Richmonders, you need to try a little harder.
Of the thousands of would-be extras who showed up at the Sept. 15 casting call, a majority didn’t make the cut.
(Here’s a tip: Very few Civil War soldiers had facial piercings.)
But if you haven’t gotten a call yet, don’t despair. The casting crew is just beginning costume fittings. Filming begins Oct. 10, but “the big stuff starts in November,” says extras casting director Billy Dowd. That’s when they’ll need hundreds of extras to play soldiers and citizens.
Dowd’s asking people who haven’t yet tried out to submit their photos and personal information by email or regular mail. Here’s who he’s looking for:
• White and black men who are 18 years old or older; stand 6-foot-1 or shorter; and weigh 200 pounds or less. “We’re coming up short on young black soldiers,” Dowd says. Facial hair and longish hair is a big plus; but shaven heads, dreads, braids and piercings will knock you out of the running.
• White women with shoulder length or longer hair of natural color (no highlights or dyes) who wear dress size 6-12.
• African-American women who also wear a dress size 6-12. Long hair’s not required, but they don’t want to see dreads, braids, modern cuts and wigs.
Send a recent photo to osextrascasting@gmail.com along with height, weight and contact information, including a phone number. Or mail to Office Seekers, Attn: Extras Casting, 8080 AMF Drive, Mechanicsville, 23111. Don’t even think about showing up in person.
