SOUTHLAND TALES
PRODUCTION
NOTES
27 April 2006
CAST:
Boxer
Santaros…………………………………………………………… DWAYNE
JOHNSON
Roland Taverner/Ronald Taverner………………………………………. SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT
Krysta Kapowski/Krysta Now………………………………….............. SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR
Zora Charmichaels……………………………………………………….. CHERI OTERI
Fortunio Balducci………………………………………………………… WILL
SASSO
Vaughn Smallhouse……………………………………………………… JOHN
LARROQUETTE
Bart Bookman……………………………………………………………. JON
LOVITZ
Bing Zinneman…………………………………………………………... TODD
BERGER
Dion Werner/Dion Element……………………………………………… WOOD HARRIS
Dr. Inga Von Westphalen/Marion Card………………………………….. BETH GRANT
Cyndi Pinziki…………………………………………………………….. NORA DUNN
Baron Von Westphalen…………………………………………………… WALLACE SHAWN
Teri Riley………………………………………………………………… LISA
K. WYATT
Veronica Mung/Dream…………………………………………………... AMY POEHLER
Private Pilot Abilene……………………………………………………... JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
Serpentine………………………………………………………………... BAI
LING
Nana Mae Frost…………………………………………………………... MIRANDA
Simon Theory……………………………………………………………. KEVIN
SMITH
Madeline Frost Santaros…………………………………………… …… MANDY
Martin Kefauver…………………………………………………………. LOU
TAYLOR PUCCI
WRITER/DIRECTOR: RICHARD KELLY
PRODUCED BY: SEAN McKITTRICK
BO HYDE
MATTHEW
RHODES
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: BILL JOHNSON
JIM
SEIBEL
KATARINA
K. HYDE
OLIVER
HENGST
JUDD
PAYNE
DIRECTOR OF
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN POSTER, ASC
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: ALEXANDER HAMMOND
EDITED BY: SAM BAUER
COSTUMER DESIGNER: APRIL FERRY
MUSIC BY: MOBY
The city stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster.
SOUTHLAND TALES is an epic story set over the course of three days that
culminate in a massive 4th of July celebration.
A large ensemble cast of characters
includes Boxer Santaros (Dwayne
Johnson), an action star stricken with amnesia, Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), an adult film star developing
her own reality television project, and Roland
Taverner (Seann William Scott), a
4/25/2006
This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world
ends.
This is the way the world
ends.
Not with a bang but a
whimper.
--T.S. Eliot
The conclusion of T.S.
Eliot’s 1925 poem “The Hollow Men” has been altered for satirical effect in
SOUTHLAND TALES, a comedic spin on the apocalypse, as it should occur in the
great city of
I have always been obsessed
with this whole apocalypse thing… and trying to decipher the encrypted
symbolism in the book of Revelations
is enough to give anyone a headache. A friend once remarked that there is a
legitimate debate among religious scholars that the book of Revelations was written while the
Apostle John was under the influence of hallucinatory mushrooms. Go figure.
Another friend sent me a
very disturbing link to a story about something called “American Hiroshima”.
Apparently this is one of many planned terrorist attacks that Al-Quaeda has in
the works. This is the one where they smuggle nuclear weapons (purchased by
Osama bin Laden from the Russian mafia) over the Mexican border into
Sounds like the apocalypse
to me. Where would we go from here?
These are the sordid tales
of what happens next… how it all comes crashing down. In the alternate future
of SOUTHLAND TALES, the war machine is running out of gas, and there is no
alternative. Alternative fuel, that is.
Global warming may indeed be
the “whimper” that T.S. Eliot foretold. Perhaps our destiny is to slowly drown
ourselves into oblivion.
Southland
Tales will take you down that other road. The one that ends
with a “bang”. What if there is a path to end all suffering, and hidden
somewhere along the way there exists a primer? A primer that could help us
extinguish this great big mess of a planet once and for all. Quick and
painless.
Well, I shouldn’t say
“quick”. According to me it takes 2 hours and 31 minutes to explain how the
world ends. I’m sorry that it isn’t shorter, but it had to be this way.
There is no alternative.
Alternative fuel, that is.
Until one day… when a
mysterious German corporation arrives in the Southland with a kick-ass new
formula. A cure for our sickness…
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
“It’s a comedy about the end
of the world,” states writer/director Richard Kelly. But summing up SOUTHLAND
TALES as merely a comedy is a bit of a simplification. Like Kelly’s debut
feature, the critically-acclaimed 2001 cult favorite Donnie Darko, the film almost defies categorization. SOUTHLAND
TALES might be part comedy, part action satire, part thriller, part drama and
even part musical, but it is definitely all
one thing: the singular vision of Richard Kelly.
“It’s
a Richard Kelly film. I think that’s the best way to describe it,” explains
Seann William Scott, who plays twins Ronald and Roland Taverner in the film.
“Even with DONNIE DARKO, I think everyone has their own interpretation of what
it’s about. And I think the same will go for this movie.”
