the director moved her station into that area (the whipping pit at Hell), but they allowed me to stay where I was after they set up. The director was amazed by my hair and started asking me about it. So I told her my method and then pointed out that I was the intern in the office scene. More shock, she also could not believe I was that same guy. In the meantime, the guy who I had spoken to the day before, I believe his name was Adam, came up with the assistant director and also started pointing out, "That's Carlos, the intern, can you believe that? It's amazing!" The assistant director looked at me and was like, "Oh my god, I never would have guessed if it wasn't pointed out, awesome!" Everyone was really cool and fun to work with. But that's not even the highlight of the day. They were setting up for another scene and James came into our section to talk to the director. I was on the couch still, now joined by another extra. At one point he looked right at us so she said hi and i nodded and mumbled hello and he said it back. Then he came up to us and actually started talking to us. This is a good, I was now allowed to talk directly to him. He said "Now I have been wondering this whole time and maybe you guys can clarify, especially you-" directed at me--"The goths, is this like their every day attire or what?" So I explained I really only do it for club nights or roles since I'm actually an actor and not just an extra, but otherwise I'm pretty normal and watered down. For some of the others it was their everyday and others still never do goth and were transformed by hair, makeup and costume. Then I got kind of ballsy and turning 8 shades of red I pointed out that I was the guy who cut in front of him in two different scenes in the office and told him of my embarrassment and the X-Men underwear situation. He started laughing and said he hadn't noticed but it was great and that was definitely a first for him to hear somethign like that. Then he was making jokes about how basically I was walking around with Cyclops on my crotch the whole day. I laughed back, face heated and 2 more shades of red at this point, and stated that I did in fact own a Cyclops pair. He was like, dude that's awesome, now I wish I had seen them. I was like I don't have them with me today. He made more jokes and said, "That would have been hysterical, trying to sign them and being like, 'Uh, damn, I can't seem to get this pen to work . . . '" As he made all the appropriate gestures. We were all cracking up, even thoguh I was still blushing profusely and highly embarrassed, but he was a really good sport about it and I'm glad we all had a good hard laugh over the situation. He actually seemed very down to earth. So yeah, that's my update from the world of showbiz. I can't wait to see this movie now, for so many reasons. I'm in it, hopefully you will actually see me in not one but two scenes, the cast was fantastic and amazing to be around, the crew and director and everyone were very friendly and accomodating, Heather was a sweetheart, Anne from LDI managed to tickle my funnybone yet again. I think that it's so awesome after no sleep, a 15 hour day, 5 hours of sleep and a 13 hour day, a night of finally spinning for real again, and five more hours of sleep, and here I am, up since 7:30, feeling absolutley awesome. A lot of people I knew were also involved as extras this time around so that made it even more of a blast. I also met a lot of new great people and made yet more connections. So now let's get everyone's butt's out to Gallery this friday and celebrate at Hathor's Garden!!!!!! K, I think I'm done gushing now. Well aside from the fact me and the boy are still going strong and it's been over a month now, a record for me, so I am rather well content.

