When you're shooting on location for 5 months, you come up with some pretty juvenile inside jokes, catchphrases and pranks. For example, what started as three extremely tired actors getting exceptionally silly while grocery shopping at Whole Foods turned into an elaborate game between myself, Lee Pace and Christian Camargo wherein one of us would, at any time or place, kick one of the others in the shin as hard as we could and then run away.
But that's another blog.
But WHAT is GFYS?
GFYS started one day as Noel and I were walking back into our trailer after a long day's work. We each had one half of the same trailer as dressing rooms and our doors were on opposite ends. As we were opening the doors to our dressing rooms, I called out to him,
"Hey, Noel…"
He earnestly looked at me. "Yeah?"
UBER casually I say, "Go f*** yourself."
On his look of shock, I went into my room and shut the door. I admit, I was laughing pretty hard. The look on his face was priceless.
The next thing I know, an A.D. comes knocking on my door. When it's an A.D. at the door, that means we are needed on set. I have wardrobe to reassemble and it's a cold Baton Rouge winter day, so there's a minute or two of clothes prep/bundling involved with walking back on set. Finally, I'm good and I open the door. The A.D. looks up at me, smiles and says sweetly,
"Um, Guri? Don't need you on set, actually. Noel just needed you to go f*** yourself." and I can hear Noel laughing next door so hard, I think he might choke to death.
From there, as you might imagine, the cast and crew all heard about the GFYS game and immediately embraced the concept. The GFYS game was played in many variations on a daily basis - there were many combinations of cast mates, crew, hotel staff and occasionally, innocent bystanders in various scenarios. They're ALL funny. However…I can only elaborate on one GFYS story to give you the whole FLAVOR of this ridiculous game. The GFYS tale would not be complete without what I like to call my personal GFYS journey with Noel Fisher.
So, back to the same cold, rainy day on set where it all started. Noel had sent an A.D. to tell me GFYS, laughed like a serial killer on a sugar high and I think…this is the end. But Noel had enjoyed this all TOO much. So, he KEEPS sending A.D.'s to knock on my door all day. Every 5 minutes, SOMEONE is telling me GFYS. It was a LONG day. I get back to the hotel, getting ready for bed and a note comes under the door from the hotel. Usually, it's a bill so I go get it. Instead of a bill, it just read, "Mr. Weinberg…please GFYS. Thank You." As I am deliberating over that, I get a call in my room. I warily answer the phone and it's Toni Trucks in a thinly disguised voice posing as the hotel front desk staff. I'm waiting for it.
"Yes…Mr. Weinberg…we just wanted to make sure you got your bill and GFYS."
Then later, I got a text from an A.D. The text read, "Guri…your call time has been changed to go f*** yourself."
Oh, no Noel DIDN'T...
I get on set the next day and amble up to Bill Bannerman, our co-producer.
"Hey Bill…I need a favor. I need you to tell Noel 'go f***yourself' for me."
"Guri, what IS this 'go f*** yourself' thing all about? I hear everyone doing that?"
So I tell him. He's TOTALLY into it and thinks it's pretty funny (I mentioned we were ALL really punchy at this stage in filming, right?) and he calls one of the P.A.s over.
"Go get Noel Fisher. I need to talk to him". She runs off to get Noel, a little perplexed and nervous. I'm in heaven. I start walking to the stage door, far enough away for him not to suspect anything, close enough to see his face. Noel comes rushing onto set, pulling his wardrobe together as he walks. He looks nervous. He sees me.
"Hey, man. I just got called to set to talk to Bill. Know what it's about?"
"Noel. Dude. How would I know? He didn't say anything to me."
He nods, looks over at Bill and walks over. I linger by the door so I can see his face as he walks up to Bill.
"Hey, Bill. You wanted to see me?"
"Oh, yeah. Look, Noel…go f*** yourself."
Noel's face was nothing less then GFYS poetry.
So, I'm on set getting some water out of the cooler. We're on a short break and most of the cast and crew is there. The stage has a microphone for the director or A.D. to talk to people from behind the video monitors. As I'm getting my water, I hear in a low, raspy voice…
"Hey…Guri…"
Now, it KINDA sounds like Wyck Godfrey, our producer - if Wyck was a lounge singer. I turn around to find the source of the voice, as does the rest of the cast and the crew.
