LIHUE — When friends Therese Deal and Mary Balcom read about the casting call for the movie “Jungle Cruise,” slated to be filmed on Kauai, they thought, “Why not?”
“I wanted to do it for the experience,” Deal said. “To see what it was like to do this. I’m just curious to see what happens. It’s not like I’m going to be a star or anything.”
What it was like, Saturday morning at the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort, was a whole lot of kid-like fun, laughs, smiles and high hopes, too, that someone might have screen stardom in their future.
Forget a steady rain that came down. Hundreds of men, women and yes, children, were lined up well before the 10 a.m. starting time. Many were prepared and held umbrellas overhead as they stood in the carefree crowd. Others didn’t seem to care about the weather, waiting with friends for their chance to be considered for even the smallest part in a movie said to be starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Elixir/Crocus Production held the free and open
casting call for men and women, ages 17 to 90, and children 6 to 14.
“We’re happy you’re here!” read a message on a bulletin board.
Characters include fishermen/women, dock workers, restaurant workers, shop owners, craftsmen/women, basket weavers, international travelers and villager types, according to the casting call. A schedule for filming has not been released.
“Interesting faces wanted,” the call states. “All sizes and shapes. Bring your friends, family and a pen.”
Most waited for more than an hour to get inside the doors, where they were asked to fill out some basic information about themselves and had their picture taken. That was it.
Most came dressed casually, with attire being the usual of beach outfits on any given day. But some wore sharp, snappy suits, and colorful shirts that might, perhaps, make a difference to those deciding who’s in and who’s out.
“I got the part to be The Rock’s body double,” shouted one man who waved to those still in line as he left.
Deal said that when she was in her 20s, she landed an extra part in the film, “Little Nikita.” She recalls the filming that went on all day long on a hot day on a San Diego street.
“They kept filming and filming and filming,” she said. “But they fed us lunch.”
Her role put her in a crowded parade scene. When Deal watched it later, she said, “I tried to find myself. Good luck with that.”
Balcom said her late husband was in a Japanese made-for-TV movie, “which we never got to see.”
Retired, and with time on her hands, she thought she might as well give this casting call thing a shot.
“I think it’s a hoot,” she said as she waited outside the door.
She has no plans to show off any special talents.
“I put on makeup, which I hardly ever do,” Balcom said.
“That’s true,” Deal added. “I can vouch for that.”
John Bowling noted that the casting call said all types of people were wanted, and there wasn’t any requirement for a certain skill, so that pretty much opened the door to everyone.
“I think that’s why the big draw and all the crowd today,” he said, looking out at the line that snaked around the front of the resort. “And it’s all local people that they want, so that’s good.”
Bowling said he came down to have a little fun.
“I don’t have my hopes up too high,” he said. “I’m going to give it a go with my best facial show.”
Taj Gutierrez, who is in the Kauai Community Players current production of “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Block,” joined other local theater members to try out and see what comes of it.
He plans to travel to Los Angeles and New York to do some acting.
“I thought it would be cool to experience a movie set before I go,” he said.
Another local actor, Kenna Shafter, was lined up by 9.
“It’s just cool that something like this came to the island,” she said. “We already live here and thought, we might as well come out and have a good time.”
She and Gutierrez didn’t expect to have to audition right there, but were ready, just in case.
“If they ask us to sing, we have a song,” Gutierrez said.
Tosha Burke, a Kauai Community College student, thought it would be fun, and was getting some extra credit for her theater class by answering the casting call.
She said she’s normally shy.
“I’m trying stuff outside of my box,” she said. “That’s why joined the theater class. I’m trying to step out of my box.”
Her brother, Dontez, when he was a toddler, was an extra in the 1995 medical disaster movie, “Outbreak,” that starred Cuba Gooding Jr.
There is a scene where a little boy is crying, Gooding turns around and throws up.
“My brother is the little boy,” said a smiling Burke.
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Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
