Pic from Neil and Christy.com
Christy TV Journal: Lauren Lee Smith
Christy's Journal by Lauren Lee Smith
WEEK 1
Our first week of production ended many days of preparation for me -- the costume fittings, makeup and hair tests, horseback riding lessons and meetings with producers that were necessary before taking on the role of Christy Huddleston. Was I ever glad to be finally getting to work! After all, as excited as I was about being chosen to play Christy I have to admit to feeling a little nervous about following in the footsteps of someone like Kellie Martin. I loved her in the original "Christy" series and couldn't help wondering how my interpretation would be received.
But then on Saturday the whole cast got together at the studio for a read-through of the first script, "Return To Cutter Gap" and I couldn't have felt more comfortable. It was so much fun putting faces to the characters I'd been reading about. I was especially happy to meet the four wonderful actors who have returned from the original cast: Stewart Finlay McLennan, Dale Dickey, Bruce McKinnon and Andy Stahl. They made me feel at ease from the moment we met. And reading scenes with them was like we had known each other forever. At long last I really did feel like Christy Huddleston.
Later that afternoon everyone was invited to Producer Deboragh Gabler's house for a "Christy" launch party. Her lovely home on an ocean bluff was a perfect setting for the cast and crew to get to know each other. There were boat rides for the children and lots of talk about the "Christy" novel. Bruce McKinnon even brought some vintage photos of the people and places that Catherine Marshall was writing about. Seeing them made us all even more determined to get started.
And two days later, we did. On Monday, August 21, we began shooting. I was amazed to see how much the sets look like the descriptions in the book and how beautiful the mountains surrounding them are. I've had scenes with everyone in the cast so far except Miss Alice, who arrives this week. Our director, Chuck Bowman, has been careful to let us take our time settling into our roles and to develop our relationships. It's such a pleasure not being rushed through the work the way so many other television shows do. From the very first shot it was clear that everyone involved with the new "Christy" movies is totally dedicated to authenticity and quality.
Catherine Marshall created something special all those years ago, something truly magical. I am so incredibly proud to be part of it.
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 2
By the end of our second week of filming I think that everyone has begun to feel at home on the "Christy" set. I know I have. After spending twelve hours or more together every day, cast and crew members who didn't know each other a month ago have now become friends. Unlike a lot of TV and movie sets, people here are having so much fun working together -- the proof being that several of our actors even hang out with us on their days off! I was surprised the first time I looked up to find Andy, Dale and Bruce watching a scene when I knew they weren't scheduled to work, but that's the way it is in Cutter Gap. People can leave but nobody really wants to.
One reason for that is the quality of the show we're making. The photography, art direction, costumes, hair and make-up are the best that most of us have ever seen on a television show. When I walked into the mission house for the first time this week, I was in a real home, not a movie set. Everything was in its place. In the kitchen there were big things like an antique stove and sink with a pump handle, and small details, too -- the oil lamps, china on shelves, bowls of fresh vegetables from the garden and a pantry filled with jars of Fairlight's preserves. It had rained earlier in the day, so when we filmed our kitchen scene that afternoon the most beautiful sunset took place outside that filled the room with glowing golden sunlight. The whole company stopped to watch the sun disappearing behind the mission windmill and the mountains beyond. Then someone thought to film me where I stood on the porch. The result is an unbelievably beautiful moment that will be used in the movie. The crew calls it the "God Shot" because we didn't plan it, it was a gift from heaven. And it was.
On a personal level, I had some dramatic scenes this week that I'm glad are behind me. As much as actors look forward to emotionally challenging scenes, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous before doing them. Especially since Christy Huddleston is still a new person for me and I'm still in the process of discovering how she reacts in various situations. Sometimes those reactions are unexpected -- like on Tuesday when Christy was confronted by David about her low spirits. He blurted out a long list of her accomplishments in the cove and I found myself becoming inspired by them! Obviously, I never started the barter store or talked David into building the telephone line or helped Opal after she killed her baby -- but there was David Grantland, lecturing me about the difference I'd made in the lives of the mountain families. The words had an effect on me that I can't explain. Whatever it was, it was powerful. I finished that scene feeling a lot closer to Christy than I did when I started it.
