not to talk about movie stars . It ’ s to tell you about the locals .
I loved Morocco , but not because of the sights ( although I saw some amazing things ). It was because of my interactions with the local people . To give you an example , when I went to a coastal village ahead of the production crew , there was just my wife and me , one other coworker from the marine department , and our driver , who spoke no English .
I took this photo on a location scout while in Morocco . It was fascinating to see people using these makeshift rafts .
I had enough common sense to not screw it up . Eventually the whole crew came to Morocco . They built sets and got everything ready , and then the actors showed up . I was stationed at the port town of Azemmour , where the Er-Rbia River meets the Atlantic Ocean . One day , I was eating with a coworker at our
Etiam et urna hotel when he suddenly kicked me under the table . I looked up at him , pissed about the pain in my shin . He signaled me to look to my right . Two women sat at the table next to us . ( Outside of the U . S ., restaurant tables are placed close together , so the women were only inches away .) I looked back at my coworker and motioned : So what ? Why did you kick me ? He mouthed the words , “ Penelope Cruz ,” which was when I noticed the famous movie star sitting next to me .
I silently mouthed back the words : So what ? Don ’ t kick me . I was desensitized to movie stars , as I had spent that afternoon standing next to a mostly naked Matthew McConaughey .
This is Azemmour , where my basecamp was set up . The movie crew built a dock in this location for a scene in the movie .
It was my job to familiarize Matthew with one of our jet boats . He would be filmed in one scene driving the boat . When I and my fellow crew members welcomed him aboard , he was very kind and professional . He was also dressed appropriately for the cold and windy winter weather . Like the rest of us , he wore multiple layers for warmth . After introductions and a walk around the vessel , we set off up the river to show Matthew around the area where we would be filming . That ’ s when things got weird .
Not two minutes after leaving the dock , Matthew McConaughey began to strip off his clothes — right there next us . My fellow crew members gave each other perplexed looks , as if to ask : What is he doing ? When Matthew finished undressing , he wasn ’ t wearing much . It became clear that he wanted to work on his tan while we were out on the boat . We knew he must have been freezing , yet that was how the whole day went — us standing next to the exposed body of a movie star .
I can say with certainty that Matthew was all business when it came to his job . He worked hard and did not complain ( unlike Penelope , from what I saw ). I tell that story a lot , because when people hear I worked on that movie they typically ask about the two stars .
However , the real reason I bring up my experience in Morocco is
Typical scene of how many locals transport goods .
There were no other crew members anywhere . No one around who spoke any English . Yet I needed to accomplish a lot in a short period of time , so I told the head of the Moroccan movie crew that I wanted to hire a translator as soon as possible .
The next day I came out of our makeshift office to find a queue of about 20 men standing outside the door . They were all there in hopes of getting hired as a translator . I don ’ t think this town saw many foreigners , and they must have known the pay would be decent . They all seemed excited about the opportunity .
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