BREAKING NEWS: Gallaudet cancels HAMILL (movie) auditions!
BREAKING NEWS!
Gallaudet University decided not to host auditions with K’Dee Miller Productions, LLC for HAMILL:The Movie on May 12, 2008.
See Gallaudet’s website indicating cancellation.
Matt Hamill is known as the “The Hammer”, The Ultimate Fighter. He is Deaf American wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter.
I just got off the phone this morning with the Theater Department and the Public Relations Department of Gallaudet University and they confirmed the cancellation. I asked why…
Gallaudet University’s Public Relations department learned that the K’Dee Miller Productions have already decided that the leading role for the film as Matt Hamill will be performed by the hearing person, an actor/writer. This person name is Eben Kostbar.
I verified by calling the casting director of K’Dee Miller Productions at 10:20 am this morning and the casting director did confirm that Gallaudet University decided not to host their facilities for auditions. This casting director said it has to do with having a hearing person to act the leading role for Matt Hamill.
Come back for a follow up story… to be continued.
Amy Cohen Efron here: KUDOS to Gallaudet University’s Public Relations and Theater Arts department for taking a STRONG stand to make this decision not to host auditions!
Rochester Institute of Technology, you will be hosting this audition next Wednesday, May 14th - what is your stand to this issue? New York City, what about you for Thursday, May 15th?
May 9th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Hi Amy,
Gallaudet did the right thing. Hope others will do the same.
Deafchip
May 9th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I agree 100% with you, Amy. Good for Gallaudet! We need to stand up and say: “Enought!”
May 9th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Darn! I’m pissed.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Hopeful they will replace Eben! I know there are
P L E N T Y Deaf Actors out there!!! use them!
Gary
May 9th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Nothing new under the sun about film producers. They
are utterly uneducable about one of the peoples known as Deaf People. I am proud of as well as grateful to Gallaudet for not hosting the Hamill auditions!
Thank you, Amy, for being a “town crier”, and I hope
that the NTID will hear your vox!
May 9th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Kudo to you for break this news and to Gallaudet for not hosting its film.
Hope others will follow too.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I am in for all above of comments. Enough is Enough about hiring hearing to play deaf character! Like Gary just mentioned, Plenty deaf actors out there to cast one for this role.
Nick Vera
May 9th, 2008 at 11:57 am
[…] abcohende wrote an interesting post today on BREAKING NEWS: Gallaudet cancels HAMILL (movie) auditions!Here’s a quick excerptGallaudet University decided not to host auditions with K’Dee Miller Productions, LLC for HAMILL:The Movie on May 12, 2008. Matt Hamill is known as the “The Hammer”, The Ultimate Fighter. He is Deaf American wrestler and mixed martial … […]
May 9th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
White Ghost,
You’re pissed about what?
May 9th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Wow.. I’m just surprised they decided to hire a hearing person without even bother to check and see what they are missing out, I’m with Gary, there are many good deaf actors out there. Thank you, Gally for being support on this!
Let’s give them a chance!
Thanks, Amy for sharing this with us!
-SG
May 9th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Wow! Interesting…..Way to go!
Gary,
Why don’t you take his place?
May 9th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I am shocked and disappointed - hope the producer reverses its position.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Hi Lisa C.-
Well first I met Matt last year, he is really big and huge! I am too small so I will pass to other who can be suitable to play as ” Matt”.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Gary,
I didn’t realize how big Mat was.
Hmmm…Who should we nominate?
May 9th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Gallaudet definitely did the right thing. To find a deaf person that fits Matt’s character shouldn’t be hard.
Doesn’t make sense if K’Dee Production already had someone (especially hearing) in mind to perform even before the auditions.
I rememeber not long ago watching a video by a lady in black shirt making casting call announcement, she didn’t mention about casting for Matt’s role….just two which were for Jay and Kristy. So I figure Matt’s role was already filled some time ago.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
To aide Lisa C’s #11 comment and for Gary’s #13 response to Lisa, Eban Kostobar is only 5′8…that’s six inches shorter than Matt.
So I’m with Lisa….Gary go work on your abs then win that role.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Hey, I’m disappointed too about the production company picking a hearing actor to play Hamill. Size on the screen is something most people think is “larger than life”. Schwarzennegger is not that tall, but his presence is larger than life on the screen, of course. I came face-to-face with Jane Fonda once, and she is a shrimp in real life– I towered over her by comparision.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Matt Hamill himself has commented on this matter. Check it out for yourself at http://www.matthamill.com
May 9th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
whispering *maybe gary felt he’s too chubby…* But really, Gary, once u put ur mind to it, u can get the position… go on. I would love it to seee you succeed on the screen! I rather it to be you, than hoos stealing the deaf character roles. Im so tired of it!
May 9th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
[…] BREAKING NEWS: Gallaudet cancels HAMILL (movie) auditions! […]
May 9th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
[…] BREAKING NEWS: Gallaudet cancels HAMILL (movie) auditions! […]
May 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Please keep in mind that this HAMILL film is an independent LOW BUDGET film as opposed to a single-source funded feature film. The lead actor of HAMILL is also one of the producers of this film. It’s not surprising that he’d want to do HAMILL himself and he looks nothing like HAMILL unless he has to take steroids to pump himself up. In Hollywood, if it’s your own sandbox, you have every right to play in it whether you like it or not because the money is in their hands. Just don’t contribute money to a film if the producers are taking this film on the wrong path.
For proof, check out K’Dee Miller’s credits on IMDB.com. She doesn’t have any producing credits to her name.
If I was Matt Hamill, I would wait to see how much further he could take his career. I’d sit back and wait for a much larger feature film deal from more reputable film production companies. This film is cheapening his legacy as a deaf MMA fighter. I think Matt needs to fire his agent and get a REAL agent who can get him a good deal for optioning his life story. He’s going to stay poor if he make bad moves for his career.
I feel really bad that someone is ruining it for Matt by doing a low budget film when he could get a much better deal. However, it is his life and he has the right to choose whatever he wants for his career. I’ll always a fan of his. Matt’s no filmmaker nor a businessman.. just a MMA fighter. I think he got ripped off. I hope we all can continue to support him in UFC.
Matt.. A word of advice. I don’t care if your friend is doing the lead role in HAMILL. This is a business decision. Just because you like someone as a friend doesn’t mean he’ll serve your business interests well. Get a good Hollywood agent and he’ll get you a deal that will set you up for a long time, even after you retire from MMA.