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 3
This was a week that started and ended with intensity. My first scene was a major confrontation with Ozias Holt, a stubborn mountain man who was in the process of beating his son Zach because he caught him reading a book. Frank C. Turner, the great character actor who plays Ozias, was so convincing in his rage that I was literally shaking as I stepped in to prevent him from hitting Zach a second time. The script had suggested that Christy would have her work cut out for her, but I never expected what I saw in Frank's eyes that day. My fear was real. No acting was necessary.
The end of the week brought two scenes that I'd been looking forward to since I first auditioned for the role of Christy -- an argument with Doctor MacNeill over his interest in another woman and my first-ever stunt. I had performed the MacNeill scene twice during the audition process in Vancouver months ago, and then once with Stewart at the network. I couldn't wait to film it because it was a chance to show so many of Christy's emotions at once... from her confusion and vulnerability to her strength and personal integrity. I won't ruin the surprise of what happens, except to say that after finding MacNeill with a beautiful woman she really unloads on him.
But performing my first movie stunt was the most exciting of all. The scene called for Christy to be attacked by two men in the woods and to fight for her life. Like Frank Turner's performance as Ozias, Brock Johnson and Marcus Hondro were totally convincing as they chased me through the forest. After learning how to fall face down without hurting myself, I had to run as fast as I could before throwing myself directly at the camera, which was sitting low on the ground. We did the shot three times (plus rehearsals) and I managed to avoid crashing into our camera operator, Richard Wilson, every time. It was great! And even though it wasn't a huge stunt like being set on fire or falling off a building, it seemed pretty big to me.
And speaking of "big", something else happened on the set that was about as big as things can get: one of our crew members saved a life. Our production assistant, Hamish McArthur, was choking on some food when electrician Bruce Hanzlick jumped in to help with the Heimlick maneuver. Well, in this case I guess was the "Hanzlick maneuver." The obstruction was soon cleared and Hamish recovered from a truly frightening incident.
We also celebrated Stewart's birthday on Thursday. He tried to keep it quiet at first, but nothing stays secret on a film set for long. Everybody sang "Happy Birthday" by the side of a beautiful river and thoughful Andy Stahl brought a cake. It's hard to believe that we only have one more week of production to go on "Return To Cutter Gap." I guess time really does fly when you're having fun...
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 4
Our final days of shooting on "Return To Cutter Gap" brought the long-awaited arrival of Diane Ladd as Miss Alice. Since the rest of the movie was mostly finished, Diane and I found ourselves able to play all of our scenes together this week. That was a big advantage for us because film planning usually scatters a character's story over the whole schedule, which can make it hard to keep track of what we're supposed to be thinking and feeling. But Diane and I could devote ourselves to Alice and Christy's relationship every day and it was such a pleasure! Not only were the scenes themselves fulfilling, but I felt truly honored to be working with an actress of her stature and sensitivity.
There were also a few changes in my daily routine this week. A black bear and her three cubs have moved into an old cave set on the property next to wild blackberry bushes where people pick berries on their way up the hill to the production office. I used to like walking there at the end of the long day, but now that the days are getting shorter I've decided that riding in a crowded van is preferable to meeting momma bear alone on that lonely, dark road.
I've also found myself getting really caught up in the internet debate over whether Christy should marry David or MacNeill. The crew talks about it all the time at work, but I think Stewart and James are the ones having the most fun. The three of us had dinner last weekend and had a great time trying to figure out where this's all heading. Someone suggested a surprise ending where Christy dumps BOTH of them and runs off with Birdseye Taylor.
And speaking of Birdseye, I was glad to finally meet Mike Hickman when he flew in for the next movie, "A Change of Seasons." I don't know what I expected but it wasn't the gentle, nice guy that he really is! His performances on the original series were so powerful, who knew he'd turn out to be... well, normal?
Sincerely,
Lauren
P.S. I'm sorry for the delay in posting this journal entry. Because I mentioned James Waterston (David) and the official announcement of his arrival wasn't made by the network until this week, they put me on hold.
WEEK 5
Hi everyone! Yes, it's actually me writing this... contrary to a few skeptics out there. Even though the journal may not be the most exciting thing that anybody ever read, I like being able to share my experiences on the set. "Christy" is important to me and I want to say thanks to all the people who've written positive comments about my entries.
