Xochi Blymyer:
My Life as an A.D.

Not long after I finished "Terminator 2" I got a phone call from a production manager. She said, "We're replacing our 2nd 2nd AD and our 1st A.D., Josh McLaglen said that you were the one to call. We're in San Quentin prison with a dozen actors and lots of real inmates and difficult paperwork. Are you interested?" Of course, I said Yes! I packed my things and the next day I was off to prison to work on "Blood In, Blood Out". When I arrived I asked if they could introduce me to Josh. That was a surprise to them because they assumed that he had recommended somebody he knew! Ooops! But Josh was not disappointed. I happily took to the task of tattoos and prisoners and paperwork just as he had told them I would. After prison, we continued the movie in East Los Angeles where each morning one of the locals would show us bullet holes and marks of battles that had been had on that particular corner or building.

Shortly after that, Josh and I worked on some additional shooting for Alien III over at 20th Century Fox. I worked as his 2nd A.D. My first show with Aliens.

In the spring of the next year, Josh got the movie "Sommersby" with Richard Gere and Jodie Foster. Doug Raine would be the 2nd A.D. and I was invited as 2nd 2nd A.D. and we were off to Hot Springs, Virginia for a few months. Despite the rain and mud it was the one of the most beautiful locations I had been on! The cast was wonderful and I had a great time.


 

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