John O'Leary brought the world's attention to St. Louis Thursday night.
It was the big premiere for the movie based on his life, Soul on Fire. Tom Ackerman conducted the red carpet interviews, including with actor John Corbett, who said he walked around the city for hours.
"And I just shot photographs of all the architecture here. Whoever built this city - I don't know where they learned these skills, but it's got some amazing architecture. So, I just love the city. I want to see it come back. As I was walking around for 2 hours I saw about 100 people in the streets. I want to see these stores open back up. I want to see people walking around," Corbett told Ackerman.
Watch red carpet coverage and listen to interviews with the stars of the movie here: https://www.youtube.com/live/TBSqhMuKLPI?si=wVvevuAFypcRnBrv
William H. Macy, who portrays KMOX/Cardinals legend Jack Buck in the movie, called Buck a hero.
"We talk about heroes a lot. I find him, I never got to meet him, I find him endlessly fascinating that he did all these lovely altruistic things quietly, silently, nobody knew about them. Since this film started shooting people are coming forward all the time telling more and more stories of Jack Buck, how he helped, how he showed up," Macy told Ackerman on the red carpet.
Macy was among the packed red carpet outside Powell Symphony Hall for the premiere of Soul on Fire, the movie which depicts the story of a young John O'Leary, burned over 90-percent of his body, inspired to survive by Buck.
Director of Soul on Fire Sean McNamara told our Tom Ackerman originally, the film wasn't going to be shot in St. Louis.
"At first we weren't going to because we didn't think we could afford to shoot in St. Louis. And then somehow right when we were getting the film going the tax incentive came through and John gave me a tour of everything - the church he got married in, his home, the arch, so I was like 'We have to shoot it here.' And it's a miracle - it's a miracle that it did happen. That's what this movie is about, miracles...and there are miracles everywhere you just have to find them."
Soul on Fire hits theatres nationwide on October 10th.