The week began sadly by saying goodbye to Chuck Bowman, who returned to Los Angeles after directing "Return To Cutter Gap." In addition to helping me ease into my role Chuck was very instrumental in developing, casting and producing all three "Christy" movies. I'll miss him a lot.
Our director for "A Change of Seasons" is George Kaczender, a gentle man who brings an amazing list of credits to the project. And so far everything has been going well. As most people know, the second movie deals with the typhoid epidemic from the novel, so the intense nature of Philip Gerson's script means that there's very little joking around on the set now. Dealing with death is serious business, even if it is pretend. And the way this movie is being shot most of it feels extremely real.
An example of that is something that Olivia Kelly (Ruby Mae) told me between takes of an especially emotional scene. She was just sitting there, more quiet than usual, and when I asked her if she was alright she said that her grandmother once gave her a beautiful quilt that had been given to her years ago by a stranger whose wife and children had died of typhoid. Lonely and in shock, the man just walked into her store one day and handed it to her, saying that he didn't need it anymore. When you're acting in a TV show it's easy to forget that the stories you're doing are not always fiction. Olivia's quilt helped me remember that. The typhoid epidemic that Catherine Marshall wrote about was a major tragedy that took countless lives and brought a kind of suffering to families that I can't even imagine. In our own small way, "Christy" will be honoring them and what they went through.
But making this movie hasn't been all sadness. One funny thing happened at the end of that same scene -- right after a important character collapsed onto the floor, Doctor MacNeill rushed in, touched his forehead and called out, "He's on fire!" Moments later our special effects technician, Reed Moore, ran in with a fire extinguisher. He was a little embarrassed, but we all had a good laugh. I think we needed it.
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 6
This week marked the half-way point of our work on the three movies and I find myself enjoying it more than ever. That isn't always the case with actors on television shows because the hours are so long having a life outside the show is nearly impossible. People have written to ask what it's like playing Christy Huddleston, so here's a typical day in my life:
5:00 AM- I wake up and get ready for work.
5:45 AM- A crew van picks me up and takes me to Bordertown, the movie ranch where we film most of our locations.
6:00 AM- I arrive at the make-up trailer near the production office, where Diana and Leah do their magic.
7:30 AM- Still wearing jeans and sweatshirts, the other actors in the first scene and I go to the set for a quick blocking rehearsal with the director.
7:45 AM- After a stop at the catering truck for a breakfast burrito, I ride back to my trailer for costuming while Laszlo, Chris, Peter and the crew light the set. By now I'm starting to wake up and try to run lines with someone if time allows.
8:10 AM- A van takes the cast back to the set for a camera rehearsal and final lighting. This is when we often receive new dialogue to replace what we previously learned, so everybody has to make adjustments.
8:45 AM- We're ready to film the master shot, which shows all the actors in the scene. After last minute costume, make-up and hair checks, it usually takes three or four attempts before we get it right.
9:15 AM- The actors leave the set and wait nearby while the crew re-lights for new camera angles. This is the best time for me to sit and talk with the cast and crew, except during breaks in emotional scenes when I prefer to be alone.
9:30AM-12:00 PM- The cast returns to the set for coverage angles of the same scene, where they film us individually and in groups. By the time we finish we've performed the same scene well over a dozen times.
12:10 PM- The crew breaks down the equipment for a move to a new location while the cast and director have another blocking rehearsal.
12:30 PM- The van takes me back to my trailer for a costume and hair change, sometimes making a stop at the craft service table for a snack.
12:45 PM- The van returns to the set for camera blocking and final lighting of the new scene.
1:00 PM- We film the master shot.
1:30 PM- The company breaks for lunch. Everybody eats in the lobby of an old hotel set on the western street on the property where we work. Sometimes I eat fast so I can visit the camera truck or producer's trailer to watch a video cassette of what we filmed the day before.
2:30-4:00 PM- Back to work. We film all the angles of the scene that we started before lunch.
4:10 PM- I return to my trailer for another costume and hair change, though my corset is always a little harder to get into after lunch. If I'm not in the next scene, then this's a good time to make phone calls, write letters or work on "Christy's Journal". But it gets lonely in my trailer, too, and sometimes I like to hang out with the other actors while they work.