Here's a blog i posted on myspace a couple of weeks ago explaining everything: So a lot has been going on for this little old man lately. I got called friday last minute to be in an extra in a movie called 27 Dresses. And if I am not mistaken this is affiliated with Paramount, and if it is not than the Paramount logos on the trailers and equipment are very misleading. But anyway, as it turns out, James Marsden is in this film. They finally called the extras in for the first scene and i'm just standing there and I look up and there he is a few feet away. Now this immediately caused embarrassment to me. As fate would have it, in my first set of clothes they made me lose my belt because it was studded. I happened to be wearing the one pair of khakis I can almost pull off those pants without a belt, but alas it was still falling down and i had to keep retucking my shirt and adjusting in between every take. Now this normally wouldn't be an issue, but they had me cross behind Jimmy in this scene, so I do this like 40 times and every time I have to readjust myself with him standing two feet in front of me. Still don't get the embarrassment? Try this on for size: I just happened to be wearing my little boy X-men briefs under said falling pants, so everytime I am readjusting, the Marvel logo is promininently displayed two feet away from Mr. Marsden, who I am actually a fan of. I had no idea he was part of this picture, again, it was last minute, I was just told to be there in an hour and how to dress. I was almost pissing myself dreading the one moment he would look over at me readjusting and see that Marvel logo and be like, "Are you fucking serious?" Luckily, Mr. Marsden is a very engaged actor who doesn't pay attention to much other than running his lines in between each take, so I lucked out. And yeah, I'm pretty sure you will actually see me, recognizably so in this picture, I cross his path several times in the scenes we shot, and there's more to come on Monday. So, outside of this, because I was there on the spot when it was needed, the casting company that told me about this offered me an audition for a speaking role in the Showtime's The Brotherhood, which I went to this afternoon. I think I bombed to be honest, but the fact I made it at all deserves merit. Not only was I an extra until 1:30 AM, but I also had to close out the club because, as fate would have it, the holding pit for we extras was the very same club I work at. And due to this there was of course an after hours party at my house as there often is. I got like four hours sleep and the only way I memorized my lines before the audition was because Xavier went with me and read the scene to me over and over agan all the way from Providence to Warwick. And I will say the casting company is tremendously awesome and sweet and the woman I dealt with even quipped with me about the underwear situation the second I walked in the door. I lived on the west coast and these people were much more socialble and in tune to their actors' feeling and dilemmas than anyone I interacted with "in the scene" out there--so you know it's good if I'm ranking it higher than my homeland, Cali. And then the everything else. So first of all, there is someone out there smearing my name, and you all know who she is. You also know she freeloaded off me and my father for over half a year. She was given ample opportunity and warning on when she had to be out, but somehow she is still the victim and I am a selfish user and my dad is just using her as a scapegoat for our financial woes. Cute. Those of you that have witnessed the situation know it for the bullshit it is and this is why I know she has been slandering me. If you want more details, ask me, as you all know I give all facts and all sides of the stories. When I relate an event I don't do it to make myself look good and the other party look bad, I will give you all the details that make us both look like dumb assholes. I give facts, not opinions. So if you want the actual truth, ask me. Other than that, I met someone truly superb a couple weeks ago, and things are going good aside from the fact that I am not used to things going so well so now I am having all these insecurity issues that will ultimately be my own demise. I'm DJing again, thank God, another thing I am always insecure about, but I do get positive feedback not just from my friends, but also from my coworkers, which makes me feel nice. I got my first two, possibly three, paying clients with my photography. I had an interesting heart to heart with one of my uncle's today and it was nice to know that A) he trusted me that much and B) he supported me in a lot of the decisions I am making in my own life. His opinion I do value and, as we all know, I'm not always used to support in my bloodline, so it was very nice to hear encouraging words from a man I do heartily respect. I think that's it. My mind is a mile a minute with this person I care so much for, this audition I think I bombed, this extra thing I will be partaking in again Monday, friends that have remained friends and friends that have succumbed to the naysaying of others who don't know me from a hole in the fucking wall apparently. But to all of you that have ridden the roller coaster with me, or have even just been too involved in your own personal roller coasters to even notice mine, thank you for existing and being here. Don't ever think, as self involved as I can get, that I don't notice. But I know those of you that care the most do realize that, and so I end this blog on a thank you note for that. Your support means more to me than you will ever know. I make being me look so fun most of the time I don't think anyone really realizes just how hard it is. I wouldn't be on Klonopin if it were easy. But there are that stack of you that just steadily make it worth my while to even breathe, and I cherish every moment spent with you. Know this, always. =) *update: It's been a month and i am still steadily seeing my guy, things are going great there. I had to drastically change my appearance again so I could be involved in another scene with 27 Dresses, which I will be working on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I never heard back from the Brotherhood so I think I did in fact bomb that one, but I have more auditions on the way. I still Have to finish my paying clients pictures but time has been so limited. So if I still seem to be the ghost friend, this is all why. Take care people and drop me a line. I may not always start the ball rolling, but those of you I talk to most know I always respond to emails even if it does take a few days to do it. Hope all is well with everyone.