A little of North Dakota in Strathmore

Times Contributor   

 

Leroy’s Motel was a busy hub at the end of November with camera crews and some famous actors milling around for the filming of Fargo (a new miniseries by Joel and Ethan Coen). The Coen brothers are executive producers of the 10-episode series, which is being produced for U.S. cable channel FX.

Fraser Flamond, owner/operator of Leroy’s, said it was a busy place for a couple of days in November when the group came and booked two floors (23 rooms) for a two-day period during filming. “They were awesome and respectful. They rented the Gas Bar and the Oriental Grill along with the Motel for their filming. Their crews came in and redid some of the rooms and the office with paint and props and when they left they repainted and put everything back in its original spots.”

For a little while, Strathmore was transformed into Bemidji, Minnesota, where the show is to take place. Many drivers on the highway were concerned at the gas prices the day of the shoot because the signs read $233.9 for gas and  $254.9 for diesel. 

For Flamond, the idea for a movie shoot was not new to him. Last year, Leroy’s was filmed by local producer Stephen Lubig for his independent production film called “After the Storm.” Flamond said, “there aren’t a lot of places that maintain original design as most places upgrade and modernize. It’s what made Leroy’s enticing for the productions”.

The cast for the upcoming mini-series includes such actors as Billy Bob Thornton (Monsters Ball), Colin Hanks (Dexter), Martin Freeman (Sherlock), Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad) and Ontario-born Oliver Platt (The Big C) and Joshua Close (The Unusuals).

Next year, 2014, Leroy’s celebrates its 40-year anniversary, and it was nice that the producers wrote Leroy’s right into the script. Look for the release of Fargo in the spring of 2014.