Everyone loves Lou Diamond Phillips right? Well, everyone does in “Lucy in the Sky with Diamond,” the short film by writer/director Joey Boukadakis.
The short film takes the Tony and Golden Globe-nominated actor and turns him into a mythical version of himself, Chuck Norris-style:
“‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamond’ was shot over two days in a diner in the San Fernando Valley. The film also stars John Patrick Jordan (‘American Pie,’ ‘Mad Men’) and Brian Thomas Smith (‘The Big Bang Theory,’ ‘Happy Endings’). Phillips plays a hyperbolized version of himself known as the elusive and mysterious ‘LDP’ – a renegade, spirit guide, life coach character who attempts to help Jordan’s character get over a particularly disconcerting ex-girlfriend.”
“The script was sent to me while I was on set in New Mexico shooting the TV show Longmire, and when I sat down to read it I knew it was something special because from the first page I couldn’t stop laughing,” said Phillips. “The characters and dialogue leapt off the page; it was great writing and I knew I had to do it. Plus, I was very flattered by the gesture, particularly as it was sent to me out of the blue.”
Jordan, who also co-starred and co-produced the short with Boukadakis, said, “Since Joey wrote the script specifically for Lou, the entire project depended on his involvement. We sent it to him blind, not really sure how, and if, he’d respond to the material. When we found out how excited he was to jump in the sandbox with us, it just validated how awesome of a guy he is.”
Boukadakis, a music video and commercial director whose short films “Rushers” and “Dinner with Raphael” have played at film festivals all over the world, talked about his undying love for Phillips. “I remember watching ‘La Bamba’ over and over as a kid with my siblings, quoting it, singing along, and acting out scenes,” he said. “In some ways, Lou was to us what Travolta was to Tarantino. We grew up watching him…The man just personifies ‘cool’ – plus, I think somewhere along the way he discovered the fountain of youth and won’t tell anyone about it. The guy seriously doesn’t age.”
Boukadakis said he wanted to do a “Chuck Norris of love” type character when the idea of Phillips appeared. “Lou brings such a unique mythology along with him as an actor; he’s played so many iconic roles across such a wide range of ethnicities,” he said. “Adding a tongue-and-check twist to his persona gave us an opportunity to create some amazing comedic moments.”
Check out the short film below the post and see if you want to learn the ways of Phillips!
