Brushes with Fame: The Actor Harry Lennix
From “Nightman” to “Billions”
Me and Harry
We’re on a First Name Basis, now. NOT!
Written on Oct. 30, 2021
Brushes with Fame: Harry Lennix
The Flash Back
This one happened in 1997 on the set of “Nightman,” which was the working title of a movie being filmed in Iowa. The brush was with actor Harry Lennix. He came to mind as we were binge watching the Amazon Prime TV series “Billions.” (Which, by the way, is amazing.) I kept watching this actor on the show and thinking, I’ve met that guy. And that sent me on a midnight mission, of rifling through my filing cabinet of “Today” magazines for which I was editor/publisher in the late 1990s.
The Link
Amazingly enough, my validation surfaced in the second one I looked at. There I was in a photo standing next to Mr. Lennix. I didn’t remember his name, (so sorry). I just remembered he was a really sweet guy to take time for a picture with me. I was just a lowly costumer, hired by the production company to organize and costume the Iowa extras for the film being shot in Boone. And, because the magazine was published under the umbrella of Iowa Central Community College in nearby Fort Dodge, being part of the project meant a feature story and provided a perfect opportunity for theater students to get involved in the production. As it turned out, I don’t think the film, which was, I was told, directed by the same guy who did one of Leonardo Dicaprio’s first films, “Basketball Diaries,” ever made it to fruition. I think it turned out to be what’s called a “ghost production,” which means it received funding from the state but never got made.
The Relief
That’s probably a good thing, for me, anyway, and for Lennix, too, because he went on to become a really successful actor, landing supporting roles in some really big movies – like “The Matrix” series starring Keanu Reeves, “Ray” with Jamie Foxx, and superhero films “Man of Steel” with Henry Cavill and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” with both Cavill and Ben Affleck. And, he is currently on the NBC drama, “The Blacklist.” I’m so having fun dropping names, here.
The Epilogue
I say “good thing” because I’m not really sure what the film was about and it seemed very dark and strange in the scenes for which I was an extra. And, stupid as it may sound, we Iowans didn’t care. We were just so darned excited that anyone was there filming. I never even asked to see a script, for Pete’s sake. Yikes. What was I thinking? So, it could have been a porno for all I know. No, not really. I mean, I was asked to make sure everyone was dressed, and looked like a “typical Iowan.”
Now, that sounded hilarious to me and made me a little leery. So, I inquired:
“What exactly does that mean to you folks from Chicago?”
“Oh, flannel shirts and overalls, of course.”
I knew it. I saw it coming even though it’s really an odd concept. I mean that’s always and forever been what farmers have worn, and yes, Iowa is a farming state, but that was never what us city folks wore. I’ve never even owned a pair of overalls even when they were stylish in the 1970s when I was in college. But there it was. That stupid way Iowans are depicted in the movies even after we became the “heaven” state, thanks to “Field of Dreams.” The lesson here, I guess, is that some things never change.
Looking back, though, it really was fun to be part of the filming. It did, however, get me into a bit of trouble at the college, specifically with the switchboard operator. She was pretty darned upset with me when the more than 200 calls came in overnight from people all wanting to talk to me. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know the statewide TV network was going to give my name and work number out for an all-call shout out for Iowa extras. It was a bit shocking, but the result was I became famous, overnight, for about 15 minutes. It was Iowa, after all. Famous? Only to my kids. So, I quickly moved on.
