VALLEY NATIVES ON THE SET OF "AVENGERS" AND "BATMAN"

Two of the biggest films of the summer were shot last year in this region: “The Avengers” in Cleveland and “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises” in Pittsburgh.”

Not surprisingly, a number of Mahoning Valley residents answered casting calls to appear as extras in the films.

They shared their experiences with The Vindicator:

Paul Gustovich, Niles

Paul Gustovich played a hotel doorman wearing a red coat in “The Avengers.”

“I fit in the costume, and that’s why they gave me the part,” he said. He is in the Stuttgart, Germany, beer-garden scene, where a battle breaks out.

“It was set up in Public Square,” he said. “First, all the superheroes ran out of the building, and then I run out, too.”

Gustovich is a retiree from General Motors who recently caught the acting bug. “I plan on doing more auditions,” he said.

He was on the set for two days and said all of the extras on “The Avengers” were treated like stars.

He credits his looks for getting picked. “I have a ponytail and glasses, and they liked it,” he said.

Michael Wilson, Youngstown

Michael Wilson’s real-life job as a Mahoning County deputy sheriff no doubt helped him get picked as an extra in both “Batman,” where he plays a policeman, and “The Avengers,” where he plays a firefighter.

He was a featured extra on “Batman” and worked closely with the stunt team as well as the main actors.

“About 40 of us — 20 good guys and 20 bad guys — were picked for this out of more than 700 extras,” said Wilson. “We received many perks, including lunch with the director and cast, as well as good screen time, being in multiple scenes and better pay. It was a real honor and experience.

“They picked us based on our stage fighting skills,” he continued. “We were told we were the best of the best. We were also invited to New York City to finish the filming in October. Of course I went, and it was amazing. About 20 of us went, and they welcomed us with open arms. It was funny to see all the new extras in New York wondering why they were treating us so well. We were dubbed ‘The Pittsburgh Crew.’”

Wilson didn’t get as much attention in “The Avengers” but he was involved in the big battle scene. He is also in the scene where Captain America gets thrown out a window. “Me and another firefighter help him up and ask him if he’s OK,” he said. In another scene, he helps civilians after an alien attack.

A huge comic-book fan, Wilson said being in both movies was a dream come true.

He also is working on his own Web-based film series, “Knightmage,” which he is writing and directing as a hobby. A trailer for the series, which is about a modern-day sorceror, can be found on YouTube.com.

Dianalyn Thomas, Youngstown

Dianalyn Thomas was an extra in “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises” for a scene that was shot in Heinz Field.

“It was a really neat experience,” she said. “I went with my boyfriend and a few friends, and we all had a great time. It was a long day though. The scene was a fall scene, so we were all asked to wear heavy coats and winter apparel. Of course it ended up being an insanely hot and sunny day after the clouds and rain gave way. We sat for about 12 hours in the sun putting on our winter coats each time a new scene was shot. That was a little tiresome on us in that blazing heat.”

Fortunately, the filmmakers provided sun block, she said.

“Throughout the day we got to see the new villain, Bane,” Thomas continued. “We also saw the Dark Knight Tumblers come roaring onto the field, and men with machine guns came rushing into the stadium a few times. Some of the players from the Steelers were on set, as well as former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who spoke to the crowd at one point.

Thomas doesn’t know if she’ll be able to see herself on screen when the film is released this summer but said the experience alone was enough. “It was a lot of fun to see the inner workings behind the screen,” she said.

Charles Kettering, Youngstown

“My time on the set of ‘The Avengers’ was pretty spectacular,” said Charles Kettering.

He auditioned in June but didn’t get a call until after filming had started. “I got a call to go in for a costume fitting, which was very exciting,” he said. “I’ve been a big Marvel comics fan since I was 7, so it was a dream come true that I might be in a scene with Captain America, my favorite superhero.

“I was originally called onto the set for three days with a group of about 400 to 600 people for a scene that takes place in Stuttgart, Germany. As those days wore on, the group called got smaller and smaller, and I kept waiting to be told I wouldn’t be needed. Then the casting director came up to me during my lunch break and said that because of my perseverance during the heat of the casting call and my background as an actor, they’d like me to stay on until the end of filming. So my three days on set turned into six.”

Kettering said there was a great sense of camaraderie among the extras.

His biggest highlight was working with the stunt team. “I was standing next to Captain America’s stunt double chit-chatting, and I asked him how much the shield weighed. He said, ‘Find out for yourself,’ and handed me one of the most iconic weapons in comic books. I felt like I was 7 years old again. The only problem is that I couldn’t get a picture with it, as they took our cellphones and cameras before we got to the set.”

Kettering has worked as a film extra before but never for a production of this magnitude. “I was really impressed with Chris Evans’ [Captain America] and Tom Hiddleston’s [Loki] candor in between takes,” he said. “Evans was surprisingly humble and focused and even seemed grateful to the extras for having been on-set longer than himself some days. Hiddleston had a great time chatting with everyone between setups.”

Kettering has been involved in theater since he was 12. He acted while a student at Ursuline High School and at Loyola University of Chicago. Since moving back to Youngstown in 2009, he has appeared in productions at The Oakland, Youngstown Playhouse, Victorian Players Theater and Rust Belt Theater Company.