Short-film featuring Elmont-native wins Oscar

McGregory Frederique saw Marshall Curry’s acceptance of an Academy Award for his short-film, “The Neighbors’ Window,” on Feb. 9 as a win for his career.

The Elmont-native appeared as a party-goer in the 20-minute long film, which follows a woman who discovers that she can watch the lives unfold of two 20-somethings who move into the apartment across the street. “She develops this sort of ‘Rear Window’ like obsession with them,” Curry, the producer, explained.

Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will now review the nomination to figure out what made it so successful, Frederique said, and will then see Frederique’s name in the credits. “Now, it’s my turn for an Oscar,” he said.

Frederique started acting in 2017, while recovering from injuries he sustained in a car accident.

At the time, he said, he thought he was going to be “a huge football star, playing in the NFL.” Frederique loved playing the sport while growing up in Harlem, and eventually joined Team America — a private, independent All-Star team that plays around the world in hopes of being drafted to the professional league.

Unfortunately, just as he was making strides with the team, a truck slammed into his car, and he suffered injuries to his legs, face and head. He was unable to play football for months, and as he was recovering, he saw an advertisement for a casting agency. For a dollar, the ad said, the agency would offer him full use of its services for a week. “I tried it out,” Friederique previously told the Herald, “and then I started writing.”

Within a year, he had booked dozens of roles in commercials, television shows, independent projects and movies. And in October, Frederique scored the rold of Jackel, an “evil, murderous, and somewhat compassionate clown” in the film “Devastation: End of Life.”

He was originally supposed to have only a minor role in the horror movie, but as co-directors Vincent Williams and Fausto Toribio continued to work with him, they decided to make him the star of the film.

“When that clown movie comes out,” Frederique vowed, “that will be my first Oscar.”

“Devastation: End of Life” is set to premiere on Long Island shortly, and can be pre-ordered at www.DevastationEndofLife.com. “The Neighbors’ Window,” meanwhile, can be viewed in its entirety at TheNeighborsWindow.com.