Chase Dillion made his acting debut in 2019 in the role of Ollie in “First Wives Club.” Since then, the 14-year-old has gone on to star as Cabbage in “The Book of Clarence,” Travis in “Haunted Mansion” and Homer in the critically acclaimed TV mini-series “The Underground Railroad.”
Dillon was in town this past weekend. Not as an actor. Instead, he’ll be partnering with local filmmaker Curtis Collins to produce Collins’ next film, “Loyal to the Game.”
“’Loyal to the Game’ is about a basketball player that’s about to get drafted to the league, but gets wrongfully accused of murder,” Dillon explained. “He goes to jail and then basically he has to play … It’s a corrupt jail system. So they bring kids into jail and basically they make them play basketball so they can get out. And so he has to play a basketball game and win the championship in order to get out of jail.”
Dillon was town for a second reason.
He’s in discussions with J. Webb Horton about moving the Youth Humanitarian Awards from New Haven, Connecticut, to Florida Gulf Coast University in 2025.
Horton serves as assistant director of Florida Gulf Coast University’s Office of Community Outreach.
The awards are a scholarship program that Dillon co-founded with his mother, Natasha, to help kids get into acting at a young age, just like he did. Each year, the awards put on a showcase where aspiring young actors can strut their stuff for filmmakers and television producers.
“We basically invite industry executives from all over the world, the biggest casting directors that you can think of and other people like that, and we bring them to this showcase and kids showcase their talent, and then they potentially get into acting,” said Dillon.
Award recipients not only get help entering into the film and television industry, but also get scholarships to further their educations while pursuing their acting careers.
“Last year we gave over $1 million out in scholarships, and this year we’re going to do the same,” Dillon said.
According Horton, the Youth Humanitarian Awards would be a good fit for FGCU.
“We’ve been hosting the Mandela Scholars for the last four years on this campus,” he said. “Well one of the members of the Mandela family are part of their board as they’re trying to do stuff in Zambia. So it ties in with FGCU, the humanitarian effect.”
The Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute is hosted at FGCU by the Center for the Study of Race, Gender, Ethnicity, and Culture. The Institute brings in young leaders from Africa who are interested in learning about U.S. best practices and experiences from leaders in various industries to effect positive changes in their home countries.
Fort Myers also annually hosts the Edison Awards, a three-day event that honors the spirit of Fort Myers winter resident Thomas Alva Edison by recognizing and fostering global innovation excellence.
Dillon believes that joining forces with FGCU, the Mandela Fellowship and perhaps even the Edison Awards will better equip him to achieve his overarching goal.
“I really believe in generational wealth as well, and so I’m thinking about that,” Dillon said. “Even though I’m only 14, I’m still thinking about how I want to create generational wealth, not only just for me, but I want to create generational wealth for my community and other communities.”
And if Horton has his way, Dillon and the Youth Humanitarian Awards will be working together to benefit the FGCU and greater Fort Myers communities attain these and related goals.
At the same time, Dillon will be adding "executive film producer" to his already impressive resume.
THE BACKGROUND:
Besides the biblical comedy-drama film “The Book of Clarence” (2023) and “Haunted Mansion” (2023), Chase Dillon has appeared in “Saint X” (2023), the television series “Pinecone & Pony” (nine episodes spanning 2022 and 2023), as Nat in “The Harder They Fall” (2021), Homer in the critically acclaimed TV mini series “The Underground Railroad” (10 episodes in 2021), the television series “That Damned Michael Che” (two episodes in 2021), “Little America” (2020) and as Ollie in “First Wives Club” (five episodes in 2019).
In addition to the Youth Humanitarian Awards, Chase and his mother founded the nonprofit Kingdom International Economic Development Corporation (KIEDC). He told Authority Magazine that his organization “fed thousands and thousands of people before and during the pandemic. We have given hundreds to thousands of families winter clothes and garments needed for the children in so much need. Our work in the space of food security to address hunger is dynamic and always in demand. So, this work will always continue wherever I am in the world.”
Horton’s given name is Jack, but he opted to abbreviate it to just the initial “J” because he’s always been troubled by the persona projected by actor, director and producer Jack Webb, who famously played gruff policemen in the television police dramas, most notably Los Angeles detective Joe Friday in the 1960s cult classic, “Dragnet.” Having a name linked to the “Just the Facts” icon could set up a youngster for relentless teasing.
Filmmaker Curtis Collins is a renowned independent filmmaker with several successful films to his credit, including “Hanging Millstone” and “Three Wishes.” His current project, “Loyal to the Game,” may sound like a take-off on “The Longest Yard,” but Collins actually penned the first draft of the screenplay more than 20 years ago while incarcerated at Hendry County Correctional Institute.
The script’s authenticity has gained intense interest and multi-million dollar offers from huge stars, world-renowned athletes, and big-budget production companies. Some are pitching a major motion film, while others are proposing a television drama to air on a major network. FGCU is also interested in the project and is working on an MOU for Alico Arena to be a part of the film, while also using some of its basketball players.
To read more stories about the arts in Southwest Florida visit Tom Hall's website: SWFL Art in the News.