The People

The cast of West of Greatness brings both authenticity and transformation to the screen.

LaEric Moore plays Jerome Betis Carmichael, a role defined by drive, warmth, and optimism. Jerome is the emotional heartbeat of the film, and LaEric’s performance feels deeply personal. As his physical transformation unfolds, so does a layered portrait of ambition, vulnerability, and quiet determination.

Zachary Van Zandt plays Terry Bridgeway, a character burdened by unspoken responsibility and internal pressure. Terry moves through the world with a guarded intensity, and Zach channels that weight with precision. His quiet moments say as much as his words, revealing someone desperate to hold his life together the only way he knows how.

Gordy Cassel portrays Jessica Priscilla Bridgeway, Terry’s sister, a woman living with the long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury that has impacted how her body moves and functions. Once a dancer, Jessica now yearns to move freely in her changed body, holding onto rhythm and memory as a form of resilience. Over the course of the film, she forms a quiet but profound connection with Jerome—two outsiders recognizing something tender in one another. Gordy approached the role with deep care, love, and responsibility—grounding the performance in extensive research and a commitment to portraying disability with authenticity and respect. Drawing from principles of disability justice, Gordy ensured Jessica’s experience was never reduced to stereotype, but instead expressed with dignity, complexity, and emotional truth. Through interviews and improvised moments, Jessica emerges as luminous, defiant, and achingly human. Her desire to be seen and understood becomes one of the most powerful arcs in the film.

Each actor embraced the physical demands of the story, undergoing real, visible transformations over the course of the film. What makes these performances stand out is not just commitment to character, but commitment to the process.

  • Young man sitting on a bed in a cluttered bedroom, wearing a leopard print jacket, with a window, posters, books, and a mirror in the background.

    LaEric Moore, Lead Actor

  • Young man sitting on the edge of a bed in a dimly lit room, looking thoughtful, with a window showing a yard and a row of books on a dresser.

    Zachary Van Zandt, Lead Actor

  • A woman in a white dress sitting in a wheelchair in a grassy field, with houses and trees in the background on a sunny day.

    Gordy Cassel, Lead Actor

  • A young woman with headphones around her neck talking on a cellphone while standing near an elevator door.

    Stevie Cavalier, Actor

  • A man with a beard and mustache, wearing a flat cap, white t-shirt, and black pants, sitting in a wooden chair with one leg crossed over the other, gesturing with his right hand, inside a cozy room with wooden walls and several indoor plants.

    Terrence Williams Sr., Actor

  • Two men standing indoors, one wearing a black cap and olive-green jacket, the other wearing a gray flat cap, glasses, and a floral shirt. They appear to be in conversation or listening to something.

    LaMont Douglas, Actor

  • A man sitting outdoors at night on a cooler next to a small table with four cans of Miller Lite beer, under a porch or deck, with corn plants on the right and a dark sky.

    John Castle, Actor

  • A man with dark hair and beard wearing a navy blue suit and holding a microphone, standing on a dark stage.

    Andrew Wombacher, Actor