The Fighter – Imagine News

By Bily V Vigeant

bily-v-ederrickson — Bily V. Vigeant: Photo by Erica Derrickson

As a youngster, I was heavily influenced by the legends of the Silver Screen, Bogart, Cagney, Robinson, Brando and DeNiro. After watching THE GODFATHER in 1977 as a teenager and awed and floored by Marlon Brando’s Oscar winning performance portraying Mafia Don Corleone, I found myself re-enacting scenes and dress rehearsing scenes from the movie. I would borrow my grandfather’s vintage tweed overcoat, his grey fedora hat, and leather driving gloves and stand in front of my mother’s bedroom bureau mirror and awkwardly recite lines and delegate family business from the movie. Never thinking that someday this could happen.

Hollywood movie-making seemed a world away. Growing up in Providence, Rhode Island provided me with a stage of a mob movie. I witnessed a daily cast of characters straight out of Central Casting and daily happenings of the underworld. I witnessed the good, the bad, the ugly. To this very day on my acting resume under special skills I list street smarts as my area of expertise.

Fast forwarding to 2008 I make my leap into the world of acting, but first I face a medical crisis that forces me to re-examine my purpose in life. One day at a routine doctor’s appointment the doctor finds a large mass on the left side of my thyroid. He then proceeds to tell me all his tests point a very aggressive form of cancer. He needs to operate and not sure what my outcome may be.

Dumbfounded for days of the possibility I may have my life end, I sat evaluating, pleading and praying to give me a second chance at life and what I would do differently. Acting was one of the wants I promised myself. Luckily, following surgery, after a six agonizing week wait for results, the mass came back benign, my journey as an actor starts and I never looked back.

Later in the summer of 2008, I enroll in an Intro to Acting class at the Perishable Theater in Providence studying under Mark Peckham. Shortly after I then enroll into a beginners acting class at LDI Casting in Providence studying with casting director Anne Mullhall. I proceed to have headshots done and submit for a Showtime television series “Brotherhood” being filmed in the Ocean State. I receive my first acting casting call to work background and featured background for Season three and work in three episodes.

It was exciting to work with actors Jason Clark and Jason Isaac. After this experience I knew I was hooked. I registered myself with the Boston Casting Agency Pro Talent site, took courses with casting director Angela Peri and proceeded to take an advance course of being in front of the camera with casting director Carolyn Pickman of CP Casting for an intense six week course.

I’m on my way! Between working television pilots I get a call for ABC’s “Body of Proof” prime time drama starring Dana Delaney. It’s coming to Rhode Island. This is a medical crime drama, based in Philadelphia. I submit for a Philadelphia Police Officer. I work background and get featured background in eight episodes. Then one day I get called from Boston Casting to come in and audition for a speaking role on the show. I was excited. I went, I booked I lived it and it was a new chapter in my career. Day player! Loved hearing those words! You’re booked!

I also get booked to work on ‘Royal Pains’ on the USA Network for an episode. I then receive a call from Director Michael Corrente and Producer Chad Verdi. They’re filming the movie LOOSIE’S and need a heavy for a violent scene to beat and collect money from the star of the film Peter Facinelli, They explained the scene and what they needed, I replied I’m your man for the job! It was intense and they needed violence. So much so I almost broke the pretty boy Peter Facinelli’s nose on the second take. Another story for another day.

My career and name is starting to circulate in the business. Next up I get a notice for an open casting call for the movie THE FIGHTER starring Mark Walberg and Christian Bale. Little did I know my acting life would be changed forever.

I became Union on this film. A member of SAG – AFTRA! I also refine my career aspirations. I was cast as a Boston Policeman, while working a scene at Top Donut, in between takes I was looking for a seat to sitdown, I notice a chair open at a table where Director David O. Russell is sitting. I swing my leg over the back of the chair and say “what do you need me to do now boss?” He smiles and says, “wow your a big guy and your arms are huge.” Then he offers me a piece of fruit from his lunch and says, “what do you want to do?

I reply, “I want to act.”

