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FEATURED ARTICLE
Swayze Buddy Jeanny Lentz from Luxembourg wrote this article for our magazine in 2002. We hope you enjoy it!
My shooting experience as an extra at the set of "George and the Dragon"
Official Fan Club member Jeanny Lentz from Luxembourg was a Nun in Patrick's film "George and the Dragon"
which was shot at the beginning of this year (written in 2002). Here, she shares her experiences in the making of a movie!!
Swayze Buddy Jeanny Lentz
(Click for larger image)
The first time I heard about the shooting was in my function as a member of the council of Bastendorf. In
January 2002, Pascal Charlier and Stéphane Wasila from Carousel Picture Company had an appointment with the
mayor of my village and I had to assist as a member of the council. They told us about the shooting of a knight's
tale at the castle of Brandenbourg which should last 3 weeks. They needed the help of the local authority to get
the permissions where to put the tents, caravans, the horses, etc.
It was very exciting to hear that part of a movie with Hollywood stars as main actors would be filmed in my
community, in Brandenbourg 3 km away from the place I live. When I heard that one of the main actors would be
Patrick Swayze I was even more delighted. I followed Patrick's films since I first saw him in the TV series North
and South years ago and I've seen quite a lot of his films.
Brandenbourg Castle
(Click for larger image)
Well, so it would really be him shooting a film in the ruins of the castle where I spent so many times during my childhood
with my class mates playing stories about kidnapped princesses too. I got more and more excited.
Pascal and Stéphane told us a bit of the story, especially the parts which would be filmed in Brandenbourg, and the more
they told about it, the more I got interested in the subject. At the end of our meeting they left us a script of the story.
As it was written in English and I was the only one who could understand it, the mayor gave it to me. I read the script the
same evening and the story was very thrilling. Of course I didn't know which part Patrick would play and while reading it I
attributed him the character of George. So I was somehow disappointed when I read later on in an article in our local
newspaper that he plays the part of Garth and that James Purefoy would be playing George.
I remember that they started the shooting in Brandenbourg on Shrove Monday and I was off work as my friend and her
boyfriend from England were staying at my place to spend the carnival time here in Luxembourg. On that day we
drove with my car through the village hoping to catch a view of Patrick but except of some horses and a few
extras we didn't see any of the stars.
Sometimes I heard that people from the village had seen him going on horseback down the castle road when he had
finished his shooting. Some of them even went up to the castle where they were allowed to watch part of the shootings.
The chief of our local fire corps was very often on the set and whenever I saw him I enquired about what was going
on at the castle. One day he told me that they had needed extras for some scenes as some of the extras hadn't come
because of the bad weather (it was raining most of the days during the shooting in Brandenbourg) and that they had
asked some of the villagers to be extras.
As he was on the set most of the days, I told him to inform me whenever they would look for more people I'd volunteer
being an extra. Some days later he told me that they are looking for extras for the shooting at Vianden castle for one
day but he didn't know the exact date.
When I heard about that I was really excited and I drove to my friend Alexa who lives at a farm close to Brandenbourg
to tell her the news. I asked her to join me as it would surely be great fun in case we'd get a part and it would be
more fun being two of us.
So we made an application together to become extras without knowing what parts we would get in case we would be accepted.
Every day when I came home and the light on my answering machine was blinking I hoped it would be Carousel Picture
Company telling me that I got a part, but every time false alarm. The longer it lasted the more I lost hope that I
would be chosen but then, more than 2 weeks later, on 11th March in the morning, I got a call at my office from Katja
Wolf who was in charge of the recruiting of the extras. My heart was beating while she asked me if I'd still be
interested in being an extra and if yes that they would need me for 2 days, the 18th and 19th of March.
Of course I immediately accepted. A chance like that would never come again. I asked her if my friend Alexa was
accepted too and she said yes. From her I got to know that we'd be nuns (two of 50) and that we have to bring
white tights and old black shoes which should not look too modern. As I wear glasses she told me that I would
not be allowed to wear my glasses. I also got to know that we should be at the set at 07.00 a.m. and to come
only with one car. I agreed with all she said and went to tell all my colleagues about my luck. My colleagues
at work didn't stop making fun of me when they got to know that I'd be a nun and they couldn't understand that
I took 2 days off work because of the part of an extra. (But later on, when I returned from the set, they were
more than curious how life is on the set and I had to make a detailed report).
