Ashland University Theatre Professor Has Minor Role in Clooney Film

Oct. 4, 2011/ASHLAND, Ohio – The George Clooney film, “The Ides of March,” will be appearing in theaters nationwide on Friday, Oct. 7, and Ashland University Assistant Professor of Theatre Fabio Polanco has a role in that film.

“I play a security guard, sort of the secret service variety,” Polanco said. “I have two lines and my scene is with Marisa Tomei, Ryan Gosling and Max Minghella.”

Polanco said that in his scene, he talks with Tomei, who is a newspaper reporter and is trying to get information from Gosling’s character.

“Gosling is going to another area of the building where press is not allowed and he goes past me and she tries to follow him and I stop her,” Polanco said. “She yells at me a little bit.”

Polanco said he has not seen the film yet so he is not sure if both of his lines, which are directed to Tomei, are still in the film. “I was only in that one scene so I don’t know the whole story of the film and how that scene fits into the movie,” he added.

Polanco said the scene he appears in was shot last spring at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

The Ides of March is an American political drama film directed by George Clooney from a screenplay by Clooney and Grant Heslov. It stars Gosling, Clooney, Tomei, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood.

The film is an adaptation of the play “Farragut North.” According to Polanco, the movie was featured as the opening film at the 68th Venice International Film Festival and was shown at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

The filming for the movie began in downtown Cincinnati in February 2011 at Fountain Square, Over-the-Rhone historic district, Northside, Mount Lookout and other neighborhoods, and at Miami University. On March 14, filming was moved to the University of Michigan.

This is Polanco’s second role in a feature film, having been in the film, “The Next Three Days,” earlier this year. That film was written and directed by Academy Award winner Paul Haggis and starred Academy Award winner Russell Crowe. In that film, Polanco played a telephone line repairman who actually repairs Russell Crowe’s telephone line.

Polanco has a very impressive acting background. He has made numerous network television and radio appearances, including roles on “Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns,” and is currently appearing in a nationwide public service announcement for the American Diabetes Association. 

He received his MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve University and his bachelor of arts in sociology from Temple University. His research interests include acting, music theatre and Shakespeare performance.

As an actor, he recently completed the roles of “Rev. Billy Hightower" in "Bat Boy: The Musical" and "Snout" in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Great Lakes Theatre Festival in Cleveland and Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boise and “Thenardier” in the Broadway national tour of “Les Miserables.”

In 2004, Polanco directed the Midwest premiere of Elizabeth Swados’ “Missionaries,” for which he was a finalist for Northern Ohio Live! Magazine’s Award of Achievement in Theatre. Other directing credits include: "Dead Man Walking", "Anyone Can Whistle”; “Cloud Tectonics”; “True West”; “Jesus Christ Superstar”; “All in the Timing”; “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”; “Sweeney Todd”; and “Waiting for Lefty.”

Other national credits include “Missionaries” at Brooklyn Academy of Music, directed by Elizabeth Swados and starring Josie DeGuzman; “Ludovico Marsili” in the U.S. premiere of David Hare’s adaptation of Brecht’s “The Life of Galileo,” directed by Mark Wing-Davey at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California; the first performance of Arthur Miller’s last play, “Resurrection Blues,” at The Signature Theatre Company; “Willie and Rupert” at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center; “A Christmas Carol” at McCarter Theatre directed by Scott Ellis; “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at Idaho Shakespeare Festival; “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “A Little Night Music” at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; “A Christmas Carol” and “A Little Night Music” at Great Lakes Theatre Festival; “The Grapes of Wrath” and “A Grand Night for Singing” at Cleveland Play House; “A Little Night Music” with Donna McKechnie at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; “The Tempest,” “Man of La Mancha” and “Twelve Angry Men” at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre; “Nine” at Cain Park; “The Fantasticks” at Porthouse Theatre; “Sunday in the Park with George” at Arden Theatre Company; and the U.S. premiere of “Domino Heart” at Dobama Theatre.

Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.