The movie "Troy" had released in cinema [ 14 - 5 - 2004 ]...
 
I had 3 shots [ Close Up ] in the movie .... facing "Brad Pitt"...

The Director chose my shoots...specially to be face to face with "Brad
Pitt" in his first attack on the beach of "Troy" ....!!!

I was a Trojan Archer in the movie ....and the shoots were :

1- When "Brad" still in the ship putting his helmet before he step on
the beach of "Troy"....I made my arrow ready to kill him....

2- When "Brad" stepped on the beach .... I shot him....but he protect
him self with his shield ....Therefor my arrow go in to his shield ..
and still in his shield until the end of his attack ...

3- Again I shot another arrow but this time in another Greek...in the
heart.....I killed him :-)
There is another scene that you can see me too :

When "Brad Pitt" come to the wall of "Troy" to revenge from "Hector"
for killing his cousin...There is five Archers on the wall who we want

to shot "Brad"....But "Hector" stop us...The second one from left is me

BTW: Every time they chose me to target "Brad Pitt" ...!!!

Do you know how many girls hated me because of that ? :-)

Many ask me about these scenes :

1- Did "Brad Pitt" was there when you shot him ,

Did you face him when you target the arrow ...???

How much you was far from "Brad Pitt" when you target him ???

Answer:

When we shoot these scenes there was no "Brad Pitt"....

There was just me , Some friends behind me ,Camera man,

And the second Unite Director "Simeon Crane"

Who did really good job not just for my scenes but for
all the massive scenes that you see in the movie ...Even "Brad Pitt"

had the same thoughts about " Simon Crane ".. you can read it in this
interview :

http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmtv/features/troy/bradpitt.asp .

When we shoot that scene I shot in to the sky because we were

on a big hill behind the temple of [Apollo]....

My arrows go inside the "Pacific
Ocean" :-)... Some of them fall on the beach of "Cabo San Lucas" :-)

3- How they choose you for this scenes ??

We were 3 the best Archers in all the 1200 extras

[ Bulgarian ,Mexican
,American ]...We train every day...I learn some friends how to shot
fast ,I helped the trainer many times because they were so many
extras...After while they chose us like Stuntmen and Group Leaders .

And not to forget that The Second Unite Director

[Simon Crane] come to
me and chose me among anthers because he find my face had been

made for that scene :-)..

BTW :And the last reason is .... Who ells will dare to face "Brad Pitt"
Except Me and "Hector" . :-)
I remember when they scream:

Shero.....Shero............... Sheroooooooooooooooooooo.....where is
Shero ?

Me: Yes ? What ? I am Here !

They : Come on....We need you.... We need the best archer !!!

Me speaking with my self : Wow sure it is me :-)

Really it was great times...And it happen not just one time...but many
times...

OK Let's we begin :

The making of the movie "Troy" :

260 Bulgarian " Extras " must be ready in one month to go to " Mexico -
Cabo San Lucas " for a movie called by " TROY " ... with "Brad Pitt"
,"Eric Banna" and "Orlando Bloom" ,...

After they took our pictures and made interviews with us.. I had bad
feelings in that time..because

I am not Bulgarian and I am a refuge and
the only Iraqi in the group ... It is not easy to go out side of
Bulgaria .. specially for Mexico...[South America]

I remember that in my interview [ Richard - Casting ] asked me:

Do you like what happen in Iraq...?

( He asked me for the war and the fall of "Saddam Husein" )

Me : Yes..like

every Iraqi and human being I am happy for what happen
to Saddam ...But the problem is that what will happen after Saddam
...hope it will be fine...

He : OK... thank you ...

After 2 weeks .

I understood that they didn't gave visa to 15 Macedonian ....and some
Bulgarian too...

But in the end they said that I had visa and I can fly to the end of
the world ... " Cabo San Lucas "
It was great feeling.... I will go to Mexico.... where ? in "Cabo San
Lucas" ....The most beautiful beach in the world...Beside that I will be
for first time in a movie that will be released for cinema [ Because
all other films that I had worked in them before .. they were T.V /Video
/DVD films ]...

The day of flight :

I went to the Airport ...After a hour and half .. like another
Bulgarian I enter the entrance and they check our passports....

and one of the police searchers said : sorry you can't go !!!!

Me: Why ?

He: You don't have visa for "Manchester" !!! " We had transit in
"Manchester"

Me: But no one don't have that visa... !!!

