Hundreds of local hopefuls line up for ‘Lincoln’ auditions
‘Lincoln’ logs large open call attendance
Stephen Spielberg's new movie "Lincoln" will begin shooting in Richmond in October.
Nick Bonadies
Spectrum Editor
A line of hundreds snaked through the Greater Richmond Convention Center lobby Thursday, Sept. 15, all hoping to snag their 15 seconds of fame as extras in the upcoming Stephen Spielberg film, “Lincoln.”
The film about the 16th president, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, will begin shooting in Richmond and Petersburg in October.
Hopefuls from all over Virginia – from entire families, to groups of college students, to office workers on lunch break – turned out in a steady stream from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. for their chance at stardom.
Fame and fortune for a Hollywood extra might amount to a hundred bucks, catered lunch and some face time, but Morgan Shelton, who graduated from VCU with a B.S. in accounting this year, said she would be happy enough with non-face time.
“If my arm is showing, I’ll be like, ‘that’s my arm!'” she said. “I’m going to go through that movie and identify my arm.”
Senior criminal justice major Logan Elliott and his compatriots were among those whose substantial beards would particularly befit a Civil War soldier or citizen. (The notice for the casting call specifically requested African American or white men with beards, African American or white women with natural-colored shoulder length hair and African American men “adept at horseback riding.”)
“I’m sure my mom would be happy,” Elliott said, describing his dreams of big-screen fame. “She’d probably be like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so proud! I can’t believe you’re in the movies!’ And I’ll be like, ‘Mom … I’m walking across the street for three seconds.'”
Richard Fox, who traveled from Gettysburg, Pa. for the casting call, stood out among the crowd for his uncanny resemblance to Benjamin Franklin – the front half of his crown is shaved off in classic Franklinian style.
He revealed his status as a veteran Franklin impersonator and reenactor for the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia with quiet pride.
“I mainly work in the 1700s,” he said. “So the 1800s is a new thing for me.”
“The potential that they have, the research that’s going in – it’s looking really good,” he said of Spielberg’s film. “They’re actually doing history, not Hollywood’s version of history.”
Photos by Mel Kobran