From that day on my friend Alexa and I were both looking forward to that special day. It was still one week to
go and it seemed like eternity to me. Finally it was Sunday and the next day it should start. On Sunday afternoon
I got once more a call from Katja telling me that the shooting was delayed and that we only had to be on the set
at 09.00 a.m. At least some hours more sleep, though it didn't matter as I certainly would be too nervous to have
a sleep at all. Katja also asked me if I could bring some girls for the second day as they'd need 150 nuns and
that they hadn't found enough yet. So I spent some time making calls to friends to ask them to join me and Alexa.
In fact I had to convince them a lot to come but finally succeeded in getting my cousin and a friend's wife
to join us the second day.
Vianden is only a 10 minutes drive away from my home so we wouldn't have to leave that early. Anyway I
decided to leave at 8.00 a.m. as in Vianden it is not that easy to find a parking place and if 50 nuns
would all come with their own cars it would be difficult to get one close to the castle.
Vianden Castle
(Click for larger image)
At 8.00 a.m. I picked up Alexa who lives on a farm in Landscheid, a small village 3 km up to Brandenbourg.
She was also very excited that morning and we talked all our way long to Vianden what would happen and if we
really would see Patrick. As I had been many times to Vianden castle I knew the area quite well and Katja had
told me that I could drive up to the castle. When we arrived at the road leading up to the castle it was blocked
and a guard was standing there. I told him that we are extras and that we had an appointment with Katja and he
let us pass. We passed all the trailers and tents and we were shown to park the car along the forest road.
Luckily we were too early so we did not have to park too far away from the tents.
As we were too early, we started the search for Katja and finally found her. She was very kind and showed us
the catering tent where we should wait and invited us to have a coffee. So we first had a cup of coffee and
were watching the people from the set coming into the tent to have breakfast. When I saw their plates covered
with eggs, bacon and beans I couldn't understand how somebody could eat those things early in the morning.
(In fact I lost 2 kg of weight during the two days on the set. I think filming is better than any diet.)
I was too nervous to eat anything, not even a sandwich. Everybody was so relaxed, no hectic at all. More
and more women and girls came to the tent and finally Katja came back with some contracts to sign. We felt
like little stars signing our first contract with Carousel Picture Company. And we would even get a pay for it:
Euros 62 a day. Unbelievable, I would have done it even for free, only to live once the atmosphere at the set
of a great movie.
Some of the nuns relaxing at the catering facility
(Click for larger image)
Katja asked me and Alexa and some of the girls who had already signed their contracts to go to the costume tent to
put on our nun costumes. It was a huge tent and a few girls were already partly dressed. Everyone was handed over a
cream coloured dress and a cream coloured tunic with a red cross on the chest. The dressing room was very primitive:
wooden floor, a few benches and coat stands all along the tent walls. We put on our outfit and the big laugh started.
One of the costume crew was grinning all the time, I think he never saw a bunch of nuns like that, but he was very
helpful to everybody who had problems with the dress. Of course mine was much too long, as I'm quite small in size,
but all the dresses were only one size. So he shortened it with a special trick: he took double-sided tape which I
thought was quite a funny idea, but it worked.
From left to right: Jeanny, Alexa, Claudine and Maddy
(Click for larger image)
(I even joked on saying to Alexa that I'd try that the next time I'd buy a pair of jeans). Anyway they wouldn't
even have had the time to sew it as there were some more with the same problem than I.
Then we had to go to the make-up tent. Fortunately we were some of the first extras going there so that we hadn't
to wait too long in the queue as later on it got more and more crowded. Anyway it was very interesting to watch
the make-up and hairdresser team who did a great job. Luckily I have short hair so mine was quick done. The lady
who did my hair put some sticky gel and some hairpins in my hair and I was ready. She didn't even have to put make
up as I have a pale skin and my cheeks were rosy due to the excitement. Then we had to go back to the costume tent
to get our wimple and veil fitted. We were ready for the shooting, but there were still nuns who weren't, so Katja
asked us to have one more coffee. I think I never drunk that much coffee than on these two shooting days.
Finally the starting shot was given: we all had to walk up the steep road to the castle. We were rather exhausted
when we finally arrived as it was not very easy to walk in these long dresses as I had to watch out not to step on
it. I had been many times to Vianden castle, (whenever I have guests from abroad I take them there), but this time
it was like being in another century: everywhere nuns and the few tourists strolling around must have wondered what
was going on that day.
