Sean Trolinder
ACCOUNTS ABOUT LAKELAND
Film Beat L.A. Filming This Week Los Angeles, CA November 7, 2013The Sunrise Over High Amarillo begins filming in Plainview, Texas this week. Adapted from Hugh J. Laromare’s best-selling novel, the film follows two fallen lovers on the eve of the Vietnam War. Filming is estimated to last a month in Plainview before moving to Australia. Production has an estimated budget of $65 million.
Academy Award nominee Kirk Lakeland will play Trevis, a young pianist who is drafted moments after hearing his lover (played by Justine Fallon) has come down with breast cancer.
This marks director Terrance Ratt’s second film, his first in seven years.
Fallon, who recently signed with Endeavor, came onboard a month ago after impressing Ratt with her riveting performance in last year’s indie hit Line Drive Boulevard.
Lakeland and Ratt, repped by ICM, have been tied to this project for nearly nine months. Ratt, who had an impressive debut with Elmersville in 2006, has been trying to buy the rights to Laromare’s novel for the past five years. Lakeland received a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Touch of Grace earlier this year.
The Plainview Gazette Classifieds Plainview, TX November 7, 2013EXTRAS WANTED- Boys and girls between the ages of 7-15 are needed for a movie entitled The Sunrise Over High Amarillo. Boys must wear blue jeans and striped shirts to be considered. Girls should wear Sunday dresses, bonnets preferred. Extras must be willing to play in the dirt and push barrels of hay. Kids must not look at Kirk Lakeland. Pay is $20/hr. Please call Cindy at the following number:
Movie Mythology Rumor Mill New York, NY November 8, 2013Last night photos were taken of actress Nimbus Tulora outside the Ritz-Carlton. Once married to Kirk Lakeland, the photo shows her kissing cinematographer Liu Wigh. Tulora’s agent, Angie Waters, says there is nothing to the kiss.
“They’re just old friends,” said Waters.
Tulora filed for custody over her son, Tim, three months ago. She was recently awarded the $4 million home she purchased with Lakeland last year.
Quick Takes Magazine MovieBiz Bulletin Los Angeles, CA November 9, 2013Heartthrob Kirk Lakeland has been known for his rebellious nature- playing a steroid user, child abuser, drug dealer, and sociopath in his various films. It came as a surprise to many that he agreed to play Trevis in director Terrance Ratt’s adaptation of The Sunrise Over High Amarillo, a role that goes against his type. After his surprising loss at this year’s Oscars and his divorce from actress Nimbus Tulora, Lakeland checked into a rehab center in Iowa City, his hometown.
“While I was there I got a hold of [Hugh] Laromare’s novel, based on Terrance [Ratt’s] recommendation,” said Lakeland in an interview with Katherine Quick. “I felt so bad for Trevis. On one hand he must serve his country, but on the other his lover is dying and she wants him to be there for her. He can’t nurse her because of the draft. I feel this book speaks volumes of what we all go through, with difficult scenarios that are beyond our control.”
Lakeland has been sober for more than seven months. Perhaps one of the biggest appeals to his new role was that Trevis doesn’t drink.
“It certainly was,” said Lakeland, “but Terrance had contacted me about this role in February. At the time, I was working on Merry-Go-Silly but he assured me that he’d postpone production until I became available.”
Lakeland has been mentioned as the “Sean Penn of his generation” due to his unorthodox style of method acting. To prepare for the Vietnam scenes, he slept in muddy water at nights and underwent a rigorous boot camp training for two months. For his early scenes, he learned how to play the piano from six different instructors and worked as a cattle herder in Odessa, Texas for two months.
Filming for The Sunrise Over High Amarillo begins November 10th.
The Plainview Gazette Food & Entertainment Plainview, Texas November 10, 2013Local bakers and butchers have offered catering services for the new Terrance Ratt film, The Sun Rises Over High Amarillo. Just the other day, Kirk Lakeland met fans outside of Polson’s BBQ carrying a brisket burger in one hand. Trevis, the character Lakeland portrays, is a big fan of brisket and corn.
“We read High Amarillo in Mrs. Dipola’s English class,” said Kevin Black, an 11th grader at Plainview High School. “The first thing I thought when reading about Trevis’s brisket obsession was Polson’s. No one does it better.”
