Michael Stallings’ latest acting gig was one that came naturally.
The technical sergeant at Eglin Air Force Base portrayed an army lieutenant assigned to the personal security detail of a two-star general amid a terrorist attack on the White House in the new action flick “Olympus Has Fallen.”
“I kind of got lucky with it,” Stallings said. “I showed up on set and they asked, ‘Who knows how to drive a Humvee?’ ”
Originally signed as a background extra, his military training caught the eye of director Antoine Fuqua, who pulled him aside to consult on a few scenes. When Stallings explained how an Army lieutenant would brief a higher-ranking officer, Fuqua asked him if he could deliver the same lines in the film.
“I literally came up with my line on the fly,” Stallings recalled. “We did about 10 to 12 takes of it.”
Although the original take was longer, Stallings’ lines did survive the editing process.
“I actually have about five seconds of speaking in the film,” he said.
Stallings said Fuqua was especially concerned about the military action being as authentic as possible.
His training kicked in again when some of his fellow extras didn’t know how to correctly carry the M4s and M9s that were among their props.
“Some of the people who showed up on set had never held a weapon in their lives,” Stallings said. “I was showing people how to hold a weapon. … I actually taught some guys how to jump out of a jeep … and get up in the ready position.”
“Olympus Has Fallen” stars Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart. Most of it had been shot when Stallings arrived in New Orleans to film his scenes.
“All the big stars were done,” he said.
But Stallings still had a blast on the set, and especially enjoyed talking with Fuqua.
“He’s an awesome director,” he said. “He was really approachable. He came up to me and we talked about his past projects.”
Stallings, who is from South Dakota, began acting and studying the craft in 2010 after he arrived at Eglin, where he works in the fuel shop. In 2011 he won a part in Stage Crafter’s production of “Sin, Sex and the CIA.”
“It’s been a passion of mine since I was a little kid,” he said. “I love the Air Force but I would love to pursue acting.”
After landing his first speaking part in a motion picture, Stallings is ready for more.
“There was never a point on set where I was bored,” he said. “It’s creativity.”
Stallings, who is credited in the film, went to see the movie with some buddies when it opened in late March.
“I was very nervous at first, and then you just get that never-ending smile,” he said. “They were all very supportive.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.