Rachel Bockheim was taken aback when Ellen Page recognized her.
"It should be the other way around," Bockheim said, laughing.
Best known as skater Jackie Daniels for local roller derby league the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls, Bockheim has landed a gig in front of the camera for Page's roller-derby film "Whip It!" which is filming in the Detroit area. And Bockheim was surprised when the Oscar-nominated "Juno" actress complimented her on her skating aptitude.
"She and (co-star) Juliette Lewis saw me skate at a tournament in Los Angeles," Bockheim said. "It was so cool that she recognized me as a skater."
It's a major pat on the back for Raggidy girls Bockheim and Shawn Varner -- aka Dot Matrix -- that their skills on skates set them apart from dozens of hopefuls vying for a part during an open casting call in June. "Whip It!" director/star Drew Barrymore brought the production to Michigan to take advantage of the state's new tax-incentive package for filmmakers.
Bockheim and Varner have been commuting to the east side of the state since mid-July and are committed to four-plus weeks of filming. The two women don't have speaking parts, but are likely to have significant face time in the film.
"We're in that shady area between extras and actors," Varner said. "We're skating on the track (alongside the actresses). The neat thing is, we get to keep our skate names -- we're in the movie as Dot and Jackie."
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