Child Actor From Manchester Appears In TV Movie Tonight
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NORTH MANCHESTER - If a professional basketball career doesn't work out, there's always acting.
Child actor Terren Raphael, North Manchester, dreams of being famous. His first choice is to be a professional basketball player like Scottie Pippen or Michael Jordan. But Raphael said whichever of the two is working out best for him, that will be the career he'll pursue.
At the age of 10, he's already breezed by the first step to success in his dream of fame and fortune. Raphael, a fourth-grade honor student at Laketon Elementary School and former Lincoln Elementary School student, will appear in a made-for-television movie tonight on WANE-TV, channel 15, Fort Wayne, from 8 to 9 p.m.
The movie, "Our Father," is the story of a boy sold at birth and his trials through life, first, finding where he belongs, and second, discovering as a man the truth of his adoption. Raphael plays this character's son in the movie and makes an appearance in three scenes.
Raphael's mother, Lisa Omolo, said The Dreambuilder Celebration, Cincinnati, Ohio, held open auditions in October for the movie at Holiday Inn, Fort Wayne. She learned of the auditions through advertisements on the Internet and on television. Raphael was one of approximately 100 people nationally auditioning for the part. The second audition brought back eight people before finally deciding on their first choice, Raphael.
After accepting the part, Omolo and Raphael signed a contract through Blind Squirrel Productions, Cincinnati, Ohio. The contract awarded Raphael $750 for his acting.
The movie will air in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, Omolo said, and if it airs in any other state, Raphael would earn $750 more per state. If the film goes national, the money would be significantly higher, she said.
"The project was sponsored by Proctor and Gamble," Omolo said, "and it was inspired by Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream.'"
Raphael said he jumped at the opportunity to be in the movie not only for the experience, but also for "the fame." As the word "fame" came through his lips, Raphael grinned from ear to ear and a small chuckle escaped.
Filming for "Our Father" took place over a three-day-period, during which Raphael had to miss school.
"As a matter of fact, he was shooting on Halloween, so he couldn't go trick-or-treating," his mother said.
But Raphael said he didn't mind missing the holiday. Instead of dressing up in funny masks or dark costumes, Raphael was rubbing shoulders with people like Ken Wiederbaumer, the makeup artist for the movie "Men In Black." Raphael said Wiederbaumer did the makeup for several aliens in the movie. He found it exciting to meet and work with people like Wiederbaumer.
So exciting, in fact, it is difficult for him to pick a favorite part of his expedition to fame.
"I don't really have a favorite part," he said, "but if I had to pick, it probably would be the cookie scene because I got to eat a lot of cookies if they messed up."
Omolo explained that one of her son's scenes required him to eat cookies during the taping.
"We had to do take after take after take," Raphael said.
"So that one he didn't mind," Omolo said, "because he got to keep eating cookies."
But other scenes required Raphael to cry on the spot. He said it wasn't too difficult. To evoke the tears, menthol spray was blown towards Raphael's eyes, so, he said, he was able to cry for the camera fairly easily.
Omolo said her son never before has auditioned for something like this, but he was active in church and school plays and musicals.
As for the gripping reality of fame, Raphael said: "I'm ready right now!"
He said in the future he would like to continue acting - that is, if his basketball career doesn't work out.
"It would be more funner," he said of a future in the movies. "I would miss school, too. But if I do start acting I'll need to get a tutor."
Omolo already has arranged for The Helen Wells Agency, Indianapolis, to work with her son, and he could possibly audition for some commercial spots.
After posing for a few pictures, Raphael said he would like to thank a few people for making this dream of his a reality: "I want to say thanks to my inspiration Dee Montel (North Manchester native and Raphael's third-grade teacher), my mom and dad for transportation, grandma and grandpa and Shawn Scott. Without her writing it (the movie), there wouldn't have been a part for me probably."
Oh, and one last thing Raphael wanted to say: "To Matt Sasso (friend at Lincoln Elementary School) - best wishes, and go, Lincoln Lions!"
Director of "Our Father" is Jim Friedman and playwright is Shawn Scott.
