Advertisement

'The Infiltrator' keeps 1,000 extras at Derby Lane past their bedtime

 
An estimated 1,000 people wait in line to be extras in the Bryan Cranston movie 'The Infiltrator,' filmed Thursday night at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. [STEVE PERSALL   |   Times]
An estimated 1,000 people wait in line to be extras in the Bryan Cranston movie 'The Infiltrator,' filmed Thursday night at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. [STEVE PERSALL | Times]
Published May 2, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — Making movies is a tediously fascinating process, as hundreds of volunteer extras learned Thursday night.

And Friday morning.

The Infiltrator starring Bryan Cranston has been filming around Tampa Bay since April 22 and is expected to wrap local production this weekend. Signature locales, including the Loews Don CeSar Hotel and Tampa Theatre, are guest stars.

Thursday night it was Derby Lane's turn, requiring a cattle call at a dog track.

The chance to be in a movie, even as a blurred background speck working for free, drew an estimated 1,000 volunteers to the St. Petersburg greyhound track.

Some hopefuls left early, after a casting assistant remembered to announce a key detail.

"This is a night shoot," she yelled, after hundreds had already checked in. "You may be here until 7 a.m. If you are not prepared to stay until 7 a.m., please don't sign in." Later, that estimate was revised to 3 a.m.

The track was also open for business in 2001 when Ocean's 11 filmed at Derby Lane with Brad Pitt in broad daylight.

Those who stayed joined several dozen real bettors in watching the regularly scheduled 15 greyhound races, some making wagers. The races were what director Brad Furman wanted as background for a single scene — perhaps a minute on screen — that took nearly three hours and at least nine takes to complete.

In the scene, Cranston's character, Robert Mazur, a Tampa resident and former U.S. Customs agent, stands at a chain-link fence near the finish line. He's speaking to a gambler (Michael Paré, a.k.a. Eddie without the Cruisers). Body language confirms it isn't friendly. Paré's dog loses. He tears up his tickets, gives Cranston a final word, a menacing chest tap, and both walk out of camera frame. Cut.

Along the fence near Cranston were the luckiest extras, most of them previously hired by the casting director. They mimed winning and losing after races 7 through 13, plus a couple of times between races, without the shouts of real bettors drowning out dialogue.

In the middle of it all stood Cranston, loose, smiling and squarely involved with the process, constantly sharing ideas with Furman and Paré. After each take, the three check it on video playback, pointing at flaws or smiling at nice moments.

Around them, crew members buzzed, and beyond those busy bees hundreds of fans craned to see and photograph Cranston, star of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad. At least three security agencies, including off-duty police officers, were kept busy herding gawkers away, or out of camera lines.

Furman finished the scene by 11:15 p.m. and called for a dinner break. Volunteers were on their own while the cast and crew grabbed snacks or scooped Italian food onto paper plates. Cranston took his plate up an exit ramp where the crew would later set up shop again, filming Cranston and Paré leaving the track.

Planning your weekend?

Planning your weekend?

Subscribe to our free Top 5 things to do newsletter

We’ll deliver ideas every Thursday for going out, staying home or spending time outdoors.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

After that, Furman filmed the characters climbing into a pair of '80s-era luxury cars rented and towed into a cordoned-off parking lot. Most of the extras were dismissed by then, but a few stuck around until 3:45 a.m., ending a production schedule that began midday Friday at the Gulfport Recreation Center's basketball courts, with St. Petersburg's skyline in the background.

A late night and long-shot hopes for a $47.5 million production with star-struck extras working for free. Derby Lane was the right place Thursday for chasing fame or fortune, like greyhounds chasing a stuffed bunny around the track.

Contact Steve Persall at spersall@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8365. Follow @StevePersall.