My Sister: An Extra in Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Yup, that's my sister Jocelyn (or at least the back of her) on the set of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I was there as an extra as well. My daughter was a featured extra, which meant that she actually had her own scene with one of the stars of the movie (she was called "bubble girl" because she got to blow and pop bubbles).

That was my first and last time as an extra on a movie. Being from Boston and not familiar with the way extras are treated (the phrase "I feel like cattle" was spoken more than once), I didn't realize that I would be standing around for 14 hours or so, walking back and forth aimlessly, being shuffled around and bullied by production assistants, being yelled at, scolded, told to be quiet, and basically treated like crap while walking around in the most uncomfortable pair of high-heeled boots I've ever worn (I wanted to burn them at the end of the day). By two a.m. I was shuffling my swollen feet, trying to look like a happy mall shopper, while silently cursing Kevin James and everyone in the movie (not that they had anything to do with how we were treated.) That was mainly due to the P.A.s on the set--basically glorified interns with a headset and a superiority complex. (Yes, Army Pants Girl and Evil Chad, that means you!)

But Piper had a wonderful time, and I hope that her scene doesn't get cut from the movie. I think it's the scene where Kevin James runs his Segway into a parked car. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie in January, even though I haven't been able to watch King of Queens reruns since my Mall Cop experience. If I see Kevin James my feet start to hurt, and I get a nervous tick just remembering how awful it felt to be trapped in a mall. Lesson learned.

I now have a whole new respect for people in the background of movies. To all of you background extras, I will definitely be paying more attention to you in the future, because I literally feel (and have felt) your pain. Ouch!