Robert Pattinson, the British actor who began his career in the Harry Potter films, was so keen to work with the legendary Safdie brothers that he offered to do their on-set catering.
When pressed for an explanation by Hollywood reporters, Pattinson explained how he was a huge fan of the brothers’ film Heaven Knows What and desperately wanted to play the part of the robber, Connie Nikas, in their next project, Good Time.
A different approach
While many actors would have expected their agent to put in the initial legwork, Pattinson is cast from a different mould. Chewing his fingernails and waiting for the phone to ring is not for him; instead, he made his own approach to the brothers and told them he would do anything to work with them, including their catering.
Whether Pattinson is a gourmet cook or struggles to make toast is neither here nor there. Fans will not find out anytime soon, as he landed the part without being asked to test boil an egg or needing to approach Equity for advice on what terms and conditions of employment he should expect for on-set catering.
Pattinson’s somewhat unorthodox approach highlights a different issue: that of how filmmakers arrange catering for their cast and crew.
Feeding filmmakers
Film catering can be tricky. On films such as Good Time, which was shot in a so-called guerrilla style – filming unannounced, without booking locations – it can be trickier still. The best film caterers are unfazed by serving food in difficult or unusual locations. With proper organisation, including up-to-date daily call sheets, they can ensure the right food gets to the right people in the right places.
Crucial to this is having a fixed central base. This means the caterers will have all the correct equipment, such as commercial dishwashers, fridges and ovens from suppliers such as https://www.247cateringsupplies.co.uk/bar-supplies/commercial-warewashers.
Provided the top film caterers continue to organise their business in such an efficient and responsive way, there will be limited scope for wannabe cast members trying to use catering as a bargaining tool with directors and producers; however, for as long as offers such as Pattinson’s make the headlines, both actors and film caterers are likely to be satisfied that they are gaining the right sort of attention.
