Jeffrey Donovan was cast in a Hulu show called 'Shut Eye' which was set to film in Vancouver. This was exciting, especially since Burn Notice wasn't widely available here in Canada as it was on the USA network. You could buy the DVD's like I did or see it through other means but it didn't get a lot of attention here in Canada. That meant there wouldn't exactly be people flocking to sets. Also, 'Shut Eye' is a Hulu show and that's IP blocked here in Canada. They'd be relatively undisturbed here even for continued seasons.
This show proved to be a great challenge overall, even just locating it. Even though they adopted a relatively self explanatory sign in 'SHUT EYE' on their location signage, it was tough. Early in the shoot I located them at a home in Burnaby. There I stood on the corner in the pouring rain for hours, ignored by crew, even when I tried to approach one when she wasn't busy, and watched all of the actors that I'd seen online that were cast come and go. All but one. No Jeffrey Donovan. Defeated, I left.
Throughout the following months I visited sets on and off for the show when I had time. Sometimes finding their circus and not the set (which I would not stay at no matter what), sometimes finding sets that had just wrapped, that weren't started, that didn't have Jeff at it.
One night of note I had a couple of traffic girls tell me he was there. A friend came and met me and we stood there for hours while the crew came out and pointed at us, not interested in talking, just what had to have been making fun of us as we waited. Finally after many hours a crew member I hadn't seen before came over to chat and asked who we were looking for, informing us that he'd wrapped hours ago. I was appreciative of his honesty with us but was extremely put off that day by the rest of the crew. I was wearing my very obvious Burn Notice hoodie so I felt our conquest was pretty obvious. We weren't in the way, we made sure to be across the street from the home they were in and we didn't approach anyone or demonstrate any other kind of poor set behaviors. We simply stood. I don't understand why they felt the need to be so rude to fans. Fans are the reasons that shows exist. If there was no one there to watch shows then there wouldn't BE shows. I started to think that I may not watch the show even if I have the chance.
In any event, one time I finally was able to be on a set and SEE Jeff. Ironically, at the same location as the mocking incident. They were filming an exterior scene and I stood in the same place and watched. This time there was a marked difference in the way the crew was, quite a few were friendly with us. I did notice, however, that tensions seemed high internally on the set. I saw a truck driver and a crew member nearly get into an argument, then a crew guy behind monitors snap at Jeff because he needed a line. I thought that was a pretty ballsy way to treat your lead. This does not seem like a happy workplace.
At one point a transport van driver noticed me with my Burn Notice hoodie on and smiled. He wanted to snap a photo with his phone and I told my friend to grab his DVD out of his bag as well so I wasn't there alone. He quite happily took a photo of us. Later I was told by a crew member that Jeff is a really nice guy but he's in a bad mood today. After what I'd already seen, I didn't blame him. Sure enough at the end of the night he hopped in the cast van and took off. I'd missed my chance earlier that day when I saw him come down the driveway and then head toward the washroom down the street. I didn't go after him because, well, who wants to be bugged on the way to the can? But then he came back with 2 coffees. Then I didn't stop him because he had his hands full. As this experience got more and more distant I wished that I had stopped him that day. The show is getting close to wrap and I was really starting to get nervous. I didn't want to miss the chance to meet him when he's right here in my town. When else would I get this chance?
I received a tip about Shut Eye being in Burnaby on Hastings Monday morning, July 11th. On vacation from work I've got nothing but time and I slept in a little, hoping to miss traffic and get there in time to see some exteriors. I made my way to the location by about 10:30 am and found almost nothing left of the shoot. Not even power still running which is usually the first and last into a set. There were 3 crew members around, taking the signage down.
I had been tipped on the location of the circus so I went to check that out and see if maybe they'd just moved close by. However, it was nearly empty as well. Just tents being taken down. I sat up the street in my car shocked for a while and tried to decide what to do when I saw a truck pull out. It must have just had tents and other not-so-critical things in it so I chanced following it. It took me a long way from where I was and ended up at a totally different circus for anther show. Dead end. I decided to check out a different set near where I was and didn't see any of that set either. Disappointed I was ready to call it a day and go home but first, on a last ditch effort, I decided to drive by Queen Elizabeth Park where Shut Eye frequently has a circus. On the way there I ended up behind two star trailers getting towed in that direction. As it turned out, we were going to the same place.
