Memorable Moments on Set
Posted on Instantcast.com, 3.25.08
While casting background actors for Law & Order: Criminal Intent, I have been given many difficult scenes. We have needed 150 people for a Korean airport, 50 military cadets with shaved heads, several Pakistani actors for a themed episode, and a dozen Playboy bunny types for an episode based on Anna Nicole Smith! But the most difficult episode to cast by far focused on the deaf community.
Criminal Intent wanted to pay tribute to the deaf community and involve them in the shoot. All of the parts billed as “speaking parts,” required sign language and real actors who were really deaf. The show also wanted as many deaf extras possible.
By the time we had finished shooting the episode I had hired 41 deaf actors, which was the most deaf actors to ever appear in an episode on network television. That didn’t even include the other actors performing sign language, many of whom had deaf family members or taught in the deaf community. There was even one teacher who drove down in a van from RIT and brought with her a small group of students. All the actors had photos taken withVincent D’Onofrio and Katherine Erbe!
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Thanks Linda!
posted by thereel @ 4:08 PM
6 Comments:
this brings the definition of "class act" to an all new meaning.
Dear Linda and the reel-
Thank you so much for this article-
I loved this episode but never realized how many of the actors and extras were from the deaf community-
Outstanding job-
I wish more publicity would have come out on this before the episode was aired-
It could well have inspired other productions-
Regi.
"Silencers" is one of my favorite episodes. I think it is so cool that deaf actors were employed for the show. And I think Vincent did a wonderful job signing during the aria. It must have been extremely difficult to memorize lines and signs and still bring the passion he brought through his acting to the scene. The man never ceases to amaze me!
Thanks so much for this lovely and incredible back story! And I agree, the episode "Silencers" was excellent!
Goren signing was incredibly sexy.
agreed, donna.
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