My first paid job as an actor was a principle role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. AMA

Is it a blow to the ego to be cast as the skinny guy who nobody believes could ever be buff Captain America? Like they saw you and were like- THAT'S THE GUY. I should also say it must have been incredibly cool and I am obviously jealous.

Haha, not really. I mean, I wasn't kidding myself beforehand. I am just generally a skinny, disgusting man.

What was it like having Chris Evans' head on your neck? Because of the extra weight would it lull to any particular side?

Are they looking for someone to play Fat Steve in the next installment?

Chris's Head is very well balanced, so that definitely helped. And get this, the inside smells like lemons.

MRW I saw myself on the big screen: i.imgur.com/xdTeOqH.gif

This is a more accessible gif

Thanks, I couldn't get mine to link.

Is Chris Evans a nice guy? Please tell me he is a nice guy.

He was a bit intimidating to approach, but he was never anything but polite to me.

Thanks! Wish you luck for future roles!

Thank you!

Was there an audition process for skinny dudes? Did they have a weird portfolio of skinny torsos?

There was a two step process, actually. Initially I went in for a cattle call. It was like 200 skinny white dudes that look pretty much like me. It was pretty discouraging. They lined everybody up outside (it was freezing, but there wasn't enough room for us in the building) and just started sending people home. Too tall, too broad, too this, too that, whatever, they were sent home. They narrowed it down to about 40 dudes, we went inside and were filmed stating our name and age, etc. A few weeks later I get a call to go in and actually audition. About 2 hours after I was done with that my phone rings, it was the casting director telling me I got the part.

What was the conversation like? Did anyone try to form a skinny dude union?

Conversation between the skinny guys? It was... odd. A lot of the people there had never acted before. Everybody has to start somewhere, and I in no way mean to belittle that, hell, this was my start as well, but many of the guys there didn't really take the time to look into how to be properly prepared. Going into an audition means having a resume and professional headshot ready and with you. At the end of the day, this is a job, but I don't think that's where a lot people's heads were at. So the conversation around me was a lot of "dude, I want to be in the movie so bad".

what was the second audition like?

Well what's interesting is that when I was called the guy tells me "Callbacks were actually yesterday, but we couldn't find your contact information." I have no idea how or why that was the case, but I'm like, whatever. So I go and because they had already done callbacks, I was the only one auditioning at the time. So it was just me and this dude, and he sets up a little camera and hands me sides from the script and he gave me a few minutes to look them over and run through them and then he just recorded me delivering the lines a few times. When we were all done, I left and the recording was sent to the Casting Director in California. A couple hours later she called me to tell me I got the part.

I'll preface this by saying I have not actually seen the movie yet, unfortunately, but you actually auditioned with lines? Did you do the lines while filming? Of course now that I think about it it's not as odd to me, because I'd imagine having you do the lines on set would help everyone else out even though your head and voice would just be replaced.. so.. nevermind I guess. But I'm fucking stoked for you that you got to be a part of something so awesome, especially at the start of your career!

Well, you pretty much answered your own question. I did run lines, and its for the exact reason you stated! Thank you for your enthusiasm, and please, see the movie when you get a chance, it's very good I promise.

HEY

HEY YOU

YOU WERE MY ROOMMATE'S BROTHER IN COLLEGE

OK LATER

HEY. YOUR USERNAME REALLY GIVES YOU AWAY. SEE YOU ON FACEBOOK.

I know it's not polite to ask this kinda stuff, but was the pay good? I mean did you make some hard bank or what man?

Let me put it this way. The pay is good, but I was only on set a few days.

tl;dr: I'm poor.

Did you get a chance to speak to Sebastian Stan?

I had the pleasure of working with him, and it was surreal. One of my scenes called for me to walk alongside him and even run lines. It felt so crazy, I kept thinking to myself "Look at this. I'm acting WITH Seb Stan!"

So, yeah I spoke with him a couple times, although briefly. I initially met him in the hair and makeup trailer. He is such a laid-back dude, its hilarious. He was incredibly nice to me, even though he had no obligation to be. That's what really gets me. Even though I messed up a couple takes, he was so patient, professional, and encouraging. So if you're a fan of Seb, its for a good reason. He's a good guy.

First of all congratulations, that being your first paid job as an actor that's pretty amazing even if its was a small part it's still pretty amazing.

Did you get to spend any time with Anthony Mackie aka Falcon? If so how was he to work with?