Having lost all sense of reservation and shame to do with this conquest, I got out of the car and walked on the lawn by the trailers to see the names on them. I knew they were empty because they were just brought there so I wasn't going to be getting in any cast members' way. I went over to where there were a couple of set workers, approached them cold and asked them flat out when they were filming, today or tomorrow. They were kind and told me tomorrow. Awesome. Home I go.
The next day I got up early and left Steveston, driving right by my usual #1 show, Supernatural, who were filming mere blocks from my place. Closest they've ever been. I had gotten another tip that they'd moved their circus to the old RCMP building around the corner from QE park. I headed there first and saw that they had changed a building to a hospital but that was pretty much it. No power running, no one around really but two girls sitting on the stairs. No PA's, not anything but the exterior set ready to go complete with a USA Today mailbox. I walked around the block to see if maybe there was something happening at the back but there was very little going on there too. Frustrated, I resolved not to give up and I sat on a bench across the street thinking and watching. After a while I decided that they weren't even close to rolling here, maybe I could take a spin back by that house that I'd seen them at quite a bit. It was very close by.
I headed over there and sure enough found them doing some car scenes near the house they've been at before. I drove around the block a few times and then watched them load up the car with the camera on it. No JD here. I doubled back to the house, parked, and got out to talk to the PA that I saw there. He asked if I'd been there earlier asking about crafty. I told him no and let him know what I was up to and he said my best chance was back where they were starting the scene, that's where the cast was getting dropped off. I didn't really want be right there, feels too much like an ambush to be standing there when they get out of the car. I sensed he wanted to get rid of me so I went back toward that area but stopped a street over and parked, hopping out and noticed that I was right near a cast vehicle. I knew there would be no way they'd be picking up or dropping off there as it was too far from any action so I felt okay parking there. There wasn't even a driver in it, it was parked.
I walked up the side road across from where the trucks were lined up, just wanting to check it out. There were a few people that I wasn't sure if they were with the production or not standing at the corner. I walked over and stood near them, unsure of what to do next and thought I'd just watch for a minute. As it turned out they were with the production and they started talking with me. Again, being a lot more forward then I'd usually be, I told them what I was up to. They asked me if I was a a professional photographer and I laughed and said no. Although I do have a nice camera, I had left it in the car. Not enough people around to feel right taking any kind of photos. One of them asked if I'd been there before with a sign trying to lure Jeff out. I mentioned I'd been there before but not with a sign. They were welcoming and volunteered the information that Jeff was not at this location but he would be at the other one in a while. They were almost done and would be moving soon. We chatted for a few minutes about being fans of things and how Jeff is a nice guy but doesn't have a handler or anything on this set to tell him when there's people around for him. I soon took off back to the RCMP building again to wait.
I perched myself at the end of one of the driveways not far from the set and waited. There still wasn't much going on. One guy walked by and he said hi. I asked him what was going on and he admitted they were having power issues and were behind. Great. Behind sets usually don't indicate actors with time to chat. I ate a banana and didn't see a garbage can anywhere. I ventured up to ask the girls sitting on the stairs if they had seen one anywhere and they snarkily told me no. Okay then. I went back to my perch.
Finally some action seemed to be starting. They sent some PA's down to the location and trucks and gear were starting to move in. The PA stationed next to me had headphones in and didn't seem to want to chat so I waited some more. Eventually he got called off to do something else leaving me at the driveway alone where all the gear was coming in. I fielded my fair share of questions from extras dressed as medical personnel, EMT's, doctors, nurses and patients and others coming down because I was standing at the main entry. Soon I saw a cast transpo van arrive and the extras were shushed as the director was talking on the stairs. The extras were herded around the back but at the front I realized they were blocking out the scene. Looking on the stairs I saw JD. He must have been in the transport van. It had a woman in the front but I guess he was in the back. He wasn't in costume yet wearing white board shorts and a blue t-shirt.
