Production Notes
For additional publicity materials and artwork, please visit:
http://www.lionsgatepublicity.com/theatrical/donverdean/
MPAA: PG-13 for crude and suggestive content, some language and brief violence.
Run time: 96 minutes
U.S. Release Date: December 11, 2015 (In Theaters and On Demand)
For more information, please contact:
Liz Berger
Lionsgate
2700 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404
P: 310-255-3092
E: lberger@lionsgate.com
SYNOPSIS
Hired by an ambitious small-town pastor to find sacred relics in the Holy Land, a self-proclaimed Biblical
archaeologist comes up short and his attempt to cover up his failure fuels a comic conspiracy from the
filmmaking team behind Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. DON VERDEAN stars Sam Rockwell, Amy
Ryan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Bibb, with Will Forte, and Danny McBride. DON VERDEAN will be released
by Lionsgate Premiere in theaters and On Demand December 11th.
Lionsgate Premiere presents a Buffalo Film Company production, a Film by Jared Hess.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
In a series of off-beat and intensely original comedies, husband-and-wife filmmaking team Jared
and Jerusha Hess have explored the diverse worlds of Midwestern high school nerds (their debut film,
Napoleon Dynamite), masked Mexican Luchador wrestlers (Nacho Libre) and modern-day writers of farfetched fantasy fiction (Gentlemen Broncos). In their fourth collaboration, DON VERDEAN, the pair
ventures even further off the beaten path for a foray into the arcane arena of Biblical archeology, where
highbrow academics and ambitious charlatans compete to prove that the stories of the Old and New
Testament are factually accurate.
“My good friend and one of the producers on this film, Jason Hatfield, turned me on to the world
of Biblical archeology,” explains director and co-writer Jared Hess. “He sent me articles and links to
videos with some leaders in the field who all had different claims. I thought it was a fascinating and
potentially humorous world to have things go wrong in.”
In DON VERDEAN, the Hesses have concocted a modern-day morality tale about an itinerant
archeologist hired by the pastor of a local church to find ancient relics in the Holy Land. “Don Verdean
promises that he can find the skull of the giant Goliath, felled in combat by David,” says the director.
“When Don fails, he decides to cut his losses and fabricate his find.”
Hess became enthralled by the real-life world of Biblical archeology, reading and watching
interviews with prominent proponents, but he says the character of Don Verdean is not based on any one
person. “There are numerous figures in the field who have made outrageous claims over the years about
what they’ve found,” he says. “It was more the psychology of a character who does this that fascinated
me.
“A lot of these people don’t have the proper academic credentials, but what they do have is
passion,” he continues. “They believe very strongly in certain things because of their faith. A lot of them
say they know how to locate the Ark of the Covenant or something legendary like that. They just never
seem to have any photos or video or any evidence, really. It was all destroyed or they want to keep the
proof secret for whatever reason. You have to take their word for it.”
It’s not, Hess says, that the discipline is dominated by con artists. In fact, it’s often quite the
opposite. “Some people are definitely suspect,” he admits. “But there are plenty of others who are
genuinely trying to find out about what they read in the Bible using the stories as a map. There’s a lot of
imagination with the best of intentions.”
As always, Hess and his wife and writing partner Jerusha Hess worked hand in hand to develop
the script. “We throw out ideas for a long time and then we lock ourselves in an office for a few hours a
day to write until the script is done,” says Jared. “It’s a lot of talking and brainstorming and dry-erase
boards. We worked off and on for four or five months before we had something we were happy with.”
He says the process works because they share a similar comic sensibility and because Jerusha
doesn’t pull any punches in the writing room. “She never hesitates to tell me when an idea I have is lame
or not working,” he laughs. “And she usually has a better one. She also knows me very well, so she can
anticipate what I like as a director. That helps the writing process.”
The in-depth research involved in creating Don Verdean’s story was a new challenge for the
couple. “This world was completely unfamiliar to us,” he says. “Having to learn the basics of Biblical
archeology was very different from what we’ve had to do on other films, but because I was raised in a
religious environment, the material was somewhat familiar.”
With a tight budget and short shooting schedule, Jared says, “we didn’t have a lot of time to
make mistakes. But we had such a funny and talented cast that we were able to make it work. It’s a fastpaced comedy, so my hope first and foremost is simply that the audience laughs.”
TEAM PLAYERS
Jared Hess counts himself lucky to have been able to assemble his dream cast for DON
VERDEAN, starting with his Gentlemen Broncos star, Sam Rockwell, in the title role. Rockwell, whose
performances have garnered critical and popular acclaim in off-the-beaten-path projects like Moon,
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and The Way Way Back, brings Don an otherworldly innocence and zeal
even in his basest moments.
“Sam is so committed,” says Hess. “And he’s so talented. When he chooses a script and a
character, he doesn’t mess around. He goes for it. He lives and breathes that character every day of the
shoot. He takes everything he does very seriously because he is all about making good art. And it doesn’t
hurt that he’s also a joy to work with.”
Rockwell did not take any convincing to tackle the role. “The script was very funny, as I expected
anything Jared and Jerusha wrote would be,” the actor says. “Don Verdean is a bit like Steve Martin as
The Jerk meets Robert Duvall in The Apostle with a bit of Inspector Clouseau thrown in. His journey is
the story of Faust. He makes a deal with the Devil.”
