Judd Nelson needs no introduction.
He is the soul of this story.
Judd was the first to read and connect with Jack’s You Are Here script— and he stuck with Jack for the fifteen years it took to make it. Without him, this project would never have happened.
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Judd was going to be the lead “Ray” until a month before filming, he had a knowing. He was no longer Ray; Jack was. In that moment, he gave Jack another incredible gift: to be a leading man.
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Judd’s incredible charisma is still very much on display in the role of ZACHARY a modern-day Mr. Potter who drives the plot, providing the foil to Jack’s Ray.
MEET THE CAST
JUDD NELSON
Judd Nelson needs no introduction. The final frame of The Breakfast Club with him holding his fist up in joy and defiance is a defining image of the 80s. Since then, Judd has continued acting in film and TV – everything from Suddenly Susan to St. Elmo’s Fire.
With his signature blend of intensity, humanity, and mischief, Judd makes every role memorable. A long-time believer in You Are Here, Judd plays ZACHARY, the Mr. Potter to Ray’s George Bailey. Our villain with a heart of cold hard cash, he’s out to buy Ray’s Garage one way or another. His only soft spots are his daughter Molly, and Max - the micturating stray dog.
"ZACHARY"
JOHN RUBY
John Ruby hails from Wisconsin, but you probably know him from Running Point, Penny Dreadful, SWAT, 2 Broke Girls or CSI.
John was a new addition to the You Are Here party and he jumped right in, effortlessly embodying Ping. He channeled his firsthand knowledge of packing up your car and heading for the coast to chase a dream and brought optimism, pessimism, and all sorts of other interesting isms to his Ping portrayal. We were lucky to have him and you’ll fall in love with him too.
"PING"
JACK KENNEDY
After graduating high school, Jack nabbed his first professional acting gig as a cadet at West Point. Going full method actor, Jack actually graduated and became an Airborne & Air Assault qualified Army officer.
Unfortunately, his role ended after injuring his back jumping out of planes. He made his way to Hollywood, where he too got his start on a soap opera, Days of Our Lives. He has since worked on hit shows like Castle, NCIS: LA, Shameless, and HBO’s Perry Mason.
"RAY"
EILEEN GRUBBA
Eileen Grubba is a multi-award-winning actor. She is a longtime member of the prestigious Actors Studio with over 125 film and TV credits, including The Lincoln Lawyer, Game of Silence, New Amsterdam, Watchmen, CSI, This is US, Sons of Anarchy, SWAT, High Potential…pretty much every show you can think of, and some you can’t.
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Eileen has been a stalwart supporter of Jack from the beginning of the You Are Here journey, and we are lucky to have her as our LUCINDA. Ray’s long-suffering wife, she’s done with things the way they are… and while she doesn’t know what the future holds, she knows she’s got to make it better than the stagnated present.
"LUCINDA"
RON ROGGE
JAMIE KALER
"MANSHOWER"
Jamie Kaler is a Navy veteran (Go Army Beat Navy), actor, standup comedian, and podcast host. Best known for his series regular role on the beloved TV show My Boys, you’ll also know him from Robot Chicken, Dads in Parks, Tacoma FD, and SWAT, as well as one of Claire’s favorite holiday movies, The Family Stone.
Jamie is our MANSHOWER, the Sheriff of this here small town. He takes his job seriously, even when he’s ticketing chickens. He’s also the local pastry consultant.
"MIKE"
Ron Roggé has over 160 credits to his name, though he is most well known as Captain William Mitchell of the Power Rangers. Though he’s been plenty busy since then showing up everywhere from Matlock to Treme to Stranger Things. He’s our Mike and he brings a warmth and humanity that makes the comedy even more poignant. He’s the heart of the film and got into character by serenading Marabina with Broadway showtunes. If you ask nicely, he just might sing you a song too.
ADAM LAZZARE-WHITE
"KAREN"
Adam Lazarre-White is Brett, and he comes to us with years of experience and over 60 credits to his name. From The Blacklist to Glow to The Upshaws, Adam has made the rounds. But he’s best loved for his long-running turn on The Young and the Restless as the morally ambiguous Nathan Hastings.
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BRETT was the high school football star who was always secretly in love with Karen. Now he drives the tow truck, talks about those glory days, and is still not-so-secretly in love with Karen.
"BRETT"
DENDRIE TAYLOR
You know Dendrie Taylor and her unbelievably expressive eyes from Sons of Anarchy, Pam & Tommy, The Fighter, and all points in between.
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DENDRIE TAYLOR is our KAREN is our local bartender - the druggy kid with the showstopping voice who froze when it mattered and doesn’t thaw until Ping comes around and everything shifts.
