Young Windham actor and his father selected by George Clooney for roles in ‘The Tender Bar’

By Lorraine Glowczak

Windham actor Lincoln Rulman, 10, has
a speaking role in the film 'The Tender
Bar,' a coming of age drama directed by
George Clooney to be out in a few months.
COURTESY OF STEWART SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHY  

“Both your child and his father are considered for the classroom scenes in ‘The Tender Bar’ movie. This film is directed by George Clooney and he is handpicking each person.”

This is the message Sarah Adams Rulman of Windham received about two months ago from the casting crew regarding her son, Lincoln and her husband, Chris. It was only a few days later when she received the news that the son and father duo were selected by Clooney himself to play a role in the film.

Briefly, “The Tender Bar” is an American coming-of-age drama directed by Clooney and is an adaptation of the 2005 memoir of the same name by J. R. Moehringer. The film, starring Ben Affleck and Christopher Lloyd, will be released in the coming months.

“Lincoln and Chris were super excited to be in a scene with Christopher Lloyd,” Sarah said. “He is a childhood icon for Chris, and he was really excited to sit at the same table as him. There was another kiddo sitting at the table and Christopher Llyod asked him what he knew about time travel, and Chris said, ‘1.21 gigawatts,’ and Christopher pointed to him and said, ‘that’s right.’

“When they arrived on the set Lincoln noticed a man shooting hoops in the gym, and he said to Chris, ‘dad, that’s George Clooney’ and Chris didn’t believe him until he turned around and saw that it was.”

Although a first for his father, this is not the first time Lincoln, 10, a fifth grader attending Manchester School in Windham, was selected to play in well-known films. Lincoln, along with his sisters Gracie and Libby, has acted in the most recent film of “Little Women” starring Emma Stone and Meryl Streep. He has also performed in an Apple TV+ miniseries, “Defending Jacob” starring Chris Evans (Captain America) and Michelle Dockery (Mary Crawley of Downton Abbey). 

“In ‘The Tender Bar,’ Lincoln is in a scene where he asks the teacher for something,” Sarah said. “Hopefully that will be in the film, but you never know what they decide to keep.”

Lincoln shared with his mother his favorite moments and experiences of working on the set of Clooney’s latest film.

“His favorite moment was talking to George Clooney and seeing Christopher Lloyd,” Sarah said. “Lincoln was super excited that George Clooney came over to him in between takes and read something that Lincoln had written about baseball, and he asked him what position he played and if he was a righty or lefty. Oh! And, also the money! His least favorite part was the seven COVID tests that he had to take, although they got paid $100 per test!”

Sarah said that Lincoln is now a pro at taking COVID tests and an expert at “real life” acting.

“Lincoln said re-doing scenes can be really boring because it’s the same thing over and over again. He actually dropped a fork in one scene, and they had to redo it. The movie takes place in the 1970s and 1980s, so he thought the old cars and the old clothes were really cool! He told me has to wear these weird pants with lines in them. I laughed and told him they are called corduroys.”

Now that Lincoln has a few acting experiences under his belt, he provides a few bits of guidance for other youth who may want to get in the field or make a career in the performing arts.

“His advice to young actors is to be really good on set and be professional. Also, don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a role, there is always another one,” he said.

When he is not acting, Lincoln is playing baseball, drawing and gaming. He also has just started modeling in his first photo shoot for LL Bean.

“He had a photo shoot last week for LL Bean and loved modeling,” Sarah said. “It was his first shoot and he loved that he could have fun and be himself. They had him dancing and being silly, something that is very different from being on a movie set.”

Although Lincoln seems to be doing well in the acting and modeling business, he is still a small-town boy who you will find riding his bike down to the lake to fish and swim with friends. He and his family are enjoying life as it comes and hold no expectations for the future.