Fans have anticipated the arrival of Lakeland for over a month. Given the actor’s history with method acting, many believed that the first place he’d go was Polson’s. Lakeland arrived one week ago from Odessa, where he’s been researching herding techniques. The Plainview High cheerleading squad camped outside of Polson’s for two days just to greet the Hollywood star. To everyone’s surprise he went to McKinley’s Deli and ordered a roast beef on rye.
“I dreamt of being the first gal to greet him,” said Kelli Aun, a senior who is planning on majoring in theatre at Sam Houston State. “I never took him to be a beef on rye type of guy.”
A small deli established in 1965, McKinley’s has been one of several shops that plastered posters of Lakeland on its walls. Mark Polson, owner of Polson’s, even named the brisket burger “The Lakeland Splash” in honor of the actor.
“I thought that might have done the trick,” Polson said.
[Pictured right, actor Kirk Lakeland greets fans outside Polson’s BBQ. He has been seen wearing a white cowboy hat around town in preparation for his role in The Sun Rise Over High Amarillo]
Though director Terrance Ratt allowed both businesses to cater, it has not stopped the competition between these rival restaurants. Even Lakeland would not take a stance on which place was better.
“Polson’s has the best brisket in the south,” said Lakeland, “but McKinley makes one mean roast beef sandwich. Comparing the two would be like comparing lettuce to chocolate.”
Filming of The Sun Rises Over High Amarillo begins at Rod Coleman’s ranch this afternoon. Though the excitement over the film should take the main stage, the war between our beloved restaurants will be decided by the cast, crew, and extras as they make their selections.
Quick Takes Magazine Fan Forum New York, NY November 16, 2013 Caitlin, 18- Plainview, TexasSo I’m walking out of the 7-Eleven on 8th and I run into none other than Kirk Lakeland! He’s much shorter than I imagined, but his arms are just as buff! Folks told me to stay away from him, that he’s an actor who needs his space, but he looked so freakin’ hot in the trailer for Merry-Go-Silly and I wanted to know what it was like to play a crazy man in New York. I was about to ask, but before I could he yanked out his cellphone and began shouting at Nimbus. He yelled, “Put Tim on the line!” I ran away, feeling he was still in character. He’s a scary good actor. He should have won that Oscar.
Anyways, folks here in Plainview are so excited about the film. We organized our senior skip day around this. Shooting started out at my friend Gina’s ranch. The film crew attached rails around the dirt. My brother says the director likes to use tracking shots, whatever that means. I saw Justine Fallon drinking out of a thermos one morning, but she was not the one we wanted to see. So far, Kirk has not shown up on the set. Something about having to go to a premiere in Los Angeles. Some woman named Cindy told me his first scene will be on the 16th. Why come to Plainview early if he wasn’t planning on staying the entire time?
Gina has a hot photo of Kirk with his shirt off, on the beach, with a wave about to crash into his six pack abs. So cute! She wants a signature, but I have to remind her to be careful, because he might snap at any moment.
Film Beat L.A. Exclusive Interview Los Angeles, CA November 21, 2013If you go down Wilshire Boulevard, Kirk Lakeland has been the subject of conversation. The Hollywood premier of Merry-Go-Silly was met with applause and has been a critic’s favorite. Playing Walter Jenkins, a man who escapes from a nuthouse after eight years of confinement, critics have compared his performance as a combination of Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Angelina Jolie from Girl, Interrupted. Oscar buzz got a significant boost as Miramax increased its campaign this past weekend. Merry-Go-Silly opens nationwide next week.
Wendy Codine caught up with the actor after the Hollywood premier to discuss working, life after Nimbus, and Texas.
W.C. – Thanks for joining me. It seems that the premier went well.
K.L. – Los Angeles always brings a great crowd. It’s nice to catch up with the crew. You develop relationships for a couple of months and they go by fast. Premiers are great. It’s like a family reunion.
W.C. – That’s great. Let’s get started. How are things in your life now?
K.L. – It could be better, but I’m still working. I’m playing the role of a lifetime in my new movie, The Sun Rises Over High Amarillo. When I read the novel, I initially felt like I could relate to Trevis, though he is a much different man from a different era. I have been living as Trevis for the past seven months, preparing for this movie so to ask me how my life is, I can’t really say. This is as open as I’ve been in a while.
