Don Lowe, Hollywood Extra Man, Part II – Movies

Don Lowe

Editor’s Note: Don appeared in many major movies, probably in cognito to most of us.  Have some fun and check out some of his parts by watching the movie again!

My “Extra” Roles in Movies

In Instinct  with Anthony Hopkins, I was Prisoner Joe in a cell block riot, tossing burning  toilet rolls.

In Wayne’s World II with Mike Myers and Christopher Walken, I was a guest at a wedding in a small country church in a small town outside of LA. The bride was Japanese and the groom was White. On a break, the assistant director grabbed three of us men all dressed in black suits and gave us dark movie sunglasses and directed us to walk out to the roped-off area where the citizens of the small town had gathered, hoping to get an autograph, and said Mr. Myers is going to walk with you and sign for these fans. You act the part of his body guards. On the way back, Mike Myers said, “These people will make sure to see this movie. It is always fun to see them having a good time.”

On the set of Born Yesterday with Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith, and John Goodman, we were all at break and Johnson and Griffith were sitting in their actor chairs when I walked past. I told Johnson I was from Wichita but didn’t go to South High like he did. He actually said, “Oh, you escaped Wichita also?” We laughed. Melanie was a movie extra to start with. The funny part here was that I was to stand next to Goodman at the start of this scene, so wardrobe came out with a lint roller and got me in order, and then hair came and made sure I was “camera ready.” I couldn’t wait to see this when it came out. So it came out and we went to see it; when it came to my part, there was my left ear next to Goodman.

In Fist and Fire with Abe Vigoda and Frank Gardino, we were filming in a bar in LA. On a break, I went to the restroom and ended up at a urinal next to Vigoda. We exchanged “hello’s,” he first of course.

In Hoffa with Jack Nicholson and Danny de Vito, we were at the wake scene when all the gangsters had been killed (like the Valentine’s Day killing of the mobsters in Chicago). This set was actually built inside one of the huge buildings on the Warner Brothers lot. They had seven caskets around a room; four were closed and three had extras, like me, inside and made up as if they were dead. Nicholson and deVito were dressed in black suits and all women were in black, some with veils, walking around the caskets after the wake. After doing this all morning (something like 17 takes because the director was a perfectionist), we cut an hour for lunch. Danny deVito is so short he looked like a penguin in an overcoat.

Now the funny part. While everyone is taking a break, the director sneaks in a personal friend of Nicholson and places him in one of the caskets that before lunch had an extra inside. After lunch the director yells, “Back to one,” meaning back to your places. As the line of mourners started moving and Jack approached, his friend sat up in great fashion and said, “Hi, Jack.”  Nicholson exploded in laughter and the whole movie set was laughing in tears. It took over 20 minutes to re-set the scene.

In The Sinatra Story I was dancing in a ballroom scene with a pretty young lady (wearing my thrift store tux again) and trying not to fall down while dancing over the rail tracks of the cart that the camera mounts on as it moves away from you and your partner to catch the scene. It’s very tricky and the viewer never knows or sees who is on the rail. After lunch, the assistant director grabbed me and sent me to wardrobe to transfer me from a ballroom dancer to a janitor sweeping up the stage as if the show was over before the theater closed for the night. To top this off, Tina Sinatra was there all day off stage to make sure this movie was truly her father’s story. When we were at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood working on the Sinatra set, they shut down at 8:30 PM and told everyone to leave ASAP due to the Rodney King riot that had started. We needed to hit the freeways before they shut them down. We lived in Long Beach at the time and it took what seemed like forever to choose a safe route to drive the 40 scary miles home.  At right, Mary and I on the set. We’re in the middle.

If you see Hero with Dustin Hoffman, as he is talking to an attorney, I walk behind them back and forth. I was a lawyer in a suit. The director told Hoffman to stop telling jokes to the extras in the elevator door before it opened because he had them laughing too much.

In Forever Young with Mel Gibson and Jamie Lee Curtis, I am seen standing in the bleachers wearing an army uniform and applauding.

In Dave with Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, I am standing on the sidewalk applauding as the Presidential Motorcade passes by. For Dave the movie carpenter crew actually built a replica of the East Wing of the White House to include pictures on the wall, chairs, couches, lamps, etc. You would think you were really in the actual place.

In Indecent Proposal with Robert Redford and Demi Moore, I was a car driver at the airport and Demi was driving the car behind me. The best part in this was when Demi pulled the table cloth from Redford’s table and everything went everywhere.

On a set for Dangerous Woman in late evening, it was real chilly, and we were dancing around the swimming pool in evening wear.  I can’t remember if it was Debra Winger or Barbara Hersey that was wearing a black gown. Her breast showed prominently, the director yelled “Cut”  and said to get that woman to wardrobe to cover those “bumps.” Everyone had a good laugh and we re-set.

At left is a picture of Mary and me in Men in Tights with Mel Brooks.

One of my favorite parts was in  Out of Darkness with Diana Ross. Our part was to get on the subway in downtown LA. As the doors opened, we were side by side. Ross had a personal aide with her and had been talking family stuff. She asked me if I was going to call one of the tabloids and tell all. I promised not to. It was my birthday in fact. 

The best actors to work with were Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Courtney Smith, Elliott Gould, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jack Nicholson, Glen Frey (Eagles), Reba McIntire, Bob Hope (at his 90th birthday bash) and Betty White. Betty actually sent my mother an autographed photo when I told her she was my mom’s favorite actress. She even asked for my mom’s address. Robin Williams in Toys kept us laughing until our sides hurt, RIP.

This life came to an end. The system was getting to be very political, but worse, it was getting tiring driving all over Southern California with a huge Thomas guide map on my lap. and the traffic was getting worse. Too many people driving while reading a newspaper.  One time I looked in my mirror and an Asian girl was right behind me steering with her knees and eating from a bowl with chopsticks. In the fast lane, cars were doing 80+ so close the bumpers almost looked connected. Women were driving really fast as they applied their make-up.  NOT GOOD.