He says, “you want to act in this crazy business? I told him I’m crazy and I want to act! He then calls over his assistant and questions him about a scene on Thursday and if so and so is going to make it for it. The assistant responds unsure. David then turn back to me, grabs my face, turns it left, then right. He says, “get your hair trimmed and tight, shave your goatee and go to wardrobe. I’ll see you Thursday – you are now an Actor!”

I felt like I was hit by lightning form the acting gods above. I did as he asked, not knowing what David had in store for me. I show up on set at Billerica State Prison. I’ m dressed in a prison guard uniform. We first shoot exterior prison yard scenes with Christian Bale. Then we move inside for interior scenes. I then hear my name being called and report to inside a small prison cell with a film crew.

David O. Russell, the other guy who was suppose to play the part, Christian Bale and me. My scene is I escort him into the cell and then proceed to tell him to start to strip for a search. Unreal! The scene never made it to the final cut in the movie but it did make it to the featured deleted scenes on the Blu Ray disc. Also I could be seen in the Top Donut scene playing a Lowell police officer. Playing two roles in one movie and one was with an Oscar winning actor in the movie he won his Oscar for!

Nothing is impossible at this point. My next project is I get cast to play a heavy underworld strong arm named Big V. My job is to enforce and control daily business on the streets of South Boston. This was written by Adriano Masciarelli and directed by Ben Proulx. In this film I get to kill for the first time on the screen. It was intense and took me two days to get out of character after the killing.

Next I get cast by CP Casting as a SWAT officer in the movie THE TOWN directed by Ben Affleck who also starred. This was a great thrill to work with Ben and to be directed by a great talent. This movie was a crime drama. I worked six scenes in this movie. I was featured and in one of them I work alongside Jon Hamm and Titus Welliver. I then get a call from a writer director Dana Howard. She’s writing an online web Mob series named “Fedoras.” She explains the outline and has a character that is tailored for me. Mafia Don Nino Ponticello. After review of the script I accept. This character brought me back to the days of being in full garb in my mother’s bedroom mirror giving orders to the mafia family I adopted. The series is set in the 1930’s and I’m the Mob boss of all bosses. Controlling and running the family business. Wow dreams do come true.

Next I get cast by CP Casting in the film GOD ONLY KNOWS written by Emilio Mauro , directed by James Mottern and Starring Harvey Keitel. I play a Mob Crime Boss, attending a swearing in of a new family member played by actor Ben Barnes.

I go undercover for my next film KILLING KHAN directed by JR Hepburn. I attend an open casting call in Boston. I audition for a role of a cab driver. I book the part. I was so intense that they offered me the role of Ivan a Russian spy. I’m treacherous in this role. I have a Russian accent and I am a cold hearted killer. It’s due out this Summer.

My career turns into a horror show. I receive a call from director/actor Tom DeNucci from WoodHaven Productions telling about a film their doing called SELF STORAGE starring Eric Roberts, Michael Berryman, Jonathan Silverman. He forwards me a script and the plot is my boss Jonathan Silverman buys body parts to sell on the secondary market. I would play a character named Mumbo. He’s the enforcer and heavy of the operation. This project goes VOD to 1,000,000 homes, Netflix, and DVD sales. I received great publicity and marketing on this project.

I follow this up with another WoodHaven Production named ARMY OF THE DAMNED, starring horror icon Tony Todd, and Michael Berryman, Joey Fatone and Sully Erna. I play SWAT officer Beefcakes turned Zombie. I act throughout the whole second half of the movie with Tony Todd. With this project I didn’t have a boat load of lines but I had an incredible amount of action. I die three times and each time I come back stronger and crazier than ever. This was a great challenge. Worldwide distribution with VOD, and DVD sales. It’s great seeing your work on store shelves!

I worked on AMERICAN HUSTLE directed again by David O. Russell and starring Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner. I was cast as a featured FBI Security Guard. I shoot the scene with Amy Adams where I escort her down the hall to a padded cell throw her in and she runs back to try to get out. I close the door on her. When the film comes out it shows the back of me throwing her in the cell and my hand closing the door. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. Great fun to work this project with great talent.

