This was my third day on set. It actually wasn’t as eventful as the others, but it was probably my most disappointing day—though I wouldn’t know that until much later when the show finally aired.
My call time for this episode was a little later than usual, at 11:00 AM, so I arrived early at 10:00 AM. This time, base camp was set up in a downtown parking lot at the corner of Ross Avenue and Field Street. After parking, I located the casting assistant and checked in. Afterward, I went directly to wardrobe to change into my uniform, and then it was off to props. I collected my gun belt, service revolver, and everything else I needed to look like a correctional officer. This time, however, I wasn’t a Fox River guard; I was a C.O. for the Arizona Department of Corrections. This particular episode was titled "Buried."
Not long after I got suited up, the crew called for lunch. They shuttled us over to The Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas, where we ate. I know I probably sound like a broken record always talking about how good the catering was on this production, but what can I say? It was awesome. After grabbing my food, I took a seat next to Marshall Allman. For those who don't know, Marshall played L.J. Burrows, the son of Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell). Marshall was a pretty cool guy. He, myself, and a couple of others chatted through the entire lunch hour. When lunch wrapped up and it was time to head back, I asked Marshall if I could get a quick picture with him. He said, "Sure, no problem." I then asked if he would sign an autograph, and he again replied, "No problem." However, he added, "They’re calling me right now, so catch me when we get on set."
Once I arrived on set, the crew was getting ready to shoot my scene. In this setup, L.J. Burrows had been arrested by the police and transferred to the Arizona Department of Corrections. I had a great scene with Marshall, playing the C.O. who escorts him into the facility to be checked in. In fact, I was originally going to be credited on screen for this scene.
Marshall and I had actually been talking right before the cameras rolled and decided it would look good if I gave him a little shove through the door. After walking through the entrance, I was supposed to tell him very sternly, “Move it!” It felt great, and the crew shot a lot of close-ups and different angles. After we did the scene about ten times, we finally heard, “Cut. Check the gate.” That meant the director had the shot they liked and were moving on. Since that was my only scene for the day, it was time for me to head home. True to his word, Marshall caught me on my way out and asked if I still wanted that autograph. I absolutely did, so he signed my index card.
I hopped back on the shuttle to base camp, returned everything to wardrobe and props, and had casting sign off on my payslip before heading home. When I left the set, I felt incredibly good. It was a successful day with good people, and I finally had a spoken line on the show, albeit a small one.
When the episode finally aired, I sat down to watch it, only to realize something was very different. The entire Arizona prison sequence had been completely scrapped. Every single thing I did that day was gone, likely left on the cutting room floor. Knowing that I lost out on an actual screen credit made it sting a little bit more. Oh well, that’s just how the business goes. It was deeply disappointing, but there is really nothing you can do about it. I did my job, got paid, and just had to move along to the next one.
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