CORY MCABEE
SAMUAL CURTIS
WRITER/DIRECTOR

Cory McAbee plays the part of Samual Curtis, an interplanetary trader from Nevada. He also appears as the cowboy silhouette and the voices of the silver miners. He is the writer/director, storyboard artist, songwriter, and co-composer of the film's soundtrack. He is responsible for over half of the paintings used to represent the ship's exterior. McAbee is the lead singer and songwriter for the musical group, THE BILLY NAYER SHOW. CD releases include the band's self-titled CD, THE BILLY NAYER SHOW, THE KETCHUP AND MUSTARD MAN, THE VILLAIN THAT LOVE BUILT, RETURN TO BRIGADOON, THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT SOUNDTRACK and the new double CD release GOODBYE STRAPLIGHT SARENTINO I WILL MISS YOU. Previous award-winning films include the animated short BILLY NAYER, the Pixelvision short THE MAN ON THE MOON, and stream-of-conscious musical THE KETCHUP AND MUSTARD MAN. His artwork has been exhibited at The New Langton Gallery in San Francisco, CA. and The Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland, Ca. McAbee has supported himself as a free-lance artist, MC, musician, and bouncer at various bars and nightclubs throughout San Francisco and Chicago. He has recently performed at Lincoln Center Theatre and the Guggenheim Museum as Autoharpist for the Chinese opera, THE ORPHAN OF ZHAO. McAbee has recently completed his next feature-length screenplay entitled, WEREWOLF HUNTERS OF THE MIDWEST, and is in the process of storyboarding. He has currently finished writing his first book entitled, RABBIT, and is now writing and compiling music to accompany the story.

Rocco Sisto
PROFESSOR HESS

Rocco Sisto, as Professor Hess, plays Curtis’ obsessed nemesis and film narrator. Sisto has appeared in such recent films as "Frequency," "Donnie Brasco," "Eraser" and John Turturro’s "Illuminata." He was seen recently on TV, as well, in roles on such programs as "The Sopranos," "Law & Order," "Star Trek The Next Generation," and "Homicide." Highlights of his extensive career on stage include his work as Salieri in Sir Peter Hall’s production of Amadeus at the Music Box, and he originated the role of the Marquis de Sade in Doug Wright’s Quills at the New York Theatre Workshop, for which he was honored with Obie, Drama League and Encore Awards, and for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. A classically trained stage actor, he is a founding member of Shakespeare and Co. In Lenox, MA.

Gregory Russell Cook
"THE BOY WHO ACTUALLY SAW A WOMAN’S BREAST"

Gregory Russell Cook takes one of the three leading roles as the prize of Jupiter, the would-be King of Venus and protege of Samuel Curtis. In addition to "The American Astronaut," he will be seen in June of this year in Maggie Greenwald’s "Songcatcher," to be released by Lions Gate Films. Cook made his feature debut in the independent film "The Prince of Central Park." He has been seen on television in "Law & Order" and in a recurring role on "Deadline." On stage, he has performed with the Steppenwolf Company in its Broadway production of "Grapes of Wrath" and was also featured in "The Kingdom’s Coming," written by Jeff Daniels.

Annie Golden
CLORIS

As Cloris, The Queen of Venus, Annie Golden plays the matriarchal leader of the all-female planet. Golden can currently be seen on Broadway in the hit musical, The Full Monty. Her other Broadway credits include On The Town, Ah Wilderness, and Hair. Her Off-Broadway credits include The Full Monty (at the Globe Theater), An Empty Plate, La Terrase, Saturn Returns, On The Town, Assassins, and Little Shop of Horrors. Ms. Golden's film credits include "Hair"; "The Pebble and the Penguin" and "12 Monkeys." Her TV credits include roles on "Law and Order," "Third Watch," "One Life To Live," "Cheers," "Miami Vice," and "House of Ramon Iglesia" for American Playhouse.

James "PJ" Ransone
BODYSUIT

"The American Astronaut" marks James Ransone’s motion picture debut. Well know to anyone familiar with Manhattan nightlife, Ransone, also known as "PJ," has worked for the last two and a half years as a photojournalist with one of the city’s best-liked and highly published social photographers, Patrick McMullan. PJ’s work for Patrick has appeared in such publications as Interview, New York and Harper’s Bazaar. A graduate of Carver Center for the Arts in his home town of Baltimore, where he studied theatre and fine arts, PJ moved to New York in 1997 to pursue a career in film. He will next be seen in "Ken Park," the new film from Larry Clark ("Kids," "Another Day in Paradise," "Bully"). PJ begins work on "Ken Park" in February. Ransone is also the lead singer for the neo-new wave rock band "The Misery."

