To create a compelling short film centered around a young couple in love, chemistry across the cast of The Dash and The Dog was essential. Each character the couple meets along the meandering road trip impacts the final scene, as well as the meaning of their journey together. Meet the major players below.
Parker Gregory, CLICK New York
A somewhat grueling and positively sweltering outdoor shoot could wreck anyone’s spirits, to be sure. But Parker Gregory quickly established him as a breath of fresh air throughout The Dash and The Dog, keeping his fellow cast and crew relaxed and laughing when on set. Fittingly, he’s a born and raised Texan — only, he’s one who has found himself as one of the top menswear models based out of New York City, fronting major advertisement campaigns across the globe, and now Lucchese’s. When he's not driving a Scout around Central Texas, he's neck deep in triathlon training.
Michele Ouellet, Elite New York
Michele Ouellet is just as revered for her easy-going personality as she is for her effortlessly chic, accessible presence in front of the camera. She’s a Northern California girl now based in New York City and self-proclaimed lover of all things “Wild West.” But what makes her most interesting is her shrewd business sense. She and her mother operate a winery called Lorenza that specializes in French-style rosé, and countless fashion heavyweights like Vogue and Paris-based Garance Dore have featured Michele for her unique, authentic personal spirit. Beyond willing to cannon ball into a lake or sprint across a field in her skivvies, she was a powerful match to Parker’s mischievousness. To keep up her friends and fans posted on her career and whereabouts, she keeps a vibrant social media presence online.
Weldon Henson
The film’s scouting team found Weldon Henson by word of mouth. James White, the aforementioned owner of The Broken Spoke, recommended the film producers see him play a set. Once they did, it was known that Henson would feature somehow, someway in the next Lucchese campaign.
Henson's brand of unadulterated Texas Swing is harder and harder to find on traditional airwaves, something that he calls “a throw back to the vintage honky-tonk and Texas culture that brought your grandparents together combined with the rock n roll attitude and approach of the more modern men of Texas country.”
After being honorably discharged from the Airforce in 2006, he dove full time into music and is now a regular on the Hill Country dancehall circuit.
The Scout
The film’s art director stumbled across the the International Harvester Scout in the garage of the Met Club in downtown Houston. Knowing the producers had been scouring the state for the perfect “getaway” car for The Dash and The Dog, she left a note on the windshield. Fate would have it that owner of the Scout be a Lucchese fan who agreed to give use of the truck for a week without restrictions — in exchange for a pair of boots. The design plan for the first Scout was developed in the late 1950s to compete with the Jeep, and production of the Scout ceased in 1980, making it a highly sought after collector’s car.
Wink
No character melted hearts more quickly than Wink, who moonlights as a certified search and rescue dog for Pets with a Purpose when he’s not in front of the camera. On set, Bobbi Colorado worked with Wink’s owner, Jennifer Blanton, to quickly train him to pick up Michele’s shorts and run out of frame. In between takes, he sat comfortably in his crate or on the porch swing at the swimming hole location. A perfect star.
Watch The Dash and The Dog here. For the film's full credits, click through the slideshow above.