What does an out-of-work Boston actor do between auditions? Become a tour guide for day-trippers interested in experiencing Boston as a film set.
Mariagrazia LaFauci, a recent Brown University theater arts graduate, leads visitors through more than 30 cinematic locations in Boston for On Location Tours, a company started in New York.
LaFauci, 22, prepped for her role by watching more than 70 movies filmed in Boston, including “Mystic River,” “Fever Pitch,” “21,” “Gone Baby Gone,” and “Legally Blonde.”
The bus and walking tours stop at locations such as the L Street Tavern, home of “Good Will Hunting”; Jack Nicholson’s mob hangout in “The Departed”; and the scene of the car crash in “Blown Away.”
“Movies are a shared experience,” LaFauci said, “and seeing Boston as a film set is really exciting for people.”
What’s your background as an actor?
I was involved in at least 30 productions at Brown. I’ve also acted for numerous local playhouses and companies.
How do you use your acting background to help lead these tours?
I think just being comfortable in front of an audience and feeling like you can entertain for hours is key. I’m a small person who is very short — 5 feet — so knowing how to have a presence is very important.
This is not your first time being a tour guide, correct?
My very first tours were leading open houses at Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Brighton. I was 14, and became the go-to person because they knew how much I enjoyed it. At Brown, I also conducted admissions tours.
Where does the Boston movie bus tour go?
It’s a three-hour tour, so you see tons of the city, including Beacon Hill and the Back Bay. Not many tours go through Southie, so that’s really cool, with a stop for a drink where the characters from “Good Will Hunting” hung out, and then through the North End, Charlestown, and along the waterfront. You end at Cheers.
How’s your acting career in the meantime?
It’s all about auditioning and trying to get in there and meet people. I had an audition for a community theater production last week, and even though I didn’t get the role, to me, it’s fun — three minutes that you get to act.
What’s your favorite movie or TV show filmed in Boston?
It’s a tie between “Next Stop Wonderland” and “The Boondock Saints.” “Next Stop Wonderland” was one of the movies I hadn’t heard of until I started working on the tours. I fell in love with the movie.
What movie are you watching to brush up on your screen knowledge?
I plan to see “HouseSitter” with Steve Martin. That was filmed at One Beacon Street.