WHEN the call came for extras in Robert Connolly's new crime drama The Dry, the Wimmera gleefully answered.
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The film, shot primarily in the Wimmera in 2019, had its world premier in Horsham on Thursday, where dozens of Wimmera residents watched their hard work on the big screen.
Beulah's Stephanie Halmshaw was one of the lucky few extras selected to play alongside the film's star Eric Bana.
Halmshaw played a waitress in the film and had a speaking role - something she never expected during auditions.
"I thought I would be just eating a sandwich in the background or something," Halmshaw said.
"I was told I was playing the waitress, then they said, 'You're serving Eric Bana'.
"I was like, 'What? You're kidding me? Holy moly!'"
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Halmshaw however said she felt comfortable in the role, and was even able to have some friendly banter with Bana on set.
An improvised line from Bana during the scene - "throw some extra yabbies on the side" - initially caught Halmshaw by surprise.
But it was a line that made the final cut of the film, and a moment that had the Horsham crowd in raptures at the film's premiere on Thursday.
Halmshaw said acting in the movie was the thrill of a lifetime.
"There aren't many people that can say they were in a movie with Eric Bana," she said.
"I'm pretty proud of myself - it was just a really great experience. Everyone was so lovely."
Young Audrey Moore was another cast in the film to play a pivotal role as the sole survivor of a gruesome incident.
Audrey's parents, Paige and Jeremy, said they were proud the youngster featured in the film, but that they would wait "a long time" before showing it to young Audrey.
While the amateur extras seamlessly fit in the film, the highest compliment of their performances may have come from Bana on the red carpet on Thursday night.
"We used a lot of extras in all our pub scenes and so forth - and they were all very good at their background action, conversations and so forth. They were all naturals, actually," he said.
"I'm not sure if any of them plan on more work, but they all blended in well."
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