Future Cast Projects

What’s up next for you?

DAN SHIREY

I'm currently living in Kansas City, MO finishing my degree. Then picking up and moving forward.

GARIKAYI MUTAMBIRWA

I just finished shooting an episode of "House M.D." (season 6).

Also trying to establish some contacts with Nigerians to do some "Nollywood" projects.

Making moves, making moves.

NATHAN MARLOW

Well I just wrapped a movie about the Nixon Watergate scandal. I play a psychotic agent that turns dark. I really enjoyed this role, the movie has a lot of action and drama and it’s always a blast to play the bad guy! It was difficult with the energy of this guy, he was very intense and psychotic so having to bring that to set everyday was challenging. It should be out by Thanksgiving. I’m on to my next project as we speak, heading to NY for a week to start production. It's about the war of 1812, English invading and how we as Americans joined forces with a tribe of Indians and my character Jack helps one Indian out after he is shot in battle and the story revolves around Jack and the Indians relationship. The English find out that I help him and they try to kill me for treason and all that fun stuff. It’s a fun period piece and shooting on one of my favorite cameras: the RED!





KARA CHAPUT

I am currently working on my original comedy “twisted.” It is about two average girls looking for love, seeking fame and landing somewhere in between…website will be up very soon at twisted-tv.com

SHERRY ROMITO

Well, I have already shot both a pilot presentation and a short and am getting ready to shoot a feature.

OWEN WILLIAMS

Working on our webisode "Van Man." We just shot a short film that I directed and acted in called, "Rebound Girl." And I have a feature film that we’re about to shoot the trailer for and start looking for some funding.

GARY EDWARD

God knows.

A closer look at their experiences on the set...

How did you get comfortable with this character and know whom he/she was?

DAN SHIREY

The environment was extremely creative. From the moment we walked on the set to home cooked meals. Djamel has a way of making his actors feel at ease, and has enormous insight on the characters. Where we can play around with ideas and improve. Sherman is a very quiet, but rude character. So for me it was about confrontation. Confront as many people as you possibly can. Episode 6 is by far my favortite as because it sets the tone for next season. There is more to Sherman.

NATHAN MARLOW

Fernando was an interesting character that I felt could have a lot of different sides and layers to him. When Djamel first approached me with him I was wondering how I could bring to life a guy that pretends about so much, but still has to be likeable and able to come across somewhat a serious guy. So it was a bit challenging to say the least. I just finished a movie where I was a completely different character and it was a challenge to find Fernando in such a quick time…I did some research on some actors that I liked and got some style ideas but I didn’t want to recreate anybody again. So I felt Fernando should come to life organically and I felt throughout the shoot he did. So needless to say it was a work in progress! (laughter)

KARA CHAPUT

Living in L.A. for the past 6 years I already felt like I knew Beverly. It was important that I understood her vulnerabilities and why she acted the way she did. Like most things in life, there is always more than meets the eye...

SHERRY ROMITO

Well I am an actress so I do know a little bit about where she is coming from. So although I am not too much like her, I do know what she goes through.

OWEN WILLIAMS

I’ve been pursuing acting with the intention of being a good actor in LA for a few years now, so I know what it’s like to wait tables.

GARY EDWARD

For me, it was pretty much in the writing, and collaboration with the director. The encouragement from him to constantly experiment and to try different things with the character helped me immensely.

... on working on 'The Great L.A. Pretenders':

DAN SHIREY

Only Fernando and Sherman saw it through to the end! It was tough at times, memorizing the dialogues and getting thrown with surprises. But we are actors and that’s what we do and I think Djamel did an excellent job of understanding where we were coming from and his approach was very clear of to what he wanted from each character.

NATHAN MARLOW

I had a great time working on The Great L.A Pretenders. I felt we had a few set backs in the beginning, but I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The cast was amazing and the little budget we had and the style of the shoot, I felt the acting had to be great and it was! Everyone on set were professionals and amazing, so I felt it made everyone step up their game. It's fun to see the webisodes come out now because we had such a quick time to shoot them because of everyone’s schedules and at times I think the biggest concern was wondering if we got the shot, typical actor in all of us! (laughter)

KARA CHAPUT

Was a great experience…a lot of fun and freedom to explore the characters relationships.

SHERRY ROMITO

The cast was great so it made it easy to come to set.

OWEN WILLIAMS

The comfort level was already there for me when I arrived on set. Everyone was extremely nice and professional.

GARY EDWARD

It was an interesting concept from the beginning. And the script being what it was. The story. It made me take a hard look at what it was that I was really trying to accomplish in this town. Overall, the experience was nothing short of enlightening.

