And just what is the famed comedic actor doing in the sleepy Lake City, exactly? Pounding Bud Light Limes at the Naked Turtle, perhaps? Getting in some quality “me time” after splitting with longtime wife and fellow actor Christine Taylor? Scouting locales for Zoolander 3, Meet the Grandparents or (pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease) Mystery Men 2?
Almost, but not quite.
Stiller is indeed scouting locations for a new project. He’s directing an untitled miniseries for Showtime centered on the June 2015 prison escape of two inmates from the Clinton Correctional Facility in nearby Dannemora, N.Y.
And guess what? You can be in it! A casting call for the series is slated for this Saturday, July 22, at the Strand Center Theatre in downtown Plattsburgh.
The chances of finally catching that big break are fairly slim, though. Several media outlets have reported that stars Benicio del Toro, Paul Dano, Eric Lange and Patricia Arquette are attached to the project. The miniseries’ co-casting director Rachel Tenner, however, declined to confirm those reports.
“There are still some pieces in motion and we’re not ready to make any announcements,” Tenner told Seven Days in a recent phone call.
So if Stiller isn’t scouring the North Country for an undiscovered actor to play inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat, what roles is Tenner hoping to fill?
“We’re really looking for all types of people,” said Tenner, whose credits include casting for Zoolander 2, the Coen Brothers’ True Grit remake and the FX series “Fargo,” among numerous other projects. While most of the roles will be of the background variety, she added, a handful of small speaking roles will be available.
If you go, Tenner advises patience. For one thing, it’s likely to be a long day — the call runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. And she’s expecting quite a crowd.
“I think this is going to be a big one,” said Tenner. “I’m hoping for 700 or 800 people. But it’s a great way to flush out a cast.”
She added that aspiring thespians should leave the “Macbeth” monologues at home. And maybe refrain from quoting your favorite Zoolander and Tropic Thunder lines.
“Just relax and be yourself,” she said. “We just want a taste of who people are.”
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Uggggh…I was interested in auditioning however have a prior commitment today (I work the county fair each year ). Will there be another audition day ? I lived in Dannemora on Mountainview Road during the time of the breakout…lived through the horror ( as many did ) and drove through the lines of brave protecting officers, to include loved ones, to get to and from work on a daily basis. Each day driving through was like a horror movie from a long time in the distant future. Like nothing I had ever seen.