Student lands role in Spokane movie

For the past five years, sixth grade student Caden Liberty has been auditioning for a variety of roles in shows and plays. But now, he has landed a principle role as a featured extra in the “Different Drummers” movie, being produced in Spokane.

Different Drummers is based on a true story from 1965, and focuses on two best friends, Lyle and David. David is wheelchair bound and suffers from muscular dystrophy, while Lyle is hyperactive, and the story follows their fourth grade school year.

Liberty explained that he plays the role of Richard, a bully to other kids in the fourth grade class. Liberty originally auditioned for two other roles, but after attending classes, he got the role of Richard.

Liberty enjoys performing in a wide array of characters, and his role as a bully in the movie might have an ulterior motive that deals directly with his personal life.

“It’s kind of a way to yell at Merlee without yelling at her,” Liberty joked about having moments when he wished he could speak his mind to his older sister.

Liberty’s main scene occurred on the 14th day of filming when he has a direct confrontation with the main characters on the school bus. The scene creates an underlying feud between the boys, and introduces the character of Richard.

Initially, Liberty was cast to shoot on six different days, but it was extended to eight shootings. The final shot for Liberty occurred last weekend in an elementary school in Spokane.

“It’s kind of fun,” Liberty said about being on set and attempting to get into character of a bully. “But it does take a couple times to stop smiling.”

Liberty explained that there is a lot of downtime on the set, and when actors are off screen, they must remain silent. A favorite way to pass the time is playing rock, paper, scissors, with other behind the scenes actors.

Liberty said being a part of the movie has been very entertaining and there are a lot of nice people on set every day. Another exciting moment for Liberty was when two friends, Jay Harder and Brett Anthony, got to join him on set to be extras in a playground scene.

For the past two years, Liberty has been working with an agent to book roles in anything from commercials to movies. Acting has been a favorite hobby for Liberty for many years and he is constantly working to better himself as an actor.

“I have enjoyed theatre since first grade,” explained Liberty.

During grade school, Liberty has performed in the Tortoise versus the Hare, Alice in Wonderland, Robinson Crusoe, Christmas Presence, and Jack and the Beanstalk. He was also featured in a commercial produced by Annika Films, which can be viewed at http://iamaperformer.com.

Last year, Liberty had the opportunity to audition for a role with a new Nickelodeon series. Liberty, working with his sister off screen, recorded a scene and electronically submitted the segment to the producers.

Even though Liberty did not earn a spot on the series, he uses each experience to gain knowledge of the field he hopes to excel in. He has attended and participated in a variety of workshops, including improvisation, monologue, commercial and even a stage combat workshop.

These workshops serve as an opportunity to network with other actors, both young and old, to learn all the secrets of the trade. Liberty said he had the chance to work with actors like Adrian R’Mante, Chester See and Matthew Timmons, all of which are best known for their appearances in popular Disney Channel shows.

Liberty was able to meet and work with these actors at Celebrity Actors Camp in Los Angeles, Calif.

“It was pretty entertaining,” Liberty remembered. “There was a lot of laughing, and a lot of silence.”

Liberty also works closely with Cameron Goodman, known for her role on Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, as she serves as his private coach for video submissions.

For Liberty’s parents, Curt and Ronanda, the experience has been rewarding and exciting as they watch their son succeed in the field of acting. They continued on to explain that once actors start attending camps and workshops, it becomes a community and provides excellent support.

The Different Drummers movie is expected to premiere in Spring 2013, and is written and directed by Don Caron and Lyle Hatcher. The screenplay received the Grand Remington 2007, Best Screenplay award at WorldFest Houston and the Best Screenplay 2007 at the San Fernando International Film Festival.

Liberty plans to continue auditioning for roles found by his agent, Joshua Cooper, through the DreamCatchers agency. Liberty also plans to continue to play trumpet in the Lind-Ritzville Middle School band.

To learn more about the Different Drummers movie, follow the production on Facebook at http://facebook.com/differentdrummersmovie. The book is also available for purchase through Amazon.com.

Liberty’s photo and acting resume can be found on his casting agency’s website, http://dreamcatcherstalent.com.