The actor was also intrigued by the unusual and specific world the characters inhabit. “It’s
certainly one that I’m not familiar with,” he says. “I referred to a number of different sources to get to
know it better. I had already played a born-again Christian in a film called Snow Angels. I used much of
the same material as a reference for how people pray.”
To help Rockwell prepare for the role, Hess sent him footage of Biblical archeologists and
evangelical leaders. The transformation the actor was able to effect surprised even his longtime
collaborator. “He became a different person when he played Don,” says Hess. “His look and his voice and
his mannerisms are unlike anything I have ever seen him do before. When I watch him on screen, I don’t
see Sam Rockwell. I see Don Verdean.”
Rockwell says he appreciated the fact that Hess was supportive of the physical changes he
wanted to achieve. “Most directors do not embrace the idea of transformation,” says the actor. “They
want you to be you. But Jared encouraged me to go there. He was happy to see me put on the funny
mustache. And the hair and glasses were his ideas. He wanted a particular type of accent, so we got Liz
Himmelstein, who is one of the premier dialect coaches, to work with me.”
Himmelstein has worked with countless prominent actors, including Nicole Kidman, Kathy Bates
and Frances McDormand, whom she helped achieve the Minnesota accent she used in Fargo. To assist
Rockwell in honing the specific southern accent Hess had in mind for Don, the veteran dialect coach had
a funeral director from Tennessee tape his lines.
To play Don’s loyal assistant, Carol, Hess tapped the talents of Amy Ryan. A Best Supporting
Actress Oscar® nominee for her nuanced role as a bereft mother in Gone Baby Gone, Ryan has also
demonstrated her considerable comedic chops in roles including Steve Carell’s abiding love interest, Holly
Flax, on “The Office.”
“Carol is Don Verdean’s secretary and field assistant,” says Hess. “She admires him, but he
definitely does not treat her kindly at the beginning of the film. He slowly realizes as things fall apart
what a good, loyal friend she’s been to him.”
Ryan more than holds her own as a quiet everywoman in a world of big personalities. “Amy
plays this very shy, reserved person in amongst all these huge, nutty characters,” says Rockwell. “I know
we really lucked out with the entire cast, but Amy in particular brings real dramatic cachet to the film.”
“She’s just an incredible actor,” agrees Hess. “I’ve admired her work for ages. I always imagined
her in the role and we were lucky enough to get her. She’s just a dream to work with.”
Ryan has been a fan of the Hesses since she saw their first feature film, Napoleon Dynamite.
“When Jared reached out with an offer I thought, ‘what an amazing invitation to receive on a cold winter
morning,’” she says. “The group he had already assembled was made up of phenomenal actors and I
knew I wanted to join it. Knowing that Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement had worked with him before
and were going back for another round was a big plus.”
Before signing on, Ryan checked in with Rockwell to get his input on the project and the director.
“He told me that Jared is one of the nicest men I could ever work with,” she recalls. “Not only is Sam a
great actor, I also don’t think he’s never made a bad choice, so that was all I needed to hear.”
In addition to the Hesses’ signature quirky humor, Ryan was attracted to the character’s
openness and faith. “I hadn’t come across someone like Carol before,” she explains. “She’s really honest
and optimistic. She has great belief in people. She starts out as a secretary, gets promoted to field
assistant and becomes indispensable to Don’s work. It’s a crazy adventure for this woman who has had
an extremely sheltered life.”
Although she learned quite a bit about Biblical archeology over the course of the production,
Ryan said she intentionally did not spend much time on research prior to the shoot. “This woman is
completely outside of her comfort zone,” she explains. “I figured the less I knew about it, the better. The
conversations I had with Sam and Jared were more about comic tone and how truthfully we were playing
this. Sam wanted to approach it more as a character study than a comedy, which really grounded it in
reality.”
The feeling on set was warm and inclusive, according to Ryan. “Jared is such a funny guy to be
around,” she says. “He can direct by inhabiting the character himself, which is always a great laugh.
Sometime he would drag me in a particular direction by taking on a similar character.”
Rockwell also contributed to the positive vibe on set, she says. “Sam is very protective of his cast
mates,” says Ryan. “He wants to make sure everyone has what they need and no one feels taken for
granted, which may seem small but it makes a huge difference on a set. He stays in character most of
the time, but with a bit a wink. It’s not like you can’t call him Sam. He just stays consistent and that
keeps it all alive and fresh. It’s really fun to be around him. If the outcome of the film is as good as the
time we had making it, audiences are in for a great treat.”
Jemaine Clement, perhaps best known for his portrayal of a hapless musical hopeful in the TV
series “Flight of the Conchords,” plays Boaz, an Israeli shepherd who is Don’s main contact and advance
scout in the Holy Land. Rockwell describes the character as “Borat meets Dr. Strangelove,” and the
combination is sinister, silly and just plain funny.
“Boaz has helped Don secure and ship a lot of artifacts over the years,” Hess explains. “But when
Don perpetrates his first hoax, Boaz is quick to catch on and begins to blackmail him. First, he just wants
a chance to relocate to the States, but the stakes keep going up. He is both the best and worst partner
you could ever have.”