The origins of SOUTHLAND TALES
Kelly first began writing
this apocalyptic ensemble piece, set against the backdrop of a 2008 Fourth of
July celebration in LA, in 2001, shortly after DONNIE DARKO premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and had left without a
domestic distributor (Newmarket Films would eventually release the film that
fall). “We were re-cutting and going through this struggle and pressure and I
was really frustrated and angry. And I felt like my career was probably over,
or ending, or in the process of ending because our movie didn’t get picked up
and it didn’t seem like it was going to,” recalls Kelly. “And I wanted to write
something about
Kelly
wrote the initial draft of SOUTHLAND TALES in about three weeks before showing
it to his producing partner Sean McKittrick. “I gave it to Sean and he
immediately called me and said, ‘We have to go get drunk,’” remembers Kelly.
“And we went and got drunk at Hinano, this bar in
The
original draft of the script featured several characters who would make it into
the final incarnation, including Boxer Santoros, the action star stricken with
amnesia played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; Ronald and Roland, a cop and his
twin brother, played by Scott; and Zora Carmichaels, the steroid-induced
neo-marxist played by Cheri Oteri. What began as a futuristic satire of
“In
subsequent years, 9/11 happened and then the Patriot Act and the war in
New
characters were added to the ensemble including the key role of Krysta Now, an
adult film star developing her own reality project. Sarah Michelle Gellar was
cast, against type, as Krysta, and believes that the film ultimately became “a
love letter and a hate letter to
As
both a love and hate letter to
“But
I think that any movie about
While
LEBOWSKI and DEADLY took place in the present, however, SOUTHLAND TALES needed
to create a futuristic world on an independent budget. “I always hoped that
this would be in the league of something like BRAZIL or BLADE RUNNER, not that
it’s as futuristic as BLADE RUNNER or as design-heavy as BRAZIL, in the
attention to detail, and what, I hope, is a really great visual accomplishment
in terms of the production design and cinematography,” says Kelly. “But, to do
all that stuff with 30 days and not too much money is a real challenge.”
To
face the challenge, Kelly assembled a skilled below-the-line team including
cinematographer Steven Poster, costume designer April Ferry, and production
designer Alexander Hammond, all of whom the director worked with on DONNIE
DARKO. To compose the film’s score, Kelly turned to award-winning contemporary
music artist Moby.
Despite
the month-long shooting schedule and budgetary constraints, Gellar believes
there was a genuine camaraderie on set. “Everyone was so enthused to be here,”
the actress believes. “Obviously people were not, including crew members,
making what they’re used to making. It was a very, very tight schedule. But we
had some of the best people in the business. All of these people were here
because they loved it.”
One
of the real challenges for the SOUTHLAND TALES crew and cast was that many of
the scenes and visual concepts imagined by Kelly weren’t necessarily in the
script. “I hope that visually and with the editing and the music, when
audiences see the film all put together, that it will make a lot more sense on
screen than it does on the page. Because of some of the ways in which we’ve had
to physically make this film, the script got pared down to 90 pages. But the
movie we made is not 90 pages long.”
The
editing of the script and Kelly’s desire to re-insert scenes during shooting
was often a daunting experience for the actors. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson jokes
that he even began to give up on fully comprehending the final product. “I’ve
been close to this project now and close to Richard for over a year, and I
stopped trying to completely understand everything that’s happening in the
movie because there’s so many stories that are taking place, all which, by the
way, wind up being connected. So I thought the best thing for me to do is to
completely understand and have my interpretation of Boxer Santaros—where he
comes from, where he wants to go, what he believes in and things like that.
Because there are a lot of things that only Richard Kelly could tell you.”
“I think that it is probably overwhelming,” Kelly
agrees, “in the sense that the script, to the actors, is probably a little
confusing and, what is it all about in the end? I think it’s about where our
country is going, our current dilemma when you’re talking about alternative
fuel, terrorism, our civil liberties being taken away from us, and the
potential effects of environmental degradation on human behavior, neurological
responses, global warming. You know, there’s a lot going on here.”
Casting SOUTHLAND TALES
For
a movie that deals with so many current, hot-button issues, it might seem
surprising that Kelly has cast the film with actors known primarily for their
roles in television and film comedies, and the lighter side of pop culture in
general. In addition to Johnson and Scott, who previously starred together in
the 2002 action comedy THE RUNDOWN, Kelly also cast pop superstar Justin
Timberlake, actress/singer Mandy Moore, “Night Court” star John Larroquette,
CLERKS director Kevin Smith, and well-known “Saturday Night Live” alumni Cheri
Oteri, Jon Lovitz, Amy Poehler and Nora Dunn in pivotal roles.
“It
just so happens that ‘Saturday Night Live’ has cultivated, in my opinion, some
of the funniest people ever in the entertainment business. And I think if you
can do improv and sketch comedy, and you can do it really, really well, I’m
convinced you can do anything else. I think if you have that ability, you can
be an extraordinary dramatic actor. You can be trained to do anything as long
as you’re given the script and the direction to do so.”
Scott believes that Kelly’s willingness to cast
against type is part of the reason why so many actors want to work with him.
“It’s great that a guy who has so much excitement surrounding him has given a
bunch of us an opportunity to be in something exciting like this,” he says. “I
mean, I love seeing Jon Lovitz or Cheri Oteri and a lot of great comedic actors
doing something really different.”
Scott
was the first actor to come on board with Kelly and the star, perhaps best
known for his role in the AMERICAN PIE series, relished the challenges of
playing two completely different characters.
