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Hollywood is coming to the Coulee Region. After many rumors and disappointments, we’ve snagged ourselves a genuine, bonafide Hollywood actor — Eric Stoltz.

Stoltz, 46, will play the male lead role of Frank Stirn in the movie “Fort McCoy,” which begins shooting today at Norskedalen.

Stoltz is not expected in the area before the weekend, but shooting begins today in some of the woods and fields around the nature and heritage center located near Coon Valley, said producer-director Michael Worth.

Joining Stoltz is another Hollywood name — Seymour Cassel, 73, who often has been featured in movies directed by John Cassavetes.

Kate Connor, who wrote the movie, will be starring as her own grandmother, Ruby Stirn. The movie is a historical period drama set during World War II in and around the military base at Fort McCoy.

There are about 10 main characters with another 15 supporting characters, Worth said.

The movie actually has been on the drawing board for more than seven years, and Worth originally was attached to the project as an actor. In the end, he decided to produce and direct instead.

While it’s more difficult to cast and find filming locations in Wisconsin than it would be in Hollywood, that’s a problem for Worth the producer.

Worth the director loves shooting on location.

“As a director, I really love it. It’s easier shooting on location because it helps me remove myself from my normal life. As a producer, which I am on this, it’s more difficult because you don’t know the area and you have to hire people you’ve never worked with before.”

And most of those people are local, which interests Anne Drektrah, a member of the Film Commission of Western Wisconsin. Her group was interested in not only getting the filmmakers to make their movie here but to use as many local people as possible.

“I gave them names of some people that might want to be interns,” she said, whether that’s working as gofers, or in graphics, or any other aspect of the movie. “We want to help students get internships and train people to be grips and cameramen and gaffers.

“This is perfect for us first time out,” Drektrah said, because it’s a smaller film. “We don’t have a big crew base yet. We’ll build that gradually. Film Wisconsin in Milwaukee is starting a mentoring company, and they will train people to be grips and cameramen and electrical.”

Meanwhile, cameras start rolling today.

“I’m very excited to be doing this,” Worth said. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do with Kate.”

If you’ve been meaning to visit Norskedalen this summer, don’t delay. The site will be open to the public during filming, so you might catch some of the action, as long as you stay out of the way. You may be asked to move back or wait to access an area, but it will be pretty much business as usual out at Norskedalen — except for those cameras.

The crew is also planning to do some filming in downtown La Crosse at the Hollywood and Rivoli theaters and some shooting near Sparta, Wis.

“And we’re going to be shooting possibly down by the river behind the visitors center,” Worth said. “It’s all being shot here,” he said, referring to the La Crosse area.

ABOUT THE ACTORS

Eric Stoltz has appeared in many movies, including “Mask,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Singles,” "Pulp Fiction" and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” He also appeared on many television shows, including “Will and Grace,” “Chicago Hope” and “Mad About You.”

Seymour Cassel is a character actor who received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in John Cassavetes’ “Faces” and has appeared in many of Cassavetes’ films. He also was in “Rushmore.”

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