A Budding Star
Louisville child actor excited to see himself on screen in new movie
Hadley plays grandson of Jon Voight’s character in
‘J.L. Family Ranch’ film
LA GRANGE, Ky. (August 2016) – At 9 years old, Carter Hadley of Louisville, Ky., got the chance of a lifetime to work with veteran actors close to home. The experience fueled his desire to one day make a career out of acting.
“I played the role of Hayden, the grandson of John Landsburg (J.L.), the main character played by Jon Voight,” said Hadley. He described this once-in-a-lifetime chance on the set of “J.L. Family Ranch” as “amazing!”
Movie Premiere |
“I couldn’t believe that I was actually working with so many great actors. Jon Voight has even won an Oscar and is in my favorite movie, ‘National Treasure,’ ” Hadley said.
The experience made such a deep impression that it will stick with him forever. “The director, Charlie Carner, was so nice to all of us, and I got to meet so many awesome people on set and to see how a movie is made.”
Filming took place earlier this year on several different locations in Oldham County, such as Asbourne Farm, One Nineteen West Main restaurant, the Oldham County Courthouse, a private home in Anchorage, and sites in Ballardsville, Crestwood and Pewee Valley. Voight visited Oldham County several times scouting for location sites. Filming began Jan. 6 and wrapped on Feb. 4.
Shooting on location in Kentucky during winter included snow, rain, mud and temperatures ranging from 11-50 degrees. Director of Photography, Kris Kimlin, has been quoted as saying, “We didn’t expect the elements, so we had to embrace them.”
Kimlin considered Kentucky in winter a shooting paradise, where the sun sits low in the sky. For exterior scenes, he used lots of bounced lighting instead of exterior lights, with stunning results.
“J.L. Family Ranch” is set to premiere at 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. This channel, formerly the Hallmark Movie Channel, falls under the Crown Media Family Networks umbrella. Re-launched in 2014, it reaches 66 million homes across the United States.
 |
Photo provided Young actor Carter Hadley of Louisville poses on the set of “J.L. Family ranch” with fellow actor Trevor Donovan during filming in Oldham County, Ky. |
“The Landsburg Ranch scenes were filmed at Ashbourne Farms in Oldham County, and we also shot in downtown La Grange,” said Hadley. “It was funny when the train would come into town when we were filming.”
The train interruptions may not have been so funny to the crew but none the less added to the small-town main street atmosphere. The setting for the movie is a small Texas town.
The main character, J.L. is an old-fashioned, conservative cowboy who owns a large ranch and is the patriarch of a sizeable family that all take shelter under his roof. He has to battle the outside forces of the modern world that is rapidly creeping into his expanding town in order to maintain possession of his treasured ranch and to keep his family together.
Along with Voight, the movie stars James Caan (“The Godfather”), Melanie Griffith (“Working Girl”), Teri Polo (“Meet the Parents”), Grant Bowler (“Ugly Betty”) and Steven Bauer (“Scarface”).
 |
Photo provided Louisville actor Carter Hadley, 9, poses with actor Jon Voight on the set of “J.L. Family Ranch.” |
Voight and Caan star as longtime adversaries who battle over Texas homeland. Voight portrays a veteran rancher and former sheriff, J.L. Landsburg, whose old enemy (Caan) seeks revenge over a decades-old grudge and falsifies documents, alleging that Landsburg doesn’t actually own his beloved family ranch.
Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President of Programing for Crown Media Family Networks, said in a press release, “ ‘J.L. Family Ranch’ is a sweeping dramatic story about a family with a complicated history that will be expertly portrayed by this extraordinary cast.”
There were other locals like Hadley who had smaller parts in the movie. And just like them, he has had some previous acting experience.
Hadley has appeared in stage productions of “A Christmas Carol” and “Footloose.” He has also been in a music video, a TV pilot for “Seasons of Disorder” and several radio and TV commercials. He was the voice of Ethan in “Ethan the Brave,” an animated movie about autism.
“I definitely want to make a career in acting,” he said. “I also love to sing and dance and to make people laugh. I guess I am a ham, but I love to be onstage or in front of a camera.