We put out an ad to Backstage West with a very specific listing as having nudity in it. You MUST feel comfortable doing nudity. The worst movies are the ones where they sign a star actress as a stripper and she doesn't do nudity. It's phony. And it really reminds you that she is a famous person. The flipside to that was when Halle Berry did unnecessary nudity in "Swordfish." Completely dumb.
I was shocked to see so many submissions. I learned later on that no one reads a posting. They just read the first two lines. 20's mid-western girl. That's it. I think I even got a posting of a kid in a wheelchair and that my movie may need someone in a wheelchair. THAT was heartbreaking. My friend Eric was casting this with me. We called in over 50. Most were very friendly. We asked about how comfortable they felt with nudity. No issue. They say this now. Most have a BIG issue. They just want to do the part. Maybe they can talk you out of it once it comes to shooting. We were very professional. I didn't care to look at tits. Okay, that's a lie, I wanted to look at tits. But, I'm guessing that's what people watching this would too. They'd be confused if they didn't. The other battle was getting someone to take off clothes for a student film. Non-paid is terrible trade-off.
When it came down to three candidates, one didn't have the availability. Since we had to split the weekends. Back then, we would only shoot on weekends because of economics. Weekends for rentals you get two days for the price of one. The other girl who we didn't end up with just had second thoughts about the nudity. The last girl, Jennifer...was not only eager, she had a mix of sweet and dark the part needed. She was new to town. Big bright eyes, with dark hair. For the most part, a girl with dark hair and piercing blue eyes has an appeal for both men and women. She was so sweet, I didn't think she'd be game to play a stripper. I explained all the nuts and bolts of the shoot.
She came in for the final audition to read. On this final day, Russ, the cameraman wanted to see the women as well. I came to the conclusion later on that he was just a perv. I guess, I can't throw stones. Young guys.
Finally it came time for her to take off her top. Now, I have to explain something...my directing teacher told me that this was a must. This was a woman directing teacher. YOU DO NOT WANT SURPRISES. We cleared the room. Except for me and Russ. Eric wanted to stay, but I told him, this would be too weird. I could tell Jennifer didn't feel comfortable. She took over her top and there she stood in front of us, topless. And it was cold. We told her to take a spin, which she reluctantly did. Then I told her to put her top back on. Something about how Russ was desperate to be in the room, struck me as creepy and shady. I won't throw stones, I was in the room too. You can argue I was the director. And the logic could be, she has to come to feel comfortable with this if she wanted the role. Welcome to the project, Jennifer.
A few days later, I had time to reflect on this. It hit me at the core how much people in this town were willing to let complete strangers look at them to be immortalized in movies. I've (unfortunately) been around people who posted fake casting notices for roles for a movie they never intended to make so they can meet women. I think this was worse. Sure, I wanted her for the project. But it made me think twice about making a movie about a stripper. Exploitation doesn't seem to be my bag. I have two sisters and a Mother. It seemed...odd. To do make believe. I'm not going to feign being a saint. I just don't know why it was more perverse, other than the expression of someone truly uncomfortable doing something with a carrot dangled in front of them. Hollywood whoredom, I think. There are obviously people who have zero problem with this. You have to understand we are talking late 90's. There is really no internet as we know it now. I actually think I still have that audition tape. Never watched it since. It reminded me of the stories you'd hear about the casting couch. Depending on which side you wanted to be on, it all leaves with an empty shameful feeling.
My project fell apart. Just didn't get it together. And I think I lost a lot of gas dealing with the morality of it. Not that I care about nudity. I love looking at porn. It just was so awkward. Calling Jennifer to tell her, she sweetly told me she understood, and that hopefully it comes together some day. It hasn't. It's a bad script.
A lot of women really don't have a problem with nudity for art. I think I was concealing lonely pervert heart in the guise of art. To be phony at that level could've marred me for life. My original idea of having a maudlin stripper contemplating life made no sense, if she felt inhibited by me trying to protect her moral values. That wasn't what it was about. A lot of guys get into the business to do this type of thing. I didn't want to be in that pack.
A few months later, a friend had asked me about girls I'd know that could do a part in a movie. I recommended Jennifer. She called me up later to tell me about it. In her droll mid-western voice "yeah, more of the same." The director on that movie went on to make an Academy Award winning movie.
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