Greg Asimakoupoulos got hooked on the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” the first time he witnessed it with his mother as it beamed down upon them from the big screen in 1974.
Forty-six years later, the Mercer Island chaplain at Covenant Living at the Shores will be performing in a virtual made-for-television drama, “The Visitor,” which features four of the child actors from the 1946 film. Now all in their 80s, Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu Bailey), Jimmy Hawkins (Tommy Bailey), Carol Coombs Mueller (Janie Bailey) and Jeanine Roose (young Violet Bick) will perform together — albeit from different locations on Zoom — for the first time since filming “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“It really touched me deeply. When I became a pastor a few years later, I would often use themes and scenes in the movie as a way of illustrating my sermons,” said Asimakoupoulos, 68, who has lived on Mercer Island since 2005, of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “That resonates with me as a pastor, wanting to find meaning in life and inspire people through difficult and challenging times.”
Asimakoupoulos will play the part of the local pastor, and when the George Bailey character dies, he officiates the funeral.
The Islander has participated at the annual “It’s a Wonderful Life Festival” in Seneca Falls, New York, for the past several years by signing copies of his two books based on the movie and preaching on the Sunday morning of the event, which usually takes place the second weekend in December. The festival will not happen this year due to the pandemic, and one of the regular attendees and friend of the original cast members, filmmaker Kevin Stillmock, suggested they make a movie to keep the “It’s a Wonderful Life” bell ringing for fans.
Asimakoupoulos met Grimes some years ago when she and his actor friend were part of a Bellevue College production. Grimes, who was residing in Fall City at the time, invited the chaplain to the festival when his first book, “Finding God in It’s a Wonderful Life,” was released. His second book, “Zuzu’s Wonderful Life,” follows Grimes through her child-acting career, rough times afterward and her return to prominence by making appearances full time to help promote the values and messages of the movie.
Acting with Grimes and the others during the hour-long show is an honor for the chaplain, who was active in music theater in high school and college.
“To be able to spend time with these individuals who brought the movie to life so long ago … The most important (part) is the privilege of getting to know them and to discover what wonderful people they are,” said Asimakoupoulos, who recorded his part with the rest of the cast at the end of November.
“The Visitor” tells the story of a down-on-his-luck innkeeper and a very familiar visitor who helps him discover that life doesn’t have to be perfect in order to be wonderful, reads a press release. The chaplain noted that “The Visitor” will air like a script reading with all the actors on the screen, “Brady Bunch”-style.
The first in a planned series of short films, “The Visitor” is set in Seneca Falls, which film historians believe to be the inspiration for Frank Capra’s “Bedford Falls” in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It is based around the famous line, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings,” which was spoken by Grimes.
“The Visitor” will be broadcast at 3 p.m. Dec. 12 online and via Roku. Free tickets are available at www.wonderfullifemuseum.com.
