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Local actor’s role keeps him on track
Jeff Hochendoner’s career is gaining speed.
The professional actor who lives in Poland has landed a role in “Unstoppable,” an action movie starring Denzel Washington and directed by Tony Scott (“Top Gun,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “The Taking of Pelham 123”).
Shooting began this week in Brewster, Ohio, south of Canton, and will later move on to Pittsburgh.
“Unstoppable,” which is loosely based on a true incident, is about an unmanned train that is pulling cars of a dangerous chemical.
A crew has to work frantically to catch the half-mile-long train and stop it before it derails and endangers a whole town.
Hochendoner plays a train engineer, a role in which he frequently interacts with Washington.
The film also stars Rosario Dawson.
“It’s my best role ever,” said Hochendoner.
The film, slated for a 2010 release, has a budget of $150 million. “It’s the biggest budget film I’ve ever done,” said Hochendoner.
It’s also the biggest star he’s ever worked with. “It’s an honor to work with Denzel,” said Hochendoner, “and working with someone of his caliber gives me more credibility [as an actor].”
Hochendoner has worked with director Scott before; he had a small role in the 1991 film “The Last Boy Scout,” which starred Bruce Willis.
The director remembered him from the making of that movie, said Hochendoner. Scott’s filmography also includes “Days of Thunder,” “Man on Fire,” “The Fan” and “Crimson Tide.”
Hochendoner auditioned four times before he was notified last week that he got the part. All of the auditions were in Pittsburgh.
“It’s a pretty good part,” he said. “I am one of four or five train engineers who are all buddies. Denzel is one of them.”
Hochendoner’s film career has been going nonstop for the past year.
He recently finished shooting “Warrior,” which stars Nick Nolte and will be released in the spring. Before that, he had small roles in “My Bloody Valentine,” which was released early this year; “Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” starring Sienna Miller, which came out in limited theatrical release this summer; and “Hollywood and Wine,” a comedy which has not yet been released.
Hochendoner’s recent film and screen credits also include a recurring role in the 2007 Spike TV miniseries “The Kill Point.”