Felix Otero of Westfield holds copies of some of the movies he has worked on including the only one he actually appears in,"Edge of Darkness" staring Mel Gibson. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
Court
officer’s
a ‘star’
By CARL E. HARTDEGEN
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – A city police commissioner recently finished work on his seventh movie and has high hopes that his work won’t end up – again – on the cutting room floor.
Felix Otero, who worked as a city police officer for about four years before becoming a court officer, has made a hobby out of working as a movie extra and recently traveled to Boston for nine days work as an extra in a new movie, “R.I.P.D.”, starring Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon and Mary Louise Parker.
Otero explains that the movie title stands for Rest In Peace Department and the plot revolves around Ryan Reynolds’ character who, after his death, works with other deceased cops in a heavenly police department to find his earthly murderer.
Otero said that in his big scene he plays a police officer guarding a suspect, Kevin Bacon. “Kevin Bacon plays a bad dead guy, which is what makes the movie kind of funny” Otero said. Between takes, as he was standing holding a shotgun, Bacon winked at him.
Otero also had a rare personal moment with one of the other stars, when Jeff Bridges said to him “You look like a real cop. Did you do that for a living?”
When Otero told him that he had been a police officer, Bridges pulled out a camera and took a picture of him. Otero said that he pointed out that cameras weren’t allowed on the set and said Bridges responded by saying “I know”.
Otero explained that the camera prohibition is to preserve the secrecy of the set which the production company built in an industrial park in Boston.
He said that the elaborate set cost $2 million but that’s only a small part of the budget for the film, which he said is $200 million.
As a non-union extra, he was paid only $8-an-hour but said, with 120 people on the set all day, “you can imagine the money they go through.”
But the pay isn’t why he keeps going back, he said.
“It’s incredible watching them (the actors) do their thing” he said. “The best part is I get to meet these actors and watch them”, both while they are actually acting and also while they are being informal, while waiting for their next scene.
Otero said his acting ‘career’ began in 1996 when he was working as a court officer in Springfield District Court and a production company came to the court house to film part of “Before and After” starring Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson.
He said that the court house professionals were offered the chance to apply for work as extras and he filled out an application.
He did not play a court officer in that film but was cast as a defendant walking in a hallway. However, only one of his arms was seen on the silver screen in that film as he walked behind Streep.
But, he said, “That was it, I was done” and he continued to look for additional opportunities to be in the movies.
“You never know what gets cut and what doesn’t” he said. His face didn’t make it on to the screen until he played a court officer in “Edge of Darkness” which starred Mel Gibson and was partly shot in Northampton at the court house there.
“I actually made it in”, he said, and appeared in it twice.
He and another extra walked past Gibson as court officers leaving the building. “And seconds later you see me again” but he explained that it was the same shot used a second time.
In “The Music Never Stopped” Otero was cast as an audience member seated near the star, Lou Taylor Pucci. Otero said “The girl I had on my shoulders (in the crowd scene) got in but I didn’t.”
And Otero said that the star of “The Fighter”, Christian Bale, hugged him exuberantly after a particularly good take but Otero didn’t make the final cut in that film either.
Otero said that his work in “In Dreams” starring Annette Bening and Robert Downey Jr. didn’t make it to the screen and he doesn’t know if he will be seen in “Here Comes the Boom” starring Kevin James and Henry Winkler since that movie is not scheduled for release until October but Otero said that he got to meet “The Fonz”.
“He was really a nice guy. He went up to almost all the extras and shook their hands” thanking them for working on the film, Otero said.
But Otero said that the only training he got while working in film was from the director of “R.I.P.D.”, Robert Schwentke, when he said Otero looked like he was “spearing a fish” when he was being blown up in an explosion. Otero said that he had pointed the shotgun towards the floor when he fell, in slow motion, and was told to bring one hand up to shield his face from the explosion.
He said that the director gave him a “thumbs up” when the scene was finished and he hopes his scene will make the final cut.
Otero said that, if they make a video game from the movie, he also has a chance to be in the game since the staff made a series of still pictures of him in costume in specific poses from several angles.
He said in his uniform and sun glasses he probably won’t be recognizable. “I’m not sure you get any royalties for that but if they do I’m not going to return them” he said.
What Otero loves is the process and he said that he will continue to be listed with a Boston agency which supplies extras for movies made in the region and hopes to hear from them for a long time.
“I’ll do it forever” he said.
Actor Jeff Bridges (right) speaks with one of the cameramen working on the movie "R.I.P.D." as a pair of extras costumed as police officers watch. Westfield police commissioner Felix Otero, although not pictured, also worked as an extra in the movie.
Carl E. Hartdegen can be reached at [email protected]
