1 of 4
Photography courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Enterprises; by Merrick Morton
2 of 4
Photography by Elizabeth Wiseman
Carson Lewallen
3 of 4
Photography by Randall Kahn
LA Williams
4 of 4
Photography by John Wagner
Jody Wynen
When Gone Girl opens in theaters on October 3, moviegoers will discover what happened to Amy Elliott Dunne. The book version, written by Kansas City native Gillian Flynn, is based in Missouri, and the film was shot in Cape Girardeau. Several local actors landed roles as extras. They agree on two things: It was a wonderful experience, and award-winning director David Fincher insists on “an ungodly number of takes.”
LA Williams
Role: Prison guard
Scene: When Ben Affleck’s character goes to jail, Williams makes a joke about how he looks rich.
Number of Takes: 17
Memory: Williams was sitting between Affleck and Tyler Perry in a row of actors’ chairs. They pulled out their phones, so he did, too. “You must be the last person on Earth with a damn flip phone,” Perry said. Williams said it was good for texting and driving. Affleck gave him a lecture: “Texting and driving is worse than drinking and driving, because with drinking and driving, at least you’re trying to pay attention to the road.”
His Take: “I felt on top of the world. All they cared about is if I could do the work. After the scene, one of the greatest feelings is when the director comes up with a big smile, shakes my hand, puts his arm around me, and goes, ‘Great job.’”
Carson Lewallen
Role: Girl in car
Scene: Lewallen and another extra are goofing off, singing in a car. Dunne, played by Rosamund Pike, sees them and realizes how unhappy she is.
Number of Takes: “At least 25.”
Memory: During some downtime, Lewallen chatted with Fincher about his family. “He’s just such an amazing guy and really down-to-earth,” she says.
Her Take: “It was an all-around really positive vibe on set. Everyone was lovely. It was just super fun.”
Jody Wynen
Role: Pike’s double
Scenes: Wynen would stand in for Pike while cameras and lighting were adjusted. She also did the driving for Pike’s character. Look for Wynen’s bandaged armhanging out a car window. “I think it’s hilarious that I was there for a month and a half,” she says, “but in the movie, you will probably never see my face.”
Number of Takes: “One night, I think we got up into the eighties.”
Memory: Wynen did the “blood test” for Pike’s character. For 20 minutes, she lay on shower curtains while a makeup artist splattered her with fake blood. “It all smelled like maple syrup, which is awesome,” she says. “It was like a big pancake.”
Her Take: “The only person who I was star-struck by was Neil Patrick Harris. He is just a really nice, cool, genuine guy.”
