Behind the Scenes of Down With Love
Marilyn:

June 10, 2002 MY GREEN BEAN MOMENT WITH EWAN!

I had the fortunate opportunity to be a background extra on Ewan's movie, Down With Love. Here is the story of my Ewancounter (Ewan encounter!) on one of my days there.

I arrived on the set a little before 6am, and went through the whole wardrobe, makeup, and hair bit. We were sitting around in "holding", waiting to get called. I got bored and on my way to the restroom there was a table with the call sheets, so I swiped one to see what and who were scheduled for the day! Ewan was on there, but only as "off-screen" so I was a bit disappointed, but since his call time was 6:30am, I figured he must be around somewhere. They had a trailer for him (I think, but I couldn't see him hiding out there, even if he wasn't in the scenes)... but I walked around a bit and didn't see him, so went back to holding like a good little extra! 10:00am - someone came and picked a few people for a scene (but not me!). Bummed again! 11:30am - they came back again and asked me and this guy to 'stand-by' in case they needed us. Things are looking up! We sat around kind of off-set, but in the area and I saw Ewan's chair! But still no Ewan!! 12:30pm - Lunch time. Everyone goes off to another building for lunch. This other girl who I'd worked with before and I decided to go together, but she wanted me to take some pics of her first, and she took some of me. So we were almost the last ones to get there for lunch. On the way over there she mentioned she'd seen Ewan earlier, but not since, and he had his guitar with him!

We walk into the lunch area and got our plates and I turn around and who is on the other side of the table? That's right - Ewan!! I'm dying here and trying not be obvious, so I just smiled at him and he smiled back! He just had on jeans and the motorcycle T-shirt that he wore on E! Revealed. His hair was a bit messed up, kind of falling a bit over his forehead. He kind of looked like maybe he had just woken up from a nap or was just really tired. So... Me and this girl got on one side of the serving line, and Ewan gets on the other side. There is a serving dish of green beans that looked like they'd been there for awhile as not many were left. So I took a few and then Ewan took a few. Then this guy comes and pours a new batch of green beans in the serving tray and Ewan takes the tongs and picks up some green beans and asks me if I want some more!!! I was so flabbergasted I almost dropped my plate! But managed to say

"Sure, thanks so much"

or something like that! Then he went on to another line and sat with some of the crew to eat. I somehow managed to get through the rest of the line and sat in the next row of tables over, but my back was to him and though I had to sneak a peak every once in awhile, and once he laughed out loud and I just knew that laugh! My stomach being all a flutter, I wasn't really hungry now, but ate every green bean Ewan put on my plate!! (Guess what my new fave veggie is???) So soon lunch was over and we went back to the set, but Ewan had disappeared again.

****WARNING - CONTAINS SPOILERS*****

This is the scenario, so far: In the Palm Court Restaurant are Renée Zellweger (Barbara), David Hyde Pierce (Peter), and Sarah Paulson (Vikki) are at one table. Two stewardesses are seated at another table. Before I was there, evidently the stewardesses are talking and discover that they have both been seeing Catcher (Ewan's character), and Barbara overhears them talking. Catcher is supposed to be meeting Barbara, and the other two friends at the restaurant, but is evidently running late. Okay, now "my scene" - I'm sitting at a table with this guy across from where the two stewardesses are sitting.They are going on about how Catcher has been two-timing them and then in unison they say, "Where's Elke?" (the 3rd stewardess!) They both get up and run out of the restaurant.

In the meantime Barbara has gotten a call from Catcher, and starts off the conversation with: "Yes, I'm sure you have been way - laid!" And goes on and on about how she's an author and he just writes stuff to fill in-between advertisements, and that she'll send him a supply of her books to keep by his bedside so he can give them to all the ladies, etc.And ends up naming off the stewardesses and saying she never wants to see him again. Then she storms out of the restaurant and passes my table. I think in the movie they will have a split screen showing Ewan's side of the conversation, though we couldn't hear it at that time. But I think he was actually on the phone because when they were rehearsing, the first time Renee burst out laughing and said "Ewan!" So you can imagine what he may have said! Then after that scene was over, Ewan came out and sat at the table where Renee had been (he had his glasses on now!) and was just hanging out. Then they made us go back to holding, and we hung around the rest of the afternoon until we were released.

They did say they were going to rehearse tomorrow's scene which is at Barbara's apartment (should be interesting if Catcher shows up). One downside was I didn't get to see Ewan "in action", but hopefully next time (I have 3 more days) and will have more of a presence of mind and opportunity to at least chat a bit with him! Trying to act "professional" in this situation is not very easy! Also they made me wear the stupidest hat I've every seen and I took it off before I went to lunch, and I didn't put it back on until they caught me during the rehearsal on set and made me wear it! So when you see the movie, if you see a lady in that scene who looks like she has shredded paper on her head... that's me! I am still floating around here and can't believe how things went today!

From here on in, the mention of GREEN BEANS will have a whole new meaning!

Later update:

Unfortunately, the other days I was on the set were scenes Ewan was not in. But I still feel pretty lucky to have had my GBM (green bean moment) with Ewan. It reinforced what we keep hearing from many of his lucky fans - that Ewan is a perfect gentleman, kind and thoughtful, etc.

Ewan definitely deserves our love and admiration!