'Gone Girl' extra: Woman takes 'leap of faith', finds romance on set

Editor's note: This content is provided through a partnership with rustmedia.

Pam Koehler shared her experiences in being an extra on the set of 'Gone Girl'. This Q&A is a part of a project with the Southeast Missourian and rustmedia. Coming soon: Video interviews with several of the extras. This is one of several stories to be published online.

__What role did you have in the movie's production?__

A crowd gathers to watch filming at "The Bar" in Cape Girardeau during the filming in October 2013. (Southeast Missourian file)

I was an extra in two different scenes. My first scene was the searcher crew for missing Amy at Thebes, IL. The other was the night vigil .

__What kind of communication did you have with "Gone Girl" staffers? What were they like?:__

The staff was great! They were a lot of fun to be around. They took their job very seriously but they were nice about it and would cut up with us from time to time.

__If you were an extra, did you get to speak to any of the actors? If so, which one and what was the conversation like?:__

I met a friend from the searcher crew, Angie McCloud, and she and I were also in the night vigil scene also together. We ended up next to each other right next to the left side of the gazebo along the sidewalk. Ben Affleck would walk right past us. We had retake after retake, and at one point during a retake Ben stopped and talked with us. We told him he was doing a great job and such. He was super nice and thanked us and chatted for a bit but for the life of me I can't remember what he said. We were all exhausted by then.

Also that same night Lisa Banes who plays Marybeth (Nick's mother-in-law) came to Angie and me and told us we were doing a good job and that she was impressed by us two because Angie and I actually made up a dialogue that we used throughout that scene so we could stay on task, and we would look the same through out the retakes. I thought that was really sweet of her to come and tell us that.

__How much time did you spend at the shoot?:__

I spent at least 32-plus hours with both scenes. I had to go back to Thebes another time after vigil to re-shoot the searcher scene.

__What scenes did you participate in?:__ Searcher crew in Thebes, Illinois, and the night vigil.

__Did anything about your interactions with crew or about the production surprise you? If so, what?:__ Just how nice they were and how nice the actors were also.

__What are you most looking forward to about the movie?:__

To see how they put all the scenes together. To see if I and my friends made it in the movie. I know I made it in the trailer, so I'm really hoping I made it in the movie.

__What else would you like to share about your experience with the filming of "Gone Girl" in Cape Girardeau?:__

Well, I am a single mom of 6 and was going through a divorce and when I saw an ad saying they were having casting calls in Cape for the "Gone Girl" movie. I was hesitant in doing it. I thought no way, I'm not going. I'm not what they would be looking for. Then weeks later I saw another ad saying they were looking for 30-plus year olds, and I said what the heck. I took a leap of faith and did something I would normally NEVER do. So I went and I got a call back two days later on a Saturday. They wanted me at the River Campus Monday. So I went, and I had a great experience. Well, I was only doing this for myself for once and was not going into it looking for love or anything for sure, but God had other plans, and I met a super nice guy. Long story short, we have been together since. If it wasn't for "Gone Girl" he and I most likely would have never met.

See also:

Major spoilers ahead: 5 reasons we think there will be a 'Gone Girl' sequel

5 things Cape Girardeau learned about Hollywood during the 'Gone Girl' filming

5 things Cape Girardeau is looking forward to in the 'Gone Girl' movie

5 actors you may not know in the movie 'Gone Girl'

'Gone Girl' extra: A brush with Ben

'Gone Girl' extra: On-set medic says crew talked up Cape Girardeau

'Gone Girl' extra: Ben Affleck talks baseball between takes