“It’s been really fun for me to be a part of a movie like this,” states
Scott. “I don’t really know what I’m doing with comedy so much. When I moved
out to
The
actor was a huge fan of DONNIE DARKO and had specifically sought Kelly out. In
the meeting, Scott recalls, “he [Richard] brought up the project and even
though it didn’t make a whole lot of sense the first time I read it, it didn’t
matter to me because I also had the opportunity to go to pitch meetings with
him while he was trying to get the movie financed. I was able to see that he
knew every single moment and that they all [existed] for a reason.”
“No
one else could have played the twins better than Seann,” believes Kelly. “He’s
got great comedic timing, some of the best timing I’ve ever seen and he gives a
very restrained performance in this, much more subtle, yet really pretty
amazing in the sense of defining who these characters are.”
Like
Scott, Gellar’s performance as Krysta Now, porn star and entrepreneur, is a
departure from her much-admired starring roles in TV’s “Buffy the Vampire
Slayer” and THE GRUDGE, although it didn’t start out that way. “I wasn’t
originally playing Krysta and was actually jealous of the character and had
spoken to Richard,” remembers Gellar. “It was only later when we decided I
would indeed play Krysta.”
“Richard’s
a free-thinker who thinks outside the box,” continues Gellar. “And I think,
unfortunately now,
“I’ve
always been a fan of hers,” admits Kelly. “And she’s one of the smartest girls
I’ve ever met. She’s taken a lot of risks to do this, to play a porn star and,
you know, to do something that’s provocative is pretty ballsy of her.”
For
the role of Boxer Santaros, Kelly only envisioned one actor in the part. “We
could not have made this film without ‘The Rock.’ He was born to play this
role. No one else could’ve played it better than him. He’s probably one of the
most talented people I’ve ever worked with. He listens, he can adapt. He’s so
directable. And it comes from coming out of wrestling. He was always acting up
there.”
“When I sat down with Richard, I loved the fact that
he had the balls to make this type of movie. Not only that but to write this
type of script,” remembers Johnson. “It’s like, well, how did he think of that?
And there’s so much involved with Richard and his vision and how he sees the movie
and how he wants to shoot it. And he had his plan very precise with his actors
in mind.”
Scott
was thrilled to be reunited with his RUNDOWN co-star, although in a somewhat
different vein. “It’s been a blast working with Dwayne. I was really excited about
it, and it’s just the beauty of being in this business, having the opportunity
to work with someone you’ve had such a good time with before. And he’s
hilarious. You know, in THE RUNDOWN, I was the guy who was the “Chatty Cathy”
and just talking in his ear and he was like the quiet, stoic guy and now it’s
changed a little bit. And he’s like kind of the crazy, funny guy and I’m like
the quiet guy. So, it’s really hard to keep a straight face ‘cause he’s really
funny in this movie.”
Bringing
out the comedy in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and the more serious side of Seann
William Scott is the kind of image-altering that Kelly prides himself on as a
filmmaker. “I feel like there’s a real pop art value to what we’re doing in the
sense that we’ve cast a lot of actors who are usually associated with pop
culture,” he explains. “With ‘The Rock’ and Sarah and Seann and a lot of the
supporting cast coming from either ‘Saturday Night Live’ or sketch comedy or
improv, and having started in action films or teen comedies or horror films, we
have people who have muscles that they haven’t flexed yet and maybe haven’t had
the opportunities to really show what extraordinary actors they are.
“It’s
great for me to take people from that environment and put them into a new one,
and yet I get the benefit of having their charisma and their pop value
associated with what is essentially an art film. This is a very big, dense
tapestry of ideas. And it’s a very political film, I think, hopefully in a way
that is not grating or a soapbox. And these are all tremendous actors.”
“I
think if Richard told me that his next project was going to be a rendition of
the Yellow Pages, I probably would be the first one signed on for ‘N’ through
‘T,’” adds Gellar. “I think that he’s so open and he has so many great ideas
and he’s willing to try anything. And if it doesn’t work, he moves on. He’s not
married to anything. It was a lot of improv. On the day [of shooting], he’s
constantly coming up with not just new lines, but incredibly huge, new scenes.”
Kelly
recalls that some of the actors were helpful in coming up with their own
material as well, particularly Amy Poehler and Wood Harris, who play Dream and
Dion Element, respectively, in the film. “With Amy and Wood, I came up to them
and I said, ‘Okay, you’re gonna do a monologue about Seann William Scott’s
character not having a bowel movement or urinating in six days. He believes
that’s wrong and there’s something fundamentally against God. You believe that
he’s evolved to a higher spiritual consciousness, and that’s a good thing. And
you’re gonna have an argument about it.’”
Kelly
remembers, “And they [Poehler and Harris] go off to their trailers and they
write this thing and they come back and just knock it out of the park…and it
was some of the funniest stuff, I think, in the movie. And when you have talent
like that, that can write their own and rewrite their own dialogue, and you
don’t take advantage of that, I think you’re making a mistake.”
Gellar,
for one, enjoyed the sense of improv on set. “I love just coming up with
something on the fly,” the actress notes. “You know, sometimes a line looks
good on the page, and then you say it and somehow it doesn’t work, or it
doesn’t seem right. And everyone’s had so much input into their characters and
their storyline.”
