Originally posted on the Key West Citizen website:
Several locals are basking in their 15 minutes of fame in Netflix’s Florida Keys-based family drama, “Bloodline.” Meanwhile, one of the show’s stars says she’s really enjoyed her time in the island chain. The 13-episode series began streaming online Friday, March 20, offering viewers their first look at the family drama, which offers crime and suspense all within a familiar backdrop of local venues and ocean and bay views.
Episodes feature the Caribbean Club, Ocean View Inn and Pub, Alabama Jack’s, the Whistle Stop Bar, Mangrove Mike’s Cafe, the Safari Lounge, Morada Bay and a host of other Upper Keys establishments. One business getting a little product placement was Paddle The Florida Keys!, a Tavernier-based paddleboard shop.
“This is pretty awesome,” said owner Scott Baste.
The business has freeze-framed a scene from one episode showing its logo at a local bar and posted it to its Facebook page. Following suit was the Carribean Club, which also alerted customers of its appearance in the series through social media. A night scene featuring Kyle Chandler, who plays the role of John Rayburn, shows the brightly lit Caribbean Club sign in the background. Multiple shots of the mile marker 104 bar are included throughout the series. Several locals have also appeared in the series as extras.
Bob Page, an Islamorada resident, got the opportunity to appear in a scene when actor Ben Mendelsohn’s character, Danny Rayburn, sits down near him in the Whistle Stop Bar.
“Usually extras are in the background, but there I was all by myself,” Page said. “My friends are calling me a little movie star.”
Page is also briefly in another scene in the background at a marina. Now that the show has aired, Page said that “Bloodline” does justice to the Upper Keys.
“The scenery is great,” he said. “The acting is good.”
Page said the production crew took great care of the extras by providing meals and snacks to keep everyone comfortable. A large meal was served daily behind the post office in Islamorada. Extras for the series are committed to 12 hours if they are called in. Free Press contributing writer Jill Zima Borski also served as an extra in the series.
“Seeing myself and newly-made friends who also were extras on the big screen was a hoot,” she told the Free Press. “The beachfront scenes showed the incredible beauty of the Keys, which we can all appreciate.”
Borski can be seen in the first episode stepping out of a van as well as playing tug-of-war on the beach at The Moorings, which doubles as the Rayburn family’s hotel. She also appears in a later episode during a memorial service. Filming for the series took place over a seven-month period last year.
Actress Linda Cardellini, who plays Meg Rayburn, says she is among the cast members who enjoyed their time in the Keys. Cardellini told the Free Press she fed the tarpon at Robbie’s Marina and took a snorkeling visit to Molasses Reef. She added that she felt she was starting to fit in here.
“I love parking out by the Caribbean Club and watching the sunset,” she said.
It sounds like she might get another chance to do that as Netflix has decided to move forward with filming a second season beginning next month. To order the show, visit netflix.com. The website is currently offering a free trial period.
Click HERE to read the article on the Key West Citizen website.