Foley resident Jennifer K. Dawson recently had the great fortune of working with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in New Orleans, where the two Hollywood A-listers were filming an upcoming HBO cop series written by Nik Pizzolatto.

The HBO series should be out, tentatively, in early 2014, as the production crew finished filming the first eight episodes of the series in June.

"It was a scene with just the three of us,’’ said Dawson, who is also playing Mammy Yokum in the South Baldwin Theatre’s upcoming production of Lil’ Abner.

“They were completely professional and so easy to work with,’’ Dawson added. “Both were very nice. We had some interesting conversations between takes.

"Very funny guys, so there was never a dull moment. Matthew asked me where I was from and was surprised that I drove from Alabama to do the show. He asked me if I was an Alabama fan or Auburn fan. I hesitated which made him ask me why. I told him because you never know who's around you, especially in LSU territory.”

Jennifer, who is also on the South Baldwin Community Theatre Board of Directors, said her character in the series was a woman being questioned about any strange occurrences in the area the night before.

“I didn't really have a character name,’’ she said. “I told Matthew's character that my name was Misty, but he kept saying Missy, so I went with it. I hope my scene makes it to the final cut."

Jennifer was on set with McConaughey and Harrelson for just one day, but it is an experience she won’t soon forget.

"I had a blast listening to their stories. I never once felt like I was an outsider,’’ she said. “I was included in every conversation with them and the director Cary Fukunaga. All three are brilliant in what they do."

Jennifer said she was surprisingly calm while working with the celebrity movie stars.

“I was amazed at how at ease I was on set,’’ she said. “I had never been on any kind of set and had no idea what all goes into making just one scene. Everyone worked so well together. It felt like one big family that welcomed me in for the day.”

Jennifer heard about the part through her agency, LACANOLA Talent Group, back in December of last year. The casting agent from the series saw her pictures and experience posted on the LACANOLA website and asked her to audition.

"My agent, Robby Cook Stroud, contacted me about doing a taped/video audition to send in,’’ she said. “I sent the video in to the casting director and waited for a callback."

When LACANOLA contacted her the following month with the news she had been cast in the HBO series, she was luckily not behind the wheel of her car or atop a ladder.

“I was totally and completely shocked,’’ she said. “This was my first audition ever, beyond theater. I was LACANOLA's first client to be cast since the agency opened in October 2012."

Jennifer first started acting with the South Baldwin Community Theatre after moving to Lower Alabama in 1990. She stayed active with SBCT for a few years, but then family and work took over.

She returned for a role in 2011 and hasn't stopped since.

Her local work has included "Smoke On The Mountain" as Vera Sanders and "Appointment With Death" as Amabel Pryce. More recently, she played Mary Lee Whitfield in Laura Pfizenmayer's "Waiting Rooms."

She will be reprising that character in the upcoming 2013-2014 season in “Crystal and JT's Wedding Shower and Fish Fry.” That show is set for January 2014.

She will play Mammy in the upcoming SBCT production of “Lil' Abner” which opens Sept. 13.

For more information regarding plays or other activities at South Baldwin Community Theater, visit sbct.biz. Jennifer can also be contacted through ActorsAccess and the LACANOLA Talent Group web page at lacanola.com.