Longtime Hoboken resident Roland Ruby has teamed up with some familiar faces from “The Sopranos” and other mob films and TV shows for his TV pilot “Damn You Roland Ruby,” filmed in Hoboken last week.
Ruby is an American composer, lyricist, and playwright who has spent the last two decades living in Hoboken (first on Hudson Street and then on Adams Street).
Born in South America, Ruby has run with the bulls in Pamplona and lived in Paris.
“Damn You Roland Ruby” follows a day in the life of down-on-his-luck recording artist Roland Ruby and many quirky characters, including a flaky ex-girlfriend, a mob boss and his sidekicks, and a couple of former feds.
“I am especially pleased that the entire story line takes place here in the mile-square city.” – Roland Ruby
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Mayor Dawn Zimmer was asked to be a part of the cast, but declined. Producers of the pilot said they assumed Zimmer declined due to the drug usage in the script. However, Zimmer later said she was consumed by the Charter School fire aftermath.
“Damn You Roland Ruby” was shot in its entirety at Pigeon Club Studio, 358 Newark St., where Ruby also plans to record his upcoming album and all music for the film. The studio is owned by Jim Mastro, the local music legend and owner of Guitar Bar on First Street.
Ruby’s project is directed by himself and Rob Hawk and produced by Jennifer Lynn Nuccitelli. He refers to it as a “little local labor of love.”
“As a 20-year Hoboken resident I am especially pleased that the entire story line takes place here in the mile-square city,” he said. “[I] wouldn’t have it any other way!”
“Damn You Roland Ruby” will be pitched as a viral, web series and/or TV show as well as submitted to various film festivals including Sundance.
Amanda Palasciano may be reached at amandap@hudsonreporter.com.