So what do you do after you’re a Staples High School and Duke University track star?
You work as a production assistant on “Get On Up,” the new movie about the music and moods of James Brown.
And what do you do in the middle of filming on location in Mississippi?
You play drums, while Mick Jagger dances.
That’s the crazy twists Matt Marriott’s life has taken in the year since he graduated from college as an English major (no jokes, please), and moved to Los Angeles.
A friend of his aunt’s hooked him up with the 2 producers of the film. They liked him, and hired him for pre-production back East in October.
“I didn’t have any special qualifications, other than I seemed like a nice person and my aunt’s friend vouched for my work ethic,” Matt admits.
“That’s sort of how the film industry seems to work. In the beginning it’s more about who you know, than what you know.”
Matt learned fast. He kept in constant contact with the producers’ personal assistants back in LA — “even if that meant calling doctors to make a house call at 10:30 on a Saturday night.”
Production assistant Matt Marriott, on the set of “Get On Up.”
Playing with Mick Jagger was much more fun.
He’s one of the film’s producers — the Stones owe a lot to the Godfather of Soul, after all — and spent a week on set.
One Friday night, Matt was hanging out at a Mississippi bar with some friends from the movie. Mick strolled in, with an entourage and a gaggle of higher-ups.
A DJ was playing random pop songs. Mick joined the crowd on the dance floor. Spying an empty drum set on stage — and figuring you only go around once in life — Matt hopped on stage and banged out some rhythm.
“People were enjoying it, so I turned to Mick,” Matt recalls. “He looked right back, and shot me a smile and nod of approval. That was one of the coolest moments of my life.”
The movie was released August 1. Matt is now working at a running shoe and apparel store in Santa Monica, and looking for his next movie gig. In the meantime, he’s producing music.
And, of course, for the rest of his life he can say, “Yeah, I played drums for Mick Jagger.”
