Courtney Balaker

I think it's- I don't think she knows what it is.

I think it's- I don't think she knows what it is.

Yeah. So Ted and I optioned the rights to his book. And we don't know if it's going to be a scripted series or a feature film. That's what we're trying to figure out. But it's an incredibly powerful story about, as you know, a young man who grew up in the foster care system and defied a lot of odds. that kids usually who grew up the way he did don't end up as well as he did.

Yeah. So Ted and I optioned the rights to his book. And we don't know if it's going to be a scripted series or a feature film. That's what we're trying to figure out. But it's an incredibly powerful story about, as you know, a young man who grew up in the foster care system and defied a lot of odds. that kids usually who grew up the way he did don't end up as well as he did.

He went to Yale and graduated. He was in the Air Force, and he has a wonderfully productive, beautiful life, and wrote a great book about his story, and we want to bring it to the screen.

He went to Yale and graduated. He was in the Air Force, and he has a wonderfully productive, beautiful life, and wrote a great book about his story, and we want to bring it to the screen.

One of the first people we discussed this project with was a very dear friend of ours who's a casting director. She's cast the past few movies that I've directed. And she said something when she read the book, because we were like, we want you to work on this project. And she said something that was really interesting.

One of the first people we discussed this project with was a very dear friend of ours who's a casting director. She's cast the past few movies that I've directed. And she said something when she read the book, because we were like, we want you to work on this project. And she said something that was really interesting.

She said, young boys right now in our current era are looking for real stories about young boys. There's tons of superhero and Marvel movies. Yeah. But you can only relate to that to a certain point.

She said, young boys right now in our current era are looking for real stories about young boys. There's tons of superhero and Marvel movies. Yeah. But you can only relate to that to a certain point.

And we're really excited to make a coming of age movie about a young man who struggled and defied odds, but ultimately just had a very real experience as a young boy, became a very successful, responsible man. And I think that the marketplace apparently is really thirsting for that. So we hope that we can do well and provide. Yeah.

And we're really excited to make a coming of age movie about a young man who struggled and defied odds, but ultimately just had a very real experience as a young boy, became a very successful, responsible man. And I think that the marketplace apparently is really thirsting for that. So we hope that we can do well and provide. Yeah.

Oh, I don't know if they've seen it yet. I should check in with them to see if they have. I worked with Joseph a long time ago when I was directing off Broadway theater in New York City. It was actually the first stage play he had ever done. He had just come off of a very popular TV show called Third Rock from the Sun, and he had never done theater in New York. It was really cool to work with him.

Oh, I don't know if they've seen it yet. I should check in with them to see if they have. I worked with Joseph a long time ago when I was directing off Broadway theater in New York City. It was actually the first stage play he had ever done. He had just come off of a very popular TV show called Third Rock from the Sun, and he had never done theater in New York. It was really cool to work with him.

Amazing. It was totally crazy. So I'd love for him to see Coddling. And yeah, I need to check in with Catherine to see if she's seen it as well. But they were both just delightful and wonderful to work with.

Amazing. It was totally crazy. So I'd love for him to see Coddling. And yeah, I need to check in with Catherine to see if she's seen it as well. But they were both just delightful and wonderful to work with.

I mean, he's been acting since he was a little kid. You know, he kind of grew up in the Marcy world. Warner, you know, the production company that was making a lot of those sitcoms at the time on NBC and ABC. And so he's been doing it for a long time. And he had never done live theater, as I just mentioned. But when he transitioned to live theater in New York, it was pretty natural. It was funny.

I mean, he's been acting since he was a little kid. You know, he kind of grew up in the Marcy world. Warner, you know, the production company that was making a lot of those sitcoms at the time on NBC and ABC. And so he's been doing it for a long time. And he had never done live theater, as I just mentioned. But when he transitioned to live theater in New York, it was pretty natural. It was funny.

The one thing that he wasn't used to was voice projection, because obviously you're mic'd on a studio set. Yeah. We worked on that, but it is God-given talent. He's got fantastic instincts, and it was a real honor to work with him.

The one thing that he wasn't used to was voice projection, because obviously you're mic'd on a studio set. Yeah. We worked on that, but it is God-given talent. He's got fantastic instincts, and it was a real honor to work with him.