Recently I worked as a stand-in for the movie “Mothman Prophecies.” Richard Gere stars with academy award nominee Laura Linney and talented character actor Will Patton. The director is Mark Pellington.

Standing-in means doing what the actors will do in a scene while the crew set up lighting and sound. Standing-in can also mean being out in the cold and snow for long hours. Our instructions were to “wear layers and layers of clothing.

While stand-ins help with the set-up the actors wait in comfortable trailers. When it’s time the actors appear, in Richard Gere’s case, in a black Cadillac accompanied by a bodyguard.

I don’t look like Richard Gere. Mostly I was a stand-in for Will Patton, and when needed, for other actors. In one scene I played a bartender. I am serving, Richard Gere is drinking. It is impossible to say how much of that scene will survive the final cut.

“Mothman Prophecies” is based on real events. It is a paranormal thriller about people seeing creatures and bridges unexplainably collapsing.

When working on a movie the days or nights are long, at least twelve hours. For this film we shot on a bridge overlooking a river, in a cold warehouse, on snow covered fields, in houses, on city streets. The movie company fed us well and a comradery developed between cast and crew.

Probably you’re wondering why did I do this if I didn’t have a speaking part in the movie? I did it to be seen; I did it hoping that the director might give me lines. In this movie it happened to Laura Linney's stand-in. The director gave her a role, he gave her something to say. Like everyone else in the film business, stand-ins chase dreams.