Forget Hollywood or New York, Utah's best bit player or character actor in films and television series just might be the state itself.
Unbeknownst to most Utahns, a secret Air Force base housed in southern Utah was strafed by hostile alien invaders in "Independence Day." Elsewhere, Bill Murray traipsed through Moab while trying to unload a pachyderm, a present from his late father in "Larger Than Life."The Salt Lake City, Ogden and Wendover airports filled in for landing strips in Los Angeles, Nevada and Las Vegas, respectively, for the upcoming "Con Air," an action-thriller from Jerry ("The Rock," "Crimson Tide") Bruckheimer due next spring.
That's not to say the action is limited to southern Utah or Salt Lake City. Provo and Payson both figure prominently in "Bitter Markings," a made-for-cable movie directed by and starring Tom Skerritt (TV's "Picket Fences").
Of course, both the "Touched By An Angel" and "Promised Land" television series continue to do most of their location shooting in the state. ("Touched By An Angel" is seen Sundays at 7 p.m., and "Promised Land" airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m., both on KUTV, Channel 2.)
And other episodic TV programs have also been filming in Utah lately, including "Unsolved Mysteries," "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Explorer."
"Touched By an Angel" may have inspired "A Life Less Ordinary" to come to Utah. The tale of a kidnapping that involves heavenly servants is being directed by Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting") in the downtown Salt Lake area. It included a car chase down 100 South.
All of this recent filmmaking activity has set off a serious case of stargazing. Awestruck clerks at the Nordstrom store in the Crossroads Mall aren't mistaken - that blonde who keeps returning for new clothes really is Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey's co-star in "The Mask." Diaz is working on "A Life Less Ordinary," along with Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo (who have also been spotted at downtown hangouts).
Diaz, Hunter and Lindo are far from the biggest names who've been in town, however. "Con Air's" all-star cast of Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Cusack and Steve Buscemi was on site for most of that film's action. Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan stayed in town long enough to finish "Breakdown," Keanu Reeves took part in "The Old-Time Lowdown" (in Ogden) and "Word of Honor" (in Park City), an action film from director/stunt coordinator Hal Needham (the "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Cannonball Run" movies), brought Roy Scheider, Lorenzo Lamas and Gary Busey to the Beehive State.
Other projects currently in production in the state include:
- "Billings," a TV movie made for the USA cable network featuring Adam Arkin, Kathy Baker, Ed Begley, Jr. and Max Gail ("Barney Miller"), which is dividing its time between Salt Lake City and Ogden.
- "Dying to Belong," an NBC made-for-TV film stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar ("Saved By the Bell") and Hilary Swank ("The Next Karate Kid").
- The CBS mini-series "Night Sins," which has been shooting in Heber and features Valerie Bertinelli.
Meanwhile, earlier projects filmed here have started showing up on TV and in theaters:
- "Larger Than Life" is now playing in several theaters around town.
- "Independence Day" is in so-called "dollar theaters."
- "Just Like Dad," a family movie filmed in the Salt Lake area, starring Wallace Shawn and Nick Cassavetes, is premiering on the Disney Channel this month (Nov. 10, 19, 22, 26).