David Ortiz is ready for his close-up…
The 40-year-old Dominican designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox will appear in the upcoming movie, Patriots Day, a film that revisits the events of the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.
Ortiz will play himself and reenact his speech addressing fans in Fenway Park on April 20, 2013, in which he stated, “This is our f—ing city. And nobody’s going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong!”
The film is scheduled for a limited release in theaters in Boston, New York and Los Angeles on December 21, 2016, with a wider national release slated for January 13, 2017.
It’s being directed by Peter Berg and stars Mark Wahlberg playing a Boston policeman.
“Yeah, Mark [Wahlberg] and I go way back,” Ortiz told ESPN.com. “He came and approached me the other day, asking me about it. And I said, ‘No problem.’ It sounds like it’s going to be fun. We’re going to do the filming when I get back to Boston, one of those mornings. I’m excited.
“It’s a big deal,” Ortiz said. “This movie is going to be a big deal, especially in Boston. After what happened in 2013, it’s going to come out on Christmas.”
Ortiz had no problem getting into how important that moment was for him, as well as for the city of Boston. He feels comfortable tapping into the feelings of the day he spoke to fans and of the pride he feels in helping to express the sentiments of many in the city. It’s especially noteworthy because the film will reportedly use considerable amounts of documentary footage, so the decision to reenact Ortiz’s speech and recapture the emotions of that moment make for a potentially powerful artistic decision.
“That’s the idea,” Ortiz said. “Being proud of it, it’s one of the main reasons they want me in it. But I can say, he went through some other details with me that, once you guys watch the movie, you guys are going to find out about. I’m excited.”
For Ortiz, beyond his personal feelings and role in the events after the bombing, this was also something that speaks to the kinds of movies he’s interested in.
“It’s about history, and I’m a big fan of movies based on true stories,” he said. “When they came out and asked me about it, I could agree with it.”
