When you are pursuing acting, there are sometimes those dream roles that one feels destined to.
“Been an actor for about nine years now. Getting a lot of smaller roles. Uncredited roles,” Scot Teller explained. “To get an opportunity like this from legendary people, it’s really like the Rocky story itself. I just got a million to one shot myself.”
For local actor Scot Teller – a chance meeting with Oscar-nominated actor Griffin Dunne.
“We ended up talking for like 30 minutes. Took some pictures,” Teller explained. “Amazing guy.”
And a subsequent stand in spot…
“I found out the day before I was to report to the set that I would be standing in for Griffin Dunn,” he explained.
…Led to a serendipitous phone call.
“He said it’s a Rocky movie,” Teller recalled. “I said am I gonna be standing in? He said I told them you’re an actor. I said, ‘okay that’s good.’”
Now, Teller in his sports sanctuary in the Leesport area, surrounded by much of the Rocky mythology.
“I had pizza shops in Berks County. Rocky’s pizza, Papa Rocko, never once did I think that I was gonna be Paulie someday,” he said.
He’s prepping for the role of his life.
“In this movie I have to play Burt Young, because Burt Young is auditioning for Paulie. So I have my work cut out for me,” he said.
So as the call to set approaches, he’s got a lot on his mind.
“I wanted to do good, not only for my wife, my kids, but for a legendary actor that went out on a limb for me,” he said.
But he’s also thinking about someone no longer here.
“When I’m not studying the character of Paulie, I’m thinking about my mom and just how proud she would be of me,” Teller said.
Stepping into an iconic role – in one of cinemas most memorable franchises – with mom’s supportive spirit in his corner.
“I wish she was here because I know how proud she’d be of me right now,” he said.