Jerry Gross and his wife Keira Jones never imagined they would be bundled up in their winter clothes admiring the lavish Christmas displays on the streets of Weston - in early August.
But when a friend recently sent them a link to sign up to be extras on a film being shot there they registered and were chosen to perform in two scenes in Christmas on Display, directed by Kansas City native, Sandra Alongi and her husband Issac Alongi.
Gross and Jones were Christmas shoppers in one scene that was filmed on Thomas Street and included six extras, and attendees at a Christmas Fair in a night scene filmed on Main Street that included from 100 to 150 extras at different times.
After the couple was told they got the parts they were asked to bring their winter or Christmas clothes for the filming. The production company also reminded them that Platte County required masks in public and to do their best to stay compliant when they were not being filmed.
The film is about a successful real estate broker named Abbey who is on the verge of a promotion but is forced back to her hometown to repair a Victorian home inherited from her grandmother. After returning to her home she decides to sell the house and she hires a single dad, Josh, to help with the repairs.
“Together they find a delightful Christmas treasure hidden in the home by Abbey’s grandmother,” Gross said. “Memories of her past paired with a growing relationship with Josh and his son, Noah, help Abbey discover that her destiny lies not in selling homes, but in finding and making a home for herself.”
Production company members told Gross they are hoping the movie will be out in time for Christmas this year.
A former history teacher, Gross is now teaching seventh-grade math at Richard Warren Middle School in Leavenworth, Kan.
Although Gross was a stagehand during his high school theatre productions of South Pacific and Fiddler on the Roof in the 1980s, this was his first time as an extra. Although he never studied acting he often wondered what it took to be an actor.
Gross said the film was shot in several locations in Weston and the directors chose the town for its qualities that fit into the Hallmark movie model.
The directors told him the movie will likely find a home on Amazon, Netflix or the Hallmark Channel.
“I believe it definitely is destined to be a Hallmark movie, everyone that has watched Hallmark movies know the qualities consist of a strong sense of community, romance and relatable characters,” Gross said.
Gross and Jones soon will move from Leavenworth to Weston and are looking forward to living in a smaller town.
“We have always liked the small-town atmosphere of Weston and believed it had the qualities of a Hallmark movie,” Gross said. “We look forward to getting involved in Weston and becoming part of its rich history.”