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Rick Rowan

Background Actor!






"For all your upscale middle-aged Caucasian male background acting needs!"



"Every day that I go to work, a film crew is there to document it.
I like that.  Hard evidence is indisputable."

Below is a sampling of some recent and not-so-recent shows I've worked on.

Updated May 2, 2008


My Name Is Earl
"The Camdenites, Part 2"     Jason Lee, Alyssa Milano
This time I'm an Amish Farmer. Put on your protective goggles before
attempting to view the picture. I lifted a heavy log, I hauled around a
heavy bale of hay. I bent over and worked in a garden with a primitive tool.
I shoveled hay into a big pile. Boy I'm glad I'm not Amish!

An American Carol
Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Farley
It's 1973 and I'm a priest. It's the role I was born to play.
Here's a pic of me in as Father Rick. Enjoy! Oh, also,
when you dress like a priest on a movie, and everyone in the cast and
crew feels compelled to say, "Bless me, Father" all day long....
well, let's just say you begin to consider some very non-Christian responses.

Superhero Movie
Drake Bell, Pamela Anderson, Leslie Nielson
This is one of those spoof movies. It spoofs Spiderman, X-Men and a few other
movies of that ilk. Ilk is a funny word. But I digress, that's not why you called.
I'm a teacher at Xavier's School For The Non-Asian Gifted. I wear my
brown sportscoat with the elbow patches and look very teacherly.

Shark
"Partners In Crime"   James Woods, Peter Gallagher
I'm a rich and powerful older guy at a pool party,
surrounded by a bunch of bikini-clad young women. Hey,
I didn't write the scene. I just do like I'm told!
Another grueling day on the set.

Eli Stone
"I Want Your Sex"    Jonny Lee Miller, Guest starring George Michael
George is getting out of an elevator as I am getting on. I do my patented
Hey-isn't-that-popstar-George-Michael doubletake. George is in court on the
witness stand as I watch from the Gallery. George is in the law office as
I criss and cross back and forth with my briefcase. I also zig and zagged
a few times, too, just to keep it fresh.

The Riches
"Field Of Dreams"    Eddie Izzard, Minnie Driver
I'm a detective on this one, talking to a cop in the background,
while Eddie and Minnie conduct a little foreground business in an SUV.

Eli Stone
"Praying For Time"    Jonny Lee Miller, Natasha Henstridge
Another day on "the Stone." Another night, actually. We wrapped at 2:48 a.m.
I did some pretty impressive stuntwork on this one -- I walked while reading a newspaper and
 carrying coffee.  After this airs, everyone in America will be walking, while reading a paper and carrying coffee.
Just remember you saw it here first.

Criminal Minds
"Lucky"
I was a Stand-In for not one, but two count 'em two actors. This is why they call me.  They call it "range," my friend.
And this show shoots so close to home, I was able to go home for lunch. Does it get any better than that?
No, really, does it? It must. Cuz if going home for lunch is as good as it gets in life then... well,
let's just assume it gets better, okay?

Eli Stone
"Father Figure"   Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber
More madcap hijinks in the law office. I'm all over the place in this one,
going up stairs, crossing hither and yon, going down stairs.  Basically I put on a
showstopping display of ALL my basic motor skills. Some call it walking,
I call it exercising my talent muscles.

Eli Stone
"Freedom"   Jonny Lee Miller, Natasha Henstridge
I'm an upscale lawyer at the top law firm in San Francisco. I
roam the halls with my briefcase, my cup of coffee, or my newspaper.
Eli Stone sees visions and hears voices. We did a huge
choreographed dance number to George Michael's "Freedom."
We're singing and dancing up and down two staircases in the law office.
I'm a regular on this show. Plan your TV viewing accordingly.

Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts   Directed by Mike Nichols
I'm a Congressman walking the halls of, well, Congress. In 1982.
Tom Hanks is a Congressman from Texas.  He has more lines than me.

Sharpshooter
Mario Van Peebles, Bruce Boxleitner, James Remar
It's a TV movie.  I'm in a mausoleum with my wife.  We're at her mother's crypt.
The wife is on her knees mourning mom's untimely passing.  In the foreground,
Mario and James gamely try to keep the CIA espionage plot moving forward.
I think they did a good job, but what do I know, I was busy consoling my inconsolable wife.
When I found out mom didn't leave us anything in the will, I got pretty inconsolable, too.
We had a whole subplot backstory going. Hey, extras gotta amuse themselves, too!

Evan Almighty
Steve Carell, John Goodman
I'm a Congressman. A gigantic ark is coming straight
toward Congress.  We scatter like the leaves in the wind.
Like really fast leaves.  On a very windy day.

Big Love
"Circle The Wagons"  Bill Paxton, Mary Kay Place
Roman is temporarily (or permanently?) out of commission, so we
need to elect a a new leader. Some of the townspeople and the Board
(of which I'm a member) have an impromptu meeting in a schoolhouse.
Mary Kay nominates her son.  It was really cold when we shot this in the mountains.

