STARSTRUCK

WASILLA — When it came time for James Pistro’s close-up, he wasn’t ready.

A 19-year-old construction worker, Pistro parlayed what was to be two days of work in Seward into what may become a budding career as an actor.

“Yeah, a friend of mine told me they were making a film in Seward and I said, ‘No way, they’re not shooting a film in Alaska,’” Pistro said. “Well, they were and I got a call from a friend with a phone number to call to be an extra.”

His first foray into films was as an extra in the background crossing the street. Then came the moment, Pistro said, that, “I guess I went from being an extra to being an actor — supposedly.

“That first day we were shooting a scene in downtown Seward and I did a couple of background scenes where you can barely see me,” he said. “Then at another scene they just asked, ‘Hey, does anybody want to be a check-in person?’ I was pretty fast raising my hand.”

He even got to deliver a line.

“‘On your marks, go,’” Pistro said. “That was it. That’s my line.”

It was part of a ski race scene for “Christmas with a Capital ‘C’,” a movie being directed by Helmut Schleppi and featuring actors Daniel Baldwin and Ted McGinley. Baldwin has many credits and is one of the famous Baldwin brothers, and McGinley made his name on television hits “Happy Days” and “Married: With Children.”

But it wasn’t until Schleppi called Pistro back to deliver his line again that he got a close-up — and flubbed his line.

“When they actually put the camera on me, I choked,” he said, adding the cast and crew didn’t tease him too much. “They all just laughed. The pressure was there. My heart was going on that one. You’d think it’s easy to just say (four words) and get done.”

But with the cameras rolling and everyone looking at you to deliver, Pistro said he earned a new respect for acting as a profession.

“Man, it was crazy,” he said. “Just seeing all the cameras and all the people running around, and it was cool to see the way they set up the cameras and everybody doing their parts. Having experienced that, now when I’m watching a TV show, I know there are people (out of the camera view) doing all kinds of things.”

While Pistro doesn’t know if his four words and close-up will actually make it into the movie, he admits being bitten by the acting bug. While in Seward, he had another opportunity to be in a locally produced television commercial for AVTEC, the local vocational school. His step-father is an automotive instructor there and he played a student. This time, he more than doubled his dialogue: “These instructors at AVTEC really know what they’re talking about.”

Since returning from Seward, Pistro has been thinking more about acting.

“I didn’t get paid for none of it, but yeah, learning the things I did and getting to meet the people was crazy,” he said.

And the actors were as curious about Alaska as Pistro was about their industry, he said.

“The actors really seemed interested in the locals,” he said. “And the Palins, which I though was kind of funny. … Although these guys are well-known and wealthy and on TV, they’re just like you and I. They’re great guys. They had no problems sitting at lunch talking with us about snowmachining or about what we do in the winter.”

In a business Pistro said is “all about who you know,” he hopes to have made connections that lead to more roles. He’s been in contact with a production company Baldwin is involved with and is optimistic.

“There’s a part in an upcoming project they’re doing,” he said. “If I can get that part, I could make up to $3,000 a day.”

Although being on stage or in front of a camera was never on Pistro’s radar as a child, he has a new passion to add to his youthful aspirations of playing Major League Baseball, becoming a police officer or a trail motorcycle racer.

In hindsight, acting seems a good fit, he said, because he’s always “liked being in the spotlight.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.