Joshua Taylor
THE BLUEBERRY PIRATE

A producer of "The American Astronaut," Taylor plays the role of the Blueberry Pirate, and interplanetary fruit thief and Curtis’ former Dance Partner. A graduate of Boston University where he earned a degree in dramatic studies, Taylor has been around film for many years, serving as a script consultant, executive producer and actor on several films, commercials and television shows. His directorial debut, "Dita and the Family Business," is distributed by First Run Features. In addition, Mr. Taylor has performed on stage in New York, regionally and internationally with such theater companies as Irondale Ensemble Project, Monkey Wrench Theater, HERE and Barrington Stage Company. Taylor has been the recipient of a 1997 New York State Council on the Arts grant and first prize at the 1994 Okrite International Theatre Festival in St. Petersberg, Russia, for his stage adaptation of You Can’t Win.

Tom Aldredge
THE OLD MAN

Tom Aldredge plays The Old Man, an MC/comedian in a run-down bar on an asteroid. Aldredge first appeared in New York, Off-Broadway, as the Messenger in Electra in 1957. Since then he has enjoyed a career in an uncounted number of roles on Broadway, Off and Off-Off Broadway and in regional theatre; in many films, and on prime time TV and on the occasional Soap. On Broadway he has appeared in seminal works by Williams, Albee, O’Neil and Sondheim. He received a Drama Desk Award and a Tony nomination for Sticks and Bones and Tony Nominations for his work in Where’s Charlie?, The Little Foxes with Elizabeth Taylor and, most recently, the Sondheim-Lapine musical Passion. Aldredge has portrayed a wide range of Shakespearean and contemporary roles for the New York and Connecticut Shakespeare Festivals in such plays as Henry V, Love’s Labours Lost, Romeo & Juliet, Trolious & Cressida, Hamlet, Richards II & III and King Lear. He received an Obie Award for his performance in Stock Up On Pepper ‘Cause Turkey’s Going To War and as Angelo in Measure for Measure. With much work on the small screen to his credit, Aldredge received an Emmy Award for his performance in the CBS Special "Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare." He has appeared in such films as "The Rain Peope," "Batteries Not Included," "See You in the Morning," "What About Bob?" and "The Adventures of Huck Finn."

Bill Buell
EDDIE

As Eddie, the bartender on the asteroid where Curtis first lands, Bill Buell plays a seeming simpleton who is yet able to clone himself and entertain roughnecks at a dance contest. He has appeared on Broadway in numerous productions, including Anna Karenina, Titanic, Tommy, Taking Steps, Big River, Welcome To The Club, Annie, The First, and The Miser. Off-Broadway he has appeared in Nicolette & Aucassin (Westport Country Playhouse), Tartuffe, The Winters Tale (New York Shakespeare Festival), Picasso At The Lapin Agile and The Common Pursuit (Promenade Theatre), Bad Habits, Groundhog, and Aristocrats (Manhattan Theatre Club), On the Bum (Playwrights Horizons), Waste (Theatre for New Audience). He has appeared in such films as Darren Aranofsky’s "Requiem for a Dream," Todd Solondz’ "Happiness" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and in the most recent version of "Miracle on 34th Street." On television, Buell has appeared on "Law & Order," "Cosby," "All My Children," "One Life To Live," and "Guiding Light.

Peter McRobbie
LEE VILENSKI

Peter McRobbie plays Lee Vilenski, the man who owned Jupiter. He has appeared in eight films by Woody Allen, most recently in "Small Time Crooks." He appeared in John Singleton’s "Shaft" and in the Sundance hit "Big Night," and has a new film development project at Sundance. On television, McRobbie has been seen in "The Sopranos," A fixture on the New York theatre scene, McRobbie has appeared in eleven Broadway plays and many Off Broadway productions.

MARK MANLEY
HENCHMAN(left)

Mark Manley plays one of The Blueberry Pirate's Henchmen. His Broadway credits include: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Directed by Jerome Robbins, Tommy Tune's BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE GOES PUBLIC, LEGS DIAMOND starring Peter Allen, Directed by Robert Allen Ackerman, and GOT TU GO DISCO. Most recently, Mark received praise in the New York Times for his performance in the world premiere of the Off-Broadway farce, A NAUGHTY KNIGHT. Numerous commercials include dancing with Whoppi Goldberg for M.C.I., Panasonic and print ads for Bluecross/Blue Shield. Film work includes a role in the film, JEFFREY.

