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Casting Call: Teen Actor Wanted To Play Notorious Detroit Gangster 'White Boy Rick'

DETROIT (WWJ) - If you've ever wanted to be on the big screen, this could be your big break. A movie about Detroit's most notorious gangster, White Boy Rick, is in the works -- and you could play the leading role.

An open casting call is planned for Saturday, May 2 and producers are hoping to find someone from metro Detroit to play the part of a teenage Richard Wershe Jr.

Producers are looking for a baby-faced, white male, ages 14-17, who fits the description of a street smart, born hustler who "possesses a magnetic charm and a swagger beyond his years." Those interested should bring a headshot with full-name and contact information attached.

The casting call takes place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. May 2 at the Michigan Actors Studio on 9 Mile Road in Ferndale. Filming on the movie, a project by Jeff Robinov's Studio 8, is expected to begin this fall.

RICHARD WERSHE
Richard Wershe Jr. (MDOC/Booking Photo, 2012)

In a nutshell, Wershe was 18-years-old in 1988 when he was convicted under a now-defunct law that gave him life in prison for carrying eight kilos of cocaine. But Wershe made headlines around the world because he had infiltrated local drug gangs at the tender age of 13 — at the request of Detroit police and FBI agents — and turned in evidence that convicted 14 dealers and gangsters, including some of the biggest drug dealers in Detroit history.

Wershe is the only person in Michigan convicted under the overturned "lifer" drug law who is still behind bars. He's currently being held at the Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee, Mich.

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