on set Archives - Adrianna Prosser

I’m Karl Urban’s Mom! Kinda…

Adrianna Acting, TV 1 July, 20221 July, 2022acting, on set, The Boys 0 Comment

Blink and you’ll miss me but I can finally talk about being Karl Urbans Mom in The Boys!

It was a crazy experience during another lockdown for COVID19 and I was a bundle of nerves because of it. Karl introduced himself with his beautiful accent so it sounded like “Hi I’m Kyle…” and I looked at him confused. I think he thought I didn’t know who he was, and so he tried for chit chat between takes and I stumbled through pleasantries – he was absolutely charismatic and kind, saying that the show was a huge success because of people like me. I laughed but he corrected me that it’s true. I asked how Toronto was treating him, he said it was a great place, but the snow and winters he could do without.

I now joke that I have always begged the Universe to be on the same show as Jensen Ackles – and the Universe listened… technically! He wasn’t even on set when I was I had my own trailer complete with fireplace, and because of COVID I had a PA bring me food and drinks all day – it was like a day-in-the-life-of a movie star. So fancy!

But being on set was a real joy and everyone was delightful, even with COVID being a threat to the production. Being directed and told “you’re good, I wish I could give you more!” was a nice ego boost after years of struggling with my actor side. Though the final edit was just me sitting in the chair, know that I did a few auditions with and without an English accent, did a few set-ups and takes, all for that 2 seconds of air time. Acting can be a strange and amazing world, huh?

Watching him play backgammon between takes, not daring to ask for a game, I wish I was less scared of dying from COOVID and was a bit more chatty. Karl if you ever read this, you were a real gentleman and so warm and friendly, thank you (I tried really hard not to fangirl on you!)

Wearing the badge again

Adrianna Acting, TV 28 February, 201728 February, 2017acting, costume, FBI, officer, on set, uniform 0 Comment

I’m not going to lie, I love getting cast as an officer. Recently I had the chance to be an FBI agent on See No Evil, coming soon to TV.

There is something about being the authority figure and not the victim in stories that I really dig. Maybe because I am a fan of equality and not just having men in places of power, but dang does it feel great to be a powerful woman in front of the camera.

The Last time I was in full uniform was for the CHUM FM commercial I did back in 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEuyPd5b4Gg

Here’s to many more roles where I bring in the bad guys.

Murdoch Mysteries LIVE…or dead, rather?

Adrianna Acting 11 April, 201512 April, 2015Edwardian, History, Murdoch Mysteries, on set, period costume, pics, Toronto Railway Museum 1 Comment

Today I had the pleasure of being Clara, an Edwardian traveller on my way to the train station with my Travel Companion: Eliza, and her child Kit. We were on our way to Kingston when are travel plans were interrupted by a terrible murder! Here’s all the fun I had at The Toronto Railway Museum with the cast of Murdoch Mystery 8.5 The Infernal Device! See me grimace in this short video (the last one on the page).

Cast Murdoch — Cast of Murdoch Mysteries 8.5 “Death on the Tracks” The Infernal Device at the Toronto Railway Museum

collage murdoch — Clara and Eliza see the dead body (ew!) and Clara is escorted away

murdoch collage — On set at The Toronto Railway Museum in Toronto with Murdoch Mysteries 8.5 The Infernal Device

*Bonus: I was called Clara! That’s my fav due to Back to the Future III so I was secretly geeking out the whole day being called by her name!*

Actor Bucket List

Adrianna Acting, Film, Ramblings, Theatre, TV 13 January, 20158 January, 2015acting, actor, actors life, characters, list, on set, reality, role, script, stunts 6 Comments

I know every actor has a character/role bucket list (like mine includes being a superhero, Katerina from Taming of the Shrew, Queen Margaret in Richard III and I want to ride a horse in a Western!) but there is another bucket list:

1. Be doubled

2. Do a shoddy accent (and still get the part)

3. Do a brilliant accent and don’t get the part!

4. Play the “young” version of a character

5. Play the “present”/old version of the character

6. Get into a choreographed fight on stage and screen

7. Say no to the stunts (leave that fire gag to the professionals!)

8. Say yes to the stunts! (C’mon it’s a glass made of sugar!)

9. Awkward make-outs with the scene partner you JUST met

10. Getting down to your birthday suit

11. Eat something you’re allergic to just so you get the part (yes I have done this…)

12. Get paid to sit and read a book all day and in the 7th hour they use you for 3 mins

13. Wear next to nothing for that sweet shot outside (bonus if you have to go swimming in October through April)

14. Drive a vehicle with a GoPro staring at you

15. Dye/cut your hair for a role

16. Learn a new skill for that role (dancing, combat, singing… something that you have absolutely NO idea how to do but you said yes in the audition so you’re screwed now!)

17. Loose/gain weight for a part

18. Voice Over yourself (probably because an airplane ruined your shot the first time)

19. Be the director/producer/writer/actor/marketer/make-up artist/choreographer/fight director/FOH/everything for a show you believe in with zero dollars just because you love the show so much (and eat PB & J for at least a month to make it work)

I’m sure there’s more – what have you experienced? Add to the list!

On Set: Driving in the snow

Adrianna Acting, TV 22 February, 2014filming, on set, pictures 0 Comment

I forgot to post some on set pics from last week!

I had a few car scenes and I had to do a lot of driving. How do they capture those action driving shots? Through this rig:

I was soooo cold for most of the shooting. I had an epiphany: if you got cast on Game of Thrones, you’re set, you are living the dream! But. But you got cast as John Snow. And the next 7 years will be spent in SNOW. Real snow. Is that the dream? Or is that a nightmare?

