Tom Mullica has just finished filming a segment in the new Gus Van Sant movie Finding Forrester staring and executive produced by Sean Connery.
Mullica was flown to New York City on May 12-15 where he spent two days (May 13-14) filming his cameo spot as “Old Money Man.” Mullica told MagicTimes that the way he got the part was, “…that Gus saw me do my Cigarette Act on the World’s Greatest Magic and again in an independent film I shot last year. When casting for the movie he remembered me and thought I would be perfect for the roll of the Old Money Man.”
The scene which features Mullica takes place at a large party in a Penthouse where he is dressed in a pinstriped suite and turtle neck sweater — he plays a millionaire who hands his business card to Jamal Wallace (the main character) and tells him, “Anything you need. You call, OK.”
The movie which has been filming since Apr. 3 in Toronto and New York is expected to finish at the end of June with an announced release date of December and a likely release date of Dec. 25, 2000.
The Columbia Pictures release is being directed by Gus Van Sant who received a 1997 Oscar nomination for Good Will Hunting. He also directed Psycho, To Die For, Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
In addition to Tom Mullica and Sean Connery, Finding Forrester also features: F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin, Robert Brown, Busta Rhymes, and Lil’ Zane. Written by first time author and radio disc jockey Mike Rich.
While in New York Mullica was invited to a party at the home of Gus Van Sant where he entertained by performing his entire Cigarette Act. Van Sant had the show shot on film and plans to use the segment in an upcoming independent project he is involved in — the routine will be set to classical music.
In the mean time Mullica continues to work on his outstanding one-man show, “A Tribute to Red Skelton.”
The official description, of Finding Forrester, released by Columbia Pictures:
“From Academy Award-nominated director Gus Van Sant and starring Academy Award-winning actor Sean Connery, a drama about a unique relationship between an eccentric, reclusive novelist and a young, black, amazingly gifted scholar-athlete.
After the novelist discovers that the young athlete is also an excellent writer and secretly takes him on as his protégé, they develop an unlikely friendship. As they learn more about each other, they learn more about themselves, and ultimately, with the help of his new mentor, the basketball star must choose the right path between following his writing dreams or his hoop dreams.Directed by Gus Van Sant, Written by Mike Rich, Produced by Laurence Mark, Executive Producers Sean Connery and Rhonda Tollefson.”
–Meir Yedid