Raphael's parents are Darrell Thompson and Pinto and Lisa Omolo. [[In-content Ad]]
NORTH MANCHESTER - If a professional basketball career doesn't work out, there's always acting.
Child actor Terren Raphael, North Manchester, dreams of being famous. His first choice is to be a professional basketball player like Scottie Pippen or Michael Jordan. But Raphael said whichever of the two is working out best for him, that will be the career he'll pursue.
At the age of 10, he's already breezed by the first step to success in his dream of fame and fortune. Raphael, a fourth-grade honor student at Laketon Elementary School and former Lincoln Elementary School student, will appear in a made-for-television movie tonight on WANE-TV, channel 15, Fort Wayne, from 8 to 9 p.m.
The movie, "Our Father," is the story of a boy sold at birth and his trials through life, first, finding where he belongs, and second, discovering as a man the truth of his adoption. Raphael plays this character's son in the movie and makes an appearance in three scenes.
Raphael's mother, Lisa Omolo, said The Dreambuilder Celebration, Cincinnati, Ohio, held open auditions in October for the movie at Holiday Inn, Fort Wayne. She learned of the auditions through advertisements on the Internet and on television. Raphael was one of approximately 100 people nationally auditioning for the part. The second audition brought back eight people before finally deciding on their first choice, Raphael.
After accepting the part, Omolo and Raphael signed a contract through Blind Squirrel Productions, Cincinnati, Ohio. The contract awarded Raphael $750 for his acting.
The movie will air in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, Omolo said, and if it airs in any other state, Raphael would earn $750 more per state. If the film goes national, the money would be significantly higher, she said.
"The project was sponsored by Proctor and Gamble," Omolo said, "and it was inspired by Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream.'"
Raphael said he jumped at the opportunity to be in the movie not only for the experience, but also for "the fame." As the word "fame" came through his lips, Raphael grinned from ear to ear and a small chuckle escaped.
Filming for "Our Father" took place over a three-day-period, during which Raphael had to miss school.
"As a matter of fact, he was shooting on Halloween, so he couldn't go trick-or-treating," his mother said.
But Raphael said he didn't mind missing the holiday. Instead of dressing up in funny masks or dark costumes, Raphael was rubbing shoulders with people like Ken Wiederbaumer, the makeup artist for the movie "Men In Black." Raphael said Wiederbaumer did the makeup for several aliens in the movie. He found it exciting to meet and work with people like Wiederbaumer.
So exciting, in fact, it is difficult for him to pick a favorite part of his expedition to fame.
"I don't really have a favorite part," he said, "but if I had to pick, it probably would be the cookie scene because I got to eat a lot of cookies if they messed up."
Omolo explained that one of her son's scenes required him to eat cookies during the taping.
"We had to do take after take after take," Raphael said.
"So that one he didn't mind," Omolo said, "because he got to keep eating cookies."
But other scenes required Raphael to cry on the spot. He said it wasn't too difficult. To evoke the tears, menthol spray was blown towards Raphael's eyes, so, he said, he was able to cry for the camera fairly easily.
Omolo said her son never before has auditioned for something like this, but he was active in church and school plays and musicals.
As for the gripping reality of fame, Raphael said: "I'm ready right now!"
He said in the future he would like to continue acting - that is, if his basketball career doesn't work out.
"It would be more funner," he said of a future in the movies. "I would miss school, too. But if I do start acting I'll need to get a tutor."
Omolo already has arranged for The Helen Wells Agency, Indianapolis, to work with her son, and he could possibly audition for some commercial spots.
After posing for a few pictures, Raphael said he would like to thank a few people for making this dream of his a reality: "I want to say thanks to my inspiration Dee Montel (North Manchester native and Raphael's third-grade teacher), my mom and dad for transportation, grandma and grandpa and Shawn Scott. Without her writing it (the movie), there wouldn't have been a part for me probably."
Oh, and one last thing Raphael wanted to say: "To Matt Sasso (friend at Lincoln Elementary School) - best wishes, and go, Lincoln Lions!"
Director of "Our Father" is Jim Friedman and playwright is Shawn Scott.
Raphael's parents are Darrell Thompson and Pinto and Lisa Omolo. [[In-content Ad]]