Gridskipper
DC celebrity sightings usually involve James Carville, Mary Matalin, and a plate of pasta at Café Milano. But this month, Washingtonians are getting a treat straight from Hollywood: some misguided director has decided to use our fair city to film State of Play, originally a BBC series. Now everyone has their "I saw Ben Affleck drinking coffee! I drink coffee, too!" story. The movie features the archetypal cast of Washington creatures: the aforementioned Affleck plays a philandering Congressman whose mistress is found dead, Rachel McAdams is the intrepid reporter who writes about the murder, and — as far as I can tell — Russell Crowe is a homeless-looking dude who skulks around U Street and Mount Pleasant. Jason Bateman, Robin Wright and Helen Mirren also have roles. Here's your own Hollywood map to the Washington stars.
The Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SE Washington, DC 20003
I've been a member of the Washington press corps for more than three years, and there's one thing I know for certain: lawmakers never give press conferences in the Library of Congress. Try telling that to Ben &… Co., who spent the better part of a day there filming a press conference scene three weekends ago. [link]
N 38° 53.14645 W 77° 0.16918
Ben's Chili Bowl
1213 U Street, N.W. Washington D.C. 20009
The Washington Post reported that Russell Crowe was filmed outside this hotdog and fries landmark on U Street. [link]
N 38° 55.1199 W 77° 1.43683
Mt. Pleasant
Park Street and Mount Pleasant Street Washington, DC 20010
Word on the street is that an old townhouse apartment at the corner of Park and Mount Pleasant is being shot as Crowe's abode. [link]
N 38° 55.56996 W 77° 2.19691
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle, Washington DC
The Post also reports that film crews will be filming in and around the Dupont Circle area in the coming weeks. The first person to push Rachel McAdams in the Dupont fountain wins. [link]
N 38° 54.35642 W 77° 2.39109
Rayburn House Building
The corner of First Street and Independence Ave, NW Washington, DC 20024
Back in November, Affleck was on Capitol Hill observing lawmakers in their natural habitat. There, he probably picked up the ability to drone, sleep through hearings, and accept fistfuls of cash from lobbyists without… suffering a crisis of conscience. [link]
N 38° 53.15359 W 77° 0.43917
The Washington Post
1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071
McAdams and Brad Pitt (who previously had Crowe's role) took a tour of the WaPo newsroom last fall. They learned to drink heavily,… plump their egos, and look productive while doing nothing. [link]
N 38° 54.16924 W 77° 2.4557
The Westin Hotel
2350 M Street N.W., Washington, DC, 20037
Gridskipper spies say "State of Play" filmed a parade scene in front of the M. Street Westin earlier this month. [link]
N 38° 54.19080 W 77° 3.2867
Parking lot @ 9th and H. Street
9th Street and H. Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
Film and make-up crews have set up shop at this block-long municipal parking lot near Metro Center. [link]
N 38° 53.59277 W 77° 1.26050
The Department of Commerce
1450 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20004
Director Kevin MacDonald seems to understand that if you really want to capture DC's character on tape, you need to film a whole mess of boring. The Commerce Department certainly fits the bill, as does the bland… Department of Housing and Development and the humdrum Department of the Interior, where MacDonald and crew have both been seen filming. [link]
N 38° 53.42001 W 77° 1.58789
Comments
Lots of filming going down at the masonic temple on 16th Street. Also, word is out that all the key grips and best boys spend their Hollywood dollars at Camelot. [gridskipper.com]
@saintandrew. Gross. They could at least spring for Good Guys.
@Saint Andrew: The masonic temple scares me A LOT.
Affleck was at the zoo on Friday, with wife and baby, who was wearing an adorable coat.
Update: Mt. Pleasant spy says they're going to be filming in that area this week (said spy's house will be featured). Also, spy reports that they're recreated the Heller's Bakery and Pfieffer's Hardware storefronts on a soundstage in Hollywood. But oopsy! They got the color of Heller's neon sign wrong, so they paid the owners to temporarily change their sign for when they do the location shot.
"State of Play" also filmed for two days at the stately Mellon Auditorium at the EPA Building at 12th Street and Constitution Avenue NW for two days in mid-March. Affleck and McAdams were on the set for two days filming two scenes of a Congressional hearing sequence. About 100 extras were on the set, too, and, oddly enough, some catering tables were set up under tents in the front of the buildings, right outside on Constitution Avenue. Production trucks lined Constitution Avenue in front of the buildings for several days.
Thursday night, nine-ish, wandered past a set up involving bright lights and what looked like crew around the Department of Commerce building. Was tipped off that they were probably Hollywood when (a) no one in uniform seemed to mind we were around and (b) we noticed that they had affixed a sign reading "Canon House Office Building" to the outside.
Needless to say, we laughed like Washington snobs for the rest of the block.
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