It was a long way up to the castle!
(Click for larger image)
Then began a long waiting time in a big room where they had put tables and chairs for all of us. In that room we
spent most of the time these two days. It was waiting room and canteen together. Ralf Eisenmann explained what
scene would be filmed today and asked us not to take pictures on the set and not to watch into the camera while
the scene would be shot.
Vianden castle would be later on in the movie an Abbey. The scene would play in the Abbey sanctuary where all
the nuns had gathered for the morning prayers. We would have to kneel down on the benches with bowed heads and
folded hands listening to Mother Superior's prayer in Latin. He also said that we should try that those having
the same size should sit in the same row.
Finally everybody got a knee pad to kneel down on it and we went down the stairs to a big room with arched open
windows where the scene of the Morning Prayer would be shot. There were several rows of benches on two sides
separated by an aisle. I remember that most of the nuns hurried to get a seat in one of the first rows but me
and Alexa chose the third last row on the right side of the aisle. When they checked the rows, Alexa had to move one
row behind and I got an English lady next to me.
We were once more told what to do and not to look into the camera, just do like the camera wasn't there. We repeated
the same scene several times and the knees began to hurt not being used to sit in a position like that (being a film
star really is a hard job). Finally the main actors (Mother Superior and Sister Angela) came to join us too and the
first real shooting scenes started. The most impressing and exciting for me was the "quiet please" and "Aaaaction".
Now it was real and the first scene was shot. After several rehearsals of the same scene it finally was what they
wanted and we had a break.
Well, the break didn't last long as some of the nuns had to go down once more, me included. When I came down the
stairs the scenery was completely changed. There were lesser rows on the left side of the aisle and the rows from
the right had been taken away. Instead there were two small one-person benches left. I had to sit on the first of
them and one nun behind of me. The 1st Assistant Director Sean Cameron came to me to explain what to do. In fact
it was the same procedure than that one before with all the nuns. We had to kneel down with bowed heads, folded
hands and pretend praying. At the moment Sister Angela would run out, I'd have to turn around talking briefly
to the nun sitting behind of me and then praying again.
One of the make-up artists came to check my face which was shining in the meantime and put on some powder all
over my face. I thought it was really too much as I usually don't put on make-up as I don't like it. I nearly
had to sneeze as lots of the powder went into my nose and I didn't like that being powdered all the time they
made their make-up checks. Well, I had to bear it but I hoped I wouldn't have to sneeze during the shooting
as my nose was itching all the time.
This time, the camera filmed from another angle and as it was rolled on rails past my right shoulder, I had
to watch out not to be hit while it was passing me. Sean explained once more to me what to do and he even said:
"You'll do it" and so it was. I even wasn't nervous anymore and I started to like my little job as an extra. I
wanted to do a good job even if I wouldn't be seen later on the big screen, but I would never forget that
unique experience.
When the scene was finished, I got up from my knees but I could hardly walk anymore due to the long kneeling
down and forcing myself to sit there upright. It was rather heavy for me to get up the steep wooden stairs again
but slowly slowly my knees recovered. Alexa was already impatiently waiting for me and she told me that she had
watched me from the stairs.
After a short rest we all had to go down again for the last scenes. This time the camera was filming from the
back and we had to do the same movements than before. Finally it was all done and our first day at the set was
finished. As it was heavily raining in the meantime, we were told to wait for the cars to come and pick us up
at the front gate of the castle. The dresses should not get wet as we would need them dry the next day.
While waiting for a car to pick us up many of the girls chatted and I heard that most of them were disappointed
not having seen Patrick at all (From all the discussions I heard during the whole day most of the girls and women
only came because of Patrick). I heard one girl asking Ralf if Patrick would at least be at the set the next day
and if they would see him and he said that we all would shoot a scene with Patrick and the other main actors the
following day.
The car arrived and we had to go back to the dressing room to put on our clothes and hang up the nun dresses.
My hair was so sticky and hard and even when I had taken the hairpins out it still felt like I had plenty of
them in it. On leaving the tent, Katja asked everyone if she liked it and gave everybody the pay in an envelope.
As Alexa and I would come back the next day she told us to be there at 09.00 a.m. as there would be 150 nuns to
get dressed and styled.
When I came home I phoned to my cousin and friend who would join us the following day and gave them a detailed
report of my shooting experience. I was on the phone for quite a long time having to tell the story twice and
Katja couldn't get a line to get me on the phone. Finally I got a call from Alexa that Katja rang to her home
telling that we should be on the set one hour later.
