It’s news when any actor gets to share billing in his first movie with Hollywood heavyweights like Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulroney and Matthew Goode, but when that actor happens to be a 7-year-old Viola resident, the news is even bigger.Thomas Covert, son of Sara and Bryan Covert, recently won a part in “Stoker,” a Fox Searchlight film currently in production.Since the Coverts own a video production company, they have been grooming their three children, sons Bradley, 10, and Thomas, both of whom are home schooled, and daughter Lillianne, 2, to be a sort of family talent pool. Sara began taking Thomas to casting calls in the area so he could gain some experience, and as with most aspiring performers looking to break into the industry, sheer luck turned out to play a big part in success.“We’d been on lots of auditions and nothing happened, but it just so happened we went on this audition where he very much resembled the adult actor, Matthew Goode,” Sara said. “The eyes were what they were looking for in this particular character,” she added.
Viola boy gets film role with Kidman