I watched them work at the scene and it didn't take very long for them to finish up, had a great view from where I was standing. I saw realized they were finishing and quickly shed my outer rain jacket and hung it over the fence to make my Burn Notice hoodie more visible. He came down the stairs toward the nearest transport van and before I knew what was going on, my friendly worker from the other set approached him as he was getting in the van. He stopped as they started to talk to him, one foot in the back of the van. They started talking and then motioned over to me standing on the curb at the driveway looking probably a lot like a giant loser. He looked over and I give a half sheepish wave not sure what to do. His face broke into a smile and he started right for me. I could hear my friendly talking next to him as they walked saying that they talked to me already and I'm a fan etc etc.
He didn't hesitate and walked right up saying 'Look at that sweatshirt' and without breaking stride gave me a big hug. I was shocked into a small laugh and shrug. Not what I was expecting at ALL. I was going to shake his hand. No complaints tho, that's for sure. I couldn't help but notice (please don't judge) that he smelled strongly of cologne. I guess he put it on when he left the trailer. It was STRONG (like strong enough that the next time I got in my car, that's what it smelled like). As I pulled away I told him I had to go to New York to get this hoodie. I started babbling aimlessly about being a huge fan and I was excited that he was filming a show in my town. He just smiled at me and listened for a second before saying, 'Do you have something for me to sign?' Stupidly I said 'Oh yeah' and dug in my bag for my Burn Notice Season 1 DVD. What a moron I am.
I handed it over to him and grabbed my couple of sharpies out of the front of my bag, holding up the choice of black, blue or silver and asking him to pick one. He grabbed the blue and asked for my name. I told him and he graciously personalized my DVD while I continued to babble about checking out sets and getting to see him work. I wanted to ask about how he liked Vancouver, about his Twitter handle, I had a whole laundry list but it just didn't happen. I wasn't even watching him sign as I looked over his shoulder watching my friendly skulk away. I noticed when he first approached that he had stage makeup on blacking up his eye and I wasn't sure he'd be able to go for it but asked anyway if he had time for a quick photo. He said sure and then I kind of motioned at the friendly saying that they ran off. He graciously said 'I can do it.' Inside I kind of laughed, here's a guy that posts very sparsely on social media but is a selfie pro? Okay, lets see how this goes. He took my phone from me (where on the screen there was a Twitter DM notification from another friend who I was chatting to about being on this set) and tried to get into it. I took it back and asked him just that, if he is a selfie pro as I tossed up the screen shortcut for the camera, turned it around and handed it back. He took my phone and held it out like someone that's done this a million times snapping a photo and then as I started to pull away, another. As he turned back to me and prepared to go I motioned toward his eye, I think saying something like 'ouch'. He assured me that it's all fake. I knew that but just felt like I needed to comment. I thanked him for his time and he headed back to a waiting traspo van. I called a thank you to my friendly as well at Jeff's retreating back, he probably thought I was thanking him again, which is fine. :)I grabbed up my coat and other stuff, tried to put my DVD cover back inside the case properly but my hands were shaking. Took me a few tries to get it done, that's for sure. I went back to the car which was just across the road and as I was still collecting myself my friendly came over to talk to me. I thanked them profusely again and they told me again how much of a nice guy that he was and that they knew he'd want to come over and talk if he knew I was there. There really isn't enough thank you's but I tried. Soon they had to get back to work and took off. Normally I'd stick around and watch them film but I didn't want Jeff to get the wrong idea, plus I felt like I'd bugged this particular crew enough over the past few months. I tossed my stuff in my car and headed out.
Of hilarious note, I got 3/4 of the way home and panicked thinking I'd forgotten my jacket on the fence. Images of me having to go back and get it all sheepishly danced through my head but thankfully it was in my trunk. Yay.
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