The Errol Flynn Blog

Great blog. First class. Great esoterica.

I had occasion to work with Luke Stoecker (sp?) Flynn, Errol’s grandson, about nine years ago while directing my first film, The Mercy Man. I cast Luke in a small role as “the boyfriend.” He was a great guy. As handsome as Errol, and just a laid back fun guy. And a talented actor, because he was smart and listened well (to the other actors in the scene), and those two things are hallmarks of acting talent in my opinion. Every now and then between set ups or driving to the set with the cast, I’d talk to Luke about surfing and the West Indies (two interests of mine), and we’d get talking about Jamaica and his grandmother Patrice Wymore’s estate where he’d grown up, and of course Errol. Luke was well aware of his legacy and famous grandfather, but that was ancient history to Luke. He was smart enough to live in the present and not parade around as the grandson. I remember we were shooting a scene in a terrible part of Trenton New Jersey one night, which we were doubling for NYC, and we got lost in the car in an area where the cops told us not to go, and it was late at night and everyone in the car was unnerved and waiting to get shot to death, and Luke gazed about casually and said, “This is exciting. We should shoot here,” and I remember laughing at his blithe calmness. I wish him well. Acting’s a shitty business driven by luck and connections, so who knows.

— TJR McDowell