... on Working with Writer/Director Djamel Bennecib:

NATHAN MARLOW

I love working with Djamel. He is a very actor friendly director. I really enjoy shooting these types of projects! Djamel allows us as actors to improve if were in the moment and he lets us have freedom with the lines, which is always an actors dream come true. He approached me with this idea last year and about how the Internet and the content could reach a global market and there wasn’t really any webisodes out there at the time, and we bounced this idea off one another and a few months later he emailed me the script I really enjoyed these characters and how funny it was. He did a great job coming up with the different characters and how they interact with one another and there different background, etc…

KARA CHAPUT

Djamel was great to work with because he gave us a freedom to experiment with different ideas. But he also is a very honest director and if something did not work, you could tell but a simple look on his face!

SHERRY ROMITO

He was very helpful. Djamel was fun to work with he was easy going but was there for when you needed him.

OWEN WILLIAMS

Djamel is very easy to be around and has a clear idea of what he wants. He’s a fun director with a flexible mind.

GARY EDWARD

As I mentioned earlier, being able to have access to Djamel while he was still doing re-writes and last minute touch-ups on the script was priceless. It usually never works that way. He was all about making it as painless as possible for the actor. If I came up with a new idea for the character at the last minute, he would always encourage me to try it. He was like that with everyone. Very personable. I had the opportunity to work with him on a previous project, so I feel very fortunate to have had that advantage coming into this one. Everyone told me that I should never work with a French director. Too arrogant, they told me! But it really wasn't that bad. I hope I get the chance to collaborate with him on future projects!

... on Working with 'The Great L.A. Pretenders' Cast/What was the atmosphere on the set?

DAN SHIREY

It was fun and sexy. Sherman and Beverly definitely had a connection on the set, who knows what happened off set...

NATHAN MARLOW

The atmosphere for the most part was pretty relaxed! I felt once Djamel had the right actors in place the project finally came together. Most of the show took place in the house so by the end of the shoot I don’t think I ever want to go back to the house ever again. Also I must add and everyone on set could account for this I’ve never seen cats that weight 100 pounds! I swear I thought these things ate a few kids or something who knows, and I don’t know how many times we had to cut because of this damn rooster! I thought we might have to shoot the thing just give it some screen time so it would shut up! (laughter)

KARA CHAPUT

Everyone got along really well on set, most of us coincidentally already knew each other so it made for a very comfortable place to play.

SHERRY ROMITO

Joyous.

OWEN WILLIAMS

Atmosphere on set was loose and professional. People were having fun but taking the project seriously. It was nice.

GARY EDWARD

I had minimal shooting days, so I didn't get to spend any consistent time with the cast. While I was there, the atmosphere seemed to be pretty relaxed.

Sticking to the Script:

DAN SHIREY

Boy, where the hell do I fucking start!? I didn’t change a fucking word, period or explanation point. When the time to improve was there, of course I did it but. I can say that Sherman was all book, so for me as an actor I try to find the character through the writing and mix it with my homework (HOURS) and a lot of work and focus.

NATHAN MARLOW

Well like I was previously stating for the most part I felt everyone stayed pretty close to the script. Djamel did let us improve a little but still using the script as an outline. Which I’m a huge fan of, I love living in the moment and just being true to what your saying!

SHERRY ROMITO

Not difficult at all...

OWEN WILLIAMS

Sticking to the script is always a little difficult for me, because I like to improvise. But for the most part, we did stick to the script and it was fine.

GARY EDWARD

I think some writer/directors are very specific about that- sticking to the script. Which I can truly appreciate and respect. It takes alot of time and hard work to put a script together. Other writer/directors allow you to deviate from the written text to make it more "real" or make it your own. The same with actors.. some like to go word for word. Others like to improvise and keep it loose. It was nice to be able to have the best of both worlds. I always try to stick to the script, but if the director and fellow actors are comfortable with a little improvisation, then I would usually prefer that.

Could you possibly be one of the pretenders?

DAN SHIREY

Fuck no.

NATHAN MARLOW

(laughter) I was joking with Djamel about this, why everyone was so good maybe we all have a little pretender in us! Just kidding! But on a serious note I really enjoyed working with everyone. The professionalism on set was a relief, cause I've worked on a few sets where it was a nightmare! So I would love to work with everyone again.

KARA CHAPUT

I could in no way be one of the pretenders…none of them...not even Glen!

SHERRY ROMITO

Maybe but it would be a bit of a stretch.

OWEN WILLIAMS

No sir. I’m one of the good guys.

GARY EDWARD

There's a little "pretender" in all of us. Especially in this town.

Characters

Daniel Shirey plays the role of Sherman.

Sherman is a talented undercover agent that works with Felix on undercover missions all over the world. Sherman is a smart ass, quick to judge, and always gets himself in over his head. He is a cameleon when it comes to his work. He gets over possessed about his roles and forgets his boundaries. (that is where the comedy comes in) Sherman smokes weed to get through the situations and his mind drifts, but when he gets together with Felix, Felix is pretty uncomfortable, so he has to look out for his only friend. Sherman has been working with him for years and pretty much knows what he is thinking when Felix doesn't even know. Sherman keeps the ball moving forward and all the undercover missions on track. Sherman has a reputation for being a brawler, the heavy hand in situations but the most reliable source of information to relay back to the bosses. Sherman finds himself in trouble and high all the time but manages to get the job done.