The shit hits the fan
The variety of acting
backgrounds and techniques that Kelly employs in SOUTHLAND TALES might be
unconventional but are perhaps ultimately appropriate for a film commenting on
the unnerving political mood of a current and futuristic
And
that, Kelly says with a smile, is the best way to sum up this Richard Kelly
vision that just about no one else involved with the film can seem to sum up:
“It’s about the shit hitting the fan on the Fourth of July weekend.”
ABOUT
THE CAST
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
has solidified his position among
Johnson is currently shooting his starring role in the science -fiction thriller SOUTHLAND TALES for famed writer/director Richard Kelly (DONNIE DARKO). This film is made up of an eclectic and all-star cast also co-starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean William Scott.
Johnson recently wrapped
production on GRIDIRON GANG, in which he plays a correctional facility counselor
who forms a football team of young criminals. The film is based on a true story
and is being directed by Phil Joanou. GRIDIRON GANG is set for release on
September 15th, 2006 and has already been deemed SONY’S big hit for next fall.
Johnson will next be seen
starring in his fourth movie with Universal titled DOOM. This film, based on the video game trilogy by
the same name, is the first time we will see Johnson as a true villain. He will play ‘Sarge,’ the dark, disturbed,
and most unforgiving member of the team whose purpose is to maintain order in
the Universe. DOOM will be released on
October 21st.
Johnson was last seen
co-starring with an all-star cast in MGM’s BE COOL. The sequel to GET SHORTY
and directed by F. Gary Gray. Johnson co-stars with John Travolta, Uma Thurman,
and Vince Vaughn in a role that allows him to further expand his repertoire by
playing a gay bodyguard who is also an aspiring singer. Johnson received rave reviews and critical acclaim
for his performance.
Johnson was recently seen in
MGM’s remake of WALKING TALL which co-stars Johnny Knoxville and Neal
McDonough. He plays the role of sheriff
‘Chris Vaughn’ who comes back to his hometown after serving in the Army, only
to find it corrupted. This version,
inspired by the original ‘Buford Pusser’ story, is about one man’s fight to
stand up to injustice and save both his family and the town that he loves so
dearly. WALKING TALL not only enjoyed
great box office success, but also has climbed the charts making it one of the
top selling DVD’s.
Before that, Johnson was
seen starring in Universal’s THE RUNDOWN.
Peter Berg helmed this action/comedy starring Johnson, Sean William
Scott (AMERICAN PIE), Rosario Dawson, and Christopher Walken. THE RUNDOWN
further exemplifies Johnson’s action hero status with the die-hard action
sequences and his undeniable screen presence.
THE RUNDOWN opened #1 at the box office opening weekend, and was
critically acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Ebert &
Roeper.
Born in
After his March 2000
appearance on “Saturday Night Live” (surprising many with his strength in the
comedic ring and garnering the show’s highest rating that year), Johnson was
cast by director Stephen Sommers in THE MUMMY RETURNS, which to date has
grossed more than $400 million worldwide.
Once again Johnson parlayed his natural charisma into box-office gold,
not only safeguarding the MUMMY franchise, but also pushing it to a new
level. His character was so well
received by Universal executives during dailies that they quickly planned a
film based on his character, THE SCORPION KING.
Dwayne Johnson resides in
An actor with a penchant for delivering memorable performances, Seann William
Scott continues to impress audiences with an impressive slate of upcoming
projects.
Scott can currently be seen in the highly anticipated feature film
version of the popular 80's television series THE DUKES OF HAZZARD. Directed by
Jay Chandrasekhar and co-starring Johnny Knoxville, Jessica Simpson, Willie
Nelson and Burt Reynolds, the raucous comedy follows the exploits of the iconic
DUKES characters led by Scott as 'Bo Duke,' with cousin 'Luke' played by
Knoxville and 'Daisy' played by Simpson. " THE DUKES OF HAZZARD is
scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. on August 5th, 2005.
Scott recently wrapped production on Craig Gillespie's MR. WOODCOCK
opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon for New Line Cinema. The film centers on a young man (Scott), who
returns to his hometown to stop his mother (Sarandon) from marrying the high
school gym teacher (Thornton) who made life a living hell for him and many of
his classmates.
Scott just began production on Richard Kelly's SOUTHLAND TALES opposite
Sarah Michelle Gellar and The Rock for Universal. SOUTHLAND TALES is a musical/comedy set in
2008 where a three-day heatwave in
Taking the reins behind the camera as well as in front of it, Scott has
an exclusive first-look production deal with Universal, in which he will act
and produce films under his own banner, Identity Films.
Films already in development under the Identity Films banner include
THE OPTIMIST for New Line Pictures. Scott will also star in the film about a
man who is born without the gene for unhappiness. However, his perspective
changes when he falls in love with a cynical reporter. Identity Films is also
scheduled to produce a remake of the 2001 French romantic comedy GREGOIRE MOULIN
AGAINST HUMANITY in which Scott will
also star in. In addition, the company is developing THE UNTITLED CAMP
PROJECT. The film focuses on a slacker (to be played by Scott) who applies for
a job as a summer camp counselor so he can relive his youthful glory days of
panty raids and food fights. Unfortunately, since his glory days the camp has
become a haven for young brainiacs who've come for intellectual growth.
