Hollywood Pays A Visit To Leon's Fantasy Cut

Leon Kogut is a man of many talents–cutting hair, playing the accordion and keyboard, even occasionally tending bar–and now, he can add acting to his list.

A few weeks back, when we saw signs for Revenge of the Green Dragons posted on Newkirk Avenue, we didn’t realize the film would actually be shooting on the Plaza–let alone in Leon’s Fantasy Cut barber shop–but Leon was kind enough to share some photos from his recent taste of Tinseltown.

Revenge of the Green Dragons is a 2014 action film being directed by Wai-keung “Andrew” Lau (top photo), based on the true story of a well-known gang in 1980s Queens, and starring Justin Chon, Harry Shum Jr., Ray Liotta, and Shing Ka (below).

Lau’s 2002 film Infernal Affairs served as the basis for Martin Scorsese’s The Departed (also filmed partially in Ditmas Park)–and as it turns out, Scorsese is executive producing Green Dragons, too.

Leon plays a barber in the scene that takes place in his shop, which looks like it gets a bit crazy. While the profession may have come naturally to him, he did have to make one wardrobe change.

“There was a woman doing the makeup who went through and made sure everything looked like the ’80s,” he says. “She told me to take off my watch, and I said, ‘What? You don’t like it?’

“She said, ‘It’s not that I don’t like it–it’s just too new.'” Guess that’s what he gets for being such a snappy dresser.

Leon also says Lau is a fan of the neighborhood, and expressed interest in filming here again in the future.

We can’t wait to see Leon’s cameo when the movie comes out next year–we just hope he gets the top billing and award nominations he deserves.