Even those who hang out with famous people all the time get a little star struck now and then. Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, now a gentleman tree farmer who lives outside Macon, didn't hesitate when his buddy Billy Bob Thornton offered him a small role in "Jayne Mansfield's Car."
Even better: Leavell's role in the movie, which just finished filming after shooting in Inman Park and Oakhurst along with way-outside-the-perimeter locations LaGrange and Cedartown, would pair him with an actor he greatly admires: Robert Duvall. "There's a scene where you're in a barbershop and you'll get to say a line," Thornton told Leavell. "It's only one line but you get to say it to Robert Duvall."
The musician and co-founder of the environmental website Mother Nature Network didn't have to be asked twice. He also filmed a street scene where he and a few other guys played a band. "The songs that we did for the street party were all songs that Billy Bob had written or co-written," Leavell noted. "Billy Bob’s been a friend for a number of years. He’s just the sweetest guy. He’s a musician, too, so we’ve got a lot in common."
Leavell, who's also played with the Allman Brothers, is no stranger to the spotlight but had no acting experience. Luckily he comes from a family full of talent. His sister, actress and acting teacher Judy Leavell, gave him some pointers before his scenes, both filmed in Cedartown. (You can see her next in "On Golden Pond," at Marietta's Theatre in the Square, from Aug. 8 to Sept. 11.) "The experience was fantastic," Chuck Leavell said.
HLN personality to host charity event
HLN's Christi Paul will emcee the eighth annual Kate's Club Cabaret, planned for Aug. 19 at the Buckhead Theatre. The event, from 8 p.m. to midnight with a VIP cocktail hour starting at 7 p.m., will feature fabulous silent auction items, live entertainment, cocktails and gourmet nibbles, with entertainment by U.S. Beat. Kate's Club serves kids who have lost a parent or sibling. "Kate's Club is making a profound impact on the community and the grieving children and families we serve," said Emily Hawkins, the organization's executive director. "You can always count on the Cabaret to be a great party with the proceeds directly benefiting Atlanta's children." For tickets and more details see www.katesclub.org.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor-director Geoffrey Holder is 81. Singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott is 80. Cartoonist Tom Wilson ("Ziggy") is 80. Actor Giancarlo Giannini is 69. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams is 61. Blues singer-musician Robert Cray is 58. Singer Michael Penn is 53. Rock singer Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) is 52. Rock singer-musician Suzi Gardner (L7) is 51. Rapper Chuck D (Public Enemy) is 51. Actor Jesse Borrego is 49. Rapper Coolio is 48. Actor John Carroll Lynch is 48. Rock singer Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) is 47. Movie director Sam Mendes is 46. Country singer George Ducas is 45. Country musician Charlie Kelley is 43. Actress Jennifer Gareis is 41. Actor Charles Malik Whitfield is 39. Actress Tempestt Bledsoe is 38. Actor Jason Momoa is 32. Singer Ashley Parker Angel is 30. Actress Taylor Fry is 30. Actor Elijah Kelley is 25. Actor James Francis Kelly is 22.
Contributing: news services
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