From movies with Bruce Willis and now to Kevin James, Cawston's Joe Munroe isn't letting any opportunities pass him by.
And, the actor hasn't forgotten where he comes from either, as the Review caught up with him about his latest role.
"It's called Guns Up, it's an action comedy starring Kevin James and Christina Ricci, and it comes out on Friday, July 18," said Munroe. "I get to play a guy who comes in and sprays a bank with a machine gun, and there's some serious action going on, but it's just funny because Kevin James is involved."
Munroe moved to L.A. more than three years ago to open up more opportunities after more than seven years working out of B.C.
The last decade has been a slow and steady grind, starting from scratch without any connections but just with a passion for filmmaking and a dream.
"Brick by brick, the castle appears, and that castle is the vision," said Munroe. "It doesn't just show up one day. I've been at this for 10 years, and maybe now I'm just starting to see the shape of a wall. I'm building it slowly, and its really only possible because of the support and belief of the people around me."
That steady grind has seen some pay off, with Munroe co-starring with Bruce Willis in some of the actor's last films before his retirement due to aphasia, such as Detective Knight: Independence. That film was the third in a trilogy and the third that Munroe got to shoot with Willis.
Getting the opportunity to work with James also proved to be a bit surreal for Munroe, but an experience he isn't going to forget.
"I used to go home from school every day and watch King of Queens and movies like I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," said Munroe. "Getting the opportunity to go to New York City and shoot an action comedy and to be on set and work with him and see that this dude's super passionate and really loves what he does was really refreshing."
Munroe also had plenty of praise for the film's writer and director, Edward Drake, and said he was happy to get the chance to play in his world.
Whether he's in L.A. or New York, Munroe hasn't forgotten Cawston, and he still dreams of bringing his career home to the valley and making films in the Similkameen.
"I love the classic story of the knight, going out on adventure and then bringing the stories home and bringing things back to the village," said Munroe. "Right now, I'm on that knight's journey of outward adventure, and I really look forward to the day when I can circle back and bring things home. There is one project specifically right now that I would love to bring to Cawston. If you looked at my laptop, you would see, actually, all the plans for it and the locations and all the setup there, but right now I'm building the leverage and connections to make it possible."
With Guns Up now in theatres, the interview turned towards future projects, and while Munroe said there were a few in the works, there wasn't anything he was currently allowed to talk about publicly.
"Unfortunately, I can't be dropping names right now because they like to be strategic with their press releases," said Munroe. "But this is another brick on the path to where we're going, and yes, there's some pretty cool stuff that I'm lucky to be a part of coming up."
One of those announcements he can't talk about yet will be coming out at the end of the year, a gritty thriller staring a big name star in a film Munroe supported as a producer.
Munroe also brought a taste of the valley with him to Guns Up, with Brandon Watson at Randall's Craft Butcher in Cawston providing top quality meat for the cast and crew.
