"The AZ Insider" with Kathy Shayna Shocket: Get the inside scoop on Arizona's social scene and celebrity news.

This week: Which Phoenix locals got a part in the Will Ferrell film?

When I first saw Will Ferrell in Phoenix, I immediately pictured former President George W. Bush. Then I had images of former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. Bush and Reno are two of the characters Will Ferrell imitated oh so well when he was a cast member of Saturday Night Live. That’s why he’s such a big star and one of the Saturday Night alumni who subsequently starred in his own hit comedies. (By the way, Will was Conan O’Brien’s FIRST and LAST guest on Conan’s run on the Tonight Show.)

Anyway, Will is in Phoenix filming the Temple Hill Entertainment production “Everything Must Go.” And several Phoenix locals scored background roles in the flick.

Luke Johnson, for example, who is a model/actor with the S.I.M agency was cast as a bank client in one of the scenes being filmed at a Phoenix credit union.

During an off camera moment, Luke ran into Will in the elevator. He seized the opportunity to ask for an autograph. “It will cost you $30,” quipped Will in his playful way.

“All I have is credit cards, will you accept credit cards?” laughed Luke. Will teasingly grabbed Luke’s wallet and started going through it. Luke did get his autograph and now he has a great story to go along with the signature.

So, please, to the writers and editors at Autograph Magazine, don’t add this to your notes about Will, because Luke has a great Will Ferrell anecdote. (I am referring to Autograph Magazine which once named Will Ferrell the Number #1 Worst Autograph Signer because “he taunted “ fans who asked for his autograph.)

BIG  for ARIZONA's ECONOMY 

Luke is one of the 17 clients of the S.I.M Agency who won background parts on the film. S.I.M. agency owner Aimee Sugar is thrilled of course. And kudos to S.I.M agency’s Stephanie Mannon – who is also the 2010 winner of the Face of Foothills model search contest. She played a bank executive extra.

All are non-speaking parts, but what an opportunity for those like Gavin, 9 years old, a child model for the S.I.M Agency. Here’s Gavin and his mom Sherry with Will Ferrell.

And here’s Gavin with Laura Dern. Gavin’s has a non-speaking role as Laura Dern’s character’s son.

The comedy “Everything Must Go” is about a recovering alcoholic (Will) who falls off the wagon, and loses both his job and his wife. So he decides to live on his front lawn, selling all of his belongings in a yard sale and grappling with the larger existential questions about his life.

And I have to emphasize just how in demand Will Ferrell is. He has eight other movies in the works, and the two films prior to filming this one in Phoenix are in post production. Be sure to look for them. In “Megamind” Will stars with Brad Pitt and Tina Fey.  In “The Other Guys” Will stars with Mark Wahlberg and Samuel Jackson.

Stay tuned for more exclusive details on the Phoenix filming of Everything Must Go.

Kathy Shayna Shocket is a Phoenix based writer. If you have a good item for The AZ Insider, you can email her at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .