On Thursday , November 8th, I got a page for a job for Jacob. Normally, I’ll call the number and listen to a pre-recorded message describing the job and saying, for example, that they need 10 boys age 8-10. This time it was different. Jacob had been handpicked because they wanted to use him as a photo double on the movie The Changeling starring Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich and directed by Clint Eastwood!

The call was at 11:00am, so Jacob was able to go to school in the morning. We got to the set a bit early, and Jacob was taken right into wardrobe. The movie takes place in the 1920’s, so Jacob was decked out in period clothes – wool knickers, wool sweater vest and high top leather shoes! For the first time ever, Jacob was given his own trailer! O.K., so it was just a small little dressing room in a bigger trailer, but it still was just his!

After Jacob was in costume we bumped into Producer Brain Grazer. Mr. Grazer was very nice to Jacob, and complemented him on his cool look. After Jacob finished school, he had to get is hair cut – it took almost 45 minutes to get it to look just like the actor that he was to double. When his hair was finished, he got a quick snack at craft services, and then we went on a tour of the set. As we were looking at the set, the cinematographer Tom Stern walked in, and he and Jacob had a fun conversation about making movies. When it was finally time for Jacob’s scene, we went back to the set. Jacob’s scene was to sit in an old time dentist chair while the dentist talked to his character’s mom, played by Angelina Jolie. Ms. Jolie spent most of the scene looking right at Jacob!

At the end of the day, Jacob and I were walking towards Mr. Eastwood so that Jacob could say thank you to him, when Ms. Jolie walked up to Jacob, shook his hand and said that he did a great job! Jacob and Ms. Jolie talked for a few minutes more. Ms Jolie’s words of encouragement to Jacob regarding their scene ‘together’ were wonderful and heartfelt, and it made quite an impression on him. When they finished talking, Jacob went up to Mr. Eastwood to say thank you. Mr. Eastwood told Jacob that he was happy with the work that Jacob had done, and thanked Jacob for a great job.

From the moment Jacob arrived at the sound stage, everyone treated him with kindness and respect. Jacob has only been in a handful of productions, and this was by far the best run and pleasant of them all.

As a young man staring out in this business, Jacob was very fortunate to have such a great experience.

Sincerely,
David White