It's not easy being typecast, especially when you only ever get the chance to be an extra. Nick DeMaio is tired of his gruff demeanour, Italian American heritage and New York accent constantly thusting him into gangster roles and dreams of expanding his work to include a broader range of characters. But, alas, it's not easy to convince casting agents he's more than just a one trick pony, and so he rounds up a bunch of actor friends who are equally determined to be more than just mobsters and sets up to organise a producation of Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'. Unfortunately, the stereotyped mass of aspiring stars has caught the attention of the cops, who start to get suspicious that their play is an attempt to cover up a major criminal plot after the murder of a Broadway producer. They enlist an undercover agent to audition for the play, but little does he know that he's only going to find a passion for the stage among these long-suffering gentlemen.
'Friends And Romans' is comedy drama awash with themes of ambition, stereotypes and innocence. The film has been directed by Christopher Kublan ('Some Other Time', 'Giving It Up'), who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Gregg Greenberg and the movie's main star Michael Rispoli. It won two awards at the Boston International Film Festival and it is set for release on October 23rd 2015.
Starring: Michael Rispoli, Paul Ben-Victor, Annabella Sciorra, Katie Stevens, Tony Darrow, Anthony DeSando, Tony Sirico, Charlie Semine, John Bianco