MARABINA JAIMES
"KAREN"
"MOLLY"
Marabina Jaimes brings her sexy blend of comedy and sultriness to the role of MOLLY, Zachary’s daughter who knows what she wants… except when she doesn’t. She’s a force of nature, not to be trifled with, but when you get her just right, a whole lotta fun.
Marabina is an accomplished actress and Emmy Award-winning talk show host. Best known as Mara from PBS’ Storytime, she’s also a bilingual voiceover artist who has whispered exciting somethings to your kids in animated features and thrilled and delighted tv audiences in a range of shows too numerous to list.
KELLY DESARLA
Kelly De Sarla comes to us by way of Detroit where she learned to play the flute, ate cannoli from Tringali’s Bakery, and decided to be an actress. We’re glad she did, as are the directors of the over 30 feature films she’s played in.
Kelly is SUSAN GRETCHEN, the local lady of the night, who is in love with Ray. But she knows a thing or two about a thing or three and can see how deeply he loves Lucinda, even if Lucinda can’t. She’s a source of clarity in a space of confusion and we can’t help falling in love with her, even if Ray doesn’t.
"SUSAN"
TIM ABELL
Tim Abell is an institution and a true original. There aren’t many US Army Rangers (Go Army Beat Navy) who can also teach ballroom dancing, train horses, raise chickens, cook said chickens, and also act with them.
The man can do it all and has, from playing Andrew Jackson in a touring Army re-enactment to starring in Soldier of Fortune, the Bruckheimer TV show. We are so lucky to have him as our BENNY, the lifelong chicken farmer who finally answers the age-old question: Why did the chicken cross the road?
"BENNY"
GALE HANSEN
If Judd and The Breakfast Club set the tone for the ‘80, Gale Hansen and The Dead Poets Society was the cultural touchstone of the ‘90s. Gale’s nuanced performance as Charlie Dalton made us all want to stand up to tyranny and never break under pressure. Since then, Gale has continued to act and to teach the Meisner Technique as he learned it from Sandy himself.
"JOE DONALD"
ROB MUKES
You might recognize Rob Mukes from the House of 1000 Corpses, or then again, you may know him from Weeds. Rob is a man for all channels. He plays our SIXSHOOTER, the consummate local who just wants his truck back… and maybe a peanut butter sandwich.
"SIXSHOOTER"
AUSTIN BASIS
"STAN"
Austin Basis is an actor, comedian, and comic book writer who plays Ping’s tell-it-lit-it-is publisher, STAN BUCHESKY. Austin brings his trademark wit, comedic timing, and impeccable improv instincts to the role. We could hardly contain our laughter on set, and we know you’ll love him too.
KARA KIMBOUGH
Kara Kimbrough is our pastry-obsessed RHONDA, and we can’t imagine anyone else holding the distinction. Kara is a comedy icon, well known on the stand-up circuit until she traded it in to own the joint instead of just performing there. Now you can usually find her at her dinner and comedy club, TK’s Comedy in Dallas - the best place in town to have dinner and a laugh. That is, unless she’s back on set, gracing us with her pastry prowess.
"RHONDA"
SAM AMEEN
Sam is a member of the US Airforce (Go Army Beat Navy), an award-winning cinematographer, and our DR. HANSEN. Sam has over 20 years and 100 credits behind the lens but has started to step out into the lights. His naturalism and innate comedy instincts speak for themselves. He’s also a proud dog dad who actually remembers to take care of his pup's dental health.
"DR. HANSEN"
BRENDA GARCIA
Not only is Brenda Garcia an actress with impeccable comedic timing, she is also a Navy Veteran (Go Army Beat Navy), a singer, and the personal videographer to two US Presidents. This makes up for the fact that her DORIS can’t make brownies.
"DORIS"
MEREDITH JACKSON
Meredith Jackson is the dream girl. Literally. Her character Tanya is the impetus for Ping’s adventure and Meredith is certainly a reason to drive cross country. If it’s a hot new show, Meredith is on it. From Landman to High Potential to Everyone Is Doing Great. Ozark, Fantasy Island, Rescue: HI-Surf, Mindhunter, Blue Bloods, Insecure, Lessons in Chemistry… like we said, every cool show wants Meredith.
Not only is she our Tanya but she’s signed on to be the lead in our Short Form Series that tells the making of You Are Here…look for it this fall. You might also find her horseback riding, scuba diving, or rocking out to her awesome boyfriend Devin’s band Pronghorn.
"TANYA"
SCOTCH
Scotch is Claire’s faithful companion. There is no better pup and when we needed a dog, she generously answered the call. You can find her going for a ride in the car, staying up all hours of the night to keep Claire company, and wherever there is food. She is the love of our lives and the star of the show… just don’t tell the humans.
