Stoneham names in bright lights - Alger in Good Will Hunting
Published on January 21st, 1998
For some people it takes a lifetime to find out what they want to do with their lives. Finding a calling that challenges them while also fulfilling a need to enjoy their work can be just as evasive as success.
For others it comes much easier than that. For people like Stoneham native Susan Alger, the choice becomes a simple one.
"I love being able to sit in a room with a script for 15 minutes and then give my impression of who I think this person is," said Alger. "Everybody is different, and that's part of what makes acting great. Everybody's interpretation of the same character isn't to be exactly the same."
Alger is an actress who has received her most exposure to date with a small role in the recently released, Oscar-nominated film "Good Will Hunting."
"I've been working with Dynasty modeling on Newbury Street since I was five and acting just seems to come hand in hand with the modeling," said Alger. "In high school I started to make the transition from doing modeling jobs to working in movies."
Since her decision to gravitate towards the acting world, Alger has worked on most of the local movies shot in or around Boston. The 20-year-old member of the Screen Actors Guild has appeared in "With Honors" starring Joe Pesci, "The Firm" starring Tom Cruise, "Hocus Pocus" with Bette Midler and the soon to be released "Civil Action" starring John Travolta.
But the highlight of her early career has to be "Hunting," in which she plays the girlfriend of Will Hunting's grade school bully.
"I was pretty psyched when I saw myself on the screen," said Alger. "I also love the fact that watching the movie, you recognized Bunker Hill and South Boston and knew where all the places were in the movie. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (co-writers and co-stars in the film) really stressed that they wanted to keep it as authentically Boston as they could."
Alger, as is the case with most acting jobs, snagged the part with a combination of knowing the right people, having the right look and being in the right place at the right time.
"Kevin, an employee at Collinge
-Pickman casting, called me up and asked me what I was doing tomorrow," said Alger, whose own favorite movie is Pretty Woman. "He said he had me in the back of his mind for a small part in a movie that was filming in Boston. I went into it not expecting much because I hadn't auditioned for anything, but then when the wardrobe and makeup people started working on me then I began to wonder."
The beautiful young actress knew something was definitely up when the film's director, Gus Van Sant, approached her and told her that the camera was going to be right in front of her.
"When the scene was filming I could see my face in the video screen, but I didn't want to get too excited," said Alger. "A lot of times things like that can get cut out of the movie. I figured it was about 50/50 whether or not I would make the final cut."
In fact during the scene that she's in, the main characters are sitting in the bleachers watching a Little League game and admire a certain aesthetically pleasing part of her anatomy. Alger said she had no idea that was going to be included in the movie, either.
"The answer to that question is a big fat no," said Alger. "They were all so quiet up in the bleachers, so I had no idea what they were talking about. All I can say is that it's a first-time compliment in that area."
While Alger has seen a somewhat steady flow of work and has been a student and a teacher at several acting classes in the area, a move to the west coast may be inevitable if she truly wants to pursue a career in acting.
"I'll be finishing up my Associate's degree in a few months at Middlesex (Community College)," said Alger. "After that I won't really have any ties here, and I have cousins out in California. If you want to make it in modeling or acting, you have to give it 100%. In order to give it a full effort I'd have to go to Los Angeles or New York. A friend and I have already started to make plans for a road trip to LA. Then once I get out there we'll see what happens."
From the sound of things, Alger knows exactly what she wants to accomplish. Then in order to succeed, she's already won half the battle.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!