Hess and Clement became friends after working together on Gentlemen Broncos, in which the
actor played a fantasy writer who stoops to plagiarism when faced with a crippling bout of writer’s block.
“I’ve known Jemaine for years,” says Hess. “He can do so many hilarious voices and characters. His
comedic instincts always blow me away.”
The pair has kept in touch, Clement says, and Hess often runs ideas for future films past him.
“He told me this story along with a whole bunch of others and this was the one he got going first. When
he said I have a part for you, I showed up.”
Clement was also excited at the chance to collaborate with an actor he has long admired. “I’m a
big fan of Sam Rockwell. We were both in Gentlemen Broncos, but we didn’t have any scenes together. I
was glad to get a chance to work with him.”
Ryan says her scenes with Clement were some of the most difficult to shoot. “Jemaine is very
hard to work with,” she explains, “because it is nearly impossible to keep from laughing. He’s quiet and
contained and shy off camera but something happens when the camera goes on. I would have to just
look at his shoulder. I loved working with him.”
Clement says the shoot was full of moments that defied the actors to keep straight faces. “There
is a lot of great comic work on everyone’s part. I’m laughing now remembering it. I can’t wait for people
to see it.”
Don Verdean’s odyssey begins at home, when the Reverend Tony Lazarus and his songstress
wife Joylinda dispatch him to find artifacts that will bring glory to their struggling church. Danny McBride
is the Reverend Lazarus, with Leslie Bibb playing Tammy Faye to his Jim Bakker.
“I always imagined Danny as Tony Lazarus, so I sent Danny the script,” Hess says. “Danny’s from
the South and he grew up in a religious home, so it was a character he understood in an authentic way.
“And I love Leslie Bibb,” he continues. “I have wanted to work with her for a long time. She just
nailed the look and feel of a preacher’s wife. I also just really wanted to see her sing on screen.”
Also on hand is Will Forte as Pastor Fontaine, a glittering-eyed rival evangelist with a sordid past.
“Will plays a former Satanist turned Christian,” says Hess. “His church is competing with the Lazarus’
church and he’s trying destroy them so he can take over their congregation. It’s definitely an unfriendly
competition. He hasn’t abandoned his old ways entirely and Will found ways to make that profoundly
funny.”
DESERT DIGS
From architectural landmarks like the walls of Jericho to the random ephemera of everyday life,
Biblical archeologists search for any existing proof of the lives and events chronicled in the Old and New
Testaments. The discipline has yielded astonishing discoveries over the decades, including the wellknown Dead Sea Scrolls, more than 800 fragmentary documents written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek,
dating back almost two millennia, as well as less-well-documented finds like a recent claim to have
discovered Noah’s Ark in Turkey.
“A group of Chinese Christian students believed they found the Ark in a glacier on top of Mount
Ararat,” says Hess. “It turned out to be an old mountain ranger’s cabin that had been buried in the snow.
A lot of people were really disappointed.”
Even items that merely date back to Biblical times and places are considered important because
they cast a new light on the history and culture of the era. Many Biblical archeologists are respected
academics with years of research and teaching under their belts. Don Verdean is not one of them.
“Don’s a believing Christian with a sincere love of archeology,” says Hess. “He wants what he
does to support his faith and his beliefs.” To that end, he proposes to his new sponsor, the Reverend
Lazarus, that he find the skull of the giant Philistine Goliath, slain by David (later the first king of the
Israelites) in the Valley of Elah, as related in the Book of Samuel.
“Unfortunately, Don is willing to lie and cheat for what he considers the greater good,” notes
Hess. “There are plenty of people who lie for completely selfish reasons, and while Don is definitely trying
to save face, he thinks it’s okay because he sees his actions as benefiting the cause on some level. Of
course, he’s violating his own ethical beliefs to do it and that creates the moral dilemma.”
Don’s purported Goliath skull is one of the film’s more memorable props. “My brother-in-law was
our assistant art director and he sculpted it,” says Hess. “He actually made a bunch of skulls. It’s unique
and it is a direct reference to the Bible. We decided to work it in because as a kid I read an article that
said they had discovered Goliath’s skull. It was pretty bogus-looking photography. I think it’s a funny
thing to try and pull off, especially when we have carbon dating and other ways to prove whether
something is from a particular time or not.”
The vast majority of excavations and investigations by Biblical archeologists are carried out in
areas that appear in the Old Testament: Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the surrounding region. For the film,
however, Hess was limited to his home state of Utah, which meant extensive location scouting and
creative thinking on the part of production designer Richard Wright, whose previous work has included
creating the American prison at Guantanamo Bay for Camp X-Ray, backwoods Arkansas for Mud and the
elaborate fantasy world of Gentlemen Broncos.
“I’ve worked with Richard on quite a few commercials, as well,” says Hess. “He has such an
incredible eye and a knack for finding locations. He creates environments that look lived in and real and
true to the characters. Nothing about his work ever feels artificial.”
With little time or budget for building, the filmmakers used practical locations whenever possible,
combing the Utah landscape for sites that resembled remote Holy Land archeological digs. “Getting the
look and feel we wanted presented a challenge,” Hess says. “But ultimately we were able to find a wide
variety of locations that are true to our settings, all in Utah.