Still. You’re on GoT. And you are a kickass character like John Snow. I hope you like winter. Always :/

I went to court a lot too! Check it out:

Looks oh so convincing! I didn’t have time to get a picture of the “police station” they made but it was beautiful. Set dressing is such an intense art. Kudos to the team.

Hopefully in a few months I will be posting a link to the episode!

Until then, it’s time to start packing for the UK for a #EuroSmash trip with my friends!

The things one learns – and then uses

Adrianna Off stage/Off camera, Training 16 February, 201416 February, 2014education, helping others, knowledge, learning, on set, safety, stage combat, stunt 9 Comments

This past week I have been up at 5 am to go to set for a tv show you haven’t heard about (yet) and I can’t say (yet) but it’s really no big deal. In fact, that’s not really what this post is about.

This post is about education and how you can learn so many things and pack your brain full until you feel like saying, “why did I waste all that time and money on learning those things? They are so specific and I don’t use those skills every day – why did I do that?”

This is how I feel about stage combat. I have an Intermediate FDC certification that I will honestly say I have not maintained the way I had set out to do when I first started to rise in the ranks. I found that I wasn’t getting hired to fight – on set or on stage. I come back to it a few times a year but I am in no way a Fighter like some of my friends (who are Advanced, or even Fight Directors themselves!) but I do love a good fake fight. I am an archer and I own several weapons that I have been trained on. Alas, how often do I actually get to use these skills? Almost never in the practical sense.

Then I’m on set for this tv show and I overhear that these two guys need to “fight” and then he needs to “fall” and my heart skips a beat. The one guy is like “uhhh ok, sure” clearly nervous as he will be falling with no padding and no mats and it will be cement in the dead of winter. Fun. I can’t stay quiet – I immediately present myself and TELL HIM (not ask), but tell him I will be showing him how to fall safely. After I get the scenario that he will be tripped and he will fall back – I show him how to safely get himself to the ground, avoiding tailbone injuries and wrist injuries. I feel good. I feel SO GOOD that I can supply this information for him.

So the next time you are learning something or training in something I encourage you to not only do it simply because you love it (I can’t stop loving archery! And now I kinda dig axe throwing…) but because you will double that sense of joy when you can APPLY that oh-so-specific knowledge to actually help someone.

It seriously made my day.

On Set: I’m a Cop!

Adrianna Acting, Commercials 14 July, 201314 July, 2013commercial, cop, on location, on set, pictures 0 Comment

Yesterday I was on set as a Police Officer – and not only did I convince the cast that I was a cop, but even passers by (we were on location on the streets of Toronto) came up to me as talked with me as if I were a woman of the law! One woman even gave me a speech of how much she and her family loves and admires the profession – thinking I was a female cop! I do have to agree: it is a profession I admire woman getting into. But, wow, validation for character and wardrobe! Take a look:

I got hired because my eyebrow does THIS! The wardrobe lady was pleased it fit me like a glove! She even insisted on this last picture to give my agent, saying I make a good cop and that I should get on to some of the cop shows filming here in TO.

Best. Day. Ever.

Ps, I’m also an ACTRA apprentice now! 😀 Let the roles roll!

The Tango

Adrianna Film 11 February, 201311 February, 2013acting, dancing, fight, filming, on set, Secret Lives of Lovers, stage combat, tango 0 Comment

The sunrise was most promising – getting up at 6 am is not something one usually looks forward to (personally I think getting up at dawn is for two things and two things only: getting on a plane in time and getting to set on time.) but I was getting to set on time.

It was the dreaded TANGO FIGHT DAY on set for Secret Lives of Lovers that I had been prepping for (in rehearsals on and off for a month) and today was the big day. (Well, yesterday…)

The costumes were awesome – thanks to Ginger Martini, and I could fly away by eyelash alone after Kim Haddad got through with me! Look at them lashes! It was like I was doing push-ups with my lids ALL DAY – it was a weird feeling…

The set put me at ease because it was a theatre I knew and loved: The Annex Theatre. I did a Dracula the Un-Dead staged reading here and I have seen many a Fringe show here.

It was great to be someplace I felt cozy and homey with:

It was almost a 12 hour day. I need to remind you that I was dancing in heels, full make-up (with push-up lashes), this awesome red dress (see below) and using a sword for most of that.

I am proud to say I did not cry.

Filming is a different beast than theatre and I must confess I don’t know exactly how to make it my pet yet.

As you can see here – this is about half way through our day (the lovely Jason Martorino – also not a dancer – was my partner for the tango in this scene) and already my face wants to fall off. Bless the make-up artist! She kept me beaming all day!

In the end I’m pleased and proud I did something that challenged me mentally and physically. I have been watching movies with a different filter lately too… Now I always watch movies with the “oh cool, that must have been a crane shot” or “oh cool, I wonder how they got the hoverboard in in post?!” and stuff like that. But lately I have been tipping my hat to any actor that does something FOR REAL that requires them to do something they ain’t. Like Natalie Portman in Black Swan – she USED to dance, so maybe it wasn’t such a huge leap – (no pun intended) – okay better example, fight scenes in tv shows. They get zero time with their choreographer (okay they get some but really? For the amount of time they do to the time they have to mark and finalize it?) It takes an amazingly fast mind and dedicated will to let your mistakes go and just DO IT. I tip my hat to all you talented artists out there. If you can let me in on your secrets I would love to know them! Until then – I will take this weekend as a win and let myself ice my right thigh from all the lunges I did over the past 24 hours…

Thanks to everyone working on set for Secret Lives of Lovers yesterday and making it a really great day for me when the whole time I was scared to death of the Tango Fight. You all rock. You all rock SO HARD.