Acting family’s feature film wraps up its S.D. shoot
A small Mexican restaurant on Morena Boulevard plays a key behind-thescenes role in an independent movie filmed in San Diego.
On the wall of JV’s Taco Shop are the smiling publicity shots of the Ochoa brothers, each autographed with a mention of his favorite JV’s menu item.
Ryan, Robert (Bobby), Raymond and Richard Ochoa hung out there on weekends as kids when their family operated a store — Reliable Furniture — across the street in what was formerly the Toys R Us parking lot.
All four boys became child actors who appeared in a variety of commercials, TV shows and films.
Flashing forward a few years, that same Mexican restaurant at 1112 Morena Blvd. played a key role in connecting Ryan Ochoa to film producer Steve Weinberger of Tierrasanta.
Weinberger was casting actors for his 2018 indie film, “The Samuel Project,” including a teen lead. A friend of his and his two daughters were at JV’s when they spotted Ryan’s photo, along with Ryan, who happened to be there. He didn’t know the actor’s name so he contacted Weinberger and suggested he visit the taco shop.
“So I went there, saw his picture, thought he had the right look, found him on IMDb and reached out to his agent/manager,” Weinberger recalls.
Ryan ended up getting the role, co-starring with Tony award-winner Hal Linden.
“It was just a friend eating a burrito, and that’s how the whole thing started,” Weinberger says.
Ryan and Weinberger stayed in contact. Most recently they have co-written a film script that has become an Ochoa family project. “The fun part is, I’m older,” Weinberger says, “and Ryan’s up all night. So when I was asleep, he’d be writing all night and sending things, and I’d write all day. Then we’d put it together.”
Ryan’s parents are co
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executive producers of “Second Chances,” shot almost exclusively in San Diego. He and all four of his siblings have acting roles, along with several actors he has worked with on past projects and films.
They include Zachary Gordon of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” Hayden Byerly of “The Fosters,” Amber Frank of “The Haunted Hathaways,” Neel Sethi of “The Jungle Book,” and Jason Earles of “Hannah Montana,” to mention a few.
The production company is called Triple R Productions, for Ryan, Robert and Raymond, but it should be Quadruple R Productions because older brother, Richard, who left the movie business but returned, is very much involved.
Co-starring with Ryan in “Second Chances” is his little sister, Destiny, 10. His brother, Robert, plays his brother in the film.
The San Diego shoot wrapped up last Saturday at Cali Strong sports store in Seaport Village. Producers are eyeing its release late this year or in early 2023.
It’s a heart-tugging comedy about a child star, Nick Stone, grappling with the lingering fame of past stardom.
The former teen star gets dragged into going to a wake with his sister, Disney, and his mega star ex-girlfriend, Kayla. But there are a few hiccups along the way involving
thugs, ticket scalpers, car thieves and an excon.
Much of the action takes place while Disney tries to get to her tae kwon do competition to earn her black belt. Hence, Weinberger nicknamed it: “Little Miss Sunshine meets The Hangover.”
Ryan says the story line is not biographical but is “loosely based on some events in my life.” He was a regular in popular series on both Disney XD (“Pair of Kings”) and Nickelodeon (“iCarly”) and appeared in numerous national commercials.
JV’s Taco Shop even plays a role in the movie.
“Every time the Ochoa boys would come in, they have so much energy,” recalls JV’s Julio Carrillo, a longtime employee who has known the family for years. “They always talk a lot, and they talk to the other customers.”
“As soon as we see them, the cook knows what to make. Since day one, it’s been breakfast burritos with bacon, not ham, and cheddar cheese, not jack cheese.” They still stop in about twice a month when they’re in San Diego, Carrillo says.
The Ochoa publicity shots, which had to be taken down for the movie shoot, share the wall with those of other customers, including actor George Lopez, the late Junior Seau, coaches and players of University of San Diego teams and the San Diego Loyal Soccer Club.
Additional scenes played out in a garage in Tierrasanta — the community where the Ochoas lived before the family moved to the Lake Elsinore area.
The lead character, played by Ryan, works in a sports equipment store. Many scenes were shot at
Cali Strong, where Ryan is friends with co-founders Jennifer Echeverria and Jim Stroesser. In fact, in “The Samuel Project,” he rode a Cali Strong skateboard and toted a Cali Strong backpack.
The store gives back to youth sports programs and collaborates on fundraisers with pro athletes, including basketball legend Bill Walton and NFL stars Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush and Andre Reed, who makes a cameo in the movie.
Weinberger and Ryan credit director David Venghaus Jr. for making the film his own. “People love to come to work because he’s there,” notes Ryan.
Venghaus was an assistant director on the 2021 movies “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Jungle Cruise,” co-starring Dwayne Johnson. He just wrapped up “Haunted Mansion” with Owen Wilson.
When not on the film set, Ryan might be found jamming with his brothers in their band — Ochoa Boyz. They are preparing to release their second album, which they worked on during the pandemic.
Distribution plans for “Second Chances” haven’t been finalized. “We would love a theater release, depending on how the world is going, in late ’22 or early ’23,” Weinberger says.
“I’m going to make sure the world sees this movie,” Ryan says. “It’s a very, very special film.”