“We did a ton of research on what the desert looks like in Israel,” he adds. “Richard had to find
just the right kinds of rocks in the right color. He did a great job of matching desert environments. And in
the end we felt completely validated. Yaniv Moyal, who was born in Israel and plays the Israeli police
officer in the film, came on set and said the area looked exactly as it was supposed to.”
Although DON VERDEAN is very different from anything the Hesses have put on film previously,
fans like Jemaine Clement will find plenty to enjoy.
“There’s always something very particular about Jared and Jerusha’s sense of humor that I
appreciate,” the actor says. “What they find funny comes from the smallest details. It’s hilarious to me,
but it can slip past people at first. In each film, they create their own little universe that doesn’t relate to
other films or the real world. They have their own reality. It’s a unique experience that I really enjoy.”
ABOUT THE CAST
SAM ROCKWELL (Don Verdean, Executive Producer) has emerged as one of the most
dynamic actors of his generation by continuing to take on challenging roles in both independent and
studio productions.
Rockwell is currently starring on Broadway in Sam Shepherd’s “Fool For Love,” after a criticallyacclaimed run at Williamstown Theatre Festival last summer. He can next be seen in DON VERDEAN,
written and directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), about a biblical archeologist who walks the line
between faith-promoting spectacle and massive fraud. He also stars opposite Anna Kendrick in Mr. Right,
which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year. Rockwell plays a former hitman who now
targets the criminals that try to hire him – a task that gets complicated when he meets a kindred spirit
(Kendrick).
Rockwell starred in the recent remake of the classic film Poltergeist opposite Rosemarie Dewitt;
Digging For Fire, written and directed by Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies); and in Lynn Shelton’s
LAGGIES, opposite Keira Knightley and Chloë Grace Moretz. He was nominated for a 2014 Critics’ Choice
Award for ‘Best Actor in a Comedy’ for his performance in The Way, Way Back written by the Academy
Award® winning team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants), opposite Steve Carell, Toni Collette,
Maya Rudolph, and Rob Corddry.
Throughout his career, Rockwell has created memorable and diverse characters. His film credits
include Tony Goldwyn's Conviction opposite Hilary Swank; Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2 opposite Robert
Downey Jr.; Jon Favreau's Cowboys And Aliens opposite Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig; Duncan Jones'
Moon; the blockbuster Charlie's Angels, with Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu; and Frank
Darabont's Oscar®-nominated The Green Mile, opposite Tom Hanks.
Additional credits include DreamWorks' box-office hit Galaxy Quest, opposite Tim Allen, Sigourney
Weaver, Alan Rickman and Tony Shalhoub; Andrew Dominik's The Assassination Of Jesse James By The
Coward Robert Ford opposite Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck; Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths
opposite Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, and Woody Harrelson; David Gordon Green's Snow Angels,
opposite Kate Beckinsale; the Russo brothers' comedy Welcome To Collinwood, opposite George Clooney
and William H. Macy; David Mamet's Heist, opposite Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito; The Sitter
opposite Jonah Hill; Everybody's Fine opposite Robert De Niro; Frost/Nixon opposite Frank Langella;
Joshua opposite Vera Farmiga; The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, opposite Zooey Deschanel; and the
Warner Bros.' comedy-drama Matchstick Men, directed by Ridley Scott and opposite Nicolas Cage. He has
also appeared in Woody Allen's Celebrity; Michael Hoffman's A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Kevin
Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer; John Duigan's Lawn Dogs; John Hamburg's Safe Men; Saul Rubinek's dark
comedy Jerry And Tom; Tom DiCillo's Box Of Moonlight, opposite John Turturro; Peter Cohn's Drunks,
with Richard Lewis, Parker Posey and Faye Dunaway; Paul Schrader's Light Sleeper, with Willem Dafoe;
Uli Edel's Last Exit To Brooklyn, with Jennifer Jason Leigh; and his feature film debut in Francis Ford
Coppola's Clownhouse, while he was still a student at San Francisco's High School of the Performing Arts.
Rockwell won critical praise, as well as the Berlin Film Festival's Silver Berlin Bear Award and
Movieline's Breakthrough Performance of the Year Award, for his portrayal of Chuck Barris in George
Clooney's Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. He starred opposite Clooney, Drew Barrymore and Julia
Roberts in this adaptation of Barris' memoirs. Other awards include Best Actor at the Sitges International
Film Festival of Catalonia for his performance in Joshua and the Decades Achievement Award from
Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival.
Rockwell’s theater credits include Martin McDonagh's critically acclaimed production of “A
Behanding In Spokane” opposite Christopher Walken on Broadway; “The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot” at
The Public Theater, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman; and the off-Broadway production of “GoosePimples,” written by noted film writer/director Mike Leigh. He has also appeared in “Streetcar Named
Desire,” “The Dumb Waiter” and “Hot L Baltimore” for the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
AMY RYAN (Carol) received the SAG Award® for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in A
Motion Picture for her work in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Oscar ®-winning Birdman opposite Michael
Keaton.