Scott was last seen in Universal's hit action thriller THE RUNDOWN with
The Rock, Rosario Dawson and Christopher Walken. Directed by Peter Berg, the
film followed the mis-teaming of the son of an underworld kingpin and the
kingpin's retrieval expert to retrieve a priceless artifact in the depths of
the Amazon.
Previously, he starred opposite Chow Yun-Fat in MGM's BULLETPROOF MONK
as a street-wise pickpocket mentored by a Tibetan martial arts master. He also
returned to the big screen as his teen comedy classic 'Stifler' character for
the final installment of the AMERICAN PIE trilogy, "American
Wedding." The hit comedy brought the popular characters together one last
time for Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle's (Alyson Hannigan) wedding. In
addition, Scott had a scene-stealing cameo in the hit comedy OLD SCHOOL
opposite Will Ferrell.
In the summer of 2001, Scott appeared as 'Stifler' in the box office
hit AMERICAN PIE 2. The film premiered
as the largest box office opening ever for an R-rated film, eventually grossing
over $300 million dollars worldwide. In
addition to an unforgettable cameo in Miramax's JAY AND SILENT BOB, Scott also
appeared in the DreamWorks sci-fi comedy EVOLUTION, directed by Ivan Reitman
and co-starring Julianne Moore, David Duchovny and Orlando Jones.
Other film credits include the initial installment of Universal's popular
AMERICAN PIE comedies, AMERICAN PIE, directed by Chris and Paul Weitz, Todd
Phillips' ROAD TRIP, with Breckin Meyer and Amy Smart, the smash comedy hit
DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR? opposite Ashton Kutcher; and New Line Cinema's thriller
FINAL DESTINATION. In addition, he co-hosted the 2003 MTV Movie Awards with
Justin Timberlake.
Determined and accomplished are two words that best describe Golden
Globe nominee SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR. Beginning her career as a child actress, Gellar
has remained a leader on the road of success.
A veteran of television, theater and the big screen, Gellar recently
wrapped production for Focus Features Revolver, a film about a successful young
businesswoman who starts having nightmares about a young woman who was murdered
25 years ago. She is currently filming the musical comedy, SOUTHLAND TALES for
director Richard Kelly. SOUTHLAND TALES is an ensemble piece set in the
futuristic landscape of
Gellar is best known for her role as ‘Buffy Summers’ in “Buffy the
Vampire Slayer.” She wrapped her seventh
and final season of the critically acclaimed drama in May of 2003. Recently, Gellar seen in Columbia Pictures’
smash hit thriller THE GRUDGE. The film is the English-language version of the
Japanese thriller Ju-On about a curse that befalls someone who dies in the grip
of a powerful rage.
Gellar was recently seen as the lovable ‘Daphne’ in the Warner Bros’
sequel SCOOBY DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED, the sequel to the first blockbuster
hit. Gellar starred in the tremendously
successful I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and the blockbuster hit SCREAM
2. She won a 1998 Blockbuster Award for
Best Supporting Actress for her role in SUMMER and was nominated for a 1998 MTV
Movie Award for her role in SCREAM 2.
Gellar also starred opposite Ryan Phillippe in CRUEL INTENTIONS, which
earned her two MTV Awards; Best Actress, and Best On-Screen Kiss. Furthermore, Gellar co- hosted the 2002 MTV
Movie Awards with Jack Black, garnering the highest ratings in the show’s
history. Gellar also been seen on the
big screen for James Toback’s HARVARD MAN, which premiered last year at the
Cannes International Film Festival.
Gellar’s career in the world of entertainment has spanned nearly 22
years - quite a feat for a young woman. She won an Emmy in 1994 for her role on
the ABC daytime drama “All My Children” and completed classes at the High
School for the Performing Arts in
Her credits include; television “An Invasion of Privacy” (CBS/MOW), “A
Woman Named Jackie” (CBS/Mini-Series), and “All My Children” (ABC); film FUNNY
FARM (Warner Bros.), OVER THE BROKLYN BRIDGE (Cannon Films) and HIGH STAKES
(Vidmark); theater Jake’s Women opposite Matthew Broderick at Circle in the
Square, and The Widow Claire at the Old Globe Theatre.
Gellar has also participated in much off-screen work as a volunteer for
many charitable organizations. She is an
advocate for breast cancer awareness and participated in Ford’s 2003 ‘Tied to
the Cause’ campaign benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Sarah was also an honoree at this year’s Young
Survivors Coalition. She has donated her
time and talent to the ‘Make-a-Wish Foundation’ and has spent time in the
A
An actress known for the boundless creativity that goes into her
flawlessly detailed characters, Cheri
Oteri is branching beyond her acclaimed work on “Saturday Night Live”
with several roles in feature films.
Oteri appeared on “Saturday Night Live” for five seasons. She is probably best known for her portrayal
of Arianna, the female half of the
Spartan Spirit Cheerleader Squad. As
well as Cass Van Ry, the dense and
shallow co-host of the fictional talk show “Morning Latte”. Oteri’s other popular characters include:
Rita, the self-appointed mayor of her street who polices local neighborhood
children, and the prescription-addled Colette Reardon. Her hysterical
impressions of Barbara Walters and Judge Judy have both been “Cheered” by
TV Guide. Other memorable impersonations include Mariah Carey, Melissa Rivers,
Jennifer Lopez and Ross Perot.
