Smoking for "Jed Wood"...!!!

It baffles me at times when some people say the reason they took up smoking is because it's cool and you look cool in doing so....    Hmmm sure, you see your idols on screen puffing away on a cigarette and they do tend to make it somewhat more glamorous than it may actually be.  But for those who want to be 'cool', is it really worth taking up such habit (a recognised addictive one too) just to imitate the stars that you see...?

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not here to judge those that do smoke, and for whatever reason at that.  I too have many friends that do smoke, and I don't have a problem with that, although I would kindly suggest them to cut down or even kick the habit.... But without forcing the issue of course....

I can proudly say I have never smoked in my life, never had a cigarette pass my lips, and never intend to do so....

.... that was until I received a call less than two weeks ago.... 

My agent had called me up with a role in a feature film, and would I be free on 20th June and interested in doing it?  I had a short holiday planned for the weekend of the shoot, but I most certainly was interested to be involved in a feature and with a bit of re-arrangement I was more than willing to make myself available.

I received the script for A Kiss For Jed Wood via email to have a read through.  Great.  It sounds like a nice interesting enjoyable comedy drama with great characters.

I did my research on the movie.  Learnt it features the lovely Jayne Wisener and the talented Mark O'Halloran as the leads.  Excellent!

Then I learnt of the role I am casted for, Jimmy....  My introduction in the scripts reads:

"Sitting on the ground beside her (our female lead character, Orla) , smoking a cigarette, is an older man, JIMMY." .... Ahhhh....  Smoking, eh....? 

Well I guess I had to bite the bullet, and as the saying goes - there's always a first time for everything - I bought my first pack of herbal cigarettes (trust me, I would never imagine using real tobacco) and the day before the shoot I decided to get some practise in....

PLEASE NOTE:  The following pictures I am only acting like I'm smoking (some rather foul) herbal cigarettes.  Nothing was actually inhaled during my efforts.... 

I guess it was my turn to try and look 'cool'....

.... I think my face really says it all and how I actually felt....

On the day of the shoot, I was driven out to Sallynoggin where filming is taking place just behind a take away store.  This scene in A Kiss For Jed Wood takes place near the opening of the film where our female lead, Orla Cassidy (played by Jayne Wisener) is introduced.  My character, Jimmy and Orla are sneaking a break from the Ponderosa Diner where they both work, Orla absorbed in her magazine while Jimmy bask in the 'sun' (whenever we're lucky to get any during the day!) with his cigarette and badly attempts to blow smoke rings....  Yes, that was called for!  It was a good thing I did my research on YouTube how I can try to attempt such task, no matter how bad I looked in my efforts (since Jimmy fails in his attempts anyway)....

I had my concerns whether my attempts to come across as a convincing smoker would distract me from actually acting and delivering my lines....  Thankfully that didn't seem too much a problem as director, Maurice Linnane was happy at what he saw of my 'lame' attempts of smoking and trying to blow smoke rings!  And after numerous takes from various of shots and angles, I was almost convincing people (and myself!) I was some sort of chain smoker with all the cigarette buds that surrounded me by the end of the shoot!!! 

Despite the smell on my hands and the taste left in my mouth, I really enjoyed the shoot and getting an opportunity to work on A Kiss For Jed Wood.  Director Maurice was a pleasure to work with, a nice cool calm collective guy who knows what he wants. It was a real joy to work with the wonderful Jayne Wisener (from Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street fame).  She was really sweet and fun, and really brightened up the set with her cheerful nature.

So it was a wrap for me by mid-day, and thankful to say as quickly as I picked up smoking I gave it up just as quick!    At least I had tried and learnt how to hold a cigarette (one for the CV for sure...!!!), but rest assured you'll never see me with one in my mouth again....

.... That is of course, unless another acting roles calls for me to.... (and only herbals please, despite how horrible they are also) 

Peace & Best Wishes,

Alan

PS.  Please remember, smoking kills....  So why not chew some gum instead....?