Is that you on the silver screen?
Monmouth man schedules June 21 casting call for speaking roles and about 100 extras for his comedy film

By David A. Sargent
Special to the Sun Journal
LEWISTON — You ought to be in pictures.
It’s time for your close-up, and now is your chance to make that bid for fame on the silver screen.
It could begin with an open casting call that’s slated for Sunday, June 21, between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Ramada Conference Center in Lewiston.
There are chances for more than 20 speaking roles and at least 100 extras for a romantic comedy called “Scooter McGruder.”
This will be an open casting call. It’s for all ages and anyone interested in a chance to be in some scenes in the film is invited to try out.
The production is coming together through the efforts of Bill McLean of Monmouth. About 95 percent of the preproduction work is done and shooting should start in about four weeks.
“We will be giving Maine people preference for acting in “Scooter McGruder,” McLean said, adding he will be casting three lead roles for the movie.
He said there is no pay for the extras who are chosen at the casting call, but those who get lead or featured roles will have a contract that specifies their rewards if the film attains financial success.
“Scooter McGruder” will have a premiere showing in Lewiston and McLean said those who appear in scenes will get a DVD of the film. He emphasized that it’s his intention to have cameras pan over the extras as much as possible so local people can see themselves.
Filming on “Scooter McGruder” will take place at a Standish studio and in Lewiston and Hallowell, as well as at the Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro.
The title role will be played by McLean, and he said several well-known actors with Maine connections are in the cast.
“It’s about a 40-year-old man who lives with his aunt in the basement. He wants the American dream of a perfect job and a perfect wife, but he’s stuck in a rut,” McLean said. The situation leads to all kinds of comic problems,  with lots of physical comedy in the style of Carol Burnett and Jerry Lewis.
McLean wrote the script for “Scooter McGruder” about three years ago and he has formed a production company called Freight Train Film$ to make it. He looked for financing until a friend said, “Why shop it around when you can do it for no money?”
“You just need to get people to help,” McLean said, noting a number of talented people are already on board for the project and he has a guaranteed screening date with a distributor.
McLean’s film credits include appearances in “Edge of Darkness,” a soon-to-be-released Mel Gibson movie, and in “The Hit” in 2007 with Blair Underwood and James Russo.
He also volunteered time and starred in “Smashed,” the drinking and driving film produced by the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council and Maddog Films, and he was in “The Fight” (Shadow Glories), another film made in Lewiston.
McLean said he got to sing live recently on a Boston stage with Eric Idle of “Monty Python” fame.
Born and raised in Poland, McLean said it has always been his dream to establish a film studio in Maine.

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