For #thowbackthursday, we’re focusing on Michael Cera who recently gave a great shoutout for the Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck while on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallen.
Cera was promoting his latest TV show, LIFE & BETH: Season 2, which was filmed in parts of Rhinebeck and Staatsburg in 2023.
Season 2 follows Beth (Schumer) and John (Michael Cera) as their relationship grows more serious. Per the official synopsis, “Beth begins to examine the possibilities of marriage and having a family as she and John seek answers for their communication problems.”
In addition to some new faces including Margaret Cho, Jennifer Coolidge, Colin Quinn, Tim Meadows and Amy Sedaris, returning cast members include Susannah Flood and Violet Young.
Local actors were hired by Roman Candle Casting for several farming scenes in and around Staatsburg. Filming also took place in Rhinebeck, New Orleans and NYC.
Season two of LIFE & BETH was released on Hulu with all 10 episodes available on Feb. 16
Cera is no stranger to the region. He has worked on several other productions in the region including:
LIFE & BETH season 1, which filmed in Dutchess and Putnam County in 2021.
In 2019, the Film Commission was contacted by the location manager for a project that was initially called Love & Beth. They were looking for working wineries in the region and other locations.
Due to the Covid outbreak, production was postponed from fall 2020 to summer of 2021. In addition to locations, crew and vendor referrals were made, and the Film Commission worked closely with Roman Candle Casting to enlist more than 250 local background extras. Filming took place in Red Hook, Staatsburg and Putnam Valley.
The storyline follows Beth (Schumer), who after an unexpected incident starts having flashbacks to her teen self and learns how she became who she is and who she wants to become. The series also features Michael Cera, Susannah Flood, Violet Young, Kevin Kane, Yamaneika Saunders, Laura Benanti, Larry Owens, Michael Rapaport, Rosebud Walker, LaVar Walker and many Hudson Valley background extras.
In 2021, Cera also co-starred in THE ADULTS, which was directed and written by Dustin Guy Defa. The indie narrative world premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2023.
The film was produced over 23 production days in November and December of 2021 at 17 locations throughout the mid Hudson Valley region. Specific towns included Beacon, Fishkill, Maybrook, Millbrook, Newburgh, New Windsor, and Saugerties. The production team included 11 local crew members, 3 actors and 92 background extras.
In 2013, Cera was part of HITS. The film was the directorial debut of comedian David Cross. It world premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January of 2014.
The plot follows a Municipal worker (Matt Waslh) who’s life changes completely when videos of his rants about potholes at City Hall go viral on YouTube. Cera played Bennie. Other featured actors included Amy Sedaris, Wyatt Cenac, Jason Ritter, Russ Tamblyn, and hundreds of area locals. Many of the scenes included a lot of hysterical improvising.