Right after this film I was cast by Boston Casting as a featured Electric & Power worker in the film THE EQUALIZER starring Denzel Washington. It was a small scene with four of us Denzel, Chloe Grace, a counter worker and me. Great to see a legend at work. He’s a real pro.

2014 is going to be a great year. I’ve just been cast in my second lead role in the film BLUE SUEDE to be directed by JR Hepburn for Vendetta Motion Pictures. My role is Mafia Don Franco Pizzano. I’m avenging my fathers slaying by the Chinese Mob and daily trials and tribulations of them trying to take over my family’s territory in Chinatown. No War! No Peace! This film and my performance will be epic! Shooting begins in Boston late July 2014 I also was just cast a Mafia Don in a Wes Williams film DISTRICT C-11.

Stay tuned because I just finished auditioning for a movie THE WHOLE TRUTH starring Rene Zellwinger. I’ve been called back twice. I also just auditioned for CP Casting by Carolyn Pickman for a role in BLACK MASS, the Whitey Bulger story, directed by Scott Cooper starring Johnny Depp. I have a lot to bring to this film , living and knowing the chain of events and the first hand experiences are priceless to add to the realism of this film. Then I’m waiting for auditions for Chad Verdi’s passion piece BLEED FOR THIS. It’s the Vinny Paz story that is being produced by Verdi and Martin Scorsese. Vinny is my cousin. In this film I have a great advantage. I lived the whole story first hand.

The best is yet to come my friends and I want to take a moment to thank Carol Patton and Imagine Magazine for their undying efforts and energies for introducing and fighting for the film tax credit legislation and incentives. The efforts they put forward on our behalf have assisted and assured us the continuing progress of movie making being made here in Boston. I personally thank you Carol and IMAGINE Magazine for keeping me and so many others dream of acting alive here in Boston. All dreams come true, the difference is how bad you want them! Just Imagine!

You can follow Bily on facebook at Billy V Vigeant or IMDB.Me/BillyV or AgencyProTalent.com/BillyV or contact my representation Andrew P. Wilson, Model Club Inc. 617 247-9020.

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Imagine News

Getting to Know: Erica McDermott

Posted By: Bill actor, New England actors, The Fighter, women in film

By Carol Patton

Erica burst on the scene a little over four years ago and before she herself knew it she was shooting her mouth off at esteemed casting director Angela Peri at Boston Casting while fighting for the role of Tar Eklund in the Micky Ward story brought to the screen by Dorothy Aufiero.

“I stepped out of line,” Erica told IMAGINE, “got in her face, swore at her, gave her a look and demanded a part in the movie! I had my first call back!”

Sweet, funny, beautiful Erica McDermott said what? “Looking back,” she says, “and having more insight on how this business works, I’m not sure I would ‘mouth off’ to a respected casting director if I were put in the same situation today, but it paid off for me that day. After what seemed like a hundred long auditions, I was offered the supporting role of Tar Eklund in the Academy Award winning movie THE FIGHTER, and she will forever be known as the ‘fighter sister with the big hair’.”

Where did she come from? How did she get here? I asked her to tell me her story

The McDermott Ladies have a photo shoot, in Scituate Harbor, with Michelle Feehily Photography. Maisy on the left 11 years old—Katie on the right 10 years old.

“I was born in Cambridge and I lived there and Somerville through grade school. In the 6th grade I moved to Merrymount, a neighborhood in Quincy Massachusetts. My parents married at a very young age, had me at a very young age and are still happily married today. I am an only child and I love it! My Mom and Dad sacrificed quite a bit to give me the best opportunities growing up. I watched my mother go to night school for years to become a nurse, and after graduating from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree I decided to follow in her footsteps. I graduated with a baccalaureate degree in nursing from Salem State University in 1995.

“My first job was at Pembroke Hospital where I worked in the Pediatric Psychiatric Inpatient Unit. A couple of years later I transitioned into the specialty of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury and became the Director of Medical Services at a residential facility in Boston. During this period, I was responsible for the overall healthcare of children that had suffered traumatic brain injuries. Needless to say I gained some serious perspective on life during this time.

