Chance meeting in L.A. traffic jam leads to reunion in Fort Saskatchewan film shoot

Longtime Canadian actor Michael Ironsideis shooting a new full-length Hollywood film in the Edmonton region, a projectthat grew out of a chance meeting 12 years ago during a traffic jam in Los Angeles.

For the last couple of weeks, the set has beenat a 100-year-old farm just east of the city of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., along Township Road 544. The old redbrick farmhouse has beentaken over by the mostly-Canadianproduction crew out ofCalgary.

A veteran of more than 45 moviesand countless television productions, Ironsidesays even though he's lived in Los Angeles since 1982, he's still a Canadian boy at heart. He's originally from Toronto.

"You make it sound like I've been away,"Ironside saidduring a break in filming on set."I try and make it up here in the summertime."

But this time, Ironside isbraving anAlberta winter to shoot a new thriller movie called Knuckleball.

"We've been able to construct a script here that has all the elements ofa murder-mystery thriller in it, slight horror aspects," he said."It's humanity at its worst in some places.

"I'm realproud of this film."

Chance encounter

The movie is the brainchild of award-winning Calgary filmmaker MichaelPeterson. But the roots of itgo back to a chance encounter between Ironside and Peterson 12 years ago.

Peterson was anintern in Los Angeles when Ironside noticed him on the road one day while driving in Laurel Canyon.

"I was in this convertible with my daughter in the back in the baby seat, and I said, 'Looksweetheart, Alberta plates.That's where I'm from Canada,'"Ironside recalled.

Peterson just happened to be driving in his pickup truckin Ironside's neighbourhood when the actor pulled up beside him and struck up a conversation during some gridlock.

"He pulled up beside me and he said:'Hey man are you from Alberta?' Because he saw my plate," Peterson said. "And I was like, 'Yeah!'"

Ironsidetold Peterson he made films in Alberta, but Peterson knew who he was.

"I told him I admired his acting, I was always a fan, and then we sort of kept the conversation going over a series ofconsecutivered lights,maybe four or five," he said.

"By the end of it we sort of got to the point where I told him I was going to call him one day when I had the right role for him."

That call took a while to materialize, butPeterson did come up with amovie script that he thought Ironside would be perfect for. He sent it to himfor a read.

"Thatscript was sent to meaboutsix months ago,"Ironside said. "My agent said:'There's a note attached too, and evidently you and the director met in Laurel Canyon a decade or so ago.He was in a pickup truck.'"

Ironsideremembered the exchange immediately.

The twomet in Los Angeles a few months ago to talk about the film, and now they areworking together on the moviein Fort Saskatchewan.

"It was kind of prophetic, it was a nice feeling," Ironside said.

'It's just very exciting'

While the movie will continue to be shot in and around the farmhouse, the crewwill eventually go into the city Fort Saskatchewan to shoot some scenes at city hall and on a main streetdowntown.

Gale Katchur, Mayor of Fort Saskatchewan, says there have been several movies shot in the city over the last few years, with actors like Liam HemsworthandFarahFawcett coming through town.

"For me, it's just very exciting as the mayor when we have people from Hollywood in Fort Saskatchewan, "said Katchur, who is hoping to eventuallymeetIronside when he's shooting in the city.

"Sometimes when people get to play extras, that makes it even more special, so hopefully when this production is done, you know, we will be watching for it."

The crew is planning to shootin Fort Saskatchewan starting in early February.