Universal Pictures presents
SEABISCUIT
In Theaters Everywhere: July 25th 2003

JOE'S COMMENTS

I contacted Wendy in casting and she told me she had a part open for a photographer for the dates I was available. As anxious as I was to play myself in yet another movie (this time - a period flick), I was not at all that thrilled about having my hair cut short for the part, especially after what happened on "The Time Machine." At the encouragement of others, I went anyway. First, I attended the costume and hair check on a cold, rainy Saturday morning. I dressed up in my recent newsboy costume from the "So Long Baby" music video, which got me a few stares and snickers, but they still made me retire the outfit for a more dressy look. The hair stylist cut my hair real short on the sides and back, I hadn't seen it like that since I was a kid at Barone's Barber Shop! She did leave all my hair on the top, so I was happy that I'd be able to keep my pompadour for Halloween.

Anyhow, I was called in to work on Wednesday, October 30th at 5 a.m. - an ungodly hour in this cold! The day started fairly slow, until the group of us photographers were all lined up to get an overview on how to use the old box cameras of the era. As I stood in line, I noticed a vintage Bell & Howell 16mm Filmo 70 camera perched on a wooden tripod set to the side. I asked the prop girl if it was possible that I could use that camera and I was met with a snippy "You'll take what we give you." A few choice words later, I approached the head property master. After hearing me recite the camera model down to the pin registration, he kindly told me it was mine. Yahoo! That's right, folks! Yours truly gets as close as one can get to actually playing themselves in a major motion picture! This made the whole thing worth it! I even got a close-up, being the only news-reel cameraman in the herd of reporters. So, when the film premieres in 2003, keep a good eye out for me - I'm the one with the flat cap and movie camera, all the way to the left of the movie screen!