4:15-8:00 PM- Rehearsals and shooting continue. The company films for 12 hours but occasionally goes longer. After we wrap it takes me about 30 minutes to get out of make-up and wardrobe.
9:00 or 9:30 PM- I return to the hotel and have a light meal.
10:00 PM- I study my call sheet and script for the next day and try to fall asleep by midnight. Then the next day it's up at 5:00 AM all over again.
So, that's the glamorous life of an actress. Sometimes my mom visits the set and stays with me at the hotel, which is a welcome change to the routine. And lately some of the women on the crew have been dragging me out one night a week to terrorize the town. Weekends are usually spent sleeping and running errands. But then I often find myself on Saturday night with some of the same people I work with for so many hours making "Christy".
It's the greatest job in the world!
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 7
I'm sorry to be so late in posting this, but my life has been a little complicated lately and writing my journal has been the last thing on my mind. However, now that a few days have passed I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about my cousin Myles Ferguson who died as a result of a traffic accident one week ago.
Myles was like a brother to me. He was also a well-known nineteen year-old actor here in Vancouver. You probably saw his work on television shows like "The X-Files", "Outer Limits" and "Highlander." And he was in the cast of "Edgemont Road" on the Fox Family Channel, the films "Little Criminals", "Avalanche", "Air Bud" and the upcoming "Spooky House."
But Myles was a whole lot more than a successful actor. He was a totally fun and irreverent friend -- the kind of guy everybody liked. In fact, his nickname was "Smiles." He took great pride in giving the absolutely worst Christmas presents possible (last year I got a loaf of tie-dyed bread). And he was a really good musician. His father and mine used to love jamming with him at family gatherings. But as close as we all were, he and my uncle Mike had the most special relationship. They were best friends, rather than father and son.
Myles lived with my family for a time in Los Angeles and in Vancouver, which made the news of his accident all the harder to take. He spent last week in a coma in intensive care, but even three surgeries couldn’t save him. On Friday I rushed from the set to be with him at the end.
This has been a surreal, difficult time for me… trying to find enough strength and perspective to get through work every day. I can’t thank the people at "Christy" enough for all their love, patience and prayers. I did my best not to take my frustrations out on them - which is probably why my little brother, Guy, and I found ourselves smashing bottles in the garage most of the weekend.
Myles Ferguson was a wonderful person and he didn’t deserve to die. But I take comfort in the fact that he had begun a personal spiritual journey in the past few months. He joined a church and became active in a youth group there. He asked a lot of questions about God and through worship found the answers he was looking for. He found peace.
But perhaps the most important of all Myles didn't leave anything unsaid with the people he loved. And that included me, for which I will always be grateful. I wish you all could have known him.
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 8
I'd like to begin by saying how much my family and I have appreciated the messages of support on the "Christy" forum. Your kindness and prayers have meant so much to us in dealing with the loss of my cousin Myles. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
Fortunately, I've also had the welcoming "Christy" set to help get me through this difficult time. And with the conclusion of filming on "A Change of Seasons" and start of "A New Beginning" taking place there is so much to write about this week. I'd like to begin by saying thank you to George Kaczender for his energy, attention to detail and gentle approach in directing "A Change of Seasons". I enjoyed working with him very much.
I also have to say that I'm glad to put the emotionally draining typhoid story behind me as I take on the special challenges of the third movie. Brenda Lilly's script puts Christy through a series of physical and personal problems unlike anything that she's had to deal with before. Not only does Christy become trapped by the biggest storm to hit the mountain in many years, but she's finally forced to choose between David and Neil. The other night I had my final fitting for Christy's wedding dress, which is one of the most lovely gowns I've ever seen, let alone worn. It's made of white silk, chiffon and chantilly lace. The 3/4 length lace outer sleeve has a silk inner sleeve edged with scalloped lace trim and three pearl shank buttons. The bodice has a lace center front inlay. The waistline is rouched lace on a cascading white chiffon overlay. The chantilly lace viel has satin ribbons, hand beaded crown, with drop pearl detailing. Kate Healey, our costume designer, did a wonderful job creating it.