I'm so glad you asked! I didn't spend time with him on set because he was not involved in my scenes, BUT I did meet him at the wrap party. Anthony Mackie is such a great guy. I approached him at the bar to introduce myself and I said how excited I was to work on a Marvel picture and meet him because I'm a big comic book fan, and he said (I'll try to remember this as accurately as possible), "That's just like me, man. You see, these other motherfuckers are jaded, but when they called me up and told me I was going to be Falcon!? It blew my mind!"

He's truly happy to do what he does, and he interacts with the crew and brings a high energy into the room with him. He's awesome. He's also pretty good at getting people onto a dance floor.

How cool. I always hated how they didn't use Skinny Steve's real voice because it was silly to think Skinny Steve could produce a voice that deep.

Why didn't they just use your voice?

Who knows. You make a good point, but that's just the way they want it.

Did Samuel L Jackson curse at you?

No but I saw him getting his makeup done in the hair and makeup trailer and thought, "How the fuck did I end up sitting in a trailer with Sam Jackson?"

How many days did you spend on set?

2 days of actual shooting, but I had to come in a few other days for costume fitting, and even getting my entire body scanned in 3D which was pretty cool. It was fucking impossible to not blink when they were doing my face though.

Who is your favorite Pokemon?

Blastoise. Shit was so cash, my brother's Venusaur didn't even stand a chance.

Wow. Considering your type disadvantage, you must have really loved him and treated him well, as a good trainer should.

Truth.

I ruined the fuck out of my husband's Venusaur with my Blastoise. He doesn't commit to his training like I do. He could never be the best there ever was.

You sound like a trainer I can respect.

Ice Beam's where it's at

Surf. All day/ All night.

Did you ever get laid by bragging that you were Captain America?

Exactly 0 times. Surprisingly, women only seem to want to sleep with the Chris Evans version of Steve Rogers.

Can confirm; am woman who really wants to sleep with Chris Evans version of Steve Rogers.

Ow. My pride. We'll if you're ever ready to settle for that silver medal... you know who to call.

How would you describe the atmosphere when working on the set?

Its obviously very professional. There are a million moving pieces, and 5 crew members for every piece. So there are like 5 million people all around doing whatever fucking black magic they do to make it all work, and everybody is very professional about what they do. But aside from that, everyone was incredibly warm and encouraging with me. The thing is, at the end of the day, I'm an amateur actor trying to my best in what might be the biggest role I ever have. They treated me like I was no less important than Chris or Seb or anybody else there.

Just how skinny is skinny Steve? Also any stories from the set?

As for a story from set, I got to shake hands with Stan Lee, and I watched him film his cameo. Everybody was in love with him and got such a kick out of him doing his scene every take.

The character is supposedly around 90lbs. At the time I was about 125. Now.... I'm a few lbs. more.

How tall are you? And I enjoyed "The Winter Soldier". Thank you!

I'm 5' 7". I enjoyed "The Winter Soldier" too. No, Thank you!

How do you get into this line of work? I've always thought that it would be great to be an extra.

Being and extra is cool, but its a very different experience than I had. You're brought onto set for a few hours which is very cool to see and be a part of, but there's no way of knowing if you'll end up being a part of the final product or not.

Who was the most interesting person to talk to on set?

That's kind of a tie. I spent most of my time speaking with Nate Moore the co-producer, and Stephen McFeely, one of the writers. I was great talking with Nate because I'm actually a huge Marvel comics fan, but I have zero friends that are interested in comics. Stephen was also great to talk to because I got some insight on the purely creative side of the process. Both seriously nice guys.

Anything planned for the future? Are you focused on a acting career, or something else?

I live in Cleveland, Ohio, and acting has always been my passion and dream, but it's very hard to make a living doing that here. Currently, I'm working full time at a production company as an animator. We're working on a documentary that we hope will push our small company onto making more films.

But Cleveland is starting to gain more traction when it comes to the movie industry, and when I have the opportunity to audition for something, I go. In fact I have something coming up this weekend. It's kind of a long-shot, but I'm going to give it a try and hope for the best.

Holy shit... Skinny Captain America hails from my hometown.

..fuck yeah.

Fuck yeah, Cleveland!

I'm glad to hear success for a fellow clevelander. Seeing cap 2 was odd cause of all the shots of the shore way and downtown. I live in Illinois now and friends I went with were bothered to no end when was pointing out locations.

Yeah, people complained about the shoreway closure a lot, but it was worth it.

I'm working full time at a production company as an animator.

How coincidental. I was going to comment saying I worked on the VFX for Winter Soldier(out in LA) but almost decided against it until I saw this comment. Too funny haha.

Really? Do you know Lisa? I've been thinking about emailing her to say hi and ask if it would be possible to get my 3D scans, but I haven't done so yet.

Haha no I'm afraid I don't know Lisa. There were at least 5-6 VFX houses that worked on Winter Soldier.