So once more I had to do two calls to tell the others that it would start only one hour later. I felt sorry for
Katja who had to do so many calls to tell everyone when to come to the set. That night I was so tired that I fell
immediately to sleep. Filming is really straining.
On Tuesday morning 19th March my cousin and my friend's wife came to my house as we had planned to leave earlier
though Katja had told Alexa to be there for 10.00 a.m. As it would be rather busy with 150 nuns it would be better
being there a bit earlier to get a parking space. So we left my house at around 08.30 a.m. to pick up Alexa.
She was already waiting for us and off we went, ready for the next shoot.
The evening before I had been looking for the music cassette of Dirty Dancing which I hadn't listened for quite
a long time and I thought it would be a good opportunity to listen to it during the drive to Vianden. So we all
enjoyed the ride with "Dirty Dancing" background music. We were all in a really good mood.
Claudine and Maddy were rather excited not yet knowing how it's like being on a film set. On arriving in Vianden
it was already very busy all around the trailers and tents. Some of the nuns were already strolling around in
their costumes. We had to find a parking space first and this time we had to park further up along the forest
road. We went our way down to the catering tent to look for Katja but she wasn't there. Some nuns were already
sitting there in their costumes having coffee. So we decided to have a coffee too while waiting for Katja. The
tent got more and more crowded with nuns and other extras being there for the first time. Finally Katja came and
I went to her to introduce Claudine and Maddy. She gave us a contract to sign and she said that we would have to
wait for a while as at the moment it was too crowded in the costume tent. So we had another cup of coffee and waited.
After a while we decided to have a look if we could go into the costume tent. Claudine and Maddy got their
dresses handed to them and we all got dressed. Then we went to the make-up tent but there was a long queue
waiting outside. We decided to wait outside too as there would be more and more people coming and the queue
would certainly rise. Of course it was also rather exciting to watch what was going on outside and maybe we
would even catch a glimpse of one of the actors. In fact we saw Piper Perabo and James Purefoy when they arrived
and watched them going into their caravans to get dressed.
When it started to rain, Ralf came and said that the costumes should not get wet and asked some of the waiting nuns,
us included, to go back to the catering tent. So we went back again for another coffee.
After a while it was not raining that much anymore and I went to get my big umbrella in my car in case it would
start again. We made our way once more to the make-up tent. Anyway they wouldn't start the shooting unless all
of the nuns would be ready, so we patiently waited listening to all the chattering of everybody. It's quite
useful speaking 4 languages as we understood everybody. We got to know that most of them came only because of
Patrick to see him live.
Finally it was our turn: this time a young man did my hair. He was speaking French and I noticed that he was a
beginner as sometimes he was asking advice to one of the other make up artists. He was very precise in his work
and he took his time not being stressed at all, as there were still many nuns waiting and there were only five
of them to do the whole lot. I felt pity for them. I asked him what stuff they put in the hair the day before as
it felt like glue. He had to smile on hearing that and said that he had heard that from other people too and he said
that this time they have another gel which was not that sticky.
I saw that he was putting the hairpins very carefully in my hair. He surely was afraid to hurt me, but I told him that
the pins won't hurt me. He apologized working so slow (when he did one nun, the girl next to him did two) but that it's
his first time on a set and that he's learning the job of a make-up artist for the film and that this is a great
opportunity to learn. I encouraged him on saying that every beginning is hard and he was rather pleased that I was
not upset that it took so long. He did a good job and when leaving I wished him good luck in his future job.
My friends were already ready and were waiting for me. For one moment it had stopped raining and we asked a lady
standing outside of the tent to take a picture of us four nuns. We decided to take our handbags back to the car
and to take only one with us. We went once more to the tent to wait for the departure. In the meantime it was raining
again and they decided that this time we would be driven up to the castle by cars. So it took quite a long time to get
all the nuns up to the castle. Ralf told us to go to the waiting room we had been the day before and to wait there for
further instructions.
When we walked up the stairs to the main entrance, the wooden door was closed. As we thought they had closed it because
of the rain, I said to Claudine who was first in the line, to push the handle to open it as I was holding the umbrella.
She tried put she couldn't open it, so we both pushed and only then we noticed that somebody pushed against it from inside.
