Doug Clark: Perseverance pays off on ladder toward stardom

Overture. Curtain lights …

How exciting. Last Friday night found me at a movie premiere with a Hollywood star.

OK. Perhaps the term “star” is a tad premature.

After all, it’s not like I got to watch “Gran Torino” while sharing popcorn with Clint Eastwood.

The movie in question was “Hotel for Dogs,” a just-released kiddie flick. My pal Eric “Big Ed” Edelstein portrays one of the movie’s meanie dogcatchers.

Big Ed, 31, is a former Gonzaga University student. Back in the day he performed standup comedy in local clubs and was the play-by-play announcer for GU basketball.

His affection for Spokane and his alma mater remains strong.

So Big Ed flew up from Tinseltown to sign autographs and watch the movie at the Village Centre Cinemas. The event was sponsored by Spokane country FM radio station 93.7 “The Cat.”

True, Big Ed’s presence didn’t bring out the stretch limos or attract the paparazzi. But seeing him up there on the silver screen in a major motion picture gave me goose bumps.

Big Ed is living proof that dreams can come true.

You just have to be tough enough to keep pursuing them.

“I pinch myself all the time,” he said.

“I’ve always had a belief in myself. It’s just hanging in and knowing it’s gonna happen.”

Hollywood was a real struggle at times.

He worked a string of bad, low-paying jobs and got fired from most of them. One of his apartments was so small that his kitchen consisted of a George Foreman grill.

But slowly, good things began to happen.

In 2007 he landed a solid part in “The Hills Have Eyes 2,” a Wes Craven gorefest. He also appeared in an episode of TV’s “Ugly Betty.”

Another step up the show biz ladder came when Big Ed and his writing partner, Jake Johnson, won a development deal with NBC for a television pilot.

That led to an agent with more clout.

Big Ed recently completed a project for HBO about the Hells Angels motorcycle gang. He has a great role in “Good Dick,” a movie with actor Jason Ritter.

Appearing in “Hotel for Dogs” put him in the company of one of my favorite scene-stealers: Don Cheadle.

I’ve been a fan of that actor ever since I saw him play Mouse, Denzel Washington’s crazy sidekick, in “Devil in a Blue Dress.”

“He’s phenomenal,” Big Ed said. “I would watch him all the time thinking, ‘How do I get to be that cool?’ ”

“Hotel for Dogs” is getting mixed reviews. It’s one of those kids movies that works well for young children and not so much for older members of the audience.

Big Ed’s dogcatcher character is about as warm and cuddly as a jailer at San Quentin.

The four-legged stars of the film win out in the end, of course. And Big Ed gets his comeuppance with a swift kick in the …

In a dog movie I guess you’d call that involuntary neutering.

“I always identified with the villains in kids movies. You know, the dumb idiot that the kids trick.”

Big Ed has always been a humble guy. And if you like your stories with a happy ending, here it is.

He credits the support of his parents, Dan and Mary Ann, as the chief reason he’s been able to survive Hollywood.

One of his lowest points came in 2003. He was getting nowhere. The topper was being fired from his job at a Starbucks.

Then, out of the blue, he said, he was offered a good-paying job at a radio station in Spokane.

Should he stay or should he go?

Big Ed said he asked his father for advice.

Much to Big Ed’s surprise, his dad told him to stick it out, that he would always regret it if he bailed.

“It’s a tough business,” said Big Ed. “But I can’t imagine how hard that town would be if you had your parents doubting you.”