Locals angle for roles in Johnny Depp film

Jill Collins stepped out of a car in front of Roosevelt University Friday night and started telling a group of strangers how she snagged a job as an extra in "Public Enemies."

Her small audience, gathered in hopes of watching some of the filming that night, listened attentively and pressed her for details.

The film, which stars Johnny Depp as the Depression era bank robber John Dillinger, was shooting later that night on Michigan Avenue in front of the Auditorium Building. The building, a Chicago landmark built by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, is home to both Roosevelt University and the Auditorium Theatre.

For over a month Chicago residents have played small roles and gawked as film crews remodeled sites in their  neighborhoods to create a Depression Era look.

Read More »