"Yeah…Guri…over here…go f*** yourself."
Nicely played, Noel, I'm thinking. Let's kick it up a notch.
So, what could I do? I had a talk with Kristen, then Rob to arrange a spontaneous GFYS from each to accent the rest of Noel's day. They were SO into it. However, before I know it, Rob is wrapped for the day and I'm thinking he forgot. Oh, me of little faith in Rob's silliness. As he walks off set back to his trailer,
"Noel. Go f*** yourself." Rob said it so casually, Noel looked at him for a second, not believing he'd heard what he just heard. Noel looks at me.
"I can't believe you did that. Nice.", he says.
"Thanks, man." I respond. But he hasn't heard from Kristen yet. AND now we're called back to set...
The minute I walk on set, Kristen is READY to do this thing with Noel. She keeps looking at me when he's not looking, mouthing, "Now?" I'm mouthing back, "Not yet." She keeps shooting me looks every few seconds, "Now?" and I keep going "Not yet. Rob just did it." I am thinking to myself, MAN, she REALLY wants to tell Noel to go f***himself. Did he piss her off or what?!? There's a break coming up and we all come back on set. Except Kristen. I look for an A.D.
"Where's Kristen?"
"Oh, she wrapped."
NO WONDER she wanted to do it so quickly. Dammit.
Now, a sane person would have let it go. I, on the other hand, saved the rest for Canada.
In Canada, I go to Peter Facinelli. This is TOTALLY up Peter's alley and quite frankly, something he was BORN to do.
Peter waits until right before 'action' to look at Noel and say,
"Hey Noel. Go f*** yourself." Then Bill called 'action'. Noel's reaction? Just another slice of GFYS genius.
So, next I went to Bill Condon. You guessed it…he was TOTALLY into it.
Bill waits until we're shooting a scene where we are perched in a rather uncomfortable position. He comes over, looks up at us and asks,
"Guri, you alright?"
I answer, "Doing OK, Bill. Thanks."
He looks at Noel. "Noel…are you cold? You seem cold."
Noel looks at him and says, "Actually Bill, it IS a little…"
Bill cuts him off. "Yeah? Go f*** yourself."
Noel. Is. Speechless. OH! The joy…but I'm not done. He THINKS I'm done but I am not done.
I mean, I WOULD have been done if I were not a complete CHILD but I am, so…I went to Stephenie.
I am full of confidence as I approach Stephenie. We were simpatico since day one and I just KNOW she'll be the feather in my GFYS Noel Fisher hat.
"Stephenie, I need you to do me a favor. Please tell Noel to go f*** himself."
Silence. She is staring at me and it occurs to me that I may have crossed a line here. Now, I am now wondering how long it will be until Stefan is cut from the film.
"I can't use the "f" word.", she says. OMG is all I am thinking…THAT is her only issue with it?!? Relief pours over me…along with renewed dedication to the GFYS Noel Fisher campaign I have launched.
"Stephenie…substitute ANY word for the "f" word. Trust me…HE'LL KNOW."
"I would be comfortable with that…you know what would be REALLY funny? If we…" and she went on to describe several GFYS games to play on several unsuspecting folks involved with BD. Her creativity knew no boundaries and suffice it to say that Stephenie is the COOLEST woman EVER and a GENIUS!!!
Naturally, Stephenie handled my request brilliantly and Noel was suitably shocked by the lengths I went in order to achieve this GFYS victory.
Most likely, we will all NEVER end this game. Now, I know some Twifans will use this opportunity to tell the cast GFYS at every opportunity. Just as a warning, it MAY sound different coming from a relative stranger than it would a co-worker, so be prepared for some shocked reactions if you go this route. And, it may not ENDEAR you to the cast as they may not understand you're joking. In fact, you could get a visit from security. So, as much as the visual of the Twilight/BD cast being told "Go f*** yourself!" from fans worldwide makes me laugh till I cry, it may not be the best idea in practice.
Now that my disclaimer is in place, I would like to say with love, respect and admiration to Twitter followers who have gotten involved in our exceptionally juvenile game…GFYS. :)
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