He : But they are Bulgarian ....you are not a Bulgarian .... please
come with me...!!!

After we go to the second floor and he said wait here...

He enter a room and took a list ....

"In the list ..our manager wrote my name like a
Bulgarian ...It was a mistake.. but good mistake ... " :-)

The policeman come out side and said : Sorry we didn't knew ..

you are Bulgarian ...!!!

I want to tell him that I am not Bulgarian .. but Shero told me : shut
up !!! :-)

Later : We fly near by 24 hours until we reach " Mexico "..... !!!

In Mexico...we had our apartments...

every apartment have 2 rooms and
every room for 2 person...and with everything inside it...

After 3 hours relax they took us by special buses to the place of
shooting the movie...

 It was a big landscape that was before a jungle of "
Cactus " but they took out the trees .... They promise that after the
shooting will be finished.. they will take all the trees back....

First thing we saw ... The wall of "Troy"...It was a big long wall
...near by 100 m long and 25 m height...

it was nice making and really it
look like a real wall from far ...but when you look near you will see
that was being made from wood..

They gave us 100 dollars for first week...and they showed us all the
place....It was far from our hotels near by 30 minutes by the bus...we
ate..and drink ..it was nice welcoming...

I realized that there is many body builders and sportsman in the
group...They were from the "Sport Academy"near by 5-6-7 years ..I felt
great.. Because I thought I'll have many challengers....That I can show them
my power.. And see myself in there level ... and more .. !!!

From next day ...We begin training...The first two weeks were just six
hours in the place of shooting .. Eating , Training ...Afternoon we
relax and enjoy the beach... Many of the Bulgarian begin to buy drugs "
Marijuana - Cocaine ".....!!!

And every one can see that most of them had came to "Mexico" not for
work ...They came just for enjoy..and they were not real sports.. they
were just body without power, brain , respect . or real feeling of
sport..

It was hot....but it was hot for every one...not just for
them...because most of them began to cry ..." It is hot we can't do anything like
this" .... Others who made themselves sick to escape from training ..They
where in the hotel Relaxing ,Swimming ,Going out for girls and Disco
...Making problems with Mexican people by hitting girls ,Buying
drugs..and ..and ...!!!

For me it was a great job , Great experience .. For first time in my
life I felt that I want to do this until the end of my life ...It was fun
for me...And in the same time it was so real, Hard work too....

I will not lie...I went to the disco two times but...It was my first
time to go inside the disco....and it was because of inviting from some
Mexican friends ... I enter and I saw what is it and I come outside
after 30 minutes and go to the beach alone

watching the ocean and his
waves...and the second time too it was inviting and they told me

that "Brad Pitt" and "Orlando Bloom" will be there ..It was nice to see
them...therefor I went for second time ....I wait near by 4 hours but no one
didn't come.... In the end I come outside and I wish that I didn't went ..

Some thing ells it was first time in my life to swim in the nature and
it was in the "Pacific ocean"....It was great..

After three weeks we saw "Brat Pitt" and "Orlando Bloom" and "Eric
Banna"...and the director "Wolfgang Peterson"....

we saw them from far and
they told us no one should not speak with them or take pictures of
them...

"Brat Pitt" had four bodyguards... In the beginning it was interesting
to see them...But after a month it became a something normal...
They chose us by the shape of the body and who know fighting with
weapons ...Spear ,sword ,Shield ,Bow and Arrows.....

And they chose me to be
an Archer...Because I was one of three most fast Archers among
anthers...

Every morning from 4:30 or 5:00 we wake up ...

We went by the bus to the
set ....We ate... After we change our clothes...

We put on warriors costume...There were many kinds ...

[ Trojan, Ithacan, Myrmidon ] , After that we went to the make up ...

They put wigs ..And in the end we were ready .... :-)

There were two camps for us one near by the wall of Troy ... Second
near by the beach....

Every day there were something new....

Big ships were made in " Malta " ..They brought them to

"Mexico" ,The Trojan Horse ,Action scenes with
fire, fighting , Running , Attacking, ....

And they chose me for another two close up.

.But because I had a young
face And I had before a close up it was impossible to have that role
It can't be the same face for two different roles ...

For the second shoot I refused it...

Because I had to rape a woman and takeoff her clothes and hit her...
I said : Sorry I can't do that....Because really it is so far from my
personality to hit and rape a women...even if it is acting....I didn't
want to begin my first steps with these character....

