Today I was once again on the set of the yet to be titled ABC mini-series based on the 9/11 Commssion Report, filming in Toronto. The movie will focus on the days leading up to September 11, with 180 characters, including Harvey Keitel as FBI agent-turned-World Trade Center security head John O'Neill.
Todays scenes had forty of us background stuffed into a cramped mock up of AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11. This was the plane that originated from Boston, Massachusetts, scheduled to land in Los Angeles, California. Unfortunately the cruelest evil sent this flight crashing into the north tower of the World Trade Center with 92 people on board.
No one on this set had any difficulty motivating themselves to react rather than act as the writers and wonderful actors portraying the hijackers, pilot John Ogonowski, and Flight attendant Betty Ong did an incredible job in portraying the awful events that unfolded on that September 11.
Hearing the words of Mr.Ogonowski begging with his captors to leave the cockpit, and Mrs. Ong's pleas with American Airlines to help and then having the know all to turn to the helpless passengers and simply ask them to pray definately left me white knucked and breathless. No lie, for a second it felt real. Then cut, it was back to reality, thank the lord.
I hope when this mini series is aired our efforts pay off and what we all see is a true and genuine effort to pay homage to all that felt loss on that day.
Please refer to my previous post to obtain the complete list of everyone who was lost on this flight.american-airlines-flight-11
Later,
Kenaz
