I have to admit, when the “Mayor of Kingstown” makeup artist sat me in front of the big, lighted mirror, trimmed my hair and applied unknown compounds to my face, I felt like a star.
However, my recent experience as an extra on the Paramount+ series that filmed scenes in Cumberland last week was more hurry-up-and-wait than thrills. Still, my day on set provided me with an up-close look at the incredible economic engine that is the entertainment industry.
I applied for the role, known as “background” in Hollywood lingo, in late April. The pay was good, but the real draw was the chance to see a TV series being made up close.
I was hired and scheduled to report on June 3 for hair and makeup at 8:30 a.m.
The “Mayor of Kingstown” is a gritty series centered around life in a fictional prison town in Michigan, but actually filmed largely in Pittsburgh. The series selected Cumberland’s Western Maryland Railway Station as the backdrop for several scenes for its fifth and final season.
The crew of “Mayor” transformed the depot into the Western Michigan Railway Station.
Stars include Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky, as well as Dianne Wiest, Edie Falco, David Morse, Hugh Dillon and Tobi Bamtefa.
The cast, crew, extras, security and vendors easily exceeded 250 people. Extras seemed to total between 100 to 130.
Hair, makeup and wardrobe was located in the adjacent Allegany Museum, which was a beehive of activity that morning.
I don’t have much hair, so I wondered if I needed it, but when one of the crew barked out, “He’s shiny,” I was sent to the makeup chair.
After “hair” and makeup, I was given clothes for the morning shoot, which was set in late winter. I was given a large black winter coat, which proved to be terribly hot, however I only donned it when filming began.
After our prep was done, all of the background personnel were directed to a large staging area in the warehouse of the Cumberland Times-News.
Although much of the day was spent waiting, the morning proved to be busy. It didn’t take long until I was summoned to the train station concourse.
The job of the extras was to be commuters arriving and leaving the station as well as boarding and exiting the train cars.
The activity was filmed from multiple angles, including drone shots.
The biggest thrill for me took place during that morning shoot.
A group of about 30 of us was told to board the train. I was third from last to board, part of a small group that had no seats available, requiring us to stand.
The assistant director told us an actor named Hardy would be joining us, and he would be right behind me as we exited the train. I thought, “That’s cool.” But I didn’t know who Hardy was.
You could hear everyone pulling their cellphones out to see who played Hardy. We quickly discovered it was the veteran actor David Morse.
After a couple of takes with a stand-in for Morse, it was time to film. Morse climbed aboard with a duffel bag. He gave me a “How you doing?” Starstuck, I said, “Fine.” But I knew he wasn’t there to chat.
Morse was famous for his role as Dr. Jack “Boomer” Morrison in the NBC medical drama “St. Elsewhere.”
The assistant directing us never shouted “Action!” like in the movies. It was a soft spoken, “We’re rolling,” accompanying by a nod to start.
We did about four takes. We exited the train in order with me coming off and walking forward as directed across the tracks to the concourse. Morse exited and turned left, walking directly to the camera.
All I could think about was, “I might just make it on the show since I was directly beside Morse.” As long as they don’t cut out anyone else exiting the train.
Other shots were not as exciting. In the late afternoon, I was with a group that got on a train to once again be filmed exiting the train car. This time I was in the middle of the car.
For the next 2.5 hours they had us exit. I don’t believe any actors were in that shoot. The scene only required about 15 seconds of footage.
We filmed that shot 15 times. After each shot they shouted “reset” and we returned to our seats to wait for the next try. Since I was far back, I never even made it off the train.
We wrapped the 12-hour day around 8:15 p.m. I was tired but pleased with the whole experience.
Another memorable thing was the incredible supply of food. The breakfast, followed by lunch, then snacks and drinks all afternoon was amazing.
We had sausage gravy, biscuits, churros, twice-baked potatoes, bowtie pasta with beef, crab cakes, tacos, pizza, chicken, salad and much more, including all types of deserts. The supply was endless and lasted all day.
I learned that many local restaurants, including D’Atris, Caporale’s, Ellie’s Deli, JJ’s Pizza, Curtis’ Famous Weiners and others were utilized to supply food.
The experience was truly worth it. The set was like a small city within a city. The shear size of the production with its seemingly enormous budget was amazing and the staff treated us well.
The production filled restaurants, convenience stores, shops and hotels.
Many of the extras were from the Pittsburgh and Baltimore areas.
With the shooting taking three days, some said they prepared to drive home and return the following morning. Those that stayed overnight had to find hotel rooms in Frostburg and beyond.
Although exhausting, I would do it all over again. Not only was it a great experience for me, but it was great for the Cumberland area economy.
The fifth and final season of “Mayor of Kingstown” will consist of eight episodes expected to air on Paramount+ later this year or in early 2027.
I’ll be watching to see if a glimpse of me — hair, makeup and all — made the final cut.