Sudbury·Film Industry

Sudbury Ethan Hawke film makes casting call for extras

If you’ve ever dreamed of being in a movie, you now have a chance in Sudbury, Ont.
Crew members working on Chet Baker biopic Born to Be Blue are looking to hire extras for the scenes being shot this weekend in Sudbury. (Megan Thomas/CBC)

If you’ve ever dreamed of being in a movie, you now have a chance in Sudbury.

Feature film Born to Be Blue is being shot in Sudbury until the end of November, and the crew is looking to hire extras.

“They get to be in the mix with some Hollywood stars, an amazing crew from both northern Ontario and Los Angeles and Toronto area,” said Micheline Blais, who is in charge of casting. “It’s a very exciting production.”

The film stars Academy Award Nominee Ethan Hawke, alongside with Carmen Ejogo and Callum Keith Rennie.

No experience is needed to be in the film, but Blais said extras will be expected to "hurry up and wait" when they get on set.

“It does take time to set up each shot,” she said. “Each scene, they have to set up cameras [and] lights, so, they spend a lot of time waiting to be in the scene.”

The film is a 1950s and 1960s period jazz film that tells the story of Chet Baker, who was a jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player and vocalist.

Background actors won’t do any talking, Blais said.

“Background actors really are there to fill up the scenes and make … the scenes come to life,” she said. “They’re a really important piece of the film itself.”

Blais said the crew is looking for people who are available to work weekdays, between four and 12 hour days.

Interested aspiring actors should send a photo and contact information to Blais at [email protected]