Cheri’s SNL characters were celebrated this year with a BEST OF CHERI OTERI
special on SNL.
In addition to her acclaimed work on “Saturday Night Live” Oteri
received an Emmy nomination for the memorable guest starring appearance on the
hit NBC situation comedy series, “Just Shoot Me” as the inept but perky
secretary, Cindy. Most recently she
guested opposite Larry David on “Curb your Enthusiasm.”
Oteri is currently developing a comedy with JJ Abrams.
Oteri was seen in SCARY MOVIE directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans. She also
appeared in LIAR, LIAR opposite Jim Carrey, SMALL SOLDIERS, INSPECTOR GADGET,
LOVE & SEX and DUMB AND DUMBERER. Upcoming films include SMILE shot on
location in
Prior to joining “Saturday Night Live” Oteri was a member of the Los
Angeles-based improv/sketch comedy group, The Groundlings.
A native of
Born to
Italian immigrants in the suburbs of Vancouver, Canada, Will Sasso grew up
loving sketch comedy, thanks in part to an older brother who allowed him to
stay up past his bedtime, encouraging him to watch “SCTV,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Monty
Python’s Flying Circus.” With his
mind thus warped, Sasso decided at an early age to become a comedic actor. At
15 he snagged his first agent and began to land roles in television and film.
By the time he moved to Los Angeles at age 21, he had starred in five seasons
on the gritty Canadian drama, “Madison,” which won over 40 international awards and allowed him to hone his
acting and improvisational skills as the quirky but down to earth Derek
Wakaluk.
Sasso starred for five
seasons on the Fox hit sketch comedy show, “Mad TV.” As one of its most
featured members, he kept audiences entertained with an extensive variety of
characters and sketch concepts, among these his offbeat caricatures of Bill
Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Randy Newman and
Kenny Rogers, as well as the accident prone handyman, Paul Timberman – his own
creation. After a successful tenure with the show, which had begun in 1997,
Sasso decided to leave the Saturday night staple in 2002 to expand the scope of
his unique brand of comedy.
Moviegoers remember Sasso
from his roles in over twenty five feature films, including BEST IN SHOW,
directed by Christopher Guest, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, with Kirsten Dunst and
Denise Richards, and BEVERLY HILLS NUNJA, starring the late Chris Farley. More
recently he completed work on A MIGHTY WIND, also directed by Guest, BAD BOY,
starring Dennis Leary and Elizabeth Hurley, and THE HOT CHICK, starring Rob
Schneider and produced by Adam Sandler -- with whom he had worked on HAPPY
GILMORE.
Sasso
has added a couple more accolades to his career with a television development
deal at Disney’s Touchstone Television for ABC and a feature film deal to
write, produce and star in his own cinematic vehicle for Radar Pictures,
entitled “Box Office Gross.”
In his spare time, Sasso likes to return home to
VAUGHN SMALLHOUSE – John
Larroquette
A four-time Emmy winner for “Best Supporting
Actor in a Comedy Series,” Larroquette is best known to television audiences as
'Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding,' a role he played on NBC's “Night
Court” during the show’s eight season run. He also starred in the NBC comedy
series, “The John Larroquette Show” where he was nominated for an Emmy Award in
the show’s second season.
Larroquette has recently been teaming up with the Hallmark Channel for
the family comedy “Wedding Daze,” in which John plays the loving, frantic
father of the bride which ran on The Hallmark Channel in the fall of 2004. Larroquette then went on to star in Hallmark
Channel’s mystery movie franchise, “McBride.” Larroquette plays the lead role of “Jim
McBride,” a charismatic, modern-day “Perry Mason.” “McBride” follows in the prolific mystery
movie footsteps of creator and executive producer Dean Hargrove who created and
executive produced some of television’s most memorable mysteries “Jake and the
Fat Man,” “Father Dowling Mysteries,” and was the executive producer of “Perry
Mason” and “Columbo.” “McBride’s” franchise is set to air one of it’s numerous
movie installments on Janaury 14, 2005, with Larroquette helmed as director of
one of the four two-hour “McBride” movies.
In 2004, Larroquette starred in the NBC sitcom, “Happy Family” with actress
Christine Baranski. The actors portrayed
aspiring “empty-nesters” who encounter difficulty when their grown children
refuse to leave the parents’ home.
In Summer 2002, Larroquette wrapped production on the popular film
series, BIG PAW: BEETHOVEN 5 about a large, crime-stopping St. Bernard named
“Beethoven.” The Universal Pictures film also stars Faith Ford and
Daveigh Chase.
That same year, Larroquette returned to the stage with a starring role
in Neil Simon’s “Oscar and Felix: a New Look at the Odd Couple.” In this
updated version of the Tony Award winning play “The Odd Couple”, Larroquette
played the role of the slovenly sportswriter, Oscar, opposite Joe Regalbuto as
Felix. The play was performed at the Geffen Playhouse in
Larroquette won his fifth Emmy in 1998 as a guest-star in two episodes
of the television drama, “The Practice.” He portrayed a homosexual who
murdered his lover and recently reprised this role in the 2001-2002
season. Larroquette was also seen in another dramatic role in Showtime's
“The Defenders,” a courtroom drama based on a series that ran from 1961-1965 on
CBS. Larroquette portrayed a man who was charged with murder for killing
his daughter's rapist.
