September 21, 2024
Sports

2 Sox fans also attract attention Devotion to team led to roles in two movies

FORT MYERS, Fla. – East Boston, Mass., roommates and longtime Red Sox fans Jessamy Finet and Erin Nanstad attract almost as much attention off the field as the players do on it.

“We go to a lot of games and usually as soon as I start talking, a lot of people recognize me,” said Finet.

Finet’s distinctive Boston accent and bubbly personality landed her a speaking role in two movies: “Fever Pitch” and a documentary titled “Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie.”

“The Farrelly brothers [producers Bobby and Peter] had seen the documentary my friend and I had been in the year before and they loved our accents, so they asked us to come audition for a part [in ‘Fever Pitch’] and it all worked out,” Finet explained.

Nanstad wasn’t in “Fever Pitch,” but she did have a prominent role in “Still We Believe” as a devoted fan following the Sox from the start of the 2003 season, waiting for tickets to go on sale at the Red Sox ticket office for eight hours in the offseason, to the bitter end, watching the Sox lose in the American League Championship Series to the New York Yankees.

“They came when we were in line and asked everyone questions about how long they’ve been fans and when we started lining up and stuff like that and we got in the movie,” Nanstad said. “For me, 2003 was as low as you could go. I remember 1986, but it wasn’t as personal for me.”

Things have taken a decided turn for the better since then for both women as the Sox have won two World Series titles, Finet got a supporting role in a major motion picture with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, and they both became Red Sox season ticket holders.

“This is our fourth year. We lined up at 2 in the morning, and back then, it wasn’t so crazy,” Finet said. “Now there are people lining up two or three days ahead and I can’t wait like that, so we decided to get season tickets in the bleachers.”

They also decided to start coming down to spring training for a couple of weeks each year. Yes, you could say they’re highly dedicated fans.

“It’s like a part-time job, or more full-time, actually,” Finet said with a laugh. “I don’t want to say this in front of my bosses, but I think we work harder and have more ambition following the Red Sox than we do in our real jobs.”

The duo has attended all of Boston’s home playoff games since 2003.

Finet and Nanstad are hoping they might somehow turn their Boston baseball booster-ism into jobs.

“We could technically work for the Red Sox because of our promotional value, but they haven’t hired us officially yet,” Nanstad said. “I think they should because ever since the movie and us buying season tickets, they’ve won it all twice. We must be good luck.”

It has been all good for Finet. She even gets residual payments in addition to her salary for “Fever Pitch.”

“I played Theresa, and I was part of the summer family with Jimmy Fallon. I was in every scene with Jimmy and Drew at Fenway Park.”

And what was her most memorable line?

“People think I was the one who made a remark about Johnny Damon’s [butt], but I didn’t. That wasn’t me,” she said. “I guess it was that I had my stomach stapled. That was my first line because [Jimmy] didn’t remember who I was since I lost so much weight.”

Finet can’t say enough good things about her silver screen experience.

“They were unbelievable to work with. I couldn’t have worked with better people,” she said. “The first time I met them, my knees were shaking and they were like ‘You’re so cute’ and he hugged me. No one was unapproachable and it was an unbelievable experience.

“The Farrellys were great. They let me change lines if I had trouble with them or didn’t like them and they let me wear my own clothes. They just made me feel so comfortable.”

aneff@bangordailynews.net

990-8205


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