This fall Amy can be seen in Steven Spielberg's Bridge Of Spies, starring opposite Tom Hanks;
Rob Letterman’s Goosebumps co-starring with Jack Black; and Joachim Trier’s Louder Than Bombs, costarring with Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and Isabelle Huppert. Additional upcoming feature releases
include Rawson Marshall Thurber’s Central Intelligence, in which she stars with Dwayne Johnson and
Kevin Hart; and Chris Wedge’s Monster Trucks a live-action/CGI hybrid, in which she co-stars with Barry
Pepper.
Amy is perhaps best known for her acclaimed performance in Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone, for
which she was recognized with Academy Award®, Golden Globe® and SAG Award® nominations for Best
Supporting Actress. Additionally, she won numerous Best Supporting Actress awards including those
from the National Board of Review, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the New York Film Critics Circle
and the L.A. Film Critics.
Her other film credits include: Breathe In with Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones; Clear History
directed by Greg Mottola for HBO co-starring with Larry David; Devil’s Knot directed by Atom Egoyan, co-
starring with Colin Firth; Tom McCarthy's Win Win; Green Zone; Jack Goes Boating; Changeling; BEFORE
The Devil Knows You’re Dead; Capote; Dan In Real Life; War Of The Worlds; and Keane.
Amy made her Broadway debut in Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Sisters Rosensweig.” For her work
in the 2000 production of Uncle Vanya, she was nominated for a Tony Award ® for Best Featured Actress
in a Play. In 2005, she appeared as Stella in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” earning her second Tony®
nomination. She also starred in Neil LaBute’s “The Distance From Here” in London’s West End, and Lisa
D’Amour’s critically-acclaimed play “Detroit,” directed by Anne Kauffman at Playwrights Horizons.
Amy’s television work includes her memorable portrayals as Holly Flax on “The Office,” Adele on
“In Treatment” and Officer Beatrice ‘Beadie’ Russell on “The Wire.”
JEMAINE CLEMENT (Boaz) most recently starred alongside Regina Hall in Jim Strouse’s
People, Places, Things, released in theaters this past August. Jemaine also co-wrote, co-directed and costarred in the Vampire mockumentary, What We Do In the Shadows, alongside Taika Waititi and filmed a
lead role in the upcoming DreamWorks feature, The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg.
Clement also stars in the Jared Hess comedy, Gentlemen Broncos, a role which landed him a
nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male and Taika Waititi’s Eagle Vs
Shark. Other feature credits include the standout role of “Kieran” opposite Steve Carrell in Dinner for
Schmucks, “Jerry” in Despicable Me, “Nigel” in Rio and Rio 2, and “Boris the Animal” in Men in Black 3.
Jemaine and Bret McKenzie also comprise the GRAMMY Award®-winning musical comedy duo,
Flight of the Conchords. They have toured internationally and released four CDs: Folk the World Tour in
2002, The Distant Future EP in 2007, Flight of the Conchords in 2008 and I Told You I Was Freaky in
2009. The Conchords produced a six-part improvisational comedy radio program on BBC Radio 2 and
have appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, the Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late
Show. After appearing in 2005 on HBO's One Night Stand, the Conchords were offered their own 12-part
HBO series Flight of the Conchords which turned into a two-season run. The show developed a massive
cult following and garnered an Emmy® nomination for Best Comedy.
WILL FORTE (Pastor Fontaine) has established himself as one of the most versatile actors in
film and television. He spent eight seasons making audiences laugh on “Saturday Night Live” and has
been extremely busy with projects since he wrapped his final season in 2010. Forte currently stars in
Fox’s critically acclaimed comedy series “The Last Man on Earth,” which he created and produces
alongside Chris Miller and Phil Lord. The series was recently renewed for a second season and will return
this fall. He will soon be seen in Peter Bogdanovich’s She’s Funny that Way opposite Jennifer Aniston and
Owen Wilson, which released in August. Forte also recently wrapped production on the upcoming Adam
Sandler comedy feature for Netflix, The Ridiculous 6. Additionally, he will co-star in the New Line comedy
Keanu opposite Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, which is set to release in early 2016.
Forte recently received much acclaim for his role in Alexander Payne’s Academy Award ® and
Golden Globe® nominated film, Nebraska. The film, which premiered at Cannes and co-stars Bruce Dern,
was released by Paramount. For his role as ‘David Grant,’ Forte was nominated for an Independent Spirit
Award in the Best Supporting Male category and he won the National Board of Review's Best Supporting
Actor Award. Forte also previously starred in Life of Crime based on Elmore Leonard’s novel The Switch.
He co-stared opposite Jennifer Aniston, John Hawkes and Tim Robbins, and the film closed out the 2013
Toronto Film Festival. He also had a lead role in Run and Jump, which debuted at the Tribeca Film
Festival in 2013 and won the Best Irish Feature Award at the Galway Film Festival.
Forte is also known for his role in Universal’s feature film adaptation of MacGruber. In addition to
starring in the lead role, he co-wrote the script with Jorma Taccone and John Solomon. Other film credits
include comedies That’s My Boy opposite Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, as well as The Watch
opposite Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill and Vince Vaughn. Forte also lent his voice to The Lego Movie, Sony’s
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the sequel Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. Additionally, he
wrote and starred in the feature The Brothers Solomon, opposite Will Arnett and Kristen Wiig.
