Photograph by Dale Robinette
When Up in the Air opens nationwide this month, locals are sure to dissect its St. Louis ties. Some will remember George Clooney’s monologue about Lambert–St. Louis International Airport, while others will point out places like Cheshire Lodge. But for those involved in the film—including 24 locals with speaking roles and nearly 2,000 extras total who were waiting at press time to see whether they made the cut—they’ll take away more than a possible credit.
- Jack Grisham: For three days, the VP of Animal Collections at the Zoo wore a tux to a church in Maplewood while playing a parent of the groom (portrayed by Danny McBride). Grisham stood beside his wife, Sharon, as she beamed in the same dress she wore at their daughter’s wedding.
- Jerry Vogel: Vogel, a seasoned actor who’s worked with St. Louis Shakespeare, played a manager in San Francisco. Like other extras, he wasn't given a script—which threw a considerable curve at his typical method-acting approach.
- John Meehan: For the co-founder of M.O.W. Printing in Collinsville, Ill., the most memorable moment was catching a vase when Zach Galifianakis, the unpredictable star of The Hangover, erratically threw it at him during one especially cantankerous scene.
- Adrienne Lamping: Lamping, a striking blond actress from St. Louis, donned a magenta dress while portraying a bridesmaid. As she stood beside Clooney one day, he leaned over and said, “Well, you look lovely today.” (Her response? “It was like, ‘You’re not so bad yourself.’”)
- John Mebruer: Shortly after filming a wedding reception in the film, Mebruer—singer and guitarist for local band Yukon Jake—jotted down “things I hope I hope I remember when I’m 80.” Among them: “You can tell when Clooney is talking even in a crowd because of his low voice.” Also, his wife’s car was filmed in front of the church, though “they put Wisconsin plates on it.”
- Meghan Maguire: The local actress played a disgruntled businesswoman. After working as an actress in New York for four years, Maguire says, “It was kind of neat to have my first feature film happen in my hometown.”
- John Grispon: Grispon—a dashing marketing consultant, with salt-and-pepper hair and rugged good looks—stood in for Clooney between scenes. Sometimes working 18 hours per day, he got to know everyone from the director to the grips. “I didn’t realize until I was there for that amount of time how it all comes together,” he says. “Out of respect, I now stay and watch the credits roll.”
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