The first question I always get asked is how did I find out about this?
I follow
Chicago Fire on Facebook and they had a casting call for "real nurses" for an upcoming Saturday shoot. They don't do weekend shoots very often and I didn't have plans (other than a date I had to reschedule) so I submitted. They want a head shot and height/weight/location/etc. I didn't expect anything but sent the email anyway.
About 30 minutes later I had a voicemail. I'd forgotten all about submitting and didn't plan on hearing anything anyway so when I saw a number I didn't recognize, I didn't answer it. Turns out, it was Emily from Chicago Fire (!!) calling to say they'd love to have me on Saturday!
I wrote down the details (do your own hair and make up, wear your own scrubs (royal blue), no red/white/black for filming, tennis shoes were fine, bring a change of business casual clothes in case they wanted to use me for something else too). I had to call back Friday after 10:30pm to find out my call time.
I live about three hours from Chicago so I decided to drive up on Friday night and get a hotel so that I'd be in town Saturday morning. Even though I wouldn't know my call time until late Friday night, if I waited to find out my call time until deciding whether to drive to Chicago Friday night or Saturday morning, if I had an early Saturday morning call time it would've been 2am by the time I got to Chicago anyway.
I was leaving work early that Friday to go to the
Children's Museum with my friend and her daughter anyway. I got home to pack, eat, and ended up leaving town by 9pm. I called on the way there and found out I had a 9:30am call time. Chicago is a different time zone too so I gained an hour but went to bed when I got to my hotel.
The next morning I got up in plenty of time to get ready and eat breakfast. The service was not the best at breakfast and I think I waited almost 30 minutes just for my bill, which set me behind. Then I couldn't get out of the parking garage so I was running late and freaking out!
Finally made it to the parking area where we left our cars. A bunch of us piled into white shuttle vans to be taken to our filming location, which was
RML Hospital. Some of the people on my shuttle had done this before so I just followed them because there were no instructions or guidance. We went inside the hospital, downstairs to the extras holding area, where we checked in with Maggie. We filled out tax paperwork so we could get our paychecks and went to wardrobe, which was across the parking lot in trailers.
Some of the extras had to change their clothes but they looked at me and said I was perfect. The guy actually said the
brand of scrubs I was wearing are what they cast for the show anyway so wardrobe - check.
Back across the street to the holding area. I set down my stuff and went to the bathroom. All the girls had waited until this point to do their hair and make up and the ones that wardrobe dressed were in there changing. Three stalls. Yeah.
Then we waited for 3+ hours. Finally started filming after 12:30. I sat next to a guy who is a regular extra on Chicago Fire so he told me what to expect. The guy on the other side of me was a pot head that kept us all entertained.
While we were waiting there was no food or water so I was glad I brought my own. I always have snacks on me. We got our "props" and I actually forgot my stethoscope but they had cheap ones. Then the hair ladies came around and this is where it gets bad. I couldn't see what she was doing to my hair but it felt like she greased it all straight back. I was not happy. Ended up that it sort of fell out of that anyway and looked halfway normal so it wasn't so bad but the second hair lady heard me talking about how ridiculous it looked and confronted me about it. She explained that it was pretty when I came in (because remember - do your own hair and make up) but that it wasn't "TV appropriate." Your hair has to be consistent through an entire day of filming and apparently they thought my curls wouldn't last. And also, it was hanging too much in my face and did I want my 15 seconds of fame to be of my hair?! Didn't think so. I told her I'm here to do what I'm told, doesn't mean I agree with it, but I'm a real life nurse, and this is your job, so you do. Hair - check.
Finally they called me up for the first scene which I can't really say much about. This was before lunch (which was at 2pm) so we shot for a little while and then broke for lunch.
Lunch was another shuttle van ride to a church that had quite an elaborate set up in their parking lot of food for us. We hustled through the line (chicken, rice, vegetables, and noodles for me with lemonade) and to a table and literally sat to eat for about 4 minutes before they told us to start packing up to head back for filming. My group was on the last shuttle to arrive to lunch so we assumed we had more time to eat. Nope. All the shuttles were there waiting for us and Maggie told us to get on board right.now. I ran to the bathroom, gulped my lemonade, and we all jumped back on the shuttle.
Back to extra holding for another couple of hours. Was called to shoot a second scene and at this point I have no idea what time it is. Can't say much about this scene either but it was longer and took MUCH longer to film. Finished filming that and went back to extras holding.
At this point I was starting to get hungry again. I had breakfast at like 8am, fruit snacks and
a Graze box around 10am (and gave the coconut pieces to my pothead neighbor), half a chicken breast with some noodles and veggies at 2pm, and now I was out of food, hungry, and thirsty. We waited a little while in extras holding and then one of the guys gave me his leftover fruit from lunch that he had brought back with him. Smart thinking, but he was the regular extra guy so he knew what we were in for.
Suddenly they called us back up around 8pm "quickly." They chose a few people and left me and another guy sitting in the hallway. We sat for close to an hour and then the scene was over and we were never needed so we went back to extras holding. Then they called us all back up while they were filming the last scene of the night (but we didn't know it was the last scene of the night).
We sat in the hallway and were delirious. I was cracking up at everything but I was so hangry that I was not in the mood. To make it worse, they were feeding the staff (apparently union workers have to be fed every 6 hours) who were all waltzing past us with their plates of food. I was about 3 seconds from tripping someone and taking their food. I'm not even kidding.
It was 10pm and either I was going to have some food or I was going to leave. I was just over it. Finally they released us, but you can't leave yet! Everyone has to turn in their props first, then head back down to extra holding. You have to get your tax forms signed and turn those in and then board the shuttle to go back to the parking lot.
I was kind of sad at the end of the day because I had literally just spent 12 hours with these really cool people that I'd never see again. We all became friends on Facebook maybe we'll meet again at another filming... Which means yes, I would totally do it again. Why? Because it was FUN. Because how many people can say they've done it? Because what if I'm on TV??! Because it was an awesome experience. Because I can do things by myself that are scary and new and different and I can come out perfectly fine and I think even stronger and more independent.
On my way home I realize I don't even know when the episode will air. But no worries. I DVR the show so I'm sure I won't miss it!
