Marlene Karas/VIewPatrick Hughes, senior director of table games at the Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin, has a role in the movie "Yonkers Joe," which was filmed at the property. The plot follows a con artist attempting to run a dice scam while keeping an eye on his teenage son.
Advertisement
Perhaps no one is more qualified to play the cinematic role of a senior director of table games than Patrick Hughes. After all, that's what the Summerlin south resident does in real life.
He's been in the gaming industry for 18 years and opened the Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin. But being tapped for his new acting gig for an upcoming film was unexpected.
Before the independent movie "Yonkers Joe" began filming at the casino, writer/director Robert Celestino toured the property with Hughes. They went over matters like proper casino floor procedures, dice table etiquette and how security personnel would approach a suspected cheat. For the last question, Hughes gave the director an example, complete with how he would phrase the request to leave the table. It earned him the acting role, right on the spot.
"It's truly the American dream," Hughes said. "There you are, just going about your work day, and the next thing you know, you're in a movie."
Crews for the independent film, which is being produced by Go Productions, YJ Productions LLC and Trent Othick Productions, spent three days in June shooting at the casino. It required as many as 80 people, cast and crew -- about 50 of them extras with no lines.
"Yonkers Joe" follows a dice scam artist who is out to fleece the casino while also looking out for his teenage son, who has Down syndrome. The son is played by Tom Guiry, who looks like a teenager, but is not.
"He had to be over 21 to be on the floor," Hughes said. "It was a concern."
As for Hughes, he had eight lines. He also had to get rough verbally with actress Christine Lahti in the interrogation scene, a situation that caused him to seek her out to apologize beforehand. His role also had him in scenes with actor Chazz Palminteri.
"People don't realize how hard it is to act in front of the camera and a crew, even as an extra," said Trent Othick, producer. "He was a bit overbearing in the first take we filmed, and then Chazz took him aside and told him 'Patrick, less is better. Just let it flow naturally.' From that point on, it did, as he had a couple of days of work and never missed a beat."
The movie likely will be shown at the Sundance Film Festival, held each January in Park City, Utah, and will be pitched to various movie companies.
"They'll probably pay him in (DVDs)," joked Jim Gravelin, security supervisor for the casino. "That means we all know what we'll be getting for Christmas."
Archived Editions| Advertising | Contact The Staff
