Scio Township man lands recurring role on 'Detroit 1-8-7'
The next time you're watching "Detroit 1-8-7," the new ABC crime drama, watch closely during segments showing crime scene investigations. One of those forensic investigators could be Scio Township resident Jack Savas.
Savas has a recurring role as a forensic scientist on the show. He can usually be found at the scene of the crime.
"We gather evidence, take pictures and get finger prints," Savas said of his character. "It's demanding because you have to be available the entire day."
Jack Savas in costume for his role as a SWAT team member in the upcoming movie "Street Kings 2."
Photo courtesy of Jack Savas
"They never tell you when you do it right, only when you do it wrong," he said. "Sometimes you can do a little creative stuff like when I decided to lean in with the evidence bag open and kneeled between the two detectives, and the director liked it."
Savas also has had what he calls "missteps."
"I was in a scene photographing the car of a man who was murdered and the detectives pulled up," said Savas. "I bumped into the detective played by James McDaniel, and he threw his hands up in the air and said, 'I'm trying to do my job. Can you do your job?' I told him that I'd drop on one knee and take the photos so that he could easily get around me. Then he shook my hand and smiled."
Savas has also been late for filming and had to grab his gear from an actor who nearly replaced him.
He gets paid between $85-$125 a day and says the food is fabulous.
"It's like going to a wedding," he said. "You eat like a king three times a day."
Savas, who has also appeared in several movies, got the role when a casting director, who also cast a movie his daughter appeared in, recognized him. They got to talking, and he asked her if they ever hired people in their 40s. She asked him to send in a few photos, and he was offered the role.
Colleagues on the set praised Savas' work.
"Jack is a pleasure to work with and is very adept at improvising and performing," said John Dezsi, a filmmaker who lives in Detroit and plays a paramedic in "Detroit 1-8-7."
Jessica Surman, also an actor in "Detroit 1-8-7," said Savas bring a lot of energy to the set. "When we are filming, he is very focused on what he is doing and looks so natural."
Savas grew up in Birmingham, and lived in Tokyo for seven years and in New Zealand for six years working in a diplomatic role. He moved to the Ann Arbor area four years ago and launched the Agui fashion label, which markets T-shirts inspired by street art from around the world.
He will have "face time" on episodes seven through nine of "Detroit 1-8-7," which will air on Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 at 10 p.m. on ABC-TV. He also has a small role in the upcoming movie "Street Kings 2."
Lisa Carolin is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. For more stories about the Dexter area, visit our Dexter page.
Comments
BobbyJohn
Mon, Oct 18, 2010 : 11:45 a.m.
Glad that our tax credits are really helping local people with pay of ~$100/day and good eats. That's a good payback for the hundreds of millions to be given away by the state.
pfunkyfize
Mon, Oct 18, 2010 : 10:19 a.m.
Whether people love the show or not I am in the same position as Jack. Lots of businesses outside the actual filming have benefited from having film crews in MI. The average Detroit person I talk to loves the show but nationally, the averages are so-so. I am a recurring uniformed police officer background guy on the show and live here in A2, I have been in 4 episodes up to this point and will be filming more. I have to say my favorite part was running into the historic Cork town train station and busting Landry in episode 3! Definitely lots of work. Grueling 12 sometimes 14 hour days and running 50 yard dashes for hours means you get your exercise in. Definitely not 'glamorous' work and you work for every penny. Unless of course you hang out in extras holding where you can rest, recuperate and EAT! I think the food may have been mentioned but wow, what a spread they lay out for everyone. Strip steak, salmon, chicken, dessert. Just help yourself. You need to eat after some of the things the film crews make you do in the blistering heat of summer while making everything look like 'fall'.
djacks24
Sun, Oct 17, 2010 : 2:42 a.m.
I do agree to an extent with bunnyabbot that there isn't a whole lot of depth, but I don't think that is the point of the show. It's not Detroit, but a Hollywood depiction of Detroit where a group of cops trapped in a restaurant armed only with pistols takes out a group of gangsters armed with fully automatic weapons (last episode) and every homicide is solved every time and almost seemingly within a day or two. Detroit would be the safest city in the world if there truly was a 100% success rate in solving homicides. I'd like to see how often and episode will come along where a case is not solved? It's entertaining (especially if you live in or around Detroit) with the references to common landmarks and even common streets. It's a new swing/location on the traditional Hollywood cop show, not a psychological depiction of urban homicide detectives.
GoblueBeatOSU
Sat, Oct 16, 2010 : 6:18 p.m.
Hope the show continues....but many of our great elected leaders in Lansing don't believe that the Hollywood tax credits provide any benefit to the state and in fact hurt the state. Clearly for Jack Savas there is a benefit.
bunnyabbot
Sat, Oct 16, 2010 : 12:13 p.m.
I have watched the show and while it is not bad I don't think it is good either, there isn't much depth to it. It is shot well and acted for the most part well, but a lot of the plot isn't very interesting. When the bum talked about life in detroit it was such a played out moment it seemed contrived. So far my favorite scene was when they were looking for a bullit casing in the street and found one only to say, oh wrong kind, and then found another one and oh, not the kind we are looking for and finally the third casing was. now that is our detroit.
krc
Sat, Oct 16, 2010 : 11:33 a.m.
Lisa - 4th line down, remove the 'who' to make the sentence flow. Otherwise, great story!
DFSmith
Sat, Oct 16, 2010 : 10:20 a.m.
I like the show, and thus will be looking to see if i can catch a glimpse of Mr Savas.