In 2001, Larroquette starred in two television movies as a father
figure; in Showtime’s drama “Walter and Henry” opposite James Coburn and Kate
Nelligan, produced by Norman Jewison and directed Daniel Petrie Sr.; and Fox
Family Channel’s “Till Dad Do Us Part,” reuniting him with Markie Post.
Larroquette also hosted A & E Network’s, 22-episode series called
“The Incurable Collector.” As a passionate collector himself, each
episode features aficionados from across the
In NBC’s 10-hour mini-series, “The 10th Kingdom,”
Larroquette starred opposite Diane Wiest, Camryn Manheim and Ann Margret in the
fantas, live-action saga.
In January 2000, Larroquette played the title character
in the CBS mid-season comedy, “Payne,” with JoBeth Williams. The series
was a remake of the British comedy, “
On the big screen, Larroquette starred in Warner
Bros.’ RICHIE RICH opposite Macauley Culkin, where he played the comedic
villain who kidnaps Richie's parents. Larroquette’s flair for comedy helped
bring to life the long-running success of Harvey Comics strip.
In 1989, fans saw a different side of
Larroquette's abilities when he stepped onstage in “Happy Jack.” He played
a reflecting working-class husband in this two-character drama opposite his
wife, actress Elizabeth Larroquette. Written by John Godber, directed by Ron
Link and produced by Catalina and Portfilm Productions, “Happy Jack” received
several Dramalogue nominations.
Film audiences saw Larroquette give a
delightfully zany performance as a fictional
Born and raised in
He first indulged his interest in acting at a
small
In television, Larroquette won recurring roles in
“Doctor's Hospital” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep.” He also starred in the
fact-based telefilm “Conflicted” and hosted an episode of “Saturday Night
Live.”
Larroquette's film credits include co-starring
roles in Blake Edwards’ BLIND DATE, as well as SUMMER RENTAL, STRIPES, CHOOSE
ME, STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, ALTERED STATES, CAT PEOPLE, and
TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE.
Larroquette executive produced and starred in the
NBC movie-of-the-week “One Special Victory.” The story focused on an
insensitive real estate salesman whose life develops meaning when he is
committed to coach a group of developmentally disabled adults.
Larroquette splits his time between
Grant, best known for her roles in over 60 feature films including
DONNIE DARKO, SORDID LIVES, SPEED, MATCHSTICK MEN, THE ROOKIE, RAIN MAN and TO
WONG FOO, just completed shooting the features RUNNING WITH SCISSORS starring
Annette Bening, written and directed by Ryan Murphy for TriStar and THE HOUSE
OF USHER directed by Hayley Cloake, produced by Boyd Hancock. Grant also
co-stars with Allison Janey, Cheryl Hines and Jason Ritter in OUR VERY OWN,
directed by Cameron Watson, which premieres at the
In television Beth has recently recurred on “Malcolm in the Middle,”
“Yes, Dear,” “Everwood” and “King of the Hill” and was a regular on “Delta,”
“Five Houses” and “ Maximum Bob,” directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Her
hundreds of guest star appearances include “Friends,” “X-Files,” “Angel,” “CSI”
and “Six Feet Under.”
Grant's many starring roles in theatre include world premieres by
prominent playwrights Horton Foote, Romulus Linney, Maya Angelou and Del Shores.
Last year Grant was the recipient of a Los Angeles Ovation award, the Drama
Critics Circle Award and the Garland award for lead actress in a play for “The
Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife” by Del Shores.
CYNDI PINZIKI – Nora Dunn
Nora Dunn played for five seasons on “Saturday Night Live,” where she
created and wrote The Pat Steven’s Show, whose famous guest stars included
Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Breslin, and John Lithgow as Margaret Thatcher. Her send up of soap opera diva Linda Dano
made the popular sketch “Attitudes” a hilarious “SNL” staple, featuring such
stars as John Malkovich and Christopher Walken.
Her portrayal of lounge lizardess Liz Sweeney of the singing Sweeney
Sisters has been mimicked by fans for years.
After five years of late night pandemonium, Nora played lesbian
television producer Norma Lear in NBC’s prime time drama “Sisters” for three
seasons. She has weaved effortlessly
between comedy and drama in memorable supporting roles such as the flamboyant,
blasphemous Adriana Cruz in David Russell’s chic anti-war epic THREE KINGS.
That performance garnered her praise and attention, prompting Peter Travers to
write that she was “finally given the chance to show her chops as an actress.”
She continues to show her chops in films such as Gary Fleder’s drama
RUNAWAY JURY with John Cusack and Gene Hackman, as the straight-laced
boozer/juror Stella Hulic; New Line’s LAWS OF ATTRACTION, opposite Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore as
a glitzy judge from Scarsdale whose Judge Judy tactics cause a split in the
stars’ already stressed marriage.
Dunn has begun to carve a presence in independent features as well,
appearing in Finn Taylor’s CHERISH as a raggedly overworked attorney, and as a
sympathetic therapist in newcomer Greg Harrison’s feature NOVEMBER(Sony
Classics) starring Courtney Cox. She
plays a cameo as a bitchy publicist in Sundance Film Festival’s crowd-pleaser
DIE MOMMY DIE.