“Shortly after marrying my husband, Bob (who works in the investment management industry) we moved to Nashville Tennessee. We lived there for nearly four years. I worked as a float nurse in several of the big hospitals in the city. What a cool place to live, and as newlyweds it was a great to be in place where we knew no one because it forced us to learn to count on each other – I think this is one of the reasons we are so happy after almost fifteen years!

In the dressing room at The Company Theatre Centre for the Performing Arts in Norwell, Erica prepares to go on stage for the comedic stage performance “The Final Push.”

Right after 9/11, Bob accepted a position in NYC, and we moved to southern Connecticut. I had both of our girls, 13 months apart to the day, at Greenwich Hospital. My new career was ‘stay at home Mom’ and I absolutely loved it! We moved ‘home’ in 2003, and settled on the South Shore. We’ve been here ever since.

The sisters from the Oscar Nominated film THE FIGHTER strike a pose and talk to Hikari Takano about the making of the movie. Sisters from the left: Dendrie Taylor, Melissa McMeekin, Erica McDermott, Jenna Lamia & Kate O’Brien. — The sisters from the Oscar Nominated film THE FIGHTER strike a pose and talk to Hikari Takano about the making of the movie. Sisters from the left: Dendrie Taylor,Melissa McMeekin, Erica McDermott, Jenna Lamia & Kate O’Brien.

“When it came time for both kids to be in school full day, I decided it was time to go back to work and started interviewing at local Pediatric Medical offices. It was right around that time that I received a call from my friend Barbara who told me about a stage show that she was pulling together to benefit a local charity. She insisted I come talk to her and the others . This is when everything started to change. I mean, I love to make people laugh, public speaking has never bothered me, and I did take part in exactly one school play in Middle School…. but acting as an adult?

“I decided to go try it out, why not, right? This is when I met Lisa Rafferty, an accomplished Director, and writer of a successful show called MOMologues. She wanted some ‘funny moms’ from around town to take part in a one night only performance of her show to benefit our schools. Lisa and I hit it off – and that was the beginning.

Erica snaps her own photo in her trailer while filming THE FIGHTER.

“After my first stage performance in MOMologues in 2008, I was offered free acting classes at Plymouth Rock Studios. Lisa had believed in me and encouraged me to give it a shot. When I got to Plymouth I met acting coach Kevin Lasit and at the end of the six weeks of classes he echoed Lisa’s encouragement. Kevin suggested that I reach out to all of the big casting agencies in Boston. I didn’t tell my friends just my husband and parents, and they were also very positive and encouraging, so I did it. It was three or four weeks later I found myself at an open casting call at Boston Casting for a movie called THE FIGHTER. I showed up not knowing what to expect, and when I arrived it seemed there were a million people there! I was there to audition to be a tough girl, for background work. It was then casting director Angela Peri told me I was too pretty to pull off a tough girl.

“I think my introduction to the Ellie Fund was coming into the 2010 OSCAR Night America show, whatever year Avatar was nominated – because I remember the ‘spoof’ IMAGINE produced starring Ernie Boch that year. So funny!

Erica McDermott performs MOMologues “Pink Ribbon Overdose” to a sold out house at Boston ‘s Hard Rock Cafe. The first comedy about Breast Cancer. Photo by Howie Hecht Photography

“The Ellie Fund’s then Executive Director, Julie Nation, had reached out to me and some other local actors and invited us to be guests at the only sanctioned Oscar party in Boston, which was a benefit for the Ellie Fund. As fate would have it, Julie and I hit it off, my mum had just won a battle with breast cancer months earlier and my other new friend, Lisa Rafferty, a breast cancer survivor herself, had just finished writing a new “MOMologues” comedy about Breast Cancer called “The Pink Ribbon Overdose”. It seemed like a match made in heaven.

“Julie and Lisa were able to pull together a very cool production of P.R.O. held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston. The cast featured Julie and me along with the very generous ladies for Channel 5 Boston; Karen Ward, Biancia Delagarza and Susan Warnick. The show sold out quickly, was so much fun to do and raised some money for a great cause – I was so thrilled to be a part of it.

