25 happy returns later

On the quarter-century anniversary of our "Return to Me" scene, here's the scoop on what led to these 15 seconds of movie extra fame.

We were all dolled up, Bridgett and I, and we didn’t want the night to end.

This was 25 years ago, yesterday. Me in my suit, she in her skirt and blouse, we agreed a cool way to extend our date in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood would be a spontaneous trip to the set of “Return to Me,” a movie starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver, with Bridgett behind the scenes as one of the film’s accountants.

That’s one of the perks of marrying into the entertainment industry: you can get a close-up look without having to work the 12-plus-hour shifts that are more grind than glamor.

It’s fun to meet actors¹, but mostly my time is spent chatting with Bridgett’s fellow crew members and making sure I don’t get in the way and get my wife in trouble.

From May 2024: me and Bridgett on the set of NBC’s “Chicago Fire”.

Once we arrived on this warm Summer 1999 evening, I asked the second assistant director what scene was being shot.

He laid it out: a couple strolls out of the bar², then stops and smooches while the lovelorn character portrayed by Minnie Driver longingly watches from a balcony.

“Well,” I replied, “here we are.”

I meant it as a glib one-liner; he warmed to the idea instantly.

My follow-up remark that I was just kidding didn’t carry any weight. The wheels were in motion—I’d nailed an off-the-cuff audition while effectively bumping a pair of extras who’d been designated for these non-speaking roles.

While this would be my first time acting on a set, this was familiar terrain for Bridgett. Her movie and TV credits, going back to the mid-1980s, included a bit part in the cult classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

In 2011, the Chicago Tribune featured Bridgett on the 25th anniversary of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

Within minutes, seasoned pro Bridgett and her wise-cracking neophyte hubby heard the first call of “action!” We did at least a half-dozen takes, synching up our lovey-dovey amble with actor Carroll O’Connor³ sweeping out front.

It was all so surreal and more than a little ironic: Only a week earlier, I’d sheepishly shortened a kiss that Bridgett had initiated on the sidewalk after watching a movie at our local cinema. I explained that I was a bit self-conscious about PDAs (public displays of affection).

Circumstances had now conspired to have me act out, time after time, a classic romantic scene under the bright lights and in front of a large movie crew.

A few takes in, my PDA jitters forever banished, I posed a tongue-in-cheek question to director Bonnie Hunt: “So, what’s my motivation?”

Without skipping a beat, Bonnie shot back, “Not to sleep on the couch tonight!”⁴

We concluded our work and paid a visit to the catering truck, which had been my prime motivation for visiting the set in the first place. The next week, I received what’s proven to be my career movie extra earnings, at least so far: 65 bucks.

When the movie was released the next year, we attended the premiere, eager to see how the movie came together. As you might imagine, we also kept a special lookout to see if our impromptu thespian efforts had made the cut.

As for the bigger-picture question, “Return to Me” is a sweet, funny, poignant, heartstring-tugging film that also serves as a terrific love letter to Chicago. I recommend it highly—and that’s only partially because of this young couple (below, click for a 15-second video clip) who show up about one hour in.⁵

1. To this day, among my favorites (in addition to many cast members from “Chicago Fire”) are Scott Caan and Laura Dern, both of whom were very amiable on the set of “Novocaine,” which starred Steve Martin.

2. I forget bar's movie name, but in real life, it was—and still is—the Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern.

3. O’Connor, who passed away in June 2001, came to prominence for his role as Archie Bunker in the 1970s hit series “All in the Family.”

4. Technically, directors are not supposed to give direction to extras—doing so elevates them to actor status, which would spark a much bigger pay rate. I knew this because being around Bridgett has exposed me to lots of nuances of the film and TV payroll world. After Bonnie’s comment, I (jokingly) murmured to Bridgett, “Where's my SAG contract?”

5. Yes, that’s us, from the evening of July 12, 1999. This was during a three-year window when Bridgett kept her hair very short. You can catch the movie on Amazon Prime, among other options.