For television, Dunn was recently seen in Comedy Central’s wildly
irreverent “Knee-Hi P.I.,” in which she plays the sexually promiscuous mom of
Hank Dingo, a private eye who is just less than four feet tall. Mrs. Dingo plays paladin to well-toned FedEx
drivers and various mid-twenties male protégés, but still finds time to manage
her small son’s office and smother him like a baby.
In her first film role Nora played opposite Sigourney Weaver and
Melanie Griffith in Mike Nichol’s hit comedy WORKING GIRL. Though the role had just three scenes, the New York Times still praised her
performance, saying she turned her uptight Wall Street executive “into a wicked
Witch of the Westside.” She was next
cast by Jonathan Demme in the cult classic
Theater credits include the emotionally anguished housewife Bea Small
in George Firth’s drama, “Precious Sons” at The Blank Theater Co., “The Vagina
Monologues” in
Dunn was administered twelve years of Catholic tutelage and upon
graduating from St. Mary’s Academy pursued a career in painting at The Art
Institute of Chicago. She studied at the
Institute for three years, then moved to
BARON VON WESTPHALEN –
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Shawn is one of the film industry’s most recognizable character
actors with a long list of movie and television credits.
He has appeared in over 50 films in a career that began, and continues,
as a writer. Shawn, a
Other plays written by Wallace followed, including “Aunt Dan and
Lemon,” and “The Fever.” The National
Theater in
Casting director Juliet Taylor saw Wallace in “The Mandrake,” then
recommended and ultimately cast him in Woody Allen’s
In addition to having a recognizable face, Shawn’s distinctive voice fueled
the performance of the nervous dinosaur, Rex, in TOY STORY as well as its
sequel TOY STORY 2. He can also be heard in the animated feature films THE
INCREDIBLES; THE GOOFY MOVIE and TEACHER’S PET: THE MOVIE, as well as on the
animated television series’ “Family Guy” and The Disney Channel’s “Stanley.”
Wallace has regularly appeared in such highly regarded television
series’ as “Murphy Brown,” “The Cosby Show” and “Taxi”, along with special
appearances on “Clueless,” “Ally McBeal”, “Crossing Jordan”, “Star Trek: Deep
Space Nine” and the PBS presentation, “How To Be a Perfect Person in Three
Days.” Movies made for television include “Monte Walsh” starring Tom Selleck,
“Mr. St. Nick” starring Kelsey Grammer and “Blonde” with Poppy Montgomery as
the legendary Marilyn Monroe.
TERI RILEY – Lisa K. Wyatt
Lisa K. Wyatt is
a highly experienced actress with over one hundred fifty film, television and
regional theatre credits. In addition to a series regular role in the Fox
Family pilot “Favor and Family,” her numerous film and television credits
include MR. WOODCOCK, AMERICAN DREAMZ, LEGALY BLONDE, DONNIE DARKO, “Six Feet
Under,” “Frasier,” “Gilmore Girls,” and recurring principal roles on “Days of
Our Lives” and “Passions.” She has also appeared in commercials, voiceover and
several
She graduated
Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Theatre and Math from
SERPENTINE – Bai Ling
A star of stage and screen in her native
Bai Ling was most recently seen in Jon Avnet’s WORLD OF TOMORROW,
joined by an all-star cast including Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina
Jolie. In this futuristic
action-adventure, Bai Ling plays a mysterious woman who seemingly thwarts moves
to save our planet.
While best known for her dramatic portrayals, Bai Ling recently made a
successful foray into comedy, starring in the Miramax feature MY BABY’S DADDY,
opposite Eddie Griffiths and Anthony Anderson in this urban version of THREE
MEN AND A BABY, Bai Ling plays “Kwan,” the long-suffering girlfriend to the
reluctant father of her child
(Anderson).
Also on her slate is a stunning cameo in STAR WARS: EPISODE 2, as an
ambassador in an instellar United Nations, as well as a starring role as a
lesbian desperate to conceive in Spike Lee’s wildly clever SHE HATE ME.
Rounding out her work this year is a starring role in Content Film’s
immigrant drama, THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, produced by the award-winning Terrence
Malick, which will make its debut at the Berlin Film Festival this February.
Even language proves no barrier for this protean actress, which she
proved when landing a starring role in TAXI
Bai Ling was also seen starring in “Point of Origin”for HBO, with Ray
Liotta and Jon Leguizamo. In this real
life story, Bai Ling plays the aggrieved but faithful wife to a brilliant
Additionally, Bai Ling played opposite Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat in
Andy Tenant's ANNA AND THE KING. In this dramatic retelling of THE KING AND I,
Bai Ling plays "Tuptim," the King's beautiful young concubine, who
defiantly pursues her true love with tragic consequences.
1999 saw her opposite Will Smith in Barry Sonnenfeld's WILD, WILD WEST,
with Kevin Kline, Kenneth Brannagh and Salma Hayek, as "Miss East,"
the cunning Asian seductress.
Bai Ling first came to the attention of audiences and critics alike
when she won the coveted role opposite Richard Gere in Jon Avnet's thriller,
RED CORNER. She starred as the court-appointed defense attorney to Gere's
character, who is accused of a brutal murder during a business trip to
Born in the Szechwan