We stood there not knowing what to do and finally we heard a voice "Quiet please" and "Action" So they were shooting a scene
behind that door. We were all very excited.
Would we be able to see anyone of the stars when they let us pass? Would Patrick be there too? Shortly afterwards
somebody of the crew came out and stood next to us so that nobody could go inside. After a few minutes he let us pass,
but except from some of the film crew we couldn't see anyone of the actors. Alexa thought having seen James Purefoy but
she wasn't sure about it.
We had to go upstairs though we really would have liked to watch some of the filming. There were already some of
the nuns waiting and more and more came inside. It was very impressive to see so many people wearing the same dress.
Finally they brought some sandwiches to eat and we had some coffee and cold drinks too.
The waiting room for the nuns between filming
(Click for larger image)
The waiting time was increasing and it seemed endless. Everybody tried to do something to make the time pass: some
were reading books or magazines, one girl sitting at our table was doing homework for school, some had brought
articles out of the magazines which showed Patrick as Garth and one nun was even knitting (on seeing her I thought
I could have brought my knitting kit too and Maddy told me that if she had known that she would have brought her
needlework).
Nobody knew when it would start and everybody was looking forward to see Patrick. All the nuns were there, why didn't
they start the shooting? At one moment Ralf came and said that we have to stay quiet as they were shooting some
scenes downstairs and that we were too noisy. They had to finish some scenes with the actors first and it would all
depend on us how long we would have to wait until it was our turn. Of course everybody wanted to start the shooting
as soon as possible and on his command everybody was quiet (there wasn't even a whisper) and we only talked when we
were allowed. It was astonishing how silent it could be even with 150 women in one room. You could have heard a
needle falling on the floor.
We waited and waited, I can't even remember how long, and finally Ralf explained the scene we would shoot today.
He repeated once more to the new arrivals that it is not allowed to take pictures on the set and gave some more
explanations. He said that many had asked if they could have a picture with Patrick, but that it would not be
possible that 150 nuns could have single pictures with him. He promised that he would arrange a group picture to
be taken at the end of the day.
We had to leave our bags and cameras upstairs and we would only be allowed to come upstairs again for a longer
break. During all the short breaks we would have to remain seated downstairs as it would take too long to gather
all the nuns together again. Those wearing glasses were allowed to take them downstairs to put on during the breaks
(lucky me, at least I could see Patrick clearer with my glasses). Once more there was a check from the make-up
artists and once we were checked we could go downstairs.
Everybody seemed to be happy that we finally moved downstairs to the dining room. The room was very huge with two
long lines of wooden tables and benches. We had to pass the main table and saw the food on the plates. I remember
saying to my friends: "I hope we won't have to eat that"? as there was spinach, lentils, beans and two pieces of
a carrot on the plates. All of it cold stuff and disgusting looking, especially if you don't like vegetables like me.
When my friends and I came to the dining room all the places which were the closest to the main table were
already taken so that we had to move further down. I said to my friends that the best would be to sit on
the outside of the table to have a better view of the whole scene. Even if we would not see the main table
we would at least be close to the entrance where the stars had to come through. Finally we sat at the very
end of the tables with no view to the main table (you can't win every time).
While we were sitting there, they came to fill the earthenware jugs and beakers with red grape-juice, so at
least something you could drink without pulling faces. We checked the bread on the plates and were pleased that
it was fresh so in case we would get hungry, we could at least eat that. The make-up artists came to check the
make-ups and wimples once more. My cousin and I were asked to take off our glasses and not to put them on again
as otherwise the make-up would be ruined. Well, so we put the glasses away, anyway there was no sign of Patrick yet.
At some point Alexa (she was the only one from us without glasses and whenever we wanted to know something we asked her)
said: "Look there's the Grand-Duc". He was standing in the aisle between the two lines of tables very close to us and
he said to one of the ladies sitting opposite of us: "I hope you won't have to eat that" and she replied, "So do I".
In fact he and his youngest children were special guests on the set that day and they watched some of the first shooting
scenes standing behind the table where we were sitting.
Finally Ralf explained the scene which would be filmed today and what moves we had to do while George and the Princess
would walk into the room and move further up to the main table. As we were sitting on the outer sides we only had to
follow with our heads the couple moving to the table where Mother Superior and the others were sitting. We rehearsed
a few times with two people from the film crew miming George and the Princess.
