Unbeknownst to the attendees at the Regional Film Industry Day in New York, Ben Stiller appeared to present the Film Albany Spirit Award to New York State Trooper, Sgt. Jay Cook, a key player in the apprehension of a dangerous escapee from an Upstate New York prison. The story was told in an award winning Netflix series, Escape From Dannemora, directed by Mr. Stiller.
I had an opportunity to speak with Mr. Stiller briefly and it turns out we both spent a fair amount of our youth on the West Side of Manhattan, me in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and he, a bit farther uptown. He graciously allowed me to share my story with him and accepted my business card. Now, I make no assumptions about his ongoing interest in sharing Helen and Raymond’s story, but hey, you never know.


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