The Indepth Interview

How did you first get into behind the scenes filmwork?

I have wanted to be in the business since I was about 10 years old, and planned for it all through high school. I attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and received my BA in Film Production in 1990. After that I spent 18 months right outside Chicago working in a video store while trying to break into the business in Chicago. That didn't work, so I moved to Wilmington in January 1992. I found a job as an extra on the film Amos & Andrew in April 1992, and that led to my first PA job on the film Super Mario Bros. in June 1992. I have been working more and more steadily ever since.


What exactly does a production assistant do, besides being productive?

LOL. Production assistants are lots of things in different situations. On American Gothic--and most of the shows I have worked on since 1994, I "ran first team," which is set lingo for working with the actors. I am the first person they see when they arrive, and the last they see when they go home. I tell them where they need to be (makeup, hair, the set), when, and why they need to be there. I coordinate all of this with the assitant directors on a show so that we stay on schedule. I really love it. But other duties PAs have include "locking up" (keeping an area quiet and keeping people from going where they shouldn't while rolling), handling extras (getting them dressed and made up and bringing them from their holding area to the set), and general "gofer" work (they go fer this and go fer that--whatever is needed on the set or by the actors). I do some portion of all of those things in addition to running first team--because PAs generally do a little of everything so as to "assist" in the "production."


Did you ever want to be in front of the camera, instead of behind it?

Well, as my appearances in the AG episode "Resurrector," multiple times as a featured extra on Matlock, and in the feature film "Empire Records" attests, there IS a large serving of ham to be found in me. I love to act and be goofy, especially in front of a camera, but have never seriously considered trying to do it as a career--mainly because I keep remembering that "less than 10% of all actors make a living at it" line...


Do you work only in South Carolina or do you follow the work all over the country?

Well, actually it is North Carolina, Wilmington to be exact. At the level of production assistant I have mainly worked here in Wilmington, though it does just so happen to be that tomorrow I will be in Myrtle Beach SC to shoot some Shoney's commercials for a few days. This will be the third time I've travelled for my job. Producers generally aren't conducive to putting a production assistant up in a hotel; so usually PA's are local people. If I had a friend living in an area that I could stay with I could work in other places (I had such an offer from the film Virus when it moves to Virginia--but have no friends in that particular area to stay with) but until I become an assistant director in the Director's Guild of America (a position high enough up the ladder to be put up in a hotel at the producer's expense) I will continue to work 99% of the time here in Wilmington.


If you stay in North Carolina, is being a production assistant a part-time or full-time job? If part time, what do you do in the off-season?

Working in the film industry is my career, so I try to work as full time as I can. Sometimes there are "slow spots" when nothing much is going on production-wise, or not enough work for all of the experienced PAs in Wilmington to be working at once; so I have had to get a couple of temporary jobs along the way. One was a photo developing job--but after being offered it I was offered film work and turned the photo job down. The other was a temporary job on a construction crew expanding a Wal Mart store here in Wilmington, which I left after a few weeks because I got a film job. So, two instances of that in about five years--I'm not doing too badly, I reckon! And hopefully 1997 will continue to find me working steadily!


What other productions have you worked on, besides AG?

Here is a semi-complete list off my resume (going backwards in time from now to 1992):

Dawson's Creek (TV series for the WB)
Shadrach (independent feature film--not out yet)
Virus (big sci fi feature film--due out in August)
What the Deaf Man Heard (Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie--with AG-er Jake!)
Nathan Dixon (unaired television pilot)
Virus (feature film still in production)
Timepiece (CBS movie)
The Summer of Ben Tyler (CBS movie)
Stephen King's The Night Flier (feature-not yet released)
American Gothic ('nuff said!)
Secrets from the Rose Garden (Lifetime cable movie)
Sophie and the Moonhanger (Lifetime cable movie)
The Face on the Milk Carton (CBS movie)
Empire Records (feature film-on video)
A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (NBC movie)
Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored (feature film -on video)
Justice in a Small Town (NBC movie)
Touched by an Angel (original pilot for CBS)
Search for Grace (CBS movie)
Radioland Murders (feature film-on video)
The Road Home (brief CBS series)
The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (CBS movie--with Gary Cole!)
In the Best of Families (CBS miniseries)
The Inkwell (feature film-on video)
The Birds II: Land's End (Showtime cable movie)
Love, Honor and Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (CBS miniseries)
Super Mario Bros. (feature film-on video)


How did you get the PA job for the series?

I have been working as a PA in Wilmington since the summer of 1992 (first job-Super Mario Bros.) and had worked for a lady named Stefania Girolami Goodwin a number of times. After the AG pilot was shot, which I did not work on because I was already working on a TV movie, CBS bought the show and a production office opened up. I turned in my resume and waited for an interview with whoever was hired as the 2nd AD (assistant director). As it turned out, that job went to Stefania, and after arriving back from Illinois and my ten year high school reunion, I got the happy news that I would be working on American Gothic! And the rest, as they say, is history.


Which AG character do you identify with the most, and why?

