Panther Pizza And “Friday Night Lights”

Panther Pizza

A few weeks ago I was an extra for the TV show “Friday Night Lights”.  It’s a drama about high school football in small town Texas.

They said not to bring any clothes with logos, but I figured I’d try to plug Homeslice anyway by wearing my hat.  When I was sent to wardrobe they made me take it off, and didn’t like most of the rest of my clothes either, so they gave me some “Dillon High” stuff.  I did see Homeslice stickers and stuff on camera gear, so maybe the crew has some good taste.

When Erin and I lived in India, we were extras in the Bollywood flick “Charas”.  I ran across a bridge screaming “Mother Help Me” in Hindi and eventually got shot by the Taliban, who were invading the hippie drug commune where I resided.  I think.  Anyway, they cut me but left Erin in, maybe because she looked a lot better dead splayed on a rock with her chest arching skyward than I did flinging myself into the river.  Not that I’m bitter.

So I was no stranger to being an extra.  Lots of hanging out, little acting.  I brought books, and unlike many of the actors, had no illusions about this being my jumpstart to fame.  But whatever, I got paid to read books and do nothing, two of my strong suits.

My last scene was a pool party.  I joined 60 other 20-somethings at some random house in a residential neighborhood to hang out and act like a hip, partying high-schooler.  It was a weird experience, everyone at this party seemed a lot hotter and less interesting than the folks I remember from high school parties.   Like at many high school parties I attended, I found myself hanging out by the food in a futile effort to ward off awkwardness.

They had lots of pizza boxes chaotically spread across the table, from “Panther Pizza”.  The mascot for Dillon High, the fictional high school where the show takes place, is the panthers.  Hence “Panther Pizza”.  It tasted like chain pizza that was sure as hell not from Homeslice, but it was free.  Actually, I got paid to eat it.  By the time the pool party rolled around, I was getting paid time and a half for overtime.  Top that, Homeslice!