The Man Who Never Spoke ( Feature Dramedy/SCRIPT only)
Written by: Tony Barbieri and Nathan Wetherington   *This Script is For Sale*

​Logline:

After his wife passes away, an aging background actor who’s struggled for years to land a

speaking part must prepare for the role of his life: becoming a parent to a 15-year-old girl.

​

Synopsis:

Ezekiel Shakespeare (77) is a background actor who’s appeared in over 2,000 movies and TV

shows, and not one has been a speaking role. We meet Ezekiel as he engages in small talk with a

director during a break on set. The conversation is congenial at best, but Ezekiel takes it as a

major win, heading home with champagne. His wife, Addelyn, is less than enthusiastic. Ezekiel’s

passionate pursuit of a speaking role has created a rift in his marriage. With a deaf ear to

Addelyn’s pleas to spend more time at home and reminders of how his absence ruined his

relationship with their now-deceased daughter, Ezekiel continues to work 12-hour days as an

extra, believing it will lead to his big break. Meanwhile, Addelyn deteriorates and passes away

from heart failure, unable to forgive her husband for his absence. The resulting grief and guilt

flip a switch for Ezekiel.

Ezekiel quits his job and receives a sign: a commercial for foster parenting. A chance to right his

past wrongs. But when the foster organization sends him 15-year-old Lainy, it’s immediately

clear this is not a perfect pairing. Still, they settle in and get to know one another. Then Ezekiel

gets a call from the director he met earlier. A chance to audition for a speaking role. This is his

shot. He enrolls in acting classes and increasingly spends time away from home as Lainy

struggles to contact her troubled, substance-addicted mother. Their relationship deteriorates until

it dawns on him: he is repeating the same cycle. He quits his acting classes and prioritizes his

foster daughter.

Ezekiel and Lainy finally start to bond, particularly over their shared love of movies. When

Lainy skims through the screenplay for Ezekiel’s audition, she is inspired to write a film script of

her own about her relationship with her mom. But Lainy is still distraught over her mother’s

absence. It is new for Ezekiel to confront emotions and be present as a father, but for the first

time in his life, he tries his best. At the same time, he has his audition for the speaking role he’s

always dreamed of — but it’s no longer taking center stage; his relationship with Lainy is. When

Lainy discovers the extent of her mother’s addiction, Ezekiel is there for her. That’s when

Ezekiel gets the news — he didn’t get the speaking role. Lainy approaches him with a script she

has written, all for him with many lines. Ezekiel reads the dialogue and is deeply touched. We

see Ezekiel act for the first time in Lainy's film — and it’s bad. But it doesn’t matter, Lainy has

found a home and Ezekiel has landed a role that finally brings him peace.