One of Gabe Green’s goals for 2008 was to be in a ‘big budget film.? When Drew Barrymore came to Detroit doing a casting call for her directorial debut ‘Whip it,? Green was given his chance.
‘Whip it? is the story of a rebellious Texas teen who trades her small town beauty crown for a wild world of Roller Derby.
‘It’s a really cool movie, it’s PG-13, made for kids, especially girls growing up in this time and era, just trying to figure out who you are,? Green said. ‘Not doing what everyone else is doing, but being your own person and finding your own tribe.?
Green said he spent 16 hours on set walking around, until someone came up and handed him a script for a coaching/referee part, which he said ‘was his calling,? since he is already a referee for the Detroit Derby Girls.
‘Normally they pick 10 people to audition for a spot and then they narrow it down to three.?
After auditioning for Flower Films, vice president Chris Miller, Green had to say his lines before Drew Barrymore.
‘It’s very nerve racking but at the same time you have to pull your composure together. You only get chances like this every once in awhile so you don’t want to mess it up because you got too excited or worse talking yourself down because you always want to have confidence in yourself and what you’re abilities are,? he said. ‘Nothing is promised and people would die for this opportunity.?
Unfortunately, he did not get the speaking part, his friend and fellow Detroit Derby referee Will Bricks got the speaking lines.
‘He has an awesome personality and he nailed it,? Green said. ‘But they liked me a lot where they made me a featured extra, raised my pay.?
Green spent about 17 days on set, or as he calls it his ‘Whip it summer camp.?
‘It was really exciting, I got to go to some cast parties,? he said. ‘It was so cool hanging out with these people and kind of networking with them.?
Green said the movie was filmed in various locations including Lafayette Coney Island, downtown Detroit, a strip mall in Birch Run where a pig joint restaurant was made, and the derby rink was built in a warehouse between Detroit and Hamtramck, which is where he spent most of his time.
‘You never know what the camera is actually capturing,? he said. ‘You just really have to be in character. Don’t try act the character, just be the character because you never know when the camera is on you.?
They also filmed at a house in Ypsylanti which was ‘Hot Tub Johnny’s? house. Green said they also ‘leased? his 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass because they liked the way it looked. It had flames on it and was ‘old school.?
‘It was really cool because my car was being paid, because they liked how it looked and they wanted to use it, he said. ‘For a moment I thought my car was going to be more famous then me, but after going and seeing the movie it (the car) might make the DVD.?
Green got to see a sneak peak of the film prior to it coming out.
‘I got to see it as the Polladium in Birmingham with the Derby Girls,? he said. ‘It felt good because every time I would pop up (on screen) the Derby Girls would yell ‘Nacho Daddy?
Nacho Daddy, is Green’s referee name for the Detroit Derby Girls.
‘Because I yell at the girls ‘but I’m ‘Nacho Daddy (Not-Your-Daddy)?, so it’s kind of a play on words. A lot of the girls have derby names like Racer McChaser, she was a quad speed skater, that wasn’t really going too far,? Green said. ‘She was doing well in it, but then she got into derby and really excelled big time, because you got to have speed or ‘Boo Delivers? You think the crowd’s booing, but their actually chanting for ‘Boo.??
Green is going into his third year as a derby referee, he also teaches snow boarding for Blizzard Ski School, and is the ‘undisputed number one server in Clarkston.? He works at the former Clarkston Caf?, now known as the Union Woodshop.
He also starred in an Independent science fiction series, which they were hoping would be picked up by the SYFY channel, but never happened. However, as a part of ‘Real Styles Online? Michigan’s leading source for film extras casting, Green was cast in a Robert DeNiro and Ed Norton movie called ‘Stone,? where he shot a scene in a prison library. However, he won’t know if he actually made the cut until the film comes out.
Green was born in Pontiac moved to Santa Barbara, Calif., where he lived for the first five years of his life. He moved to Grand Haven, Mich. where he went to high school, moved to Metro Detroit area. He has lived in Clarkston for the past three years.
‘I’ve met a lot of cool people along the way, learned a lot about myself and all of my hidden talents and what I’m capable of,? he said. ‘You should never sell yourself short because we are capable of a lot, just got to go out there and get it.?