We also had some important guests on the set last week. First, Nancy and Jeff LeSourd flew up from Washington, D.C. to visit us and thoughtfully brought "Christy" gifts for the cast and crew. I was especially honored to receive a beautifully framed portrait of Leonora Wood holding baby Catherine on her lap. Nancy and Jeff also donated two more cases of "Christy" novels to the crew, which are always snapped up as fast as they arrive. It was nice sharing our excitement about the movies with the LeSourds and extremely rewarding to see their enthusiasm for our work. On Friday night our chief lighting technician Chris Cochrane even let them operate the electronic lightning machine throughout a scene where Jacob Witkin (Dr. Ferrand) and James had to rescue Michael Lilly (Bob Allen and our dialogue coach) from a raging river.
Nancy and Jeff were joined in Cutter Gap by four members of the Christyfest Committee. Michelle Kraker, Sonja Schaeffer, Cindy Klauss and Stephanie Brice spent two days on the set and attended the wrap party for "A Change of Seasons." They seemed to have a great time taking pictures and watching us film scenes for an elaborate rain sequence that kept Stewart and me cold, soaked and muddy most of the day. Some of Cindy's snapshots are on our website and I know that Sonja is putting even more on Stewart's page.
I can't describe how many people and pieces of equipment it takes to create movie rain. We have several rain towers and water trucks, plus a bunch of fire hoses, heaters, fans (the size of airplane propellers) and a 40,000 watt lightning machine. There's ankle-deep mud everywhere, of course, so we all have to walk on plywood planks just to get around. And every scene requires the help of water safety and stunt people, wetsuits, waterproof boots and lots of warm towels from the wardrobe department -- especially on those long and cold nights when the company films until 5AM. Our director, Don McBrearty, and the special effects team are doing a fabulous job.
It's fair to say that I've never experienced anything quite like the storm we're making for "A New Beginning," so it's kind of fun despite the discomfort. I'll let you know if I still feel that way after being sopping wet for another three weeks.
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 9
It's hard to comprehend that we only have two weeks of production left. I honestly don't know how I'm going to react when this's all over and the company disbands. Even after a long and difficult week, by Sunday I usually find myself thinking of nothing but getting back to work. I'm already having trouble picturing myself not being Christy anymore and not working with this incredible cast and crew every day.
Being Christy last week meant continuing to be wet and shivering every day, both from the movie rain we've been making and the real rain that came into Vancouver last week and stayed. And then when I finally got warm and dry between scenes they'd hose me down all over again. One time Stewart and I had a better idea and decided to get wet by going in the hot tub (used to warm up freezing actors or crew) with our costumes on.
And being Christy meant having the pleasure of watching David and Neil fight over me last week. Okay, it wasn't really me, it was Christy, but it was fun anyway. I should add here that those scenes are the ones that lead up to Christy finally making her decision between them and they contain some of the most intense acting that I've ever had to do. Throughout my work with Stewart and James I kept thinking about the fans of the novel who have waited for so many years for the resolution of this -- and the responsibility that I feel for expressing Christy's emotions with honesty and integrity.
In addition to the filming of "A New Beginning" last week also brought the completion of editing of "Return To Cutter Gap" and the chance to finally meet Ron Ramin, who composed the beautiful music on the original series. It was great that he could be in town to join us all for dinner on Saturday night. He flew in that day to screen the final cut and to make arrangements for a scoring session with members of the Vancouver Philharmonic. He came to the restaurant straight from seeing the movie and I'm happy to report that he was raving about what he saw.
I can't wait to see it all put together, but in some ways my work on that movie seems like something that happened a long time ago. Even though we only finished production last month, Christy and I have taken such an amazing trip together since that it seems like a lifetime away.
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 10
Well, it finally happened. Christy Huddleston got married. And not only was that the biggest event in her life, but it turned out to be the most important week of production for me, too.
Since we were shooting Christy's decision two ways, my work started by filming breakup scenes with both David and Neil. James had joked that he planned to do the worst acting job possible to make sure that his scene would be unusable, but he didn't, of course. He was wonderful and so was Stewart. I couldn't help crying real tears in those difficult moments with them. Not only are they great guys in real life, but I believe that Christy truly does love the characters they play with all her heart.