W.C. – Many have said you have an unusual approach to acting. Can you elaborate?
K.L. – I don’t think my approach is all that different to the great ones. When I get a script I really like, I try to imagine how the characters are feeling. When Silas gave me the script for Merry-Go-Silly, I immediately tried to figure out Walter’s back history. After finding out that his trauma came from taking 12 years of anti-depressants, I thought to myself that there was no time to lose. Despite Nimbus urging me to stop, I kept taking anti-depressants for the good of the role. Ironically, staying in a psych ward for three months was a type of rehab itself as it proved that I could go a long period without drinking. Though I had my last drink with Nimbus before the [divorce]…well, the experience prepared me for Trevis and that’s what’s important.
W.C. – How are things between you and Nimbus?
K.L. – She has always enjoyed my acting. That hasn’t changed, but every time she sees me she questions if I’m myself. To answer your question, I don’t know. She’s somewhere in the reception room with her boy-toy, that cinematographer, I forget his name. Ask her.
W.C. – How is life as a father?
K.L. – Tim is a great kid, but I haven’t been able to talk with him much. I call him often and sometimes Nimbus puts him on. I plan on spending more time with him after returning from Australia. That is if I don’t lose him in court.
W.C. – So how are things in Texas so far?
K.L. – The people are very nice. When I entered Plainview, it was like a parade. Police offered their security, posters of me were everywhere downtown, and I even had a brisket burger named after me. I went to an AA meeting and I tell you what: when I told them about all the temptations and demons that comes with being an alcoholic, people began to open up. This one guy told me about how he ran over his son with a tractor because he was impaired. He was plowing through some wheat, but didn’t see his son trying to wave him down. It made me want to call Tim, which I did but he was busy doing something with that cinematographer. Anyway, I felt bad at the meeting. I was rehearsing a speech Trevis gives in the script, but they bought it so I must have done something right. As far as Odessa goes, cattle herding is no walk in the park. I’d worked seven hours every day in the heat, moving cattle in lines across a 150 acre ranch. This was brutal, compared to the piano lessons.
W.C. – Did you tell anyone that your speech was scripted?
K.L. – One person caught on. This man, Mark Polson; he makes the best brisket in Texas, read the novel and caught on to what I was doing. He told me that after the meeting, but he said that people in Texas would take great offense to it so he didn’t call me out.
W.C. – Well thanks for your time Kirk and good luck with the rest of film.
K.L. – Thanks for having me, Wendy.
Quick Takes Magazine On Kissing Kirk Lakeland: By Justine Fallon Los Angeles, CA November 23, 2013At noon he sits on a haystack, eating a brisket burger and wiping his hands against his jeans. This is a typical Texas afternoon for Kirk Lakeland. Working with him is both a worthwhile and amazing experience. I have never seen so many fans line up against a cow pen just to get a glimpse of the man. Boys in little white cowboy hats dress like him and girls with bonnets yell howdy. He kindly waves, yet he doesn’t break character. When he’s on the set, he is Trevis.
The other day we shot the first scene where Paulina (my character) and Trevis (Kirk’s) share a kiss and let me tell you, he doesn’t disappoint. Maybe it was the autumn glow against wheat, maybe the wind, or maybe the extras doing a line dance as Kirk swung me around in his arms. As he pulled me closer, Terrance Ratt ordered for more wind. That’s when it happened. Kirk pressed his tongue against my top lip. I stopped, feeling lightheaded like one of those screaming girls in the cow pen. I saw a little girl clapping her hands, urging me on. Her sister winked at me and mouthed something. I think it was: Go for it. In the novel, Trevis is described as a rough kisser. Since Kirk is such a convincing actor, I was lost- was he or Trevis kissing me?
I waited at the barnyard, telling the cosmetics director to bring me some lipstick. Kirk talked with Terrance about how fake the wind was. Even though I was giddy, looking forward to a retake (the cinematographer got the boom mic in the frame), I had to remind myself that this is a movie. I’m an actress. I have a responsibility to authenticate Paulina.
