R-Squared Productions filmed scenes from the upcoming family movie, “Cowboy & Indiana” last month in several locations in northeastern Louisiana.
Among the youth selected as extras for the movie were five year old Legend James eight year old Keigan James of Monroe.
Local youth were selected to depict neighborhood youth in the film about a professional bull rider who is sentenced to community service after a DUI conviction.
The script was written by executive producer Rodney Ray who paired his bull rider character with an African-American boy whose father is in prison. When the boy’s father, also a bull rider, returns home, he looks for ways to connect with his child. Both men seek redemption — and maybe the chance to ride a killer bull with a $1 million bounty.
Legend and Keigan say they enjoyed their roles as extras as well as their chance to meet the stars of the movie: Evan Myles Horsley who plays the part of “Indiana” and Lynn Andrews who played Marcus Cruz the Cowboy. They also became chubby with others on the set including Kennesha Thompson and Velena Williams.
The James boys were instant celebrities on the set last month as film crews shot select scenes in Monroe. They were given a copies of the movie “Call Sheet” to keep as a memory, posed for photos and Legend who worked the “Clacker” got a photo shoot with the “Clacker.”
Both youth played parts in the stage play “The InnKeeper” this past December at the Tab-A-Torium. They played child thieves who stole bread from a Bethlehem Inn. The movie appearance was an even greater experience.
Legend, has participated in numerous youth programs as a child speaker. He was first placed on stage at the Minnie Ruffin Elementary School while in Kindergarten. He made a lengthy black history recitation in the school’s black history program at the age of four.
He received a standing ovation as the featured Black History Speaker at the Tabernacle Baptist Church this year.
On the set Legend and Keigan watched a real movie being shot, talked with leading characters and had a chance to see close up how movies are made.
Keigan is the son of Takevia James. Legend is the son of Tiffany James. Beverly James is proud of her grandsons and has supported all of their adventures. The elder James has played roles in many stage productions of the African-American Heritage Drama at the civic center over the last 20 years and is proud that her grandchildren are pursuing the arts as well.
The script for the movie was written in 2012, but because the movie required many bull riding scenes, the services of professional bull riders had to be acquired as well as several bulls with similar horn structures.
The presence of Legend and Keigan proved to be loveable moments for both cast and crew.
