Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher
Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher in the real-life auto dealership that serves as a location for the '"Whatever Gets You Through The Night" episode of "Men of a Certain Age" December 1, 2010.
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Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick -
Prepping for a shot
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Andre Braugher is framed by lighting scrims.
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Sticking to the script
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Andre Braugher (second from right, with Scott Bakula), who recently participated in THR's annual Emmy Drama Actor Roundtable event, said he prefers not to improvise his lines on the show, many of which are written by Ray Romano. Said Bakula, "We actually shoot very fast, and once we start working, there's not much time to relax."
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Matt Price
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Price (background) wore a turkey costume for part of the car-dealership commercial bit in the episode.
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Going deep
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Scott Bakula (foreground) said: "We try to deliver the material as completely as possible. The richer the scene, the more aspects there are to play with, the more fun it is for us and the audience."
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Costume change
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Matt Price, now in toreador regalia, waits for his scene to begin.
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Keeping it fresh
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Richard Gant (center, with Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher), said he hopes Romano gets "the credit he richly deserves for crafting a product so right for his talents." Currently in its third season, Men has yet to be officially slated for a fourth, but, said Bakula: "I'm selfishly hoping we do. If so, I hope the writers can keep the show fresh and unpredictable."
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Baby New Year
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Matt Price (center, with key grip Rocky Ford and writer's assistant Josh Corey) donned a Baby New Year getup for a commercial to promote the car dealership run by Braugher's character, Owen Thoreau Jr. The scene was filmed inside Rydell Chevrolet in Canoga Park, Calif.
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Playing it straight
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Andre Braugher's onscreen father, played by Richard Gant (left, with Bakula), said the toughest part of making the show is keeping a straight face. "My job in these scenes is to do as Audrey Meadows did with Jackie Gleason," he said. "Stand there, deliver your lines and don't crack up, take after take."
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Custom fit
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Andre Braugher and a groomer work to attach a beard and moustache appliance to Braugher's face before a scene in the episode.
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A commercial within
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Matt Price and Andre Braugher join costumed-forces to create a green screen scene.
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In character
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Scott Bakula shot a scene in the car dealership showroom where his character, Terry Elliott, currently works.
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Set multitasking
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Scott Bakula uses a moment of down time to make a personal call (while waiting in a sports car).
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Perfecting the dramedy
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Ray Romano (seen in his character's party-supply shop — also on the Paramount lot) says of writing a dramedy: "The humor is written from a real place. Nothing is contrived or set up, which makes it as organic as the drama. Mike Royce and I, and other writers, have comedy backgrounds, so we tend to look for the humor in every scene — which isn't bad as long as we don't shy away from the drama."
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No rest for the weary
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Ray Romano shot a napping scene inside the party-supply store office of his character, Joe Tranelli, a late-40s divorcee struggling to cope with singlehood and a gambling problem. He said it's tough to relax between scenes because he's "still worrying about what I did wrong in the scene before."
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Slaphappy set
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Leading men Ray Romano (far left), Scott Bakula and 2010 Emmy nominee Andre Braugher filmed a scene from the Season 3 episode "The Pickup" inside a diner set on the Paramount lot in Hollywood. "I have a lot of trouble not cracking up in those scenes," said Bakula. "We are usually there a long time, and we can get pretty slaphappy. Andre talking about his 'man's ass' is still killing me." Added Romano, "The toughest thing was finding different lines to describe his ass on each take."
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Smooching for a cause
Image Credit: Photo Credit: David Strick Co-creator, writer and star Ray Romano, in a moment between scenes December 2, 2010, said he has a few serious wishes for Men's new season — "Stories that excite and interest us. And viewers" — but he clearly hasn't lost his comedic edge. "Every time an actress has to kiss me," he said, "I donate $5,000 to her favorite charity."