When the Actor Inspired Chaos and Bloodshed

by

Nicholas Litchfield

The riveting tale of an actor unwittingly drawn into an obsessed director’s dangerous vision for an action/adventure cult film.

When the Actor Inspired Chaos and Bloodshed is Nicholas Litchfield’s riveting story of a struggling Hollywood actor cast as the “career-making” lead in a South American director’s upcoming action/adventure film. Enticed by his agent’s claims that this is sure to be his break-out role and the director’s early successes, actor Dominic Graves soon finds himself heading to Uruguay, anticipating 10 weeks on set in a beautiful seaside location. However, the amenable location may end up being the only promise fulfilled of the entire experience. 

Dominic Graves is a 31-year-old, five-year veteran of the Hollywood scene, but with only a handful of B-movie credits to his name, his signature megawatt smile is starting to dim. His agent, Bernie Finkelman, a horrid and abusive old man with rumored ties to the Mafia, is no longer an active advocate for Dominic’s career and has sold him a few “bill of goods” jobs in the past, so he’s understandably wary. However, Dominic, who has earned a reputation for hard drinking and carousing while on a project, starts drinking on the flight to Uruguay and takes some of his worst, self-destructive habits with him into this new opportunity, negatively impressing the other members of the cast and crew. Ignatio Martinez, the vision-driven and cliché-spouting director, only contributes to Dominic’s troubles with pre-dawn to late-night workdays, no downtime, and numerous unnecessary takes of scene after scene after scene. Add in a leading lady with a history with the director and desperate for a big career, who clings to whomever she currently deems most beneficial to her goal, including her new leading man, and the filming becomes a nightmare. Scores of unhappy film industry professionals are trapped working on a project that quickly begins to look like it will ever see distribution. 

The plot is well-paced, with an absolute gem of an opening that guaranteed my continued reading. Dominic is an engaging character, and I couldn’t look away as he immediately began making a series of unfortunate behavioral choices and what he experienced once on set. The behind-the-scenes glimpses of film creation were interesting, and the discussions around the practical aspects, especially the safety concerns for those involved, were fascinating. The suspense built steadily, and I had a constant, fearful anticipation of what would happen next and whether or not Dominic would even survive principal photography. 

I recommend WHEN THE ACTOR INSPIRED CHAOS AND BLOODSHED to readers interested in tales of filmmaking gone awry. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

See this and more reviews on my blog, Guatemala Paula Loves to Read.