Well, my ongoing plans for world domination make me immediately think "Lucas Buck," but I won't say him. I've never been to Harvard, so not "Dr. Matt." I've never been to Uganda, so not "Dr. Billy." I've never bitten anyone's tongue out in a fit of passion, so not "Selena." I've actually written for the magazine that I work for, so not "Gail." I hate horizontal stripes, so not "Caleb." I DO, however, often appear to others in a nimbus of holy white light while wearing a lacy white dress, so I guess that makes my answer "Merlyn."


Which group do you belong to:
the Teacher's Pets, Gail's Guys, or Merlyn's Minions?

Having worked around all three ladies for seven months, I would have to say I belong to all three groups to an extent.


What is your favourite AG ep, and why?

Well, after the pilot, which is dreadfully important since it sets up the story and introduces the characters, my fave is "Echo of Your Last Goodbye." (That's why I say it is my fave that I worked on.) Why? Because I think it has a corker plot (Merlyn plays on Ben's tortured conscience); gives both Nick Searcy and Sarah Paulson some juicy bits and fun scenes to play (and both are fab in it!); and it actually carries the ongoing plot along from the pilot (Ben sees Merlyn's death in the pilot).


Which cast members have you kept in touch with?

Nick Searcy lives near me, so we continue to hang out, especially at any Tough Man competitions or Bikini Contests (we've each won a couple!). I keep in touch with Gary and his lovely wife Teddi, and Sarah Paulson through email and occasional calls, and have spoken to Lucas Black and his family a few times since the show ended. I have also spoken to Paige Turco, and got a very nice Christmas card from her this past holiday season. Sadly, I have been totally out of touch with Jake, Brenda, and John, but not because I don't like them or anything. I do hear about Jake occasionally when others speak with him, and Paige caught me up on John when we spoke. I also know that Brenda moved shortly after the show ended, and is now married! So, either directly or through others I have managed to at least keep up with all of our regulars.


Was your girlfriend, Susan, a fan of the show before she met you?

Sort of. She does like shows like AG (X-Files, etc) and had seen a couple of episodes prior to our meeting. But thanks to CBS and their constant pre-emptions, changes of schedule, and hiatuses (hiati?); she could never figure out when it was on. So, she saw one ep from the Friday night run, and one from either the Wednesday night run or the Summer '96 burnoff. But we've been having a great time watching them in order--and what a difference it makes to see them that way!


Why do you think your pals Nick and Jeff put up with you?

Put up with me? PUT UP with me?!?! They go home every night after we've spent time together and hit their knees to thank the Man Upstairs for every precious second of my life I let them share! They both lie in bed at night WISHING they were as cool as me!


What is your favourite movie?

Whew! I like waaaay too many movies to choose just one, but a quick few I really adore: Any James Bond movie; Jaws; Die Hard; Splash; Raising Arizona; The Thin Man movies; and, oh I don't know...King Kong. As you can see, I tend to enjoy movies best as escapist fare; what that says about me as a person I'm not sure I want to know.


What/who is your favourite book/author?

Again, very far reaching question; but SOME of my faves: Ian Fleming (of course); Stephen King; John Irving; Peter David; Robert R. McCammon. I again tend towards escapist stuff and also enjoy a lot of series books; I know that I appear ever-more shallow with each of these answers...


What are your favourite bands?

Hmmmmm. Well, I enjoy mostly older music, so I'd have to say the Beatles; the Monkees; the Eagles; David Bowie; and almost any 80's pop music. Music is not my strong suit; and I'm really not up on the current bands and performers at all.


Just who the heck is Rex Manning???

The answer to that lies in a videotape entitled "Empire Records," at your local video store. I can say no more, mon amour...


What is your middle name?

Heh-heh-heh. Who came up with THIS one, eh? Actually, my middle name IS Craig! I am one of those rare and strange individuals who goes by his middle name. So do I now jump the gun and answer the VERY OBVIOUS question this leads to; or suppose that I have satisfied your curiosity and let it go?

All right--my first name is Michael. Michael Craig Edwards. Now that leads to yet ANOTHER obvious question: I go by my middle name because my parents started calling me Craig, not wanting anyone to shorten Michael into Mike or Mikey (because they didn't care for those nicknames.) If they could have made me wear a sign that said "Please only call me Michael, nothing shorter," then I'd probably be going by that name even now.

Hey--this answer stuff is easy!


What is your favourite flavour of edible underwear?

Only ever tried orange--when I was assistant manager at a Spencer's store. (Spencer's is a place where they sell things like edible underwear)
And it SUCKED! (No pun intended)


What do you feel is the REAL reason for a show that had SUCH a build-up, such enticing previews for the better part of the fall season line-up, to be axed in its hiatus?

Because the initial ratings for the first few episodes weren't very good, the same thing that happened with the other "younger audience" shows CBS put on at the time, CBS did a total about face and completely dropped support for AG. After the initial build up, there was not a lot of on-air or magazine preview stuff. Then, CBS added to the problem by pre-empting the show a number of times, THEN went ahead with the first hiatus. As a result, shows like "Diagnosis Murder" got a second chance, and AG was left out to dry.

IM(not-so)HO, Craig