Garikayi Mutambirwa plays the role of Felix.

Felix is a young Frenchman loving his life in L.A. He and Sherman are good friends, working on a secret project titled "L.A. Pretenders". Felix has the difficult task of maintaining his sense of self, and not falling into the "L.A. Pretend" game. He also faces the challenge of keeping his friendship with Sherman and making sure everyone on the project is happy. Felix is a good natured, optimistic young man.

Nathan Marlow plays the role of Fernando.

The character of Fernando is complex. He was born a white boy, but raised in Mexico by a Mexican family. Fernando is a wanna-be actor/wanna-be businessman who is still deeply rooted in his adopted Mexican heritage. He is very eccentric and naïve when it comes to life in general. Fernando’s wardrobe consists of business suits, panchos and santiags. Fernando wants to become a successful businessman, but his passion lies with acting. This dichotomy could present some interesting challenges.

Kara Chaput plays the role of Beverly.

Beverly is the quintessential wannabe Hollywood starlet. Thanks to daddy's endless support she is able to spend her afternoons shopping at Kitson, dining at The Ivy, getting mani/pedis and killing time with the other great pretenders. She is a huge advocate of the lemon water diet or simply eating nothing at all. She wore all black Channel for 3 straight days while mourning Heath Ledger's death; even though she had never actually met him. Beverly prides herself on her innovative fashion sense, as she was the first to wrap a sterling silver fork around her wrist and wear it as a bracelet. She is deeply intrigued by Sherman as he is the only male around her who does not kiss her ass. She gets what she wants and takes any attention she can get. But like many situations in life... things are not always what they seem.

Sherry Romito plays the role of Holly.

Holly is a girl just trying to make it in Hollywood by any means necessary. She has talent but feels the only way to make it is by playing the game, which she can sometimes thrive at when she ignores her morality. A little lost in the Hollywood maze, Holly is searching for an identity, and trying to get famous while she’s at it.

Owen Williams plays the role of Glen.



Glen is fresh off the boat. Naïve to the Hollywood game of stardom, he comes off “green” and vulnerable. His intentions to be an actor are truly for the joy of acting, rather than the pursuit of fame and fortune, which makes him an easy target in a town that thrives on shallowness, selfishness, manipulation, and greed. He is a little lost and hungry, searching for his dream and sacrificing his hunger for his cause. He’s a good guy, and good guys never win.

Gary Edward plays the role of Mr. Adams.



All bark, no bite - Mr. Adams is the project’s imposing, fake godfatherlike boss.

Of course, it's on YouTube too...

CHECK IT OUT!

THE GREAT L.A. PRETENDERS set pics

Actor Owen Williams and director Djamel Bennecib on set filming the last sequence of webisode 3 "Ups And Downs"

Director Djamel Bennecib and DP Kyle Stryker on set filming webisode 5 "The Rules Of The Game"

Actors Nathan Marlow, Garikayi Mutambirwa and Kara Chaput on the set of webisode 4 "Drunk"




DP Kyle Stryker with actors Garikayi Mutambirwa and Dan Shirey on the set of 'The Great L.A. Pretenders' webisode finale "Time To Pretend"



Actors Dan Shirey and Kara Chaput



Director Djamel Bennecib with DP Kyle Stryker and Sound Mixer Danton Dabar on set filming webisode 4 "Drunk"



Director Djamel Bennecib with actor Dan Shirey on the set of webisode 1 "Meet The Pretenders"



Actors Nathan Marlow, Garikayi Mutambirwa and Kara Chaput with director Djamel Bennecib on the set of webisode 4 "Drunk"



Garikayi Mutambirwa, Kara Chaput and Dan Shirey, on set rehearsing webisode 4 "Drunk"



Actor Dan Shirey and director Djamel Bennecib on set filming webisode 1 "Meet The Pretenders"



Actors Dan Shirey, Nathan Marlow and Kara Chaput with DP Kyle Stryker and director Djamel Bennecib, on the set of webisode 5 "The Rules Of The Game"



Actors Dan Shirey and Owen Williams on the set of webisode 3 "Ups And Downs"



Actors Garikayi Mutambirwa and Sherry Romito on the set of webisode 6 "Time To Pretend"



THE GREAT L.A. PRETENDERS star Dan Shirey as Sherman (on the set of webisode 4 "Drunk")



Actors Sherry Romito laughing, Nathan Marlow thinking and Garikayi Mutambirwa smiling at Sherry on the set of webisode 4 "Drunk"