Hollywood Feature Film Stone

Creates Opportunities For Michigan Residents

One of the Hollywood films shooting in Michigan this summer, Stone, is currently wrapping in Webster Township. Stone is based on the play by Angus MacLachlan, and is directed by John Curran.  Sightings of celebrities Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich have been reported in local Newspapers.

The film portrays Ed Norton as a convicted arsonist who uses his beautiful wife (Milla Jovovich) to seduce and then manipulate his parole officer (Robert DeNiro) in a plan to secure parole. Oscar winner, DeNiro and two time Oscar nominee Norton last played cat and mouse in Frank Oz’s The Score.

Primary locations for the film are the Jackson prison and an old farm house in Webster Township. The Mast Road farm house is destroyed in the movie. Several scenes were filmed in Ypsilanti with crowds of interested onlookers eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of Stone’s big name talent.

The filming of Stone in Michigan has provided many opportunities to showcase Michigan talent as well.  Michigan Movie Magazine spoke with three of the Michigan residents who had the opportunity to work on this high visibility production.

Tevis Marcum

"Years ago I said that I would feel successful if I could just be a dead body on my favorite show, ER. Then I got to be a homeless person, a doctor and a biker all in one day!" Tevis had been working in radio for years, before he was laid off.  After a couple of years of struggling through a break up, and a bad leg, he decided to turn to acting. He studied at Purple Rose Studios and was instructed to "get an agent!" He signed with Charlie's Talent Agency and has been in twenty-two movies since then.

"I've had a great two and a half years! I have worked with Sigourney Weaver, Drew Barrymore and Robert DeNiro." When asked by the casting director for Stone if he would feel comfortable doing a romantic scene with Milla Jovovich (Lucetta) he replied, "Sure, I've already done one with Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City, Miss January)."

Marcum doesn't want or expect to be the leading man. He believes that stars last for five minutes and working actors have work for life.

He is already joining SAG and we can expect to see him in upcoming movies including Mr. Jingles II, Funland and In Zer0: Fragile Wings.

Ruth Flynn

Ruth went to her first audition in February 2009 with a group of theatre friends from Jackson, MI for Real Style’s Betty Ann Waters casting call. She stood outside in the freezing cold with over 1000 other people without ever receiving a call back. When Ruth met Rose Gilpan, from Real Styles at the Michigan Movie Networking Event in April she decided to stay in touch.

Flynn was blown away when she received an e-mail from Rose to be a featured extra for Stone. The casting call was for about 50 people who had a two week time slot of open availability. Ruth worked seven 10-12 hour days of the ten days she was cast. It was her first time on a movie set - ever. She was paid, fed and got lots of screen time.

"It was a wonderful experience.  The crew was really nice and very informative. Real Styles received good feedback on our performances from the crew. Two of the extras were given Taft Hartley status on the set: a retired prison guard from Jackson; and a seasoned Michigan actor." Ruth is now receiving calls from 2-3 directors per week. "Network, network, network, I can't stress enough, the importance of getting out there and meeting people."

David Petrucci

After 10 years of working for Chrysler, he took the buyout and signed up with Real Styles, becoming one of the first people to make it into their database in April 2008. David worked on his first set Prince of the Motor City later that same month. He also auditioned for Big Brother, receiving a fourth callback before declining their offer.

Since then, he has worked on HBO's Hung as a featured extra, and as a stand in for Thomas Jane (Ray Drecker). David was also a "well placed extra" in both Whip It and The Irishman.

On Stone he was cast as a prison parolee, but the scene was cut. "They had a hard time placing me as a prisoner. These other guys were huge and really hardcore looking, like real prisoners!" David is currently auditioning in New York and then heading to LA to discuss the contract for his first screenplay.

Following Stone, Robert DeNiro is expected to remain in Michigan this summer as Executive Producer of 20% Fiction (Barry Primus Writer/Director).  The film is rumored to feature Val Kilmer, also currently in Michigan filming The Irishman, along with Oscar winner Martin Landau.