A Star In The Family

I always liked the Cat Stevens song "I Never Wanted To Be A Star".......but unlike Cat, I never became one.......although some family members might disagree with that. In my own little world, maybe I am.......but I like to say I am "almost famous". I suppose most every young person at one time or another, gets it in their head that they would like to be a movie star. Big dreams........and the odds are against those kinds of dreams.

Signtopia and Dash Riprock at an Orioles Game

My dream was to have a family..........and I have accomplished that dream. And you gotta know that a tremendous amount of work was involved........both enjoyable and not so enjoyable. It is every good parent's desire for the dreams and aspirations of their children to come true.......whether it be minor or major. You want them to succeed in life....in spite of everything that happens around them.

A long time ago, when my eldest son, Dash Riprock, was knee high to a grasshopper, he decided that he was going to be a Power Ranger..........and this wasn't much of a surprise to me and Supernurse since he was crazy about the Power Rangers. He had all of the toys and would watch every episode on the television each day. What DID surprise us was the one day we could not find him anywhere.........he went missing! Needless to say, we were all frightened and worried and we searched everywhere trying to find him. Our efforts failed and he was nowhere to be found........except........thank God.....that night we got a phone call from the security people at Baltimore-Washington Airport. They said "We have a little boy here that wanted to get on a plane to Los Angeles." Huh? Jesus God! My kid?.......yep......MY kid.

Apparently, MY kid actually had called a cab to come pick him up and take him from our house to the airport. Hmmmmm......you gotta wonder why the cab driver didn't question this. Anyway, we immediately drove to the airport to retrieve our child. Anger and relief.............whew! Why?.....son....why?.........what were you doing? That's when he told us that he was going to Los Angeles to be a Power Ranger. Most kids have dreams.......and alot of parents have nightmares.

Years and years went by.......and the Power Ranger incident was somewhat forgotten about........until my son, now in his twenties, began getting parts on HBO's The Wire. Gee........if he can't go to Los Angeles.........he found a way to be involved in Hollywood right here in Baltimore. I mentioned previously on the blog about his involvement with the Commander In Chief television program. Somehow, he manages to get himself in the majority of flims that are shot in this area.

When you see stuff like this boarded up house in the ghetto, you can't imagine any value to it. 99.9% of those that pass by, this is hell.....and way too dangerous ground to tread. This is East Baltimore............drug dealers on every corner........crime at every turn.........bullets flying........murders and more murders. Filth. For some reason, though, one of those Hollywood people had a use for it. This neighborhood would be perfect to substitute for Manchester, England. Huh? You gotta be kidding me. How could any place in England be anything as low as East Baltimore?

My son tells me he would have to come to this neighborhood because he was going to be in a new movie directed by Ridley Scott. Ridley Scott?............didn't he make Alien? What kind of movie is this? Who is in it? What is it about? So my son decides to take me in town to go see where they would film.

This was the street where the film crews were preparing to do their thing. We were there right before dark........it's not a safe place at any time of day. The set designers were altering and modifying the homes to look more like Manchester. Lifts were parked on the street.....they woud be used for aerial camera shots. The chimney stacks were added. All of this, only a few blocks northeast of Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Some of the residents......soon to be displaced with explosions, gunfire, scores of police and film crews.

This don't look much like Hollywood stuff to me. So just what is this movie about? So my son tells me that it is called "Body Of Lies" directed by Ridley Scott and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. This is great!........and my son gets to be in it!

So........son......what part do you play?............hmmmmmm........well.........a British swat team member..............and he tells me that his face is completely covered except for his eyes.........but it turns out he also gets to run through the streets with a weapon and has to run in front of a milk truck. Not bad.

After filming was done on this street, they called him again and wanted to use him as some sort of policeman. He would need to go to some other location for filming. That's two different parts in one film! How many people can say that?

When he finished that, they called him back again and wanted him to portray an air force soldier inside some sort of interior command post. I do not know all of the details because my son was sworn to secrecy. Oh well......we will have to wait for the movie. But at this point, my son is in the movie performing THREE different roles!

Because explosions were utilized, fire equipment was there at the set.

British vehicles...........water trucks.......canopies for film crews......on the set.

Ha.......this neighborhood hasn't seen this many white people in it for at least thirty years. Several blocks of the neighborhood, surrounding the set, were closed off for safety.

And there he is........my son, Dash Riprock.........hehehe.

He may not be a Power Ranger...........but by golly..........he IS in movies.......and not some little independent B movies...........these are top notch films.

Good going, son. Hmmmmm.......I wonder if I could get a role in one of these movies. Oh well............that might be a nightmare!

And before Body Of Lies.......there was Evan Almighty. It starred Steve Carrell and John Goodman. Here is a screen shot of my son in action. He played a Capitol police officer and he was to physically remove the main character from the floor of the senate office building.

Here is a closer look at the scene. You cannot imagine how proud I am of him. I just had to share this with everyone.

So the next time you find yourself sitting in the stands at Camden Yards.....watching an Orioles game.........look around you........you just never know who you might have seen up on the big screen of the movie theater.

To my son...........keep at it...........you have done me proud...........everything you accomplish, I accomplish...........and without you, my dream would be lost.