After several rehearsals, some of the actors came into the room and walked up to the main table. James Purefoy (George)
and Piper Perabo (Princess Luna) remained standing in the entrance for a while. When James Purefoy entered the room I
heard him say: "I can't believe it" and he couldn't stop laughing. I guess he never saw a room filled with nuns. My
friends asked me: "Where is Patrick? Maybe he isn't even here." In the meantime George and the Princess rehearsed their
walking in the centre and whenever he watched the nuns he was grinning.
Suddenly my cousin who was sitting to my right said: "He's coming" and I saw it was him even without my glasses on.
I quickly took out my glasses (hoping that no one of the make-up artists would see it) to have a clearer view and he
was really looking marvellous in his leather knight outfit only at 2 meters distance away. There was such suspense in
the air when he entered the room and I think it was the moment everybody had been looking forward to during the whole
day. He was looking all around asking someone of the crew: "Where do you want me to go?" How exciting it was to hear
his original voice if one is mainly used to synchronised voices on TV.
The nun sitting opposite to me asked him: "Would you shake my hand please" and he did shake hands with her. I really
envied her for that, but I guess that even if I would have been sitting at her place I would never have dared
to ask him. She however was more than happy as she smiled over the whole face and I guess she never washed hands
again. Then he walked up to the main table too and we couldn't see him anymore.
We were rehearsing the scene with the actors a few times. They came to light the candles and told us to stir a
bit in our plates so that it would look like as we had already eaten of the food. Then the camera was rolling and
the first shot was done. They did that scene a few times and every time George and the Princess started their walk
further up. After that scene the cameraman moved with his camera to our table and put the camera down on it. We were
rather astonished that they came to our table. What would happen now? I and my friends were looking at each other
speechless.
We were told that they wanted to do a close-up from us while we were eating (the camera was very close and everybody
around was very excited). I asked Sean if we really had to eat the stuff on the plate and he said we only have to pretend
eating. I heard a big relief around as nobody wanted to eat that. So they did a shoot of us eating. They didn't like the
first shoot as apparently it didn't look good if we only were pretending to eat by putting the spoon to the mouth.
Well, no way out, we had to go through it and we really had to eat. I think it was great fun for the people around the
camera when Sean told us that we really had to eat it, as all the nuns involved in the close-up were pulling faces.
As I didn't like any of the stuff on the plate, I finally made my choice for the beans which I could imagine being the
tastiest of all. So we did the scene again this time really eating. With every spoon of beans I was eating, I kept on
telling myself I'll do it for Patrick (that reminded me my days as a child: one spoon for mummy one spoon for daddy, as
I hate most vegetables since I was a child). As soon as they said cut, I swallowed down the whole beaker of juice
to get rid of the taste of the beans and ate some bread after.
Unfortunately we had to repeat it twice and I was trying not to put too much beans on the spoon. On that day I found
out that film people work with many tricks: Sean said we would do once more a rehearsing of the scene, but what we
didn't know was that the camera was rolling after all. When the scene was done Sean came to our table and said that it
was a really good shot. He told us that they often do that as people are less nervous knowing it's only a rehearsal.
Funny guy he was. He said to the girl sitting next to Alexa that she had done it very well and that they'll probably
take her face to show on the screen. Well, better her than I, as I must have had a horrible expression on my face
while eating the beans.
We were sitting most of the time on the benches and my back was beginning to hurt as there was no support to lean
back on and we were not allowed to stand up or walk around. Whenever they moved the camera to another angle we had
the possibility to have a short break but we had to remain seated. Fortunately they opened the windows from time to
time as the longer it lasted, the hotter it got inside of the room. As they blew out the candles whenever there was
a break, there was a lot of smoke in the room too. One of the nuns got even sick (I suppose because of the lack of
fresh air) and Ralf went outside with her so that she could get some fresh air. When she came inside again,
Ralph said to her that she could leave if she's still feeling bad, but she insisted on staying. I could understand
that, as who would have liked to miss this day.
In the meantime I was getting hungry as we hadn't had anything to eat since the early afternoon. Well, the choice
on the table wasn't great, so I helped myself with some bread. After some more shots were done with the camera from
different angles, we finally had a break and we were allowed to stand up and go upstairs to the waiting room.
Everybody was happy to get a break and get some fresh drinks too.
