JEFFREY (1995) | Dir: Christopher Ashley | When I saw the off-Broadway play by @paulrudnick, the laughter was so loud you had to strain to hear the next line of dialogue. When I learned of a movie adaptation in the works, I knew I had to be part of it. Through a friend at Miramax, where I was working as a graphic designer, I scored an interview with the film’s production designer, Michael Johnston, who hired me to work as a PA in the art department. I begged my Miramax boss to let me do this for four weeks. He said yes, so I went to work on JEFFREY, the movie. A few of many highlights: working for Michael and the great set decorator @andrewbaseman ; riding around NYC with Michael and listening to his conversations with the director Chris Ashley, the DP, and the locations manager (I learned SO much on those days); Patrick Stewart giving me a pack of Dunhills; scouring the city for props; making props we couldn’t find (I made the “J” in Jeffrey’s apartment and we used my plaid bed sheets); designing the logo for the “It’s Just Sex" fake game show and the opening and closing titles for the film; making out with a supercute PA after hours; and so much more! I also learned the heartbreak of shooting on a location that didn’t ultimately work (Empire State Building) and the frustration of shooting in New York with a very low budget. When the film came out, I was so excited. It was the first feature film I worked on. I was so grateful to Michael for hiring me. It changed my life. I got to meet his now-husband, the great Broadway lyricist David Zippel, who lent his name to a fundraiser for my first film, DEAR JESSE, as did the hilarious @paulrudnick. Looking back, I quit a well paying job to work on JEFFREY for very little money, certainly not enough to live on. Worth every moment.
