Schenectady, N.Y. — Oscar-winning actor Casey Affleck worked the grill at an Upstate New York restaurant last weekend.
Affleck wasn’t there for a movie. Instead, the “Manchester by the Sea” actor was filming a new music video for country music star Zach Bryan, according to reports.
Affleck spent about two hours at First Prize Mike’s, also known as Mike’s Hot Dogs, restaurant owner John Mantas told the Times Union. While Bryan is on tour and wasn’t present, Mantas said the “Pink Skies” singer wanted to film in the area after watching “The Place Beyond the Pines”, which was shot in the city.
First Prize Mike’s has fed hungry diners in the Capital Region for over 75 years. The eatery at 1135 Erie Blvd. is topped with an iconic blue and white neon sign.
Photos shared by the restaurant show Affleck standing at a grill inside First Prize Mike’s and holding a spatula while wearing a dark baseball cap, cargo work pants and a casual button-up shirt. Affleck also stopped to take a photo with First Prize Mike’s staff.
Mantas told the Times Union he was asked not to reveal which song the music video was filmed for.
Schenectady is no stranger to cameras and film crews.
The HBO reboot of Pretty Little Liars was filmed in the Electric City in 2022 and 2023. “The Gilded Age”, another HBO show, shot scenes in Schenectady‘s Stockade neighborhood earlier this month, the Times Union reported.
Bryan played at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo in March as part of his 2024 tour, dubbed “The Quittin Time Tour”. He’s slated to return to New York this fall to play two shows at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.