Forte also has had many memorable guest starring roles on hit television comedies. His work on
NBC’s award-winning “30 Rock” earned him a 2013 Primetime Emmy nomination in the Guest Actor
category. He has also had roles in “How I Met Your Mother,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Up All Night,” “Tim
and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” and on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords.” He is a frequent guest on
“Conan,” portraying a crazed Ted Turner. Additionally, he has lent his voice to many animated series
including the upcoming “Moonbeam City,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Gravity Falls,” “The Simpsons,” “The
Cleveland Show” and “Sit Down, Shut Up” from creator Mitch Hurwitz, as well as MTV’s “Clone High.”
Forte came to “SNL” from L.A.’s improv-sketch theater “The Groundlings” where “SNL” alum Will
Ferrell, Phil Hartman and Maya Rudolph got their respective starts. Forte has a great deal of experience
behind the camera - serving as producer on “That 70’s Show” and as story editor for “3rd Rock from the
Sun” and “Action,” as well as working as a writer for “Late Show with David Letterman” and the MTV
Movie Awards.
Forte currently resides in LA.
DANNY McBRIDE (Tony Lazarus) is an ctor/writer/producer Danny McBride first gained
industry awareness with his starring role in David Gordon Green’s All the Real Girls, winner of the 2003
Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. However, it was when he returned in 2006 to the Festival with
the smash hit comedy The Foot Fist Way that he became a known name in Hollywood and desired by its
top producers and directors. McBride, who starred and co-wrote the film with his fellow college
classmates Hill (Observe and Report) and Ben Best (Superbad, season one of Eastbound & Down),
caught the attention of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions. Released in May 2009
by Paramount Vantage, the Los Angeles Times proclaimed the film “is the sort of nimble oddball
discovery that one wishes would come along more often,” while USA Today remarked that “Foot Fist is
more original and comical than such low-budget sleeper hits as Napoleon Dynamite and Hot Fuzz.”
In 2008, McBride found continued success by starring opposite Seth Rogen and James Franco in
Pineapple Express. The film, which was directed by Green and co-written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg
(Superbad), centers on two buddies who get mixed up with a drug gang. McBride was nominated for
“Best Newcomer” for his role as “Red” by the members of the Detroit Film Critics Society. Sony Pictures
released the film in August and opened #1 in the box office reaching $100 million worldwide.
Immediately following the success of Pineapple, McBride was back on top of the box office a
week later with the Paramount release of Tropic Thunder. Directed and written by Ben Stiller, the film
was #1 for two weeks in a row and earned over $100 million domestically. McBride was joined by a starstudded cast including Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey.
McBride was seen in the Academy-Award nominated Up in the Air opposite George Clooney and
Melanie Lynsky, and voiced Fred McDade in the 2010 animated summer blockbuster, Despicable Me
which has currently grossed over $280 million worldwide. McBride has also starred in such comedies as
Hot Rod, The Heartbreak Kid, Drillbit Taylor, and Observe and Report. He can also be seen in starring in
a cameo role in, Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis.
On the small screen, McBride starred in HBO’s critically acclaimed comedy, Eastbound & Down,
which he co-created, wrote, and produced with longtime friends and collaborators, Jody Hill and David
Gordon Green. McBride portrayed Kenny Powers, a vulgar, loud-mouthed ex-professional baseball player
fighting his was back to the major leagues. Since premiering on the network in February 2010, the show
has gained an enormous cult following and aired four successful seasons.
In April 2011, McBride starred in Your Highness which he also co-wrote and produced. Starring
James Franco, Natalie Portman and Zooey Deschanel. Most recently, McBride starred in 30 Minutes or
Less opposite Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland), Aziz Ansari (Funny People), and reuniting with Nick
Swardson (Pineapple Express). The comedy centers around two criminals who kidnap a pizza delivery
boy and force him to rob a bank within 30 minutes.
In 2013, McBride co-starred Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Emma
Watson and Jay Baruchel in Sony’s This Is The End, directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. The film
has grossed over $126 million worldwide to date and was nominated for Best Comedy at the Critics’
Choice Awards.
McBride’s upcoming projects include a reteaming with collaborator Jody Hill for the HBO comedy
series Vice Principals and a voice role in Sony Pictures’ bawdy Sausage Party, as well as the upcoming
movie, Angry Birds, based on the popular iPhone app, also starring Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph, set to
be released in 2016.
Born in Statesboro, Georgia, McBride grew up in Virginia. He attended the North Carolina School
of the Arts, where he received a BFA in filmmaking. McBride currently resides in Los Angeles.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
JARED HESS (Director, Co-Writer, Producer) studied film at BYU where he met his wife and
writing partner Jerusha, and directed his first comedy Napoleon Dynamite. After its breakout success at
the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, he co-wrote and directed Nacho Libre (starring Jack Black) and
Gentlemen Broncos starring (Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement). DON VERDEAN is Jared's fourth film.
He recently finished post production on his next feature Masterminds (starring Zach Galifianakis and
Kristen Wiig).
JERUSHA HESS (Co-Writer) graduated in film from Brigham Young University where she cowrote and costume designed the hit film Napoleon Dynamite. She later went on to co-write the scripts for
other offbeat comedies: Nacho Libre (starring Jack Black) and Gentlemen Broncos (starring Sam Rockwell
and Jemaine Clement). She is the creator and executive producer of the "Napoleon Dynamite" Animated
Series that aired on Fox. Her directorial debut, Austenland (starring Keri Russell and Bret McKenzie)
premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. DON VERDEAN marks her fourth collaboration with her
husband Jared.
