DURHAM — April 7, 1996, 11:45 a.m. EST The bright lights of Hollywood were beckoning Saturday -- from Durham. A Paramount movie, "Kiss the Girls," is to be shot partly in Durham, and several hundred would-be/wanna-be/could-I-be actors and actresses showed up for auditions.

Most clutched photos and biographies, ready to hand them over to the casting directors.

For some, participating in the movie would offer a diverting glimpse into another world. For the more serious actors and models who arrived at South Square Mall, the chance to be one of the 300 extras could be the road to more substantial parts.

The film has already met controversy. It centers on the search for two sexually deviant serial killers. UNC-Chapel Hill, the town of Chapel Hill and Duke have told the producers they are not interested in participating.

According to casting head Mark Fincannon, anyone and everyone could be eligible as an extra. "What we are looking for is everybody," he said. "We need policemen, medical workers, students -- anybody who you would see in a college town where there's a serial killer."

And for being that police officer or student, the extra will be paid $40 for an eight-hour day.

Hmmmmm. Maybe it's not time to give up one's day job just yet