If you’ve ever seen a Steven Soderbergh movie, there’s a chance you might have caught a glimpse of Kay King and/or her husband Bob.
But those aren’t the only movies or television shows you could have seen them in.
The couple, who own a place on Little Tippy in North Webster, have appeared as extras in “Oceans 11”, “Oceans 12”, “Oceans 13”, “The Informant!”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Traffic”. Kay also has managed to get in episodes of “Who’s The Boss”, “Murphy Brown” and “Party of Five” over the years.
Now, Kay and about 20 of her friends, many from Kosciusko County, plan to see Soderbergh’s latest film “Contagion” to see if they’ve made the cut.
A group of about 40 of them will take in the movie – about a worldwide disease epidemic starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet – at 5 p.m. Saturday at North Pointe Cinemas, Warsaw. Of those 40, 21 are hoping that their scenes as extras made the cut of the final film.
During a telephone interview Thursday night from her home in Gas City, Kay said the Kosciusko residents hoping to see themselves in the flick include Bevlyn and John Brown, Sadi Caudill, Carlee Kintzel, Bailey, Linda and Whitney Land, Connor and Terri Okey, Debbie Witham, Lorene Wells, Margo Townsend, Kay and Bob King. She said she also has three cousins, a grandson and a son-in-law who also may appear in the Soderbergh film.
Her friends traveled to Chicago for the filming on different days for different scenes. Two of Kay’s cousins were there for a bus scene. Kay filmed a shopping scene. She wanted to push and shove someone in the scene, she said, but it turned out the scene wasn’t a panic scene as the world hadn’t found out yet that a global disease was spreading.
“It was just a good time for everyone,” Kay said of the filming.
After catching “Contagion” Saturday, the group will go to the North Webster American Legion to sit and talk about the film and have some more fun.
Kay said their son, Richard A. King, moved out to California years ago and landed a job at a casting company. He decided he could do it himself, so he started his own casting company.
“He got one movie, then another, then another,” Kay said.
Through him, Kay landed the acting opportunities.
There was one movie her son offered that she turned down that was filming in South Carolina. After hearing the name of the film, she said it just sounded stupid so she declined. “Forrest Gump” went on to win several Academy Awards.
Sometimes, Kay said, she and Bob will help her son with casting. They will take photos of people who come in for jobs and take their information.
For Saturday’s fun event, Kay said, her son sent a red carpet runner, a scene clapper, signs for celebrity parking and stuff for small “gift bags” so everyone can have fun with the “premiere.”
Kay’s group will strut their stuff down the red carpet Saturday wearing “Contagion” t-shirts that say “I’m in the Movie,” she said.
Saturday’s showing will be the first time any of them have seen the movie so not even Kay knows if she’s in the film or not.
“I keep thinking I’ll be discovered,” Kay joked.
“Contagion” premiered at the Venice Film Festival this week, with the Hollywood premiere Thursday night.
Yvonne Keirn, North Pointe Cinema, has been great to work with to make Saturday’s event happen, Kay said.
She said her son is working on another movie in New York and two more on the way. Kay is waiting for her phone call to land yet another extra job.
For the official website for “Contagion,” visit contagionmovie.warnerbros.com/index.html
For North Pointe Cinemas, visit www.northpointecinemas.com