The extra that winked at me said she was part of the 4-H club and that she’s seen all Kirk’s movies. She told me that I looked like Mia Farrow, except I act better. I wondered if she saw any of my movies, but I didn’t want to be rude. A couple of boys wanted Kirk to play kick the can, but all he did was sit on a bench and reread his script. A boy asked Kirk about his son. The funny thing is the kid looked a lot like Tim. I expected a reaction, but Kirk didn’t flinch. That was when I knew the kiss wasn’t real.
Movie Mythology Actor’s Forum New York, NY November 29, 2013A week ago we received an anonymous letter from someone who claims to be a major Hollywood actor. He would not reveal his/her name or location in the letter, but what the letter reveals is an actor’s awakening and new opinion on Hollywood.
Acting is something I’ve loved since I was a child. Even though I’ve reached superstardom and had a nice run with the life it provides, I just can’t pretend anymore. I’ve been on set of a new film for a couple of weeks now and being around the community has opened my eyes to many things. First, I’ve taken for granted all the simple pleasures life has to offer- running in fields, learning a new instrument, eating local food, playing with kids in the dirt, and reading a book in the grass. I went swimming in a lake the other day. I felt normal for the first time in many years. These are things I used to do when I was a kid, before acting became my world.
I went to a meeting the other day and heard a man talk about how his wife left him because he drank too much. This guy was a postal worker, delivered everyone’s mail on time and in pristine condition for over 25 years. He swore that he never drank on the job and that he’d only get drunk on the weekends. The local pastor, whom I will leave nameless, talked this guy’s wife into praying for him, except he didn’t want anything to do with religion. After some time, his wife complained about how he was living a life of sin and if he continued to touch the bottle, his soul would be damned. The guy didn’t stop, so the pastor himself came to pray for him. Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t bother him, except he was drunk on whiskey and God was the last thing he wanted to hear. He punched the pastor in the mouth. A week later this guy’s wife agrees to go on a mission to Belize. A month later, this guy receives divorce papers and never sees his wife again.
[We at Movie Mythology cannot authenticate the identity of the actor. It is possible that this actor does not exist. The content in this letter does not reflect the opinions of this publication]
Divorce is nothing new to good people like the postal worker. We see divorces in Hollywood all the time. My wife divorced me because I was dedicated to my work and every time I had time off, I’d get loaded on vodka. I used to blame her, but after seeing how the families treat each other around here I realize it’s my own fault. I’m getting paid millions of dollars to play my part, but the money I earn will not replace the time I’ve missed with my son, nor the opportunity I had with my wife. My son called my wife’s lover “Dad” a couple of weeks ago and it is the hardest thing I’ve ever endured. The worst part is she did nothing to stop this.
I’m not writing this to ridicule my wife or her lover, they’re good people. I’m writing this because I’ve overlooked the small town values I grew up with. Family is the most important thing in the town where we’re shooting this movie. When I go to a restaurant, I never see anyone alone. The town itself is a family and everyone knows each other. When people see me, they see the characters I play. Though they try to include me (and the values of this town are rubbing off on the cast and crew), I’ve never felt so alone. When I see the kids, I see my son. I have to remind myself that they’re not mine.
When I first arrived in Hollywood all I wanted was an opportunity. I struggled for several years before I got my first big gig. I met my wife while making one of these films and that is something that I give the business credit for. My problem was that I enjoyed acting so much that I couldn’t take a break from it. Every time my agent got ahold of a great script, it was hard for me to turn it down. I drank before coming to Hollywood, but all the dinner meetings and events I attended didn’t help my cause. Oddly, my biggest regret isn’t that I waited too long to quit drinking. My biggest regret is leading young people astray with my lifestyle.
The other day I sat in a chair, getting make-up work when I saw a boy waving his arms and marching in place. At points he’d stroke his imaginary beard as if thinking heavily. One of his friends told him to cluck like a chicken, which he did. These were all things I did in various movies over the years. His friends were laughing and that’s when I knew he had the natural talent to become an actor. I don’t fraternize with fans while I’m on the set, but this kid was something else. He looked like my son, but most of the boys do these days.
The guys hushed and the girls screamed. I walked to the gate and teenagers clawed one another just to shake hands with me. The boy who imitated me reached behind him for something. I hoped to instruct him on the some of the finer points of acting, but I was bombarded with people pulling out their camera phones, taking pictures of me.
I was looking for clarity in the kid. All I got was a sharpie. The boy held out a photo and asked me to sign.
MARY: A Journal of New Writing 