Alexa was a bit worried as she had thought the filming would be finished in the late afternoon (the day before
we were already on our way home at 05.00 p.m.). As she lives on a farm, she had promised her mum to be home in
time to milk the cows. On the one hand she really wanted to stay until the end (especially as there was the group
picture to be taken) and on the other hand she didn't want to leave the whole work to her mum. As Ralph was
sitting there too, I asked him how long it will last as I had heard rumours from others that we had to stay
until 10.00. p.m. He said he didn't know the exact time but that he thinks it should be over at around 09.30. p.m.
I asked him if there was a phone in the castle so that Alexa could phone home but he said that there weren't but
he borrowed us his mobile. So I gave the mobile to Alexa as she finally had decided to stay till the end.
After a while we had to go back down to the dining room to do some more shots. It lasted quite a time until all
the nuns were settled down again. Now we understood why we had to keep seated most of the time. All our plates had
been refilled and they had put new candles too. The same scene would be shot from a different angle and the plates
had to look like as at the beginning. Once more the make-up artists came to check everything.
All the nuns gather for their picture with Patrick
(Click for larger image)
In the meantime Maddy had spotted Patrick standing in the room behind the doorway and she said to me:
"Look there he is standing. Isn't he marvellous?" Maddy wanted to go and talk to Patrick, but we had to
remain seated and anyway he had to come in for the next shot.
From now on most of the filming was done from different angles close to the main table so that we didn't
see what was going on. We only heard some of the dialogues being spoken by George, the Princess, Mother Superior
and Garth. We were relieved that we were out of the angle of filming as now the nuns sitting closer to the main
table would have to eat the stuff on the plates. After several rehearsals and shots it was finally done and everybody
was relieved that the long sitting had come to an end.
We saw that some of the nuns were running up to the main table to get some autographs and we wondered how they would
manage to take a group picture. Finally we heard a voice shouting: "All the nuns sit down please!" and the mad scramble
had an end. Somebody said that all the nuns should come up to the table to gather for the group picture.
Everybody was
in a hurry to get the best place, but we took our time and let all the others run. So it came that we were
among the last ones and we were asked to stand in the first row behind the tables. Well, at least for once
in the first row. Somebody told us to leave a spare place and pointed out to me and my friends that Patrick would
come to stand between us. We couldn't believe what we heard.
So Patrick came towards our table and we were really excited. Well, he didn't come to stand in between us as we
thought he might do, but instead he jumped backwards on the table just in front of me and remained seated there,
not even an arm length away from me. It was like in a dream. For once in my life I was standing in the first row
and Patrick was sitting in front of me.
The only and certainly last chance in my life to speak to him and I was speechless not knowing what to say. He was
so close that I could speak to him, but how? In fact, while he was jumping on the table, he didn't pay any attention
that there were still plates with food and beakers with juice standing there. As the beakers were shaking while he
was jumping on the table, my friends and I were taking them away so that they couldn't fall down and make his clothes
wet. I noticed that Patrick was sitting with parts of his nice tunic in the beans of one of the plates and I tried
to call his attention to tell him that he was sitting in the beans by repeating twice: "Excuse me, please".
He didn't react, but maybe he didn't even hear me as it was quite noisy all around. I think that he was also too
much concentrated to listen to the instructions of the photographer. I didn't want to tap him on the shoulder so
I just moved the plate away. Anyway what would I have said in case he really would have turned around? That's a question
my friends asked me too later on as they know that I'm rather a shy person. Maybe I only would have said:"You're sitting
in the beans" (That reminds me something: "I carried a watermelon …."). Well, things are strange sometimes, but I'll
never forget these two days in Vianden and at least I've seen Patrick in his life as an actor. I have a great respect
for his work and since I've lived that short experience on a film set I now watch every film with a different point of
view. Being an actor is really a hard job and it is not just fun like most people think.
Patrick directs the nuns!!!
(Click for larger image)
When the picture was taken, Patrick got up from the table, turning around, waving and sending kisses to everybody. Then he
walked away. We all hurried up to the room to get our things and went to the tents to get dressed in our clothes. Maybe
we would have the chance to see Patrick once more before he would leave. Unfortunately he had already
left when we arrived. We thanked Katja for the lovely time we had on the set and walked back to my car
bearing all these wonderful memories in our minds and hearts. On leaving I put on the music a bit louder
and just by chance this song was about to start: "I've had the time of my life………"and we all joined in. We
really had the time of our life and we owe it all to PATRICK."
Sincere thanks Jeanny for sharing your exciting experience on the set of "George and the Dragon" at Vianden Castle in Luxembourg!
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