We also had a lot more rain last week, both the real thing and tons of the movie variety. Slogging around in mud all day long was starting to get old, too. But then once again these movies proved to be blessed, because when we needed perfect weather for Christy's wedding, the clouds over Bordertown magically scattered and we had one of the nicest days that we'd seen in quite a while. It was breathtaking! It was also pretty amazing -- in the middle of the ceremony one of our crew members arrived from an errand in town to report that while we were enjoying our crystal clear mountain sky, it was pouring in Maple Ridge just two miles away.
As a result, I'm happy to say that Christy's wedding was everything that I had hoped it would be. The mission yard was transformed into the most beautiful spot for a garden wedding, with colorful streamers and tables of food and presents everywhere. There were even 1912 vintage cars brought in for our Asheville guests. And it was so much fun wearing that fabulous dress. The only downside for me was having to go through it all twice knowing that one entire set of scenes will never be used. It was really strange marrying two men on the same afternoon.
But there was also a bittersweet feeling on the set as we began this new stage of Christy's life. Our celebration of Christy's marriage also meant closing a chapter in her life forever. The implications of that were not lost on the cast or crew, either. I found myself being unusually quiet that day and at times even a little sad.
But then the week ended in outrageous style when twenty of us celebrated Halloween weekend at a club in Vancouver's historic Gastown. We were all in costume... ranging from an angel (guess who) to Braveheart (no surprise there) to a guy in drag (don't ask). I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It was great. And after the emotional upheavals of the past few weeks, I have to say that I needed it.
Sincerely,
Lauren
WEEK 11
I know it's a cliche to say that all good things must come to an end, but it really is true. And this particular ending wasn't easy for anyone on the "Christy" movies. Least of all me. This was our final week of production and each day brought out more cameras taking snapshots, more scripts and novels to be signed by everyone... and more sad faces than I knew were possible on our happy set as people began to say goodbye.
Saying goodbye wasn't what I expected it to be, either. After months of working together, cast members completed their work in different scenes throughout the week, one by one. I never looked forward to an announcement by Melanie Siteman, our assistant director, that someone else was leaving us. We'd all applaud for a few moments, before quickly returning to the work at hand, concluding the ritual. It was pretty strange.
By 3:00 Saturday morning, attrition had finally dwindled the cast of fifty down to just James and me. And after Mel made her announcement that we, too, had been wrapped, he and I sat in the makeup trailer for an hour, toasting our new friendship and reflecting on our incredible good fortune to find ourselves being Christy and David. It felt right for me to be able to share that very personal moment with James. After all, eleven weeks ago we were the two newest names in the principle cast and in many ways we had the most to learn.
A little earlier in the evening another farewell was equally touching. The "Cutter Gap Cowboys" (Dale, Andy, Bruce and Mike) opened a bag of Tennessee soil and held a private ceremony in the pouring rain, facing each other in a circle and wishing for the chance to return next year as Opal, Tom, Jeb and Birdseye. Then they tossed a handful of dirt over their shoulders, symbolically bringing a bit of the real Smokies to Vancouver.
The week wasn't all melancholy, however. Things picked up in a big way on Saturday night at our cast and crew screening of "Return To Cutter Gap" (which we all loved!) followed by a great wrap party at Planet Hollywood that included a slide show of everyone at work and a mechanical bull brought in from Roosters, the crew's favorite club in Maple Ridge. I didn't do too badly, either, reaching level four before I was thrown off.
But then, inevitably, the party was over and I had to face my return to life without "Christy". That change began when everyone from the States checked out of their hotels on Sunday and flew home, leaving a void in my life that won't be easily filled. I've been so privileged to work with the five original series cast and all the other fine actors who appeared in "Christy". I hope they know how much I'll always treasure our time together.
I also want to say thank you to everyone on our amazing crew for their dedication and talent. I could not have been in better hands in taking on this challenging role.
Finally, people have wondered if my journals will continue now that production has stopped. Since the purpose of these postings was to share my experiences while playing Christy, I don't think there'd really be much point in writing updates now that we've wrapped. So let me just say that I've enjoyed taking you behind the scenes of "Christy". Thank you so much for all your feedback and support. This has been the most special time for me.
Sincerely,
Lauren
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