NED SUBLETTE
HENCHMAN(right)

Ned Sublette plays one of The Blueberry Pirate's Henchman. He is the leading exponent of the style of music known as cowboy rumba. Born in Lubbock, Texas, he attended Missouri Auction School in Kansas City. His album COWBOY RUMBA was briefly released on Palm Pictures in 1999. His two previous collaborations with Lawrence Weiner include, MONSTERS FROM THE DEEP and SHIPS AT SEA, SAILORS AND SHOES. Author of the cult classic "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly", he is the co-founder of the Qbadisc record label and has produced numerous albums by artists from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Nigeria and elsewhere. He leads cultural study tours to Cuba in association with the radio program Afropop Worldwide and is the author of a forthcoming history of Cuban popular music from A Cappella Press. His first gallery exhibition, a collection of 38 photographs of Cuba, opened in June 2001.

JOE MCKENNA
DOORMAN

Joe plays the part of the doorman at the Ceres Crossroads.

BOBBY LURIE
PRODUCER / MUSICAL DIRECTOR
DRUMMER

Bobby Lurie plays the drummer for the Ceres Crossroads house band. He is the film's musical director, co-composer of the soundtrack as well as a producer of the film. Lurie is a graduate of Cal Berkeley. He attended The New School and Manhattan School of Music. As a professional musician he has performed and recorded with such artists as Dewey Redman, Oscar Brown Jr., Jaki Byard, Buddy Collette, and Joe Pop-O-Pie. In 1989, he and American Astronaut director, Cory McAbee, formed a partnership called BNS Productions. Together they formed the band, The Billy Nayer Show in which Lurie is the drummer and the producer of all recorded materials. Lurie has produced five full length CDs for The Billy Nayer Show including the band's self titled, The Billy Nayer Show, The Ketchup And Mustard Man, The Villain That Love Built, Return To Brigadoon, and The American Astronaut soundtrack. He has produced three BNS short films as well as co-composing and producing their soundtracks. He was the musical and technical consultant for co-producer Josh Taylor's documentary, Dita And The Family Business, composer for Emily Hart's, On With The Wind, and The God Squad, and for Ferne Pearlstein's, Squatting, to name a few. He has been a performer at such festivals as The Monterey Jazz Festival, SXSW, NXNW, and The Sundance Film Festival where he once presented a live music/film presentation that he produced and toured with throughout the U.S called, The Billy Nayer Chronicles.

JAMES BEAUDREAU
GUITAR

James is the guitar player of the Ceres Crossroads house band. He is co-composer of the film's soundtrack, assistant musical director, and brother of Pete Beaudreau, the film's editor. The voice of James can be heard throughout the film as the alarm of Samual Curtis's ship. James is largely self-taught, studied English in Binghamton NY and then Jazz at The New School in New York. In 1997 he performed on The Billy Nayer Show's, The Villain That Love Built CD and joined the band shortly after the CD's release. James is the co-composer and guitarist for the 1999 release, Return To Brigadoon, and has been touring with The Billy Nayer Show for several years now. In addition to The Billy Nayer Show, James writes and arranges, and works on his own music in Brooklyn, where he lives.

MIKE SILVERMAN
BASS

Mike Silverman performs as the Bass player for the Ceres Crossroads' house band. He was also co-composer of the film's soundtrack. Mike began his professional music career at age 14. He studied jazz music at Los Medanos College and then classical music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. During his college years Mike started the Fabulous Hedgehogs, in which he was the singer/songwriter and played upright bass. The Hogs released three CD's and toured throughout the US. Mike has also performed and recorded with such artists as The Mermen, Dewey Redman, and Buddy Colette. He was a founding member of Dogslyde, playing international jazz festival's such as the Monterey Jazz Festival. In 1995 he played over 400 gigs. Mike recorded and performed with The Billy Nayer Show from 1999 through April, 2001. He left The Billy Nayer Show to pursue his solo act, "That 1 Guy", in which Silverman plays an instrument which he himself designed and built, called, The Magic Pipe. The Pipe helped create music and sound effects for The American Astronaut. Silverman recently wrote, recorded and produced a CD for "That 1 Guy" entitled "Songs In The Key Of Beotch".