'Gigi and Nate' showcases the inspiration of an unlikely duo

On Aug. 26, the stars of “Gigi and Nate” — including Charlie Rowe and Allie the Capuchin monkey — walked down the red carpet before premiering the film for the disabled community of Los Angeles. Photos by KAYLEE SMITH, staff writer  

A walk down the red carpet in Hollywood signifies the end of a journey. With production wrapped, it’s a final stop where cast members, directors and producers bathe in camera flashes and relish in each other's company one last time. 

At the premiere for new film “Gigi and Nate,” the red carpet was graced by movie stars, the development team, social media influencers and Allie, the scene-stealing Capuchin monkey who plays title character Gigi.

Allie showed off her playful nature for the cameras by perching atop co-star Charlie Rowe’s shoulders and posing for photos. Rowe said the two had built such a camaraderie that Allie would groom his hair during scenes and protect him from makeup artists looking to do final touch-ups. 

“She has such a curious personality,” Rowe told The Panther. “It was a dream working with her. She was an exciting energy to have on set. There's such life in her eyes that you can't help but be extraordinarily happy when you're with her.”

The event took place Aug. 26 at the Huffington Center where The Panther had the opportunity to speak to several of the stars of “Gigi and Nate.” The press stops were followed by a special screening of the film for members of the disabled community of Los Angeles who were in attendance.

The film, based on a true story, follows Rowe’s character Nate Gibson, a young kid with a bright future who is left a quadriplegic after a fight with amoebic meningitis. In response, his family adopts Gigi — a Capuchin monkey rescued from a petting zoo — to be Nate’s service animal. The two form a close friendship, giving Nate a new lease on life. 

However, Nate and his family must fight the social barriers set by animal protection groups looking to take Gigi away. 

Director Nick Hamm stands with executive producer Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich who first initiated the production of “Gigi and Nate.”

For director and producer Nick Hamm, it was important to present a realistic and well-rounded depiction of the barriers that people with disabilities face.

“Rather than sanitize the idea of how difficult it is to be disabled, we wanted to feature some of the issues that come about because of that,” Hamm said. “We wanted to do it in a very entertaining way. We wanted to make it funny and endearing and have a life force of its own. The movie really celebrates the achievement of those people who deal with that on a daily basis.”

Hamm was presented with the idea at a dinner party by executive producer Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich who had been looking for someone to direct the project for four years. Her involvement arose when she discovered the Helping Hands organization on television, which aims to provide Capuchin monkeys as service animals to disabled people. 

Jaeger-Firmenich told The Panther that she developed an even greater appreciation for the organization and the real-life story of Nate when she tore her achilles tendon. 

“I couldn't walk anymore. I couldn't go in the shower normally,” Jaeger-Firmenich said. “I thought, ‘My God, I'm lucky because I'm going to be good again.’ But some people will never be good again. That's why I created my foundation (robmar) — to help disabled people and support organizations that train animals to support disabled people."

Although screenwriter David Hudgins was first skeptical about taking on the story, he told The Panther that after meeting the real-life Nate and his mother, he couldn’t get the story out of his head. He describes “Gigi and Nate” as a love story between a boy and monkey.

“One of the things that was very interesting to me when I was doing my research and writing the script is that some people feel trapped physically, some people feel trapped literally and some people feel trapped in both ways,” Hudgins said. “I thought it was interesting to explore somebody in Nate's case, who had such limited movement, but such an active mind. And then the monkey comes in and changes everything. It's like a portal into a whole new world.”

Stars of “Gigi and Nate” Charlie Rowe and Zoe Colletti pose together for photographers at the red carpet premiere.

Inside that new world, Nate finds a purpose and a reason to persevere, inspired not only by Gigi, but his family members. Built around a cast of veteran actors such as Diane Ladd and Marcia Gay Harden, Rowe received his most crucial piece of advice from actor Jim Belushi who plays Nate’s father. 

“(Belushi) said, 'Make sure you're on your A-game every single take because they're only going to use the take where the monkey is good,'” Rowe said.

Actress Zoe Colletti, who plays Nate’s friend Lori, described Allie the Capuchin monkey as a true acting professional. Simply shooting a scene together fulfilled a life-long dream for Colletti. 

“It was honestly one of my dreams to get the opportunity to work on a project with the monkey,” Colletti said. “When I got the opportunity to actually work on one I was ecstatic and working with Allie was the greatest thing ever. She is the cutest thing on the entire planet Earth.”

Allie’s professionalism helped Gigi mesh right into the family dynamic of the Gibsons. According to actor Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, who plays Travis in the film, the family dynamic is what defines the film. 

Actor Emilio Sanchez-Garcia, who plays Travis in “Gigi and Nate,” strolls down the red carpet. 

“It's a family union,” Garcia-Sanchez said. “It's about the love of your family members and that doesn't necessarily mean just your biological family members. Olly (Sholoton) and I are characters in this film and are as much of a part of that family as Gigi. When you’re family, you stick together.”

For Rowe, the film inspired his own personal revelation. 

“I realized that I take a lot for granted in my day to day life,” Rowe said. “That was a big lesson. In terms of the characters specifically, Nate has taught me to just take more risks. He takes risks throughout the movie and I really respect that about him. I'm trying to adopt that more into my life.”

The official trailer for “Gigi and Nate” is available on YouTube. The film will be available across theaters nationwide beginning Sept. 2.