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Sky, Zak and Deeder were among the many who waited in line at the Asheville Mall on Saturday afternoon to get their names on the list of those who want to be considered for parts as extras in the upcoming Andie MacDowell TV pilot - oh, and there were a lot of humans in line, too. You see, Sky, Zak and Deeder, Fairview residents, are of the canine persuasion - dogs, that is. Their owner kept her three adorable pooches generally calm as they stood in line 45 minutes or so for their turn with Fincannon & Associates, Inc., the casting company that has been handed the daunting task of finding the dogs, cats, ferrets, snakes, lizards - and people - who will be needed when the pilot is filmed in Asheville next month. The hour-long drama pilot for CBS, with a working title of "Jo," has a story line that involves a mother/daughter team who run a veterinary hospital. Lisa Fincannon, of Fincannon & Associates, Inc., was very pleased with the response to the open call. Approximately 3,500 people - and a couple of hundred animals - stood in line for their chance to participate. Her company's first experience with Ashevillians was a good one, with no incidents of unpleasantness or uncooperativeness among the thousands who waited in line for up to 45 minutes to an hour. Ms. Fincannon said that everyone was "so kind" and the turnout was tremendous. A great cross section of people responded, and virtually every type of person was represented. Representatives with her company answered questions and took photos of everyone, from very young children to very elderly grandparents. Perhaps one of the reasons that the time in line seemed to fly by might have been the presence of the animals. While most people merely submitted pictures of their precious dogs, cats, ferrets, snakes and lizards, some came in person. These four-legged types kept everyone entertained with their energy, antics and sheer cuteness or aristocratic beauty. Animated mutts of all varieties, along with their sophisticated, purebred counterparts, dotted the line here and there. A giant lizard, with a three-foot-long body (and that doesn't include the tail!), waited his (or her) turn with the casting company. Many out-of-towners also responded to the call. Residents of Atlanta, Knoxville, Johnson City, Greenville, Spartanburg and Charlotte were among the hopefuls. People with acting or modeling experience, but most with no experience at all, waited patiently. Bo Odom, a student at Chapel Hill and former drama student at Roberson High School, was only mildly interested until he heard that there were also speaking parts available; he immediately reconsidered the opportunity, and decided to turn in a head shot and resume before he returned to school. His brother, Will Odom, a student at Roberson, also put his name in the hat. Filming for the pilot will take place April 9 - 23. If the pilot is picked up by CBS, the series will be shot this summer, probably beginning in July. Hundreds of extras will be needed for the pilot, but, if filming continues this summer, many more are likely to get their chance in front of the camera.
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