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Scott Lax Blog

Congratulations to Jay R. Ferguson and MAD MEN

For those of you who are fans of the TV show, MAD MEN, as Lydia and I are, you met a new character tonight, Stan Rizzo, the fictional firm's new art director. He as played by Jay R. Ferguson.

We cast Jay in the role of Isaac Hoskins in the movie version of my novel, THE YEAR THAT TREMBLED, nine years ago. The story of his casting is that the director/screenwriter, Jay Craven, my producing partner, Tyler Davidson and I saw his video tape audition. Within what couldn't have been more than ten seconds, we all said, "he's got it." And that was it - we cast him, and never did he disappoint. A real pro's pro and passionate about his work. What a pleasure to work with, too.

Jay's that good, and was that perfect for the role and he didn't disappoint. Jay, a true gentleman and good soul, knows how to tap his actorly center - similar to a writerly center - and bring out complex characters, including a rouge FBI agent in TREMBLED, and tonight, in a sterling (pardon the pun, Roger) debut, as an arrogant, brilliant, chauvinistic and ultimately insecure art director who is on the cusp of the free-love and liberation movement in America. What a great actor, and what perfect role for Jay. Congratulations to Jay - one of the good guys in show business - and congratulations to MAD MEN, one of the best shows ever on television, on their awards. It's nice to see excellent writing and acting rewarded.