“Each Holiday Season I take my daughters out of school and the three of us participate in a gingerbread house making event at the Home for Little Wanderers. It’s great to see all of the children interact and spend time together, and it’s also a wonderful opportunity to have my girls experience the rewards of giving their time to others.

Erica McDermott walks the Red Carpet at The SAG Awards – THE FIGHTER was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. — Erica McDermott walks the Red Carpet at The SAG Awards – THE FIGHTER was
nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

“This coming Spring I will be performing in The Vagina Monologues to benefit The Victim Rights Law Center; which is an effort being lead by my friend and fellow ‘Fighter Sister’ Melissa McMeekin (see October 2013 cover story).

It amazes me how much work is here in New England for anyone in the industry. It seems there are constantly big movies with big budgets coming our way. The folks who work hard every day to continue the MA Film Tax credit deserve a huge amount of credit for getting and keeping the momentum going. Thanks to them most of my auditions and reads are right here in Boston, although I do go to LA on tape auditions also. I would love to see successful television series come and stay in New England, which could be a catalyst to bring us to the next level. I expect that New England Studios and their Operations Director Chris Byers and the work he is doing will go a long way to making that a reality.

Angela Peri (Boston Casting), with actors Melissa McMeekin and Erica McDermott (sisters in THE FIGHTER) flanking Writer/Director David O. Russell at the Nantucket Film Festival Screenwriters Tribute. David was the honoree; Angela, Erica and Melissa worked with him on the Academy Award winning film THE FIGHTER. Photo by Gene Mahon. — Angela Peri (Boston Casting), with actors Melissa McMeekin and Erica McDermott (sisters
in THE FIGHTER) flanking Writer/Director David O. Russell at the Nantucket Film Festival
Screenwriters Tribute. David was the honoree; Angela, Erica and Melissa worked with
him on the Academy Award winning film THE FIGHTER. Photo by Gene Mahon.

ericamcd-curlers — Erica McDermott sits in rollers at Patrice Vinci’s salon on Newbury Street, as Noel McKinnon does her make up for Boston‘s Fashion Night Out. Photo by Sara Whitney.

I love the whole (acting) process. Changing the way I talk, creating character quirks and living my entire day as someone else is such a rush for me. My poor husband has lived with so many different women; he’s really supportive, but sometimes I wonder if it drives him nuts! Sometimes I can stay in character for weeks. It truly is what I love about acting the most. .. it’s not acting… it’s becoming. I suppose what I like least is spending time away from my family, and generally having to keep a very flexible calendar. I always have to reschedule stuff. Just this Spring I had to reschedule a trip to Disney World and Universal with my family. They are so understanding and supportive, I am so grateful. By the way, we just made that trip to Orlando in November.

“Typically, not more than a week or two will go by without me ‘practicing’. Each audition I prepare for, regardless of the size of the role is an opportunity to learn and get better. I don’t think of it a practice but I do look at each role I don’t get as exactly that, an opportunity to get better. It’s often a chance to create a new character in my mind, and contemplate the possibilities and different directions the character can deliver a writers lines. That’s what a I really enjoy about acting – the innumerable choices I get to make.

“More formally, I do participate in many classes and workshops whenever I have the opportunity, be it in LA, NY or Boston – it’s a great way to keep sharp, challenge myself and meet new people – which is something else I really enjoy.

IMAGINE Magazine Publisher, Carol Patton (center) with THE FIGHTER actresses Melissa McMeekin (left) and Erica McDermott. Photo by Globe Photographer Bill Brett.

“Something that is really fun, exciting and rewarding – which I’ve had the opportunity to do a few times – is to do an informal table read with other actors. In 2012 I was living in LA during pilot season (Feb-April) and I participated in a table read of STEEL MAGNOLIAS that was pulled together by and included more than a few names and faces we would all recognize, and that was really cool.

I’ll let Engine Room Edits Don Packer sum it up, “I love Erica. What can I say. She’s smart. She’s funny. She’s beautiful…. goes without saying, and she’s a pleasure to work with. Someday I’ll look back and thank the gods that I had the chance to work with her because she’s going to go big time.”

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