MAXWELTON W.Va. (WVDN) – Far from the mountains of West Virginia lies a picturesque city in southwestern Utah known as St. George. Although quite a distance from home, it was here that one Greenbrier County woman realized a lifelong dream. Maxwelton resident Pamela Barry recently filmed an on-screen role in “Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2,” co-written, produced and directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Costner. Even with 10 years of experience at Greenbrier Valley Theatre and two former roles in small independent films, “This is the first time that I’ve had a small part in a major motion picture,” Barry admits.
“I’ve been friends with Kevin for 34 years, and I’ve been on a lot of sets with him as an actor,” Barry says. “He offered me a part for the first time, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.” On May 31, she boarded a plane at Greenbrier Valley Airport bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, where she then flew to Las Vegas, Nevada, and finished the last leg of her trip with a two-hour drive to St. George, Utah. “I arrived in the evening at the Advenire Hotel, which is a small boutique hotel. My costume fitting was scheduled for the next morning and then a hair and makeup consult after that,” Barry recalls. Upon arriving at the production office and taking a quick tour of the costume shop, she was then introduced to the dress that would later define her role. “I didn’t really know my character until I put that costume on. When I put it on, I knew exactly who she was,” Barry says. “That’s the woman I became.”
As the saloon owner’s wife in this western epic that’s being filmed in four installments, Barry recalls an entire town that was constructed for filming in just over a month by the construction crew. “It was an 1800’s town, and every building was filled with period artifacts and furniture,” she said. In the midst of the 90-degree desert heat, Barry recalls visually transforming into the woman that she’d traveled over 2,000 miles to become. “I went to makeup first, and then I was brought to my very own trailer with my name and that of my character on the door,” she said. “My costume was laid out for me, and then I went to the hair trailer, where it took about an hour to craft the most gorgeous look I have ever had on my head.” Two shuttles would then transport her, along with more than 60 movie extras, to the constructed 18th-century town just across the border in Arizona.
On the evening of June 2, “As the sun was setting, I got called to the saloon,” Barry recalls. “Kevin told me then what the scene was about and what he wanted me to do. Now, I’ve never been in front of cameras like this before. I just focused on the room, memorized my movements, settled in and did the best that I could, knowing that my costume, hair and makeup made me look like the character I became,” she adds. After receiving numerous accolades for her performance from other actors on the set, Barry was awaiting confirmation from her longtime friend and director, Kevin Costner. “He looked at me and said I did great. It’s almost impossible to explain how I felt in that moment, that I did something I have wanted to do for a very long time and by all accounts, I did a good job,” she said.
When asked for her thoughts on the film, Barry didn’t hesitate to respond with praise. “I think that people should go see this movie because it’s brilliantly cast and written and it’s beautiful to watch. The scenery tells its own story,” says Barry. “It’s not your usual movie. Kevin is a visionary. It builds on itself, almost like a book because it’s done in chapters. Everyone who is interested in Kevin as an actor or director and this amazing story, should watch it and judge for yourself how beautiful this movie is,” she concludes.
Pamela Barry is a writer, director and member of The Actor’s Equity Association. “Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 7, 2024. It was co-written, produced and directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars in the film series. This installment follows Chapter 1, which is currently available to rent, stream or buy.
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