David Ezell and Will Lerberg reunite for award-winning short film Occam’s Beard

David Ezell and Will Lerberg are back together after an Off-Broadway run, this time for the psychological short film Occam’s Beard, which is set to shoot in New York and Connecticut. The project pairs Ezell’s internationally recognized screenplay with Lerberg, a Norwegian-born actor whose background closely matches the film’s lead role.

Why it matters: - Occam’s Beard turns an award-winning script into production after earning recognition from the Cannes Film Awards and Best Short Script at the Big Apple Film Festival. - The film also creates a high-fit casting match between a Norwegian-born actor and a Norwegian lead role. - The collaboration extends a professional relationship that began on an Off-Broadway stage and is now moving to film.

What happened: - David Ezell and Norwegian-born actor Will Lerberg reunited for Occam’s Beard, a psychological short film set for production in New York and Connecticut. - Ezell wrote the screenplay about a year before production and did not have Lerberg, or any specific actor, in mind. - Lerberg later read the script and was moved to tears. - Camelback Films is producing the project.

The details: - Lerberg plays JP Ellison, a former child star who confronts psychiatrist Dr. William “Liam” Fallows with the belief that the man across from him is not the doctor he has known for most of his life. - The story centers on identity, memory, perception and proof as JP and Liam clash over what is real. - The film moves across different periods of JP’s life, with multiple actors portraying him at different ages. - JP was written as around 30, Norwegian and descended from Vikings, with a role that requires emotional and psychological range. - Lerberg was born in Norway, now works in New York and is an alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, founded in 1884. - Lerberg has performed professionally on New York stages and is taking on a leading screen role. - Ezell said he initially thought JP was almost uncastable until he realized he already knew someone who fit the role. - Ezell’s first play, The Great American Scream Machine, was recognized in the 2024 SOOP Annual Play Competition and selected for production. - Ezell is also an actor, film historian and psychotherapist. - Ezell said the screenplay was shaped by memories of a patient he treated as a young psychotherapist and a friend who struggled with psychological instability. - Ezell said acting requires surrendering to another identity, and that experience led him to question whether that process is healthy or possible for everyone.

Between the lines: - The casting works because Lerberg matches the character on biography and background, not just performance ability. - Ezell’s choice to write JP as Norwegian long before he considered Lerberg makes the match feel unusually specific. - The project positions Lerberg as a screen performer with a background built on New York stage work and European roots. - The film also extends Ezell’s writing career from stage recognition into a first screenplay that reached production.

What's next: - Occam’s Beard is currently set for production in New York and Connecticut. - The film will introduce JP Ellison’s story to a wider audience once production is complete. - Ezell and Lerberg’s stage-to-screen collaboration will continue as the project moves forward.

The bottom line: - Occam’s Beard pairs an acclaimed script with a cast match that emerged almost by chance, giving both Ezell and Lerberg a notable new collaboration.