Hodgie15
18 Dec 2005, 09:39
Crawf grabs leading role
By JACKIE EPSTEIN
18dec05
SHANE Crawford is set to realise his dream of becoming a movie star.
The former Hawthorn captain, who has made no secret of his ambitions to break into acting, will play the lead role in a feature-length film being pitched by Los Angeles-based actor Louis Mandylor.
Called The Peanut Farm, the story has been written by Melbourne-born Mandylor and is based on an AFL player sentenced to life in prison.
"It could be my big break," Crawford said.
"I've had a look at the script and it's very impressive. We had a good chat and it's all positive.
"It's not something I would do lightly. I've been informed about the project for quite some time and it sounds like the perfect mix."
Crawford sent Mandylor tapes of himself appearing on the panel of Channel 9's The Footy Show, in which he was a key character and creator of spoofs House of Bulger and Bullet and Gunn.
While he is taking one-on-one acting classes, his focus is still fixed on the season ahead with Hawthorn.
"Obviously, I have a passion to play footy for as long as possible," Crawford said.
"If anything could fit around football, that would be good. But I'm training hard with footy to have a good season.
"I've done a lot of things, but this just gives me something else and it's a good opportunity.
"Louis is a man on a mission, coming out and firing things up."
Mandylor, who was a star of the hit movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has been working on the project for eight years and, while in Melbourne, has had a positive response from Village Roadshow.
Producer Peter Maniatis, a former boxing promoter who has been helping Mandylor, described Crawford as the next Robert Redford.
"The Australian market has a lot to offer," Maniatis said. "We haven't simply watched Get Shorty and just said, 'Let's do it'."
Brownlow medallist Crawford has been a target from day one, with Mandylor's brother, Costas, also a US-based actor, expected to play a role.
Discussions also have been held with Anthony LaPaglia, star of hit TV series Without a Trace, and several top female actors.
A meeting with Collingwood president Eddie McGuire will be held this week and former Hawthorn star Dermott Brereton also could be involved.
"I like his look, I like his vibe," Mandylor said of Crawford.
"It's a wonderful story about an Aussie Rules football star.
"He has the world in the palms of his hands and makes a critical mistake and goes to jail for the remainder of his natural life.
"He blames football for that and refuses to ever pick up a footy again.
"But he finds love for the game again. And I want to represent our great game worldwide -- big and beautiful. The time is right. There hasn't been an Aussie Rules-themed movie since The Club in the 1970s.
"I believe in the product and I believe in the game.
"I think it will do well in Australia, obviously, but also overseas. "It's fast and furious and I think people in the US will enjoy that."
Mandylor is in Melbourne until the end of the week trying to drum up interest.
He has his own production company, runs workshops and is also pitching a TV series called Live a Little.
"The last two weeks . . . we've created a momentum where a lot of people have come out of the woodwork," Mandylor said.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17598523^2902,00.html
By JACKIE EPSTEIN
18dec05
SHANE Crawford is set to realise his dream of becoming a movie star.
The former Hawthorn captain, who has made no secret of his ambitions to break into acting, will play the lead role in a feature-length film being pitched by Los Angeles-based actor Louis Mandylor.
Called The Peanut Farm, the story has been written by Melbourne-born Mandylor and is based on an AFL player sentenced to life in prison.
"It could be my big break," Crawford said.
"I've had a look at the script and it's very impressive. We had a good chat and it's all positive.
"It's not something I would do lightly. I've been informed about the project for quite some time and it sounds like the perfect mix."
Crawford sent Mandylor tapes of himself appearing on the panel of Channel 9's The Footy Show, in which he was a key character and creator of spoofs House of Bulger and Bullet and Gunn.
While he is taking one-on-one acting classes, his focus is still fixed on the season ahead with Hawthorn.
"Obviously, I have a passion to play footy for as long as possible," Crawford said.
"If anything could fit around football, that would be good. But I'm training hard with footy to have a good season.
"I've done a lot of things, but this just gives me something else and it's a good opportunity.
"Louis is a man on a mission, coming out and firing things up."
Mandylor, who was a star of the hit movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has been working on the project for eight years and, while in Melbourne, has had a positive response from Village Roadshow.
Producer Peter Maniatis, a former boxing promoter who has been helping Mandylor, described Crawford as the next Robert Redford.
"The Australian market has a lot to offer," Maniatis said. "We haven't simply watched Get Shorty and just said, 'Let's do it'."
Brownlow medallist Crawford has been a target from day one, with Mandylor's brother, Costas, also a US-based actor, expected to play a role.
Discussions also have been held with Anthony LaPaglia, star of hit TV series Without a Trace, and several top female actors.
A meeting with Collingwood president Eddie McGuire will be held this week and former Hawthorn star Dermott Brereton also could be involved.
"I like his look, I like his vibe," Mandylor said of Crawford.
"It's a wonderful story about an Aussie Rules football star.
"He has the world in the palms of his hands and makes a critical mistake and goes to jail for the remainder of his natural life.
"He blames football for that and refuses to ever pick up a footy again.
"But he finds love for the game again. And I want to represent our great game worldwide -- big and beautiful. The time is right. There hasn't been an Aussie Rules-themed movie since The Club in the 1970s.
"I believe in the product and I believe in the game.
"I think it will do well in Australia, obviously, but also overseas. "It's fast and furious and I think people in the US will enjoy that."
Mandylor is in Melbourne until the end of the week trying to drum up interest.
He has his own production company, runs workshops and is also pitching a TV series called Live a Little.
"The last two weeks . . . we've created a momentum where a lot of people have come out of the woodwork," Mandylor said.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17598523^2902,00.html