Bummer. But I'm very interested to hear about what you did for the film. Please feel free to PM me if you'd care to tell me about it.

A lot of various paint work on the latter half of the movie is about the best I can sum it up. Cleaning up sets, changing the set, changing actors faces, fixing things, and helping integrate the cg.

Wow, that's really awesome. Thank you.

Completely random question but was this role called "thin man" during the auditions? I tried out for the role and it's been bugging me if it was for Skinny Steve or not. Also, congrats!

That's the one.

How much did you get paid?

Standard SAG day-rates.

I don't remember "Skinny Steve" being on The Winter Soldier. Was there a flashback scene?

Yep. 2 flashbacks. Pretty brief though, so I don't blame you for not remembering.

The movie was great by the way!

Thanks! I think so too. Glad you liked it.

The first time was before they went to the army base, and the second was a scene before Cap puts on the Smithsonian Cap Suit.

This guy is familiar with my work.

Would you say he's familiar with your... body of work?

http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/wsg/image/1369/54/1369544232055.gif

If they made a movie about your life, who would play you (other than yourself)?

Well just out of pure fairness, I think Chris Evan's should do it.

If he's not available, Margot Robbie.

If she's not available, Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Were you happy with the final outcome of the movie, like if you weren't in it, would you have enjoyed it anyway? Also, what kind of secrecy were you sworn to before it came out?

As for secrecy, I couldn't post any picture online or anything, that was a big no-no of course. My first day on set I had my phone out and a Marvel security guy came over, shook my hand, and said "Surely somebody told you that you are forbidden to take any pictures on set." I apologized, put my phone away, and kept it in my trailer ever other day I was around. I felt sick that somebody was going to call me and tell me I was getting kicked off. But that didn't happen. Also, that same security guy totally became my bro at the Wrap Party.

There were many times that I was sweating that my scenes had been cut (such as I didn't get an invite to the premiere in my city until a couple days before it happened.) I would have been bummed if I'd gotten cut, but I knew that no matter what I had such an amazing experience that would be a lifelong memory.

That being said, the movie is fucking awesome!

I assume you didn't do the first movie? I saw all the behind the scenes stuff just last week.

Correct. I did not do the first one. But be sure to watch the Behind the Scenes of Winter Soldier when it comes out on Blu-ray.

Why did they use two different people for each movie? Seems like it'd be easier to pick up the phone and call the same guy, instead of doing a whole new recast. Still, it was good for you I guess ;)

The last guy to do it lives in England, and because there was so much less Skinny Steve this time around, it was easier to use a local actor. Whatever the case, I'm very lucky they decided to do it this way!

Captain American is from England.............?

Not anymore!

Did you have to loose a lot of weight to "fit" the role? Or were you already skinny enough?

From what I heard, the actor that played Skinny Steve in the first movie did have to lose weight, although he was seen shirtless and what-not.

I did not have to lose any weight. Apparently I was gross enough the way I am.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Did you get to stick around after/before your shoot?

Before the shoots I would spend hours at basecamp where I had a trailer with air-conditioning (thank Christ, cause it was hot those days). I also would have to spend some time in hair and makeup and what not. There was one day that I needed to be scanned into a 3D model for visual effects. After that was done, I stuck around, met Stan Lee, and then went to set (even though I wasn't involved in that particular scene). I got to walk around before they started shooting, it was a museum set featuring a Captain America exhibit and it was awesome, and then I watched Stan the Man film his cameo. It was rad.

How often do big name actors mess up takes?

Scarlett flubbed a few times, but its no big deal. Everyone just resets and they go again.

I feel like that would be so awkward, especially if everyone's really in the flow of things and you mess up at the last second

The particular scene we were doing at the time, it really wasn't a big deal. She's very good at what she does, but everybody makes mistakes sometimes. I fucked up my scene a couple times too.

Does seeing how buff they made capt in the movies make you want to workout? Or would working out make it harder for you to get any other capt america rolls as skinny steve?

On one hand, working out would probably mean I wouldn't be Skinny Steve again, but I have no idea if they'll ever even need a Skinny Steve again. So really, the only thing keeping me from working out is the fact that I'm really super lazy.

And just as an aside, Chris Evans is fucking jacked for real. He's huge.

How did they get the effect of having Chris Evans's head on your body?

I had to wear some white dots painted on my face to help the animators with motion tracking. That's all I know. Beyond that it may as well be black magic. It's incredible what the VFX team over there is able to do.

I also wanted to say that this is one of the best AMA's I've seen. Rarely is there such a high answer rate in an AMA. Great job!

Thank you! I'm just sorry that I'm not a real celebrity.

