‘Gran Torino’ shifts local actor’s career into high gear

By Jeremy Carroll
C & G Staff Writer

ROYAL OAK — When asked if he liked the new Clint Eastwood film, “Gran Torino,” Ted Widgren smiled.

“I liked it, but of course, Clint Eastwood is a good buddy of mine now,” he said pointing to a picture of the two of them that hangs in his barbershop on 11 Mile Road in downtown Royal Oak.

The barbershop served as a backdrop for three separate scenes in the film, which follows Eastwood as Walt Kowalski, an aging Korean War veteran who begins to mentor a Hmong neighbor after he catches the teen attempting to steal his prized 1972 Gran Torino.

Widgren, who turned 90 on Jan. 6, said the production company making the film asked to use the barbershop for the scenes after viewing upwards of 60 other barbershops in the area.

“I told them, they could do it on one condition: that I meet Clint Eastwood,” he said.

Widgren has been cutting hair since he was 18 years old and has always done so in Royal Oak. Eastwood is one of his favorite actors, and the Royal Oak resident even ate at his restaurant in California on a visit many years ago.

The three scenes in Widgren’s Barber Shop are spread throughout the film, and all include Eastwood trading one-liners with a barber, played by John Carroll Lynch, including haggling over the price of the cut, and helping teach the teen, Thao, played by Bee Vang, to “talk like a man.” The scenes are filled with swearing and ethnic slurs on the part of all three actors.

Although named Martin’s Barber Shop in the film, not much was changed inside, with many pictures remaining on the old wood-paneled walls.

“We were looking to see what we could recognize, and the picture that stood out the most was Buddy, sitting inside his dog house,” said Widgren’s son-in-law, Frank Mills, who saw the movie with him.

The beagle was Widgren’s grandson’s, but he built the dog house.

Widgren was able to watch some of the filming from the back of the shop — at one point, they had to briefly halt production when Widgren was caught talking under his breath after the barber swore at Eastwood in one scene.

“I was most surprised with the barber,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that.”

The salty language aside, Mills said the movie was excellent.

“I think Eastwood should be in contention for an Oscar for it. It really showed some soft sides of him,” he said.

The movie was shot mostly in Michigan during the summer, with several scenes filmed in Grosse Pointe Shores, one scene at a VFW Hall in Center Line and the bulk of it in Highland Park.

There are some allusions to metro Detroit being the setting of the film, including the son of Eastwood’s character asking about Detroit Lions tickets. “Gran Torino” is currently playing at several local movie theaters and opens nationwide on Jan. 9.

The other film shot in Royal Oak this summer, “Prayers for Bobby,” which included a parade scene down Washington Avenue, is scheduled to air on the Lifetime Channel on Jan. 24 at 9 p.m., according to various Web sites.

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, who plays a woman who comes to terms with the suicide of her gay son. It is based on the true story of Bobby Griffith and the book of the same name.

Widgren’s Barber Shop is located at 204 E. 11 Mile Road and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.