CREDITS
LIONSGATE Presents
DON VERDEAN
Directed by
Written by
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Jared Hess
Jared Hess &
Jerusha Hess
Brandt Andersen
Dave Hunter
Jared Hess
Jason Hatfield
Sam Rockwell
Rick Lehman
Mattias Troelstrup, DFF
Richard Wright
Edited by
Costume Designer
Music by
Music Supervisor
Original Songs by
Casting by
Tanner Christensen
Anne Auernig
Ilan Eshkeri
Randall Poster
Heavy Young Heathens
Meredith Tucker
Produced by
Produced by
Executive Producers
Sam Rockwell
Amy Ryan
Jemaine Clement
Leslie Bibb
Stephen Park
with Will Forte
and Danny McBride
a
BUFFALO FILM COMPANY
Production
a Film by
Jared Hess
Unit Production Manager
First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director
Production Supervisor
Cast
Don Verdean
Carol Jensen
Pastor Fontaine
Tony Lazarus
Boaz
Poon-Yen
Joylinda Lazarus
Dr. Stanley
Gary
Israeli Police Officer
Lab Tech
Tourist
Church Elder
Antique Store Owner
Security Guard
Dad
Police Officer
Reporter #1
Reporter #2
Dr. Stelios Patrokolis
Helicopter Pilot
Shem
Stunt Coordinator
Helicopter Stunt Coordinator
Utility Stunt Driver
Music Coordinator
Music Clearances
Utah Casting by
First Assistant Camera
Second Assistant Camera
Digital Imaging Technician
Digital Imaging Technician
Camera Production Assistant
Property Master
Production Coordinator
Assistant Production Coordinator
Script Supervisor
Gaffer
Best Boy Electric
Electricians
Assistant Art Director
Duff Rich
Jason Allred
Jake Van Wagoner
Bryce W. Fillmore
Sam Rockwell
Amy Ryan
Will Forte
Danny McBride
Jemaine Clement
Stephen Park
Leslie Bibb
Sky Elobar
PJ Boudousque
Yaniv Moyal
Jared Shipley
Logan Rogan
Michael Flynn
Pete Rockwell
Harry Bonner
Mitch Hall
Jake Van Wagoner
Brent Hunsaker
Nicea DeGering
Angel Martinez Cruz
Justin Chapman
Stelios Xanthos
Kathy Jarvis
Brian Finn
Don Shanks
Meghan Currier
Ian Herbert
Jeff Johnson
David "D.R." Rhineer
Andy Baker
Bradley Crane
Stelios Xanthos
Taylor Moulton
Jonas Sappington
Kipling Hicks
Stuart Lake
Penny Johnson
Justin Andrews
Jason Winget
Charles J. Unice
Steven Carter
Sam Demke
Set Decorator
On-Set Dresser
Leadman
Set Dresser
Buyer
Sculptor
Scenic Artist
Graphic Artists
Carpenters
Art Department Production
Assistants
Key Hair
Key Make-up
Additional Hair and Make-up
Costume Supervisor
Additional Costumers
Location Manager
Locations Assistant Kanab
Locations Assistant St.George
Sound Mixer
Boom Operators
Additional Boom Operator
Production Accountant
1st Assistant Accountant
Special Effects Coordinator
Transportation Coordinator
Transportation Captain
Honeywagon Driver
Makeup Trailer
Wardrobe Trailer
Cast Van Driver
Van Driver
Van Driver
Picture Car Driver
Additional Driver
Extras Casting by
Extras Casting Assistant
Stills/Videographer
Still Photographer
Assistant Still Photographers
Key Set Production Assistants
Set Production Assistants
Cynthia Neibaur
Brandon Kimura
Tyler Mann
Ryan Nunley
Les Boothe
George Barnhill
Alison Demke
Ian O'Phelan
Tim Odland
Jake Kuykendall
Abe McKinnon
Mike Barnard
Jasmine Myers
Chris Schmunk
Andrew Ocean
Enoch Barnhill
Jennifer Llewelyn
K. Ryan McCormick
Jesse Dolce
Ed Matsu
Robin Michelle Patrick
Maika Taylor
Anna K. Findlay
Beccy Bingham
Julie Rose
Arielle Wing
Andrew Hicks
Kelly Stowell
Katherine Szewczyk
Douglas Cameron
Joseph Garrard
Andrew Ahlstrom
Noel Espinoza
Jennifer Ricci
Shay Mosely
Chuck Johnson
Brett Miller
Bob Hoverstein
Jacob Thomas
Kelly Klindt
Darrell Karen
Bradley Johnson
Chris Edgar
Paul Michael Akers
Rick Spidell
Patrick Smith
Gayle Minkevitch
Gumby Kounthong
Covey Quist
Steve Olpin
Keith Bryce Fillmore
Benjamin Braten
Dustin Merrill
Adam Metcalf
Maxwell Johnson
Ryan McDowell
Russell Nunley
Matthew Johnson
Marschelle Walker
Assistant to
Caterer
Mr. Hess
Chefs
Craft Service
Set Security
Animals provided by
Production Manager Israel
Assistant Camera Isael
Second Assistant Camera
Production Assistant Israel
Post Productions Services
Visual Effects
Color Services
Colorist
Assistant Colorist
Color Producer
Supervising Conform Editor
Conform Producer
Conform Editor
Audio Post Services Provided by
Sound Supervisor
Supervising Sound Editors
Assistant Dialogue Editor
Sound Design
Sound Effects Editor
Assistant Sound Effects Editor
ADR Supervisor
ADR Recordist
Foley Supervisor
Foley Artist/Recordist
Re-recording Mixers
Music Editor
Additional Music Coordinator
Additional Music Clearance
Camera Equipment provided by
Grip and Electric Equipment
provided by
Production Legal Services
Legal Assistant
Banking Services
Payroll Services
Insurance
Script Research Provided by
Clearances Provided by
World Revenues Collected
and Distributed by
Stock Photos Provided by
Abbey Smiley
Sean Klindt
Erica Elmer
"The Pig Boys"
Paul Reugner
Matthew Jensen
Cesar Sanchez
Don Draper
CBI Security
Kimberlee Davis
Abner Benaim
Michael Israel
Gal Drimer
Allon Levy
Tanman Post, Inc.
