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Jason (left) and Chief Robert Green, members of the Patawomeck Indian tribe, portray their ancestors in 'The New World.' |
Hours are long. Pay is minimal.
But Robert and Jason Green wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
The father and son are extras in New Line Cinema's "The New World" being filmed at the Chickahominy Wildlife Management Area near Williamsburg.
Sure, they're a bit overwhelmed at taking cues from critically acclaimed director Terrence Malick and working with Irish heartthrob Colin Farrell.
Yet they're more excited at the chance to step back 400 years into the moccasins of their forefathers.
"It's been amazing, not just meeting these people who are famous, but to actually lose yourself in the fact that you're in this village that you could have actually lived in," said Jason, sitting on the couch of his townhouse in southern Stafford. He wore a navy baseball cap that hid his head, shaved into a Mohawk for the movie.
The two are descendants of the Patawomeck Indians who lived along the Potomac River in Stafford County 400 years ago. The tribe was part of the Powhatan nation that clashed with Capt. John Smith and the first Virginia settlement at Jamestown in 1607.
Robert is the 21st-century chief of the Patawomeck tribe, which boasts 475 members. He revived the tribe about a decade ago to preserve the rich American Indian lineage. His Indian name is Two Eagle. Jason is Brave Eagle.
Even so, their modern life marks a stark contrast to the one they portray.
Jason, 26, is a computer programmer with Northrop Grumman at Dahlgren. He and his wife, Tanya, live off Deacon Road in southern Stafford.
Robert lives in the Clearview Heights area with his wife, Cathie. He's a corporate trainer for St. Paul Traveler's Insurance Co.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Robert, 56, who grew up in the White Oak area. "How many chances do you get to portray your ancestors in a major motion picture? It's been a real eye-opener."
Both are impressed with the depth of research done for the production.
"You don't see things that couldn't have possibly happened," Robert said. "You don't see chokers and breastplates like in Western cowboy movies. It's all very simple."
Filming began in August and continues through October. The movie is directed by Malick, famous for his work in "Badlands" and "Thin Red Line." Sarah Green, known for such films as "Frida" and "State & Main," is the producer.
Top-name actors Christian Bale and Christopher Plummer star with Farrell and newcomer Q'orianka Kilcher, who plays Pocahontas.
The movie is scheduled for release next fall.
Robert or Jason didn't answer the casting calls New Line Cinema held earlier in the summer for extras.
Their roles came by coincidence.
In June, New Line filmmakers invited the Virginia Council on Indians and other Virginia tribal chiefs, including Robert Green, to Williamsburg to acquaint them with their plans for the historically based epic.
The chiefs met producer Sarah Green and talked to studio designers about preliminary wardrobe designs.
Costume designer Jacqueline West and wardrobe supervisor Ed Lumpkin told them about their difficulty finding wild turkey feathers for Indian costumes. Robert mentioned that he had plenty in his shed at home. Over the years, hunter friends had given him turkey feathers and deer antlers for use in making tribal regalia.
West and Lumpkin visited Robert in Stafford and were surprised at his collection.
They offered to pay for the material. He told them that legally he couldn't sell them.
"I told them that since it was gifted to me, I would gift it to them," Robert said. "That's the Indian way. You would gift to someone but you would never sell it."
When they asked how they could repay his kindness, he jokingly suggested they give Jason a part in the movie.
They took him seriously.
They snapped pictures of Jason and Robert and, a few days later, the Greens got a call that they had been cast as extras.
Robert's wife, Cathie, also has played a small part. She donated her collection of seashells, which is being used in accessories and costumes.
After an initial trip to Charles City for wardrobe, Robert and Jason have traveled to the set half a dozen times or more over the past month.
Jason's hair was shaved into a brush Mohawk style for his role as a warrior. On the set, he wears a long, thin braid on one side of his face, a thicker one in back, with a single-feather headdress. Jason wears a simple fringed deerskin loin cloth with black and red body paint.
Robert kept his shoulder-length locks but wore a full headdress of goose feathers. He wore a more ornate deerskin cloak for scenes as a chief on Powhatan's council, and a simpler one called a drape for other scenes. His face is painted red and black, with ash-white, black and red paint on his body.
The Greens were struck by the authenticity.
"[West] has such a good grasp of what our people were supposed to look like, it boggles my mind," Jason said.
Many of his scenes have been in the woods or along the river. Others have been in the re-created Powhatan village in the wildlife area.
At one point, Jason gets to strike Colin Farrell, who plays John Smith.
Despite the four-century disparity, they've had no trouble getting into character.
"When I get dressed and get in the scene, I am my ancestor," said Robert. "I forget about my employer and the 20th century. As far as I'm concerned, it's 1607, especially when you stand knee deep in the James River at 7:30 at night."
Robert is awed by the accomplished American Indian actors in the film. Wes Studi, who plays the role of Pocahontas' uncle Opechancanough, had the title role in "Geronimo: An American Legend," and appeared in "Dances With Wolves" and "The Last of the Mohicans." August Schellenberg plays Pocahontas' father, Powhatan, Raoul Trujillo plays Powhatan's interpreter, Tomocomo, and Michael Grey-eyes portrays Wobblehead, a member of the tribe.
"Meeting these actors, talking to them and finding out what really nice people they are is reassuring," Robert said.
He appreciates the traditions many of the American Indian long-term extras have brought to the film.
During a recent scene, the crew filmed scenes after dark by the firelight.
"It was surreal," Robert said. "On the way out of the woods, the core extras started singing Indian songs in their native language. It made Jason and I kind of sad that our language had been lost, as had the songs. We both have learned small pieces of some of the songs they sing and were able to join in."
Filming continues through next month. Robert has finished his scenes, but Jason has been elevated to join the core extras for the battles scenes.
There are minor drawbacks.
They've arrived as early as 5 a.m. for makeup, and stay sometimes until after dark. They play cards with other extras to pass the time, waiting hours before being called for their scenes. They have to shave their bodies so the paint adheres better.
Removing the body paint is no easy task, either.
"We had to take scrubbies and luffas and scrub yourself raw," said Robert. "I just got red out of my ears from last Wednesday. It's insidious stuff."
Still, they're excited to be a small part of a major motion picture about their ancestors.
"I can't convey how much fun we're having," said Robert. "The agonizing thing is that we have to wait a year to see the end product."
To reach MARTY MORRISON: 540/374-5423 mmorrison@freelancestar.com