I had being friend with the standing of "Brat Pitt" ..."Nathan"...He
was so nice boy...from Florida....Who has being 9 years in Mexico....

OK in the same time there were some problems :

The Bulgarian Extras ask for more money ... the reasons they ask that
were:

They pay for the Mexican [ that they called them by monkeys ] ... 50
dollar

They pay for the horses ...40 dollar ....But for us 25 dollars in the
day...

And a beer is cost 5 dollar....[ they didn't mention anything about
Cocaine ].!!!

BULGARIAN EXTRAS IN MEXICO FOR THE MOVIE " TROY "

1- We had our Apartments ,

There were everything inside it and we don't pay for Electric or water....

And the Mexican they didn't had anything .

2- The travel by the plain from Bulgaria to Mexico and the way back
were free and we didn't pay anything...

3- Using fitness instruments for free.

4- Promotions for us to use the Internet by half price...and Telephone
cards by less price....

5- All the medical treatments and medicines were free...

And after all...we had a contract....yes a CONTRACT...that we
signatured it before we went to "Mexico" that:
We agree for all the points that are in it....!!!

And like I said before that: There were many who came not for
work...They were there for fun...

They spend there money in Marijuana , Cocaine ,
women , and drinking....They didn't had another way to get more
money...Therefore they made there idiot step...

And the answer for them was ....NO....

we were 15 who stay to work another 245 they went back to the hotel...
and before that they scream if you didn't

come with us we will kill you ...imagine 245 person who scream

against you because they know me so
good and hate me too because I was the only Iraqi in the group

and I was there Group Leader... !!!

I become so angry when they said that ... and I scream in there faces :

If you are men come one by one !!!! really I want to Fight them and
make them pay for there words but there was no one of them who

come to me... And I understand who are they and I screamed again :

I will stay and work ..!!! and who don't like it ..let him come alone
and face me...like a man ....!!!!

No one from 245 men ...said a word....!!!

I was waiting some one to say something but nothing ...!!!

After when they went back ..They screamed ..We will meet again...

We will know what we will do ..!!!!

However the funny thing was ...

After just one day 170 of them sing that
they will stay and work ...by the same payment...

And in the same time
they send back near by 50 Bulgarian ...

From that time on they pay 50 dollars more ...The 50 dollar were from
the money of these who they return them back to Bulgaria...
It was really a big shame and it will still unforgettable..The sad
thing is...

It made the movie makers not believe and trust Bulgarian Extras
anymore....It mean for along time there will be no another chance for
Bulgarian to work outside in movies...

I try by my side to do my best ...and I think I did that because all
who work in the movie they were looking at me hopefully...Because I know
that there work were hard too and I try to help them and respect them
in the same time...

It was normal that there were some idiots ,skin-heads who didn't like
me...Because:

1- I was not Bulgarian.

2- I was better than them in many things like

[My English,Becoming the
Group Leader,One of the best three Archers in the group ].

3- Believing in my self and what I am doing...

In the same time....There were good friends too....

Who really care and
understood why they were there and what they had to do...

It not need to
mention there names they knew them selves good enough :-)

The shooting continue ....

There was a rule ..that we should not take pictures with the actors or
ask them for autographs...I should admit I broke that rule .. twice :-)
..That I was the first one who take a picture with " Orlando Bloom
"..after I take a picture with " Wolfgang Peterson "..
One day we were shooting and we had to run against the walls of Troy...
We repeat that scene near by 12 times ..

in one of the runs I heared my
knee scratching and I felt a electric shock..

we had relax for 5 minutes later we continue shooting I didn't want to
stop and I run until the end ...of the day :-)

It was really painful ..but I kept working for next 2 days ..After that
the pain began to be understandable...

And sometimes my leg stopped to move ...

The doctors told me it need an operation or you should relax for
along time until the knee begin to heal by himself...

It was not good news for me but what I can do !!!

Still I didn't let them to operate my leg...But even if I did or not I
understand that I can't stay anymore in Mexico ..and I should go back
to Bulgaria 2 weeks before the others ...

And after 2 weeks I was in Bulgaria ... and when I was in Bulgaria I
heared from some friends that they saw a trailer that had been made
specially for the Stunts and Extras in Mexico ...And the good news ....

I was in the trailer :-)

It made me happy ..Because I did what I had to do and I did it by the
best way I can ... !!!

Like this ...My story with the movie had been finished...