Tanner Christensen
Color Collective
Alex Bickel
Mike Howell
Claudia Guevara
Benjamin Murray
Joey Handy
Jeff Cornell
Juniper Post
David Kitchens M.P.S.E.
David Barber M.P.S.E.
Ben Zarai
Micah Loken
Ben Zarai
Sean Gray
Michael Lanoue
Gonzalo "Bino" Espinoza
Michael Kreple
David Kitchens, M.P.S.E.
Gonzalo "Bino" Espinoza
David Barber, CAS
Ben Zarai
Will Kaplan
Steve Wright
Jessica R O'malley
Keslow Camera
Moving Pictures, Ltd.
Irwin Rappaport, P.C.
Neil Mevellec
Wells Fargo
Ease Entertainment Services
MIB Insurance Services
Edgar Sandoval
David Perkins
Brenda Mazariegos
Act One Script Clearance
Ashley Kravitz/Cleared By Ashley
Freeway Cam B.V.
Getty Images
"Pillar of Salt"
Written by Jacob Demke and Jerusha Hess
Produced by Ken Kruckenberg
Performed by Leslie Bibb
“Old Time Religion”
Traditional Arranged by Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
“Tail Of The Grail”
Written by Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
“Crazy Life”
Written by Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
“Sunset In Your Eyes”
Written by Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
“Hearts Like Ours”
Written by Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
“Dance Of The Crooked Snake”
Written by Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
“Ezeh Gever”
Written by Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
“Body Rhythm”
Written by Heavy Young Heathens
Produced By Heavy Young Heathens
Performed By Heavy Young Heathens
"His Hand In Mine"
Written by Mosie Lister
Performed by Elvis Presley
Published by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP"
Courtesy of RCA Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
"Put Your Hand In The Hand"
Written by Gene MacLellan
Performed by Ocean
Published by EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)
Courtesy of Buddah Records
Publishing Corp. (BMI) Universal Music-Careers on behalf of Universal Music
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
"I Started a Joke"
Barry Alan Gibb, Maurice Ernest Gibb, Robin Hugh Gibb
Performed by Bee Gees
Published by Crompton Songs LLC administered by WarnerTamerlane
Publishing International MGB LTD.
Courtesy of Rhino Entertainment Company
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
Archival Material Courtesy of
Don Anderson Family
The Filmmakers would like to thank…
Pastor Rev. Dr. Michael Chittum
First Congregational Church
Salt Lake City
Christ United Methodist Church
Salt Lake City
Dennis McCrakin
First Baptist Church
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City Police Department
Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office
Salt Lake Unified Police Department
The Belgian Waffle and Omelet Inn
Euro Treasures Antiques
Salt Lake Masonic Temple
Granite School District
St. George Airport
Tooele Sheriffs Department
Kanab Field Office Bureau of Land Management
St. George Field Office Bureau of Land Management
Carole Fontana
Club Habits
Ideal Mobile Home Park
Wasatch Transfer and Storage
RTR Management
Basic Storage
UpTown Embroidery
The Metropolitan Inn
Western States Management
The County of Tooele
Utah State Hospital, Provo
Wendy McCallister
Heather McCallister
Wesley McCallister
Randy Chamberlain
Matt Brown
Tyler Cornell
Ben Cornell
Jeff Yates
Wes Tobler
Barry Brooker
Stan Wertlieb
Ryan Black
Jil Hunter,
Katie Andersen
In Memory of Camille Hatfield
American Humane Logo
SAG-AFTRA Logo
Don Verdean the Movie, LLC.
SAG-AFTRA Logo
Don Verdean the Movie, LLC is the author of this motion picture for the purpose of copyright and other laws.
The Characters, entitites and incidents portrayed herein and the names used herein are fictitious
and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.
Ownership of this motion picture is protected by copyright and other
applicable laws of the United States of America and other countries.
Any unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition of this motion picture
including soundtrack) is prohibited and could result in criminal prosecutions as well as civil liability.
© 2015 Don Verdean the Movie, LLC. All Rights Reserved.