“We all go with Lincoln on his endeavors and support him,” Sarah said. “You never know when this will all be over, so we are enjoying it and making the most of every opportunity. And those opportunities include everyday life experiences with family and friends.”  <

Young Windham actors play roles in “Little Women”

Gracie Rulman

By Lorraine Glowczak

The latest movie of “Little Women”, directed by Greta Gerwig and currently showing in theaters, is the seventh film adaptation of the 1898 novel of the same name, written by Louisa May Alcott. What makes this recent movie version so special for one Windham family is that siblings Gracie and Lincoln Rulman were picked to play small parts, acting with Hollywood celebrities such as Emma Watson and Laura Dern.

“Lincoln acted as one of the four King children whose nanny is Meg, played by Emma Watson,” explained Sarah Rulman, the actors’ mother. “Unfortunately, his scene was cut due to timing, but Gracie’s scene remained in the movie. She played a church goer and a child in the Town Square on Christmas Day while actors Emma Watson and Laura Dern walked by, performing their scenes.

Their acting debut all started when Sarah answered a simple ad in the Portland Press Herald last spring. The ad was from a casting agency asking for young actors to apply as extras for the film. She applied and within a few weeks, nine-year old Lincoln was the first to get the call back, with ten-year-old Gracie receiving a call shortly thereafter.

Lincoln Rulman

The Rulman family had many exciting experiences that included being on a professional movie set, filming on location and riding in a limousine to a nondisclosed location.

“First, we traveled to Bellerica, MA for costume fittings for the children,” Sarah began. “Then, Lincoln filmed in Canton, MA at the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate and Gracie filmed in Harvard at the Harvard Town Square and Town Hall. The time we all spent at the movie location was a really neat experience and it was so crazy to be on a Hollywood movie set. I don’t think the kids fully understood the importance of their experiences. It didn’t catch on for Gracie until she spent three hours in the sleet and snow filming in a scene with Emma Watson and all the other “Little Women”. 

When Laura Dern walked by and I got excited, Gracie had no idea who she was. The set was incredible, especially when I found myself standing behind Greta Gerwig while she was directing.”

Sarah further explained that the set was fully catered with every kind of food imaginable and there was a child life specialist on location to make sure all the young actors were being treated fairly and had plenty of food to eat. As for her own children, Sarah said, “It was their first real paid job and they loved it. They get to say their first job was being an extra in a Sony Pictures film!”

The young Windham actors also discovered that they didn’t know where the filming location would be until the last minute. “We were always given an address to drive to, we were picked up in a black Mercedes van and driven to the set,” Sarah said. “It was a secret every time where would be going.”

Once on the set, the Rulman siblings began to play their roles. When each was asked what they loved most about being a part of the “Little Women” film, they each had a different answer. “My favorite part was when the director said ‘background’, ‘rolling’ and ‘cut’”, Gracie said. “I also love the acting itself.”

Lincoln, on the other hand, said; “making money and just being a part of a movie was my favorite part.”

We will get to see these Windham actors performing again. Lincoln has a significant role in the “Defending Jacob” miniseries, an American crime drama coming out on Apple TV+ that stars Chris Evan and Michelle Dockery. Dockery is best known for her role on the PBS Series and recent movie of “Downton Abbey” as Lady Mary Crawley. Lincoln’s youngest sister, six-year-old Libby, will be acting along with him in this series.

Many people in the greater Windham area may recognize Libby as the local philanthropist who collects toys for young children with cancer and other medical challenges and who are staying at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland. When asked what she is most looking forward to as an actor, she stated with enthusiasm, “Being famous!” What Libby does not seem to know is that she is already a local celebrity.

“’Little Women’ and ‘Defending Jacob’ are both from the same casting agency,” explained Sarah. “How it works is they usually contact us if they have scenes where the kiddos are a good fit. All three of my children will play a role int this series.”

If you haven’t seen “Little Women” yet, it has been a highly rated film and a suggested must see. But if Boston wealthy women who experienced poverty in the 19^th century is not your fancy, then perhaps “Defending Jacob” may be more your style. Either way, you will get to see – and support - local young celebrities in action.