Who's the most famous person you've met on set?

I spent time around a lot of the stars. But I didn't get to speak to all of them. All in all I was (at very least) around Chris Evans, Seb Stan, Scarlett Johannson, Sam Jackson, Anthony Mackie, and Stan Lee. And at one point I shared a trailer with Cobie Smulders, but I only caught a glimpse of her getting in and out of her half, because she was wrapping just as I was getting on location.

Most famous person I actually worked with would be Chris.

I've wanted to audition for movie roles but wasn't sure how to start. Whay would be your advice for a small town person like me?

I hate to say this but if you really want to get into it, the first step is getting out of that small town. But I know that's hard. I haven't done it myself. I got lucky because in recent years, my city is being used more and more for movie production, but even still parts are very scarce. Even I have to consider leaving for the west coast, because there simply isn't enough here. If you fail to land a role, you won't see another audition for a few months.

But in the meantime, act in anything you can. Whether thats a school or community play, or even a web show that you post on YouTube. It can all go on a resume. When I was in college, I made a YouTube series with my friends. We just did it for fun, but now I consider it part of my acting experience. Do that stuff now so that you have something to point to when you try out for the bigger things.

What did you think of the mid-credits scene in the movie? Did you know about it before the movie was released, or was it just as of a surprise to see Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch to you as well? Lastly, did you see either Aaron Taylor-Johnson or Elizabeth Olsen (the actors who played the Maximoffs) at any of the events? I'm just very curious as to how these credits scenes play out in the studio. Thank you for doing this AMA!

I had no idea the Twins were going to be in the mid-credits scene, and as a big Marvel comics fan, it was awesome to see. I did not meet either of them since they were never in my city. That scene was actually done under the supervision of Joss Whedon, not the Russo Brothers who actually directed Winter Soldier.

Wow, I never knew that was how the mid-credits scenes worked! Thanks for being the first AMA to reply to me! Keep up the good work!

No prob, but how do you Rustle so many Jimmies?

Do you have a theatre degree?

No, I don't. I have a bachelor's degree in Communications and East Asian Studies. Surprisingly, neither one of those were helpful during my time on set.

Seems like a dream come true. One day I'd like to go in and watch the camera crew to pursue a career in cinematography

It's fascinating stuff. Currently I'm working for a small production company, so I'm still in the film industry, but I'm on the other side of the camera for the time being. Being on a movie set is just awesome. Good luck in pursuing your dream. If you ever make it big, call me.

Hey Chris, Thanks for doing the AMA! How does Marvel keep such a lock down on everything they're doing...did you have to sign anything crazy or have crazy rules while on set about privacy?

I did have to sign something that said I wouldn't show my pages of the script to anybody. There were also rules about not taking any photographs of the set. But in my opinion the biggest factor of keeping every secret is everybody's professionalism. Everybody working on set knows better than to reveal anything important. There's also Marvel security that helps keep things under wraps. I do remember that pictures of the Winter Soldier had leaked at one point, and its because the area they were shooting was visible from a distance to the general public. So some things are unavoidable. Sebastian was disappointed when that happened though.

Yah, I figured it was a matter of pride for being involved with the projects...I picture "Marvel Security" looking like something out of the matrix wardrobes.

Lol, not really. I'm pretty sure the guy I met was wearing an Avengers t-shirt when I met him.

What advice could you give to a teenager who hopes to be in movies?

Also, how were all of the cast members on set? Do any experiences stand out to you?

If you're not involved with your school's theater program, you should be. I was in Drama club during grade school and high school and it's what got me interested and comfortable with acting. Act as much as you can while you're still in school. When you get to the point that you're ready to pursue acting seriously, remember that it is a real job. It's not just something famous people do for fun. Take it seriously, practice. Memorize a monologue. Another great thing to do is poke around /r/acting. There's a lot of valuable information there.

Do you collect Marvel comics?, if so which is your favourite?

I do. Currently I'm loving Hawkeye. That's probably my favorite as of right now. I was liking Superior Spider-Man, but now that's over.

I live in Ireland, Im really interested in acting and i think id be pretty dam good.. Whats the first thing i should do to pursue that career?

One of the biggest things anybody that wants to pursue acting needs to do is get themselves somewhere that has a lot of movie production happening, like Los Angeles. I'm not sure how much is done in Ireland. But making a big move can be very difficult to do.

If you're not ready to make a move to a big movie-city, I suggest acting in anything and everything you can in the meantime to build up a resume for when you do land a bigger audition.

Thanks! There is alot of small productions here in Ireland with.. so maybe i could start here! then make a move to London or the states. Do you think i should take class's? maybe just go for it without lessons or acting education?

If classes are an option, that would be a really great thing for you to do. But acting is an interesting thing, because if you really are talented you can get a role without having formal education. But still, go for classes if you can. I wish I had.

cool thanks! last question, any pointers/tips?

Yeah, check out /r/acting. You can learn so much about getting started and what to expect in different situations. They also have great resources over there, like how to format a resume. Also, in your spare time, find a monologue (or two) and memorize them. You never know when you'll need one for an audition.

Did you et to hangout with the stars and if you did. Did you become friends and stay in touch

I got to meet a few of the stars, but I wouldn't say I got to "hang out" with them. Anthony Mackie was at the wrap party, so when I spoke with him it was "outside of work" so to speak, but he was so surrounded by people I didn't get to chat with him very long.

So did you do the first avenger too and just not get paid?

The guy who did the First Avenger was a different actor.

Huh any idea why they didn't just use the same guy?

Cause he lives in England, and I live in the city they were shooting.

You were more prominent in the first Captain America film

Skinny Steve was more prominent, yes, but that was a different actor. Not me (unfortunately).

Oh wow! I did not know this.

Cheers man.

Are you from the UK? I ask cause you say "cheers". The guy that did the role in the first movie was a English guy. So who knows, maybe he's more near you than you thought.

I thought that was all Chris Evans and VFX hocus-pocus?

Edit: Case Study: How to make a Captain America wimp

The way its done is; Chris runs through the scene, "skinny steve" runs through the scene, and then the two actors are combined with VFX. That's kind of the simplified explanation, but you get the idea.

Cool.

And congrats on getting the part. A great addition to the résumé. And getting lines! I have friends that have done extra work for a long time before they were able to get their SAG card.

Break a leg! :)

Thank you.

What's your favorite beer?

I'm sorry, but I hate beer. I can't deal with the taste. I barely drink alcohol at all, but when I do it's never beer. Closest thing I drink is hard cider.

Ahhh no prob bud! Hard Cider is great. Which is your favorite?

Woodchuck with the red label. The green label one is fine but its so sweet.

Ever heard of Fruli? I hate beer too (my husband and I make homebrews but only he drinks it), but this stuff if beautiful - it's a wheat beer, so it's pale and light and not bitter, and it's made with strawberry juice. It's a lot like a cider. You'd probably really like it, if it's available anywhere around where you live.

I haven't heard of it, and I'd be willing to try it, but in all honesty, every time somebody has told me "Yeah but you should try this beer," I still never like it.

Do you even lift?

No, I don't, thank God, or else I wouldn't have gotten the part.

is it possible for you to appears and the agents of shield series? i think you could if you can contact them... please respond... i wanna make my dad jealous! (he's a captain america fan)

Honestly, no, I don't think I could be involved with Agents of SHIELD.

Tell your dad I said, "hi".

How was scarlet johanson? She is so attractive, ever flirt with her :p?

I did not flirt with her because I knew if I did she wouldn't be able to resist me and it would ruin her marriage.

Have you tried using this to pick up women at bars? It would totally work on me!

No, I haven't. To be fair, it doesn't matter what movie I'm in, its not going to make me any more attractive.

In reality does this mean anything for your career or was it just a one and done type of scenario? Do you think you have what it takes to be a big name actor? The reason I ask is a few of my mates are in a really famous band and when people support them they lose their mind thinking this means they are going somewhere but they never do. They support them in that local town because the band has to have a local band, the organisers put that band and and the big band doesn't care or listen to the small band.

I think it could make a difference for my career, absolutely. This one job made me eligible to join the Screen Actor's Guild, which is a big hurdle to overcome as an aspiring actor. That being said, I haven't joined, at least not yet, because the cost is so high. But if I decide I'm ready, I have the option to do so, and being a part of SAG means that people take you more seriously. So, yeah I think it helps, but there's no guarantee that I'll ever 'make it'.

Also, good luck to your friends band. I'm sure that's tough.

They are the big band so it's not tough for them haha they just tour the world and play shows, I meant the band's who play for them rarely go anywhere after supporting them. I was trying to liken it to a small role in a movie. How much is the screen actors guild? Hopefully you can go far and do well.

Oh shit, they are the big band!? Now I'm curious...

Initially fee to join SAG is like 3 grand, then you pay a few hundred dollars bi-yearly. For somebody like me, that's a lot of money.

How does it feel knowing that it's all down hill for you from here on out?

Can we please focus on RAMPART?

Thank God you weren't in the First Avenger. That movie took so long to get going I lost interest after the hour and a half intro.

Did you enjoy Winter Soldier? ^{I did.}