In a separate scene, filmed on a separate day when I had to wake
 up at 4:00 a.m. AGAIN, Bill calls a meeting of the Board (this time back
in the heated Boardroom, thankfully!)  We're interrupted by Mary Kay's son,
who's upset that we're meeting.  I'm seated next to Bill.  Watch as I "listen intently."
Then, when I transition into my patented "Hey what the hell is HE doing here" look,
it's cinematic magic. Hello Academy, are you watching?!
But let's get back to this whole 4 a.m. thing.  I mean, who thought up the
hours for show business, anyway?  We need to talk!

"Oh, Pioneers" is another episode I also did. Basically, just more Boardroom hijinks.
And more of my patented what-the-hell-is-going-on-here expressions. It's what I do.

Criminal Minds
"No Way Out"  Mandy Patinkin, Keith Carradine
A little something different this time. I was a Photo Double for Keith Carradine, who plays the villain.
I'm riding around in black SUVs and jumping out of them and running off into the desert.
Then later, I also worked as a Stand In for Keith, which was kinda fun.  Basically I went through
the motions of a few scenes while the crew worked out the lighting, camera angles, etc.

Big Love
"Good Guys & Bad Guys"  Bill Paxton, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern
I'm now a "regular" on this show! I'm a Selectman on Harry Dean's Board.
In this episode, there's a power struggle between the Grants and the Greens,
and Harry is telling us what we're gonna do about it.

Desperate Housewives
"Liaisons"  Felicity Huffman, Teri Hatcher
Felicity is not having a good day at the pizzeria where she works.  She serves me and
my friends some drinks in one scene, but then abruptly rushes off when something happens.
I'm sure she had a perfectly good reason for rushing off - like it was in the script or something.
But what about the bread sticks I ordered?

The Holiday
Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black     Directed by Nancy Meyers
I play one of the senior editors at a London newspaper.  It's a Christmas office
 party scene.  At one point, I walk over and congratulate Rufus
on a job well done.  I shake his hand, I pat him on the back, and then I walk away.
About 27 times we did this.  Nancy likes to shoot lots of takes.  Lots and lots of takes.

House
"Finding Judas"  Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein
I'm a hospital administrator, doing my patented background cross in...
well... the background. Hugh shines a red laser light on Cuddy while she's talking
to a couple. She gets mad at House. Again. That seems to be the only emotion
that Cuddy ever gets to express.  But as emotions go, it's a good one

Boston Legal
"Trick Or Treat"  James Spader, William Shatner, Candace Bergen
It's the Halloween episode.  I'm a court bailiff.  James is defending the lawyer
with Asperger's Syndrome, who is on trial for lying about his position on the
death penalty, in order to serve on a jury.  But none of that is really important;
what you wanna do is look for me!  I stand by the door in the back of the courtroom
for awhile.  The next day I'm sitting at the desk on the judge's right.

The Office
"The Convention"  Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson
Steve and Rainn are on a train.  Rainn wants his cervical pillow back from Steve.
Good luck, Rainn.  I'm a random passenger on the train.
We shot this on an actual moving train, going from Simi Valley to Burbank.
Not a whole lotta time to get it right.  But it made for a short day!

Flags Of Our Fathers
Directed by Clint Eastwood
It's Clint! What else do you need to know?!!!
Okay, it's a World War II movie about the guys who planted the flag
at Iwo Jima in the famous picture.  I'm attending a War Bonds rally.
Again with the retro wardrobe.

I also did a separate scene on this movie - the Chicago Drake Hotel ballroom scene.
In that scene, I'm wearing a tuxedo and selling War Bonds to people at the party,
 while the heroes from Iwo Jima work the room.

24
Kiefer Sutherland
Two episodes - 1:00-2:00 a.m. and 2:00-3:00 a.m.
I'm a European Dignitary on a late night flight.  Unbeknownst to us, there's a terrorist onboard.
At the airport, Kiefer sneaks onto the plane to lend a helping hand.  I'm seated right behind
him when he... well, I won't spoil it.  Suffice it to say, this flight is a non-stop thrill ride!

Click
Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsdale, David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Coolidge
I'm an architect at a hip, trendy New York firm.  Adam is using a universal
remote control to go back and forth in time to review his life.

Two And A Half Men
"A Sympathetic Crotch To Cry On" Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer
I'm a funeral mourner.  Back row. Black glasses. Oh yeah, the scene is all about me.

The Island
Scarlett Johannson, Ewan McGregor
It's the future. I'm wearing 1960s clothes and dark sunglasses.
There are little kids eating ice cream.
And through it all I walk, placidly amid the noise and haste.

The Terminal
Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones.  Directed by Steven Spielberg
I'm working at the Godiva chocolate store.  Tom and Cathy chat in front of my store,
while I scurry about artfully arranging my chocolates.  In another scene, I'm a random
 passenger in the airport, walking behind Tom when he first meets the Indian janitor.

13 Going On 30
Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo
I'm an upscale club-goer, constantly moving and grooving
to Michael Jackson's Thriller.  It took 3 days to film.
I need to go lie down in my hyperbaric chamber now.

Intolerable Cruelty
George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Bob Thornton
Directed by the Coen Brothers
I attend the wedding of Catherine and Billy Bob.  And the wedding reception.
I mixed, I mingled, I milled about, I toasted the happy couple.  Then we had lunch.
